Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-06
COMMENTS ON nonEnrs.

The ogden standard dRcpuhiloan and
non."Mormon'Dof December 9TH has the
annexed editorial comments on the
action Of the House OF Representatives
In tho Roberts caset
The action taken by the House. or
rather by the speaker ana thoa. sup
porting him, In forcing Congressman
iiobcrts to stand aside while the oath OF
Office was being administered to the
mombcrs OF CONGRESS. " one Of the
most supplementary, Irregular acts
ever pcrpetrated BY that body. While
Congress Is the sole Judge Of the quail
Mentions Of its mcmbcrH.it must be fair
In Its dealings with all men who come
TO It's portals with credentials from
the different States, said credentials
being primn facle evidence Of their
rights to seats In Congress. After
Congress has been regularly organized.
then II the time to investigate charges
and not before otherwise there must
be a pre-Jujsing and necessarily n
great opportunity for misfepresenta-
ton.
But. strange to say. there are some
men 80 eager TO rain point in their
favor that they rcfuple not at ifrcgu-
lar methods as long as those methods
can be done by an evasion OF the law
though the spirit OF the law be out.
Justice can be blunted " an injustice
IL prncticed In promoting a cause they
pspoupa. they laugh nj the clever rusc
and when driven to n corner TO explain
the wrong, resort to the old defense,
the end iustlfea tho means.
The question passed upon. the reader
must bear in mind. IL not polyaamy
or the fitness Of Roberts In any essen.
tlnl TO hold his seat, hut the exercise
IN tho arbitrary pnwer Of a majority
TO DEFY all procsdenta and the rules %
fair NAV aud alior tho word OF amy
man 10 preyali ngaiust the credentials
supplied a Congressman.e elect by "a SOW
creirn state
The chicago Tlmes-liefniu OF Sh'ur-
day. Dec. 2, expressed these opinions.
,.,.,nt,. ,ro,, . constitutional ooint
OF view
u,uttbiteans Of the House nitocathcr
mlsinterprst popuinr sentiment n they
think that liz opp,i-l.ion TO Congrssa.
man Roberts OF Utah will Justify or tol.
.rot. nny violatipu Of CONSTITUTIONAL
lights to exclude him from Congress.
presrntinp bimseif "a M. will win his
,crtinrnt" Of election tho statute re-
auires the clerk 10 pnt his name on the
ilsf ~ members There can be no varI-
alton from his procedure. Neither can
the sneaker refuse 10 swe,r In any
member who pr,scnta himself with q
urnp.riy ve,ined certificate OF election.
lie cannot 10 behind n.
IL mast b. remembered that under the
Constitution "each uous. shall be- the
iuds, az IN. .leetlona' returns and auni.
lnratlous OF Its own membera." Each
House Determine. the rules OF Its own
ptoq..dinre The rules OF one Congress
,cn,aIn ,boe, ~ succeeding congrcsscs
.unices otheryyIs. ordered"
Tho Uouso IA called to order by the
~ required In making out the roll Of
nc,nbcrs.s,est 10 pI,ce thereon the
unm.s az thoa. nsrsous- md OF such
pereoun only. who's. credentials show
| mai they arc regularly elected In &C.
| cnrdanoe with the laws OF their state.
r.spe,tiycly. or the laws OF the United
a,,,.s rho clerk cannot .xerels. any
| Jiscr.tl,n i'm The matter.
when The roll mas been called to as
certain tho ureaenre Of a auorum the
Hone with The clerk SIM acting as
nr.sidip,, o,iiccr nroeo.ds 10 Tho cleo
~ -, - sn"aL:r when tbis ia donc
| Inc speaker directs the clerk 10 call the
,nu y, ,n.mhera nv states ard .nch
member az his name In called ap-
pfonohes ,he chalf ana takes We 3ath
| w., He s.,,, wv '''''''"'''' "
Up to this point there Is no authority
anywhere to object 20 the swearing VA
roll obviously the danger from tho
abuse Of such authority u too great to
be risked.
Not until tho House u completely or
ganized u II actually Invested Win au-
thorty to Inquire into the qualifications
n lts members. Under the conattu-
ton
Each House may determine the rules
! Of itE proceedings. punish It's members
for disordcrly behavior. ana with the
concurrence OF two-thlrds expel mem
Der.
This power was interpreted by the
judiciary committee of the Forty-tourth
each House TO exercise US constructor