The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-29
Thomas against that bin has been in
demand.

Christmas turkey which he doubtless got
in Brunswick county and stuffed it with
some of DIR. Porter's fine oysters. But
| was grattied to hear from all sources
that the belief is general that he will
aot be disturbed in his seat He has
been las wise as serpent and as
harmless as Il dove and has already
made many friends here in all parties.
His case is impregnable and when pre-
scented by his able attorneys, he Is GER
tain to win unless the Republican ma
iority feels the need of Il few additional
votes. Even then it is believed that
there are many Republicans who will
not permit their party to be guilty OF
the crime of turning out ii man with
5000 majority when his contestant does
net even claim to have been elected. /
found some Republicans here, who think
Dockcry has no chance. They all know
that if Bellamy were unseated he would
be reelected by Il bigger majority and
see how useless it would be to unSeat him
for a little temporary row that could by
no possibility inure to the benefit Of the
= Republican party.
Nobody / talked with knew when
prtchard would call up his resolution
against the constitutional amendment.
There will he fun ahead when he does.
| have reliable information that at least
one Democratic Senator, who knows
Southern sentiment and whose ability is
of Il high order, is prepared to make such
Il reply rs to destroy any good effect
Mr.. Pritchard might hope to secure
fromphis airing of purely legal question
in the Senate which has no jurisdiction
over the construction of constitutional
amendments. If pritchard proposes To
use the United States mails to circulate
anti-amendment literature, the Demo
Gratis will circulate the replies that viii
expose his fallacies. 1t is Il game that
two can play at. While North Carolina
has no Senator who stands for the
rule of intelligence, there are Southern
Senators who will stand for us as Vance
stood for Virginia when Malone mis-
represented that old commonwealth.
The sentiment here which at first ran
strong in favor of refusing Roberts, of
Utah. the right to take the oath of or
flee, has changed so far as | could tell.
any many thoughtful people now feel
that the House made a mistake in de-
Ginning to permit Roberts to take the
oath. The evidence that the committee
has secured seems to be overwhelming
in support of the charges of polygamy,
and there is little or no difference OF
opinion about the fact that he will be
ousted. There Is a feeling that Il bad
precedent was set when the House took
authority to add to the qualification of
members. 1t is full of danger Let me
Illustrate: DOckery has contested the
seat of Bellamy on the ground Of intimi-
dation and murder. Now, if the House
can stand member aside upon charges
of criminal conduct, what would have
prevented Deckery's charging Bellamy
with having instigated the shooting of
the negroes in Wilmington, and II parti-
san House refusing to let him take his
seat! OF course such charge would be
groundless, but if one vote had deter
mined the political control of this House.
does anybody suppose that the RepubIi-
cans would have hesitated to make it and
act upon it? The proper way to pro-
ceed is the way that has prevailed from
the days of old Nat Macon to Thomas
Ii. Reed-permt every man who has the
certificate of election to take the oath
and participate in the organization of the
House. If guilty of wrong-doing, the
way TO get rid of him is to expel him by
the orderly and legal method. Anything
else is dangerous. The Constitution is
so plain that it is surprising that there
can be any difference of opinion. 1t has
but three requirements for member of
Congress: ], citizenship; >, age; 3,
residence. If man is Il legal citizen, n
resident of the State from which he was
elected, and is twenty-five years old, he
has Il constitutional right to take the
oath as Il smember of the House, and no
charge of misconduct or crime can debar
him. This is settled by Judge Story
when he said:
1T would seem but fair reasoning upon
the plainest principles of Interpretation,
that when the Constitution established
certain qualifications as necessary for
office, it meant to exclude all others as
prerequisites"
The evidence before the Taylor COM
mittee conyicts Roberts and upon it he
ought to be expelled from Congress.
That upholds the honor of the Republic
without making precedent that will be
sure to rise up TO haunt us in the future.
Mr.. Taylor. Of Ohio, said to be sincere
standing Roberts aside before permitting
him to take the oath. instead of proceed
ing in the orderly and old fashioned way,
is that majority can stand aside while
it takes ii two-thirds vote to eXpel. That
argument boiled down means that might
makes right-it is the argument of force.
The best argument against the proceed
ure taken that / have heard is this:
Utah was admitted to the Union differ
emily from any other State, and before it
was admitted there was Il solemn con-
tract that poygamy should cease. The
election to Congress of a man with three
wives, so it is argued, is Reputation
of the agreement and justifes a depar-
ture from methods adopted in the case of
members from the other States. 1T ought
to be so nominated III the bond" If
the House denies Roberts Il seat on the
ground that he is a polygamist and the
contract with Utah justifies his exclu-
sion, the precedent can be held to apply
TO no other State, and the dangers in a
general precedent are avoided. If it is
declared this applies to no State except
one admitted under IN agreement to put
an end to polygamy." if this is done, the
M hay in, III thn nf