The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-25
U4AH'S LACK OF Faith
Mr.. Lands ay0wS That the State
Violated Pledge.
The Roberts Case Incitcs the Orator
of the wnbnsh To Flights of Flo
legged pot, rnmist n Member of The
House, and Fnvors His Expulsion.

Utah began yesterday just after the read
ing Of the journal Mr. Roberts was not
/ present. and his absence seemed 10 detract
/ from the general interest in the case. AL
though the galleries. public and reserved
/ filled. the number of occupants later per-
ceptiby doubled
The discussion was largely confined 10
the legal and constitutional aspects of the
case, the notable exception being the
speech Of Mr. Lands of Indiana, which at
| tracted the most general attention and
secured for him an unusual ovation at the
close. He denounced the Mormon Church
and the people of Utah for their violation
of the pledge made prior to admission TO
| abandon the practice of polygamy and un-
lawful cohabitation. and to rebuke them
| he wanted the House to reject Mr.. Roberts.
| In his opinion, homes all over the land
/ are waiting for the House TO act for chiv-
! airy to speak
0the: speakers in support of the ma
| tority resolutions were Messrs. Powers.
Mlers. Mcpherson. and Crumpacker the
latter gentleman upon the understanding
| that it required a two-thirds vote to pass
themD. and those who favored the minority
views were Hessrs. Snodgrass and Wilson.
Mr.. Lacey favored the majority report, If
amended so as to provide for expelling
Roberts instead of excluding him.
Mr.. Powers Opens.
The debate was opened by Mr.. Powers
of Vermont, who argued that there was
unanimous opinion in the House on the
question of facts as reported by the com
mittee.
Mr.. Snodgrass of Tennessee followed in
an argument in support ,of 1.-THE minority
report. He said Mr. Roberts had prima
facie right to his seat and should be sworn
in and then expelled. Ii was Mr.. Snod-
grass maiden speech