Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-12-09
UTAH GENTILEs SAY HE DID NOT
TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH.
CALL HIM A DEFIANT CRIMINAL
DECLARE THAT HE IS NOW A FUGI.
TIVE FROM JUSTICE.
1t Is Strongly Insisted That the Nor
mon Church Is UpholdinE Po-
lygamy and Thus Violating
the Compact With the
United States.

WASHINGTON. Dec. S-An answer to
Mr.. Roberts address to the American peo-
pie was given out to-day by a delegation
representing the Gentle element in Utah,
who are here to oppose Mr.. Roberts The
answer is as follows:
In this mornings papers Mr.. Roberts
makes an appeal for sympathy in which
are many statements needing correction.
while many facts are suppressed.
Mr.. Roberts claims that the precedent made by his |
exclusion is both and dangerous. That it is not
new was concusvey shown by Mr.. Tayler in his |
| able legal argument before the house. and not a
single precedent to the country cited where the
ground OF objection ineligibty. Neither is the
precedent dangerous Whenever '.prima facie' |
is made against members citizenship. showing
that under conviction for felony against the laws
of the United States he dis,ranchised and. further
that by Of his present maintenance Of the
status of a poiygamist he is again suffering from
act such member. refusing even to deny the
charge. should be excluded Nor is this dangerous.
for 1t is likely. Mr. Roberts to assume.
that an entire minority or all representatives of
large state are coming to congress carrying such
tons Of these laws Of decency in the face of the pub
lie are sent to the penitentary 1t is only in Utah
where such indecency added ones eligibility
and served recommendation to political prefer
ment
|
guilt be received except judicial record OF his
conviction in Utah as matter OF law Is erroneous.
and matter OF practice. dangerous, because Mr..
Roberts and his all powerful and inspired priesthood
prevent such conviction If they consider 1t worth
| while.
| Mr.. Roberts claims that. whatever his civil
disabilities before statehood. they removed by
Of the passage Of the enabling act Mr.. Roberts was
he in his appeal to admit, dsfranchsed by
act Of and therefore not full citizen Of the
United States as by the constitution he must be- II
become member Of congress, then he is still in the
could not restore him to federal citizenship. and the
| enabling act did not do 1t. The enabling act of
Utah unlike that Of some other states required c-
voting and did not confer that citizenship upon those
then not such citizens Hence, Mr.. Roberts state
habilitated in the wanting attributes of citizenship.
| is unwprranted.
| Mr. Roberts he has not been convicted since
statehood. 1t does follow that he Is innocent.
He is fugitive from justice in Salt Lake county
on charge of unlawful cohabtation. and in Davis
county, u. where resides OF his poygamous
wives. with her illegitmate twins. born August II.
1885, charge Of adultery Ia felony under the laws
Of Utah has been for two months pgeon-holed by
| Mormon prosecuting attorney.
Mr.. Roberts. in his attempt to belittle his crimes.
insists that he is only charged with misdemesnor.
He knows better He knows that he has been. under
charged with the felony Of adultery as we'll as the
misdemeanor of unlawful cohabitation. He asserts
also that. if he guilty OF the same acts
In the District OF Columbia. "even fagrantly so.
for beeause If is onlv misaemesnor. Here axatn
Mr. Roberts states what is not true. and he ought
know it, Unlawful eohabitaton under the Edmunds
act. under which he pAad guilty. felony. as
also is adultery. with which Mr.. Roberts is charged
in Davis county u In the the, District District of Columbia
as defined by the Utah statutes, and it is only in
Utah that the former is a misdemeanor.
These charges. In view Of the Edmunds and Ed
munts-Tucker laws Of the United States, still In
force. warrant Mr.. Roberts exclusion. They ag-
graysted however, because his is not isolated
case, but representative Of system.
Many sentimental people are being mised by Mr..
