Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-29
MODE OF PROCEDURE
How to Gust Roberts is Now the
Question.
DEMOCRATIC ATTITUDE UNCERTAIN
Disposition to Split Hairs Not
Helping His Case.
MORMON CHI URCH MANIFESTO

| Members Of the House are still undecided
AS To the means % be employed to prevent
I tab being represented in that body by Mr..
Roberts, or any man against whom similar
| charges have been made. The republican
! managers are St. canvassingr the mode of
| procedure but there is no relaxation of the
determination to Gust him.
/ In this they are being encouraged in
many directions. The crusade inaugurated
by womens orga n cations all over the
country is being felt in Washington and
public sentiment is making itself manifest
in many ways. The league of women over
which Miss Helen Gould of New Yor.. pre-
sides. and to whose fund she contributes
generously, is employing distinguished
counsel To prepare the brief. as it is ex-
pressed. in the case of the family and
iireside against Roberts" Ex-Presfdent
Harrison IS being entreated to act as coun-
sci and there Will be an imposing array of
legal talent.
attitude of Democrats.
While many democrats have expressed
their intention of Joining the movement to
send Mr.. Roberts back to his families this
wtute" the republican managers are a little
! anxious as 10 The attitude Of ,he democrats
may take as a party. 1t will be readily
seen hat the concurrence of the democrats
VIII be absolutely necessary TO obtain the
requisite tWo-thirds vote for expulsion and
the managers would be very glad if they
could be assured of cooperation of the
democrats to this extent
1t is the doubt upon this point which in
GuceS many republicans to favor the propo-
stttOn to halt Mr. Roberts at the bar of the
House and by majority vote prevent his
being sworn into his seat. 1t is probable
however in view of the reluctance of some
memhers to take this course, that if the aid
of the democrats could be counted upon for
Il surety, The case would be sent to commit
tee and an expulsion resolution prepared.
Ex-senator Edmund>' Advice.
In this connection. ex-senator Edmunds
the author Of the law against polygamy.
in communication to the Philadelphia
Press today. advises as follows:
The Constitution fixes and describes the
qualifications necessary for a member of
the House of Representatives, | think the
House has no constitutional right to add
others. tither affirma;ively or negatively
and therefore | think that if Mr.. Roberts
was regularly elected, was of the requisite
age. resided in the state of Utah and IS
willing to take the oath prescribed by the
Constitution, the House has right to
refuse to allow him to be sworn in.
1t Is more dangerous Ia the rights and
liberties of the people for the House to
set up standards of admission not prescrb-
81 bN lNe constitution imam to admit 10
be sworn any person whom the people of
state choose to elect. That done, the Con
stitutiOn has itself provided for the House
Riding itself Of any member who, upon its
own conscience. ii believes for any reason
ought not to continue therein
Spirit of the Compact.
The disposition Of Mr. Roberts defenders
to split hairs over the difference between
polygamous marriages and living in poIyg-
amy is not helping his case. The men who
viii pass upon the matter are not inclined
to sickle at the difference between ''puIyg-
amy and 'pOlygamOUs." but are taking
into account the spirit Of the compact be
tween Congress and the citizens of Utah
When the state was admitted. It Is con-
tended that pOlygamy was aimed AT by
that compact, and that everybody 80 I'm
deTStOod it.
When the Utah enabling act was report
ed from the House committee on territories
1t contained this section:
That perfect liberation of religious SEN
timent shall be secured. and that no in
habItant Of said state shall ever be modest
cd in person or property on account Of his
or her mode Of religious worship
General Wheeler OF Alabama, presenting
a minority report, cOntended in the report
a. follows
1t appears to the minority of the com
mlttee that the above expression in the bill
might be construed not only as not pro-
hib-ung polysamr but possibly as tolerat-
/ ing II not encouraging il, and the minority
DO not think that the sense of the United
! States Will tolerate the idea Of Utah being
admitted To the sisterh0Od Of states under
such A constitution a. is proposed by this
| bill The minority Of the committee as in
divlduals fully concur with the majority
| that the people Of tab are sincere in their
determination to disCOuntenaHCe polygamy
and that being true li.ere can he no harm
in that determination being expressed in
the fundamental law Of that territory when
| II becomes state"
The difficulty WAS comp, -cd by the adon-
ti0n of m amendment offered in the House
by Mr. Powers Of Vermont. as follows:
PROVIDED, That p0lyEamous or plural
marriages are forever prohibited" 1t is
apparent that there was departure here
from the word polysamy. but it Is con-
| tended by all no~ that the oversight was
UuintentiCnal the debates in Congress
all demonstrated the Intention of the House
| TO put down polygamy.
Mormon Church Manifesto
In the promises made by the Mormon
Church when appealing for amnesty for
the violators Of the anti-polygamy law no
! fine dis tinctions were made between
| ''polygaTy' and "polygamous." 1t may be
| of interest to quote the manifesto of the
head OF the Mormon Church upon which
Was based President HarTisOn'S amnesty
proclamation. 1t is dated September 70,
| 1890, and is as fellows:
| To whom ii may concern:
Press dispatches having been sent for
IL y,
| which have Leen widely published, to the
! effect that the Utah commission. in their
| recent report to the Secretary of the In
! terror, allege that plural marriages are still
| being solemnized, and that forty or more
| such marriages have been contracted in
| Utah since last June during the past
| year. also that III public discourses the
| leaders of the church have taught en-
| couraged and urged the continuance of the
| practice Of pOlygamy,
| l. therefore, as president of the Church
! Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, dc
| hereby, in the most solemn manner, de-
! clare that these charges are false. We are
| not teaching polygamy, or plural ma rriage
| nor permitting any person to enter into its
| practice. and l deny that either forty OF
| any number Of plural marriages have dur
! ing that period been solemnized in oul
| temples or in any other place in the terri
| tory.
! one case has been reported in which the
! parties alleged that the marriage was per
| formed In the endowment house, in Sail
| Lake city. in the spring Of 1883 but ! have
| not been able to learn who performed tbs
! ceremony. Whatever was done In the mat
| ter was without my knowledge. In conse.
| qucnce of this alleged occurrence the en-.
dowment house was. by my instructions
! taken down without delay.