The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-12-09
GTNTILES FROM Utah
Make Answer 10 the Argument Of
Brigham Il, Roberts,
not A QUESTION OF RELIGION.

Opponents OF MIR. Roberts in His
own stnte Declare That He Il Op-
posed Bconuse He violates the Law.
Washington, Dec. 9.-An answer to
Hr Brigham Roberts address to the
American people was issued yesterday
by a delegation representing the gem
tile element of Utah, who are here to
oppose Mr.. Roberts. The answer de-
clares that many facts are suppressed,
and proceeds:
"Mr. Roberts claims that the prece-
dent made by his exclusion is both new
and dangerous. That 1t is not new was
conclusively shown by Mr. Taylor in
his able legal argument before the
house. and not a single precedent to
the contrary was cited where the
ground of objection was ineligibility.
Neither Is the precedent dangerous.
Whenever a prima facia case is made
against a members citizenship by
showing that under a conviction for
felony against the laws of the United
States he is disfranchised and further,
that by reason of his present mainte-
nance Of the status of polygamist he
is again sufferlng from civil disability
under the Edmunds antl-polygamy act
such a member refusing even to deny
the charge should be excluded. Nor is
this dangerous, for It is not likely,
as Mr. Roberts seems to assume, that
an entire minority or all representa-
tives of a large state are coming to
congress to carry such a burden. In
other states men who faunt their vio-
lations of these laws of decency in the
face of the public are sent to the peni-
tentiary. It is only in Utah where such
indecency ever added to ones eligibil-
ity and served as a recommendation to
political preferment.
"Mr. Roberts says he has not been
convicted since statehood. 1t does not
follow that he is innocent He is now
fugitive from justice in Salt Lake
county on a charge of unlawful CO.
habitation, and in Davis county,
Utah, where resides one of his po-
lygamous wives, with her illegitimate
twins. a charge of adultery "a felony
under the laws of Utah) has been for
two months pigeonholed by a Mormon
prosecuting attorney.
"Mr Roberts in his attempt TO belit-
| tie his crimes insists that he is only
| knows better. He knows that he has
| been. under oath before the proper
prosecuting officers, charged with the
| felony OF adultery, as we'll as the mis-
! demeanor of unlawful cohabitation. He
| asserts that in 1889 he pleaded guilty
| to a misdemeanor only, and says that
] II he were guilty Of the same acts in
| the District of Columbia. "even fla
I IL 81
gress he would not be arrested there
! for, because it is only a misdemeanor
| Here again Mr.. Roberts states what /;
not true, and he ought to know it. I'm
lawful cohabltation under the Ed
munds act, under which he plead
] guilty, was felony, as also is adultery
"These charges, in view OF the Ed
munds and Edmunds-Tucker laws O
the United States still in force, warrant
Mr.. Roberts exclusion. They are ag
gravated, however. because his is no
an isolated case, but one representa-
tive of a system.
MANY sentimental people are beint
misled by Mr. Roberts very ingenious
suggestions, from which some people
infer that he took his polygamou
wives when it was lawful to do so
This is a mistake. Adultery was
crime in Utah when Mr.. Roberts wa
born, and at the time of the passag'
of the Cullom anti-polygamy act Mr.
Roberts was only 6 years old Hi
plea for sympathy, therefore, amount
only to this, that he should be allowed
to continue his criminal practices, not
withstanding he took his polygamou
wives in defiance of law. We dlsclain
any desire to have him declared ineligi
bic because he is a Mormon but solel,
because he is violating and defying tn
laws of our state, of the United State
and of common decency.
"Ex-Congressman W. H. King wa
and is a Mormon, and no claim of incl
igibility was ever made against him
We point TO this fact as showing tina
we oppose Mr. Roberts not upon tn
ground of any religious opinions enter
tanned by him, but because of his Grim
inal practices. Neither is this matte
of religious or political persecution o
prejudice. The undersigned includ
men of different churches and me
who belong to no church, Republican
and Democrats.
"Mr. Roberts denies and we asser
that the compact between Utah and tn
other states has been violated. AS evi
dence that this compact has bee
broken we point to the facts that
Utah 1000 illegitimate children hav
been born to polygamous wives sine
statehood, that about 1000 polygamou
households now exist In Utah, and the
the attempt to secure a punishment {
) these offenders is denounced by th
majority. as we believe, of Utah's eli
liens"