Roberts very ingenious suggestions from which
people infer that he took his polygamous when
it lawful to do so. This is mistake. Adultery
| was crime In Utah when Mr.. Roberts born,
and the time of the passage of the Cuilom anti
polygamy act Mr.. Roberts was only years old. His
that he should be allowed to continue his criminal
practices notwithstanding he took his poygamous
support his families. but also demand that he shall
the begetting of further llegitimate offspring.
and this is cur only bone Of contention. the only
thing demanded which he refuses to yield. In this
matter We dsclaim any desire to have him declared
Ineligible because he is Mormon but solely be-
cause he is violating and defying the laws of
state. OF the United States and of common decency
Ex-Consressman ". II. King was and is Nor
mon and claim Of neligbility was ever made
against him. We point to this fact showing that
We oppose Mr. Roberts not upon the ground OF any
religious opinions entertained by him. but because
of his criminal practices. Neither is this a matter of
religious political persecution or prejudice. The
men who belong to church. those who are Re-
| publicans and those who are Democrats.
Mr. Roberts denies, and We assert, that the COM
pact between Utah and the other states has been
violated. That compact was evidenced by many pub
lie acts follows:
First-By the manifesto Of the Mormon church In
, 1880. which. by their leading men, interpreted
oath prohibit the continuance of polygamous
relations we'll the contracting OF new marriages
Secondly the Utah legislature. which, in 1892
made unlwaful cohabitation as we'll as polysamy
, | crimes against the territory
Thrd-By the solemn pledge OF the apostles of this
alleged church that these laws would be obeyed and
| enforced which pledge made in q petition to
the president praying for general amnesty procla-
nation.
citizens of Utah before the congressional committee
having the enabling act under consideration. where
also the foregoing evidences and statements were
used to statehood.
e Fifth-By the declaration in the constitution of
Utah that poygamous marriages shall be forever pro-
sixth-The act of the constitutional convention con-
tinuing in force the territorial laws furnishing un-
lawful cohabitation we'll poygamy, CT which
convention Mr.. Roberts was member.
All these public acts combined show eonelusivey y
that the compact includes the dscontinuance OF old
polygamous relations vel! as the prevention OF
f new ones.
As evidence that this compact has been broken We
!. !. point to the following:
First-That Utah $500 illegitmate children have
teen born to polygamous wives since statehood.
second-That about 1000 polygamous households
0 now exist in Utah. and that the attempt to
punishment OF these offenders is denounced by the
4 majority. us We believe. of Utah's citizens.
Third-That the circumstantia evidence unmistaka-
bly, points to the existence Of new wives in polysa-
nous households. the most conspicuous examples of
. which the cases Of Apostles Abraham H. Cannon.
John W. Taylor and Tuesdale in at least the first Of
e which the church organ Of the dominant church
fuses to deny the marriage, and the poygamous
wife is employed as teacher in church academy.
, Fourth-That the very men who interpreted the
a manifesto of 1880 to prohibit unlawful cohabitation
with prior acquired wives publicly Justify Its
: continuance.
n Fifth-That most Of the same men who. in petl-
u tion amnesty pledged their sacred honor
obedience Of the law by their people by
ample and precept encouraging to commission Of the
| crime of unlawful cohabitation.
S;xth-As further evidence Of this bad :aith we
call attention the fact that the men holding high
church oces have pleaded guilty to the crime OF
lawful cohabation before the state courts withou,
having their church standing affected. even, in
cases. having their fines paid by sympathetic friends
Seventh-All this Is by necessary implication in
dorsed by majority OF Utahs people in the election
=, | OF Brigham H. Roberts. who during his campaign
for election, publicly charged with being
n lator Of the laws, evidenced by his iegtimate
progeny, din spite Of these undened charges
- | was elected by overwhelming majority.
Il That Mr. Roberts himself understood that compact
TO mean the discontinuance OF unlawful cohabation
We point his regisratve oath Of 1895, in which
swore II his Intention to obey the law prohibit
d ing unlawful cohabitation.
d T. C. ILIFF. Salt Lake.
G. W. MARTIN Manti, U.
\ C. NJ. OWEN. Salt Lake.
J.. NJ. C0OMBS. Brigham City. L..
!. A. T. SCHROEDER, Salt Lake.
h wichita Street Railway Sold.
. WICHITA, KAS.. Dec. s.-The long street railway
| fight in this city ended to-day when W. B. Nc.