The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-07
THE ROBERTS CASE.

What Are We Going TO Do About It.
It must be psFent to the most casual OF
server. from me vote in the national hoEs
Of representatives OF Dec. 5. that s. H.
Roberts VIII not be allowed 10 take ard
retain his seat as Utah's representative.
The talk about an appeal TO the courts
is futile. This action of the house. togeth-
er with the causes that led up to il, estab-
lish beyond a peradven!ure. the following
propositions:
I. That the American people look uron
the establishment and practice Of posyg-
amy with feelings Of adherence. loathing
and disgust, and that these feelings are
shared by the vast majority Of the people
Of European race throughout the world.
, That they viii never tolerate its open
and avowed practice in Utah.
3. That they believed that with The IS
suance Of the manifesto Of 1890 the pass
age Of the enabling act providing that the
constitution of the new state should ex-
presSly prohibit it and the adoption Of
such a constitution, the practice would
practically cease.
1. That without such belief on their
part Utah would have remained a ter
ritory yet for many years
s. That they believe that the nomination
and election of an avowed polygamist to
congress was intended to be an act of de-
nance to the American people; that 1t was
dictated by the church for the purpose Of
announcing to the world that it proposed
TO re-establish this, as they deem it,
twin relic of barbarissn." in Utah. That
by it the Mormon church and the major
ity Of the people Of Utah intended to say:
| Utah is now a sovereign state and can
manage its own internal affairs as Il
| pleases, and IL the immortal words Of
/ 'BFll Tweed - What are you going to do
! about it,"
g. That they believe this action on the
part Of the people of Utah and the church
| is perfdious violation and reputation
Of their most solemn pledge, and that this
pledge was hypOcritically and deliberately
entered into with the design and for the
purpose of securing statehood, and after
wards repudiating it. The writer does not
hesitate to say that, in his opinion, this
belief is largely erroneous. Nevertheless
he knows that this belief is firmly held,
and that the people of the United States
/ viii act upon that belief.
z. That it is a condition and not the
/ ory'' that cOnfr0nts the people of Utah.
( The recent action Of the mouse was fore
+ Swallowed before both the nomination and
election of Mr.. Roberts by the writer and
many others. Any one possessing any ac-
/ quaintlance with people of the United
States, outside of Utah, knows the fore
I going statements contain e, fair and tenn
/ pe~ate representation of the opinion and
sentiments of an overwhelming majority
/ Of the American people. The plain truth
/ often seems harsh and bitter medicine. but
/ is 1t not better for US to realize the actual
/ facts than to deceive ourselves? If any
one Is disposed to criticise these state
ments as hostile TO his church and his
( people, I ask him to calmly ask himself
+ who is the better friend of his people, and
who is their enemy, ne who states truly
/ the existing conditions. and who correctly
! prOgnOstcates the results that viii follow
i certain courses of action on the part Of
/ the people of Utah, or he who glOzes over
and falsifies the actual existing conditions
( and by boastful, specious, high-fown
| words seeks to lead his party to commit
| political suicide2 Would it not be we'll for
the Democratic party of Utah to allow
| those ambitious statesmen who, a little
over year ago. rode rough-shOd over
those who predicted the results, which
have even just begun to come to pass. to
take a fack seat and think little while
/ before accepting their further guidance.
Do they claim that the action against
Roberts is largely political? I 90 not
doubt it, but a wise politician or general
never wantonly makes opportunities for
his enemies OF plays into their hands.
They told US last year that polygamy
was a. state matter with which the gen
erai government had naught to do So
was African slavery. How long did it take
| the people to enable the national govern
| ment to reach ii by constitutional amend
ment? If the Mormon people want a con-
! stitutionai amendment conferring upon
{ congress such ample power that under it
legislation can be had so drastic that the
/ "Edmunds-Tucker act viii seem pale,
/ colOrless and inefficient by comparison.
/ they have only to attempt to re-establish
pOiygamy, or even to make men living in
/ polygamy prominent. II they desire to
have their missionaries prosecuted. abused
and driven from the states as has already
| begun; if they want every man who is
/ suspected of maintaining the old relations
harlied out Of the state and country: If
/ they want their most secret archives
searched, their most sacred edifices ran
sacked for evidence they have but to de-
fy the American people on this question.
The difficulty with the great majority of
the Mormon people IS that while they do
not desire the re-establishment Of polvg-
amy and are glad to see it die out yet,
living as they did, for many years. an iso-
lated life. shut in by their mountains and
accustomed to witnessing this practice
in their daily life, they have no realizing
sense of the utter adherence and detesta-
ton with which the great body Of the PEG
pie outside looked and viii look upon this
peculiar institution or how far they would
go to stamp it out root and branch BY
their course in eiecting a vOtary of this
practice the Democrats of Utah have
asked the Democratic party of the ma.
ton to take up and carry a grievous and
odious load, which they refuse to touch
You may call this cowardIy But whilt
men are human you viii look in vain t
see a very large number Of Democratic
congressman ready to immediate them
selves and their political future upon TIT
altar of polygamy.
The gratitude shown the Democratic
party by the people of Utah, and especial
ly by the leaders Of the church for pro
curing statehood and for preventing
harsher measures than those from whicl
they suffered, was not exactly Of the kinC
to encourage further sacrifices on tn,
part OF the party in behalf of Utah. Will
I believe that the attitude and spirit o
the people of Utah towards the countr,
at large. as shown in Mr.. Roberts cleo
ton. was to a large degree misunderstood
and misconstrued. yet there was much IL