Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-01-24

MRS. MAGGIE SHIP ROBERTS, WIFE NO 8.
| III the handling of his case and at
times exceedingly dramatic. Taking
advantage OF the issue raised 10y the
division in the committee as To the
| method of ouStiug him he appropriated
to himself the argument of the minor
| ity that he was con~JiutiOnIlly entitled
To be sworn in and the argument OF
the ma iOrity thai. once sworn in, lie
could not u" expelled.
why the Mormons Fought the Law.
He defended the action of the Nor
mons i'll fighting the authority of the
United States for years. because. he
said. they believed that sentiment
would charge. and dramatically stated
that in those days he had rather have
his flesh hewn from his bones than 10
have rrnOuncrd his religious tenetS.
He concluded with M eloquent per
Grafton III which he said he had never
been conscious of n shameful act and If
he was sent forth he would 20 with
head erect and undaunted brow.
Strange 10 say most of the applause he
won was from women. But while they
appeared To he his only partiSanS other
women manifested their bitter hos
tility 10y kissing him ut every oppor-
tunity.
Puts I'm n Defense of Poly gamy.
But the most Interesting part of his
speech was that giving defense of
polygamy- not TO prove that ii was
not unlawful but to prove that it was
not ''mala in se"-Only nahum pro-
hibitum." On this point he said: IF
you 90 to the teaching of the Great
MaSter-whom | take ii We all revere
although he denounced every crime.
every sin that man can commit, you
shall find no word OF His in condemna-
ton of the conduct of the patriarchs
or of the law as il was given to Moses
and ancient Israel.
Quotes Martin Luther's Word.
Last week. when taking IL walk in
the resident portion of your city. |
passed IL magnificent heroic statue of
stern old Martin Luther-the founder
OF Prostestant Christendom. And that
man. upon this subject that iS here so
much denounced. declared in the early
days of Protestant ChristendOm. when
he was informed that his disciple
CarlStadt was teaching polygamy. Il
indeed must confess that | cannot pro-
test when one takes many wives. for
il does not contradict the Scriptures
And again i'll his letter to Philip. the
laudCravp Of HcSse. remarking upon
the fact that Philip had taken q second
wife. his first wife being still living. he
said: In matters of matrimony the
laws Of Moses are not revoked or con-
tradicted by the gospels Yet we built
monuments To Luther. Notwithstanding
EiS liberation ard defense Of that form
OF marriage"
Washington. Jan. 24-The house
resumed the debate on the Roberts
case. Powers. OF Vermont. argued
in behalf of the exclusion of Roberts
SnOdgrass, of Tennessee. spoke in
favor of seating and then expelling
Roberts. Landis. of Indiana. made
clusion. 1t bristled with denuncia-
tion of the Mormon church and elders.
He declared Roberts had not denied
he had taken wife since Utah was
admitted.
Lacey. of Iowa, argued for his prop
"sition for expulsion of Roberts with
out swearing him in. Miers, of Indi
ana. supported the majority resolu-
tions
In the senate Pettigrew spoke on
his resolution calling for Gen. Bates
TO report on the treaty with the sultan
of Sulu. and said the worst form of
slavery existed there, and in fact was
withheld for effect on the Ohio elec
tions. In response to Spooner, Petit
grew said he held the president re-
spousible for the slavery clause
: Spooner read from the presidents
message, saying the treaty was con-
tirmsd subject TO the action Of con-
gress aud the sultan, and WAS in
formed the agreement was not to be
deemed TO give the consent Of the