The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-01-27
pursuance thereof. shall be the supreme

pursuance thereof, shall be the supreme
law of the land
BILE to be a representative in congress-.
then. for the purpose of his case, we must
read into the constitution other words
SO that 1t would read: II
mo person shall be a representative
In congress unless he shall have attained
to the age. of 20. years, and been seven
years a citizen OF the United States, and
who shall not, when elected, be an in.
habitant of that state in which he shall
be chosen; provided that no. person shall
be ineligible to a seat as such representa-
and act, in life and practice, defes the
constitution and Ii laws, and denies their
validity and supremacy
at matters not whether this proviso be
attached to the clause referred to or to
some other. 1t must be written into the
constitution somewhere If the claimant is
eligible, and my friends on the other side
of the question will not deny It.
Thus stands the case then: II the mi
nority be right. the trainers Of the con.
stitution, II they had foreseen the Roberts
incident. with its defiance to the constitu-
tion and the law. and its denial OF tneir
validity and supremacy as to him, would
have said Brigham H.. Roberts Is eligible
and must be seated If elected.
II say hat no such provision could have
been adopted; and If It could not. can not
be implied.
Much is said about the moral side of
this question. Doubtless 1t has such a
side; and If that were the only .consid-
elbtlOn before us, the mousse might take
same action it will AXE. But / do rot
here and now, in the face of the great
Fundamental fact of disobediense to law,
plus audacious defiance of it, care to as
MI. Speaker, l do not hesitate to sub
init this proposition to the candid Judg-
n.ent of this house, and before the bar
of history. l am profoundly convinced
that 1t is right, and that history will SO
declare it; the house can no more safely
part with any other power 1t possesses.
tnrInhAG Ifo nrt vitality iT
it, IT. is in certain conceivable instances.
absolutely without power. But we are
told that It is a power that may be
abused. What power does the house pos
sess that 1t has not at some time abused?
What branch of the government is 1t
that, having power, has not at some time
clothed with a little brief authority, has
been free from an unwise abuse of that
authority? And shall the house therefore
be shorn of power?
1T Is a mighty question. 1t Is q uues-
ton of government life; it is not to be
lightly, dealt with or in~considerately an
swered.
The case of Roberts sinks into insIg-
nificance in its presence. l should assert,
what here assert, with precisely the
same solemnity, If the right of expulsion
after admission was absolutely clear. If
we do not exclude this man, we strike
down one of the most vital and necessary
powers hat belong to a great Legislative
Mr.. Tayler was emphatic in his as
sertions that exclusion was in harm
ony with precedent; expulsion in VIC
lation of il. He amplified the three
grounds for Mr.. Roberts exclusion,
first because of his violation of the
Edmunds act; second, because he was
living in open, fragrant and notorious
violation of the statutes of the con-
gress he seeks to enter, and, third, be-
cause his election was n violation of
the compact by which Utah was adj
mitted into the union. There were no
demonstrations throughout Mr.. Tay-
ler's speech, but at the conclusion, he
was vigorously a%rplauded.
Mr.. Littleield (Me.), on behalf Of
the minority of the committee, then
arose and addressed the house in sup
port of the minority's plan of seating
and then expelling Mr.. Roberts.
Mr.. Roberts followed with intense
interest the points brought out by Mr..
Littlefield. After reviewing the IA
nous Wilkes case before the British
house of commons, Mr.. Littlefield de-
clared that the majority in the Rob-
erts' case were ~resorting to the "Same
Infamous instrument of outrage and
oppression" 1t was a course then de-
nounced as "Damnable and subversive
of the right of the people," and the
majority of this committee had the
honor, if sucn it could be called, OF
following such a precedent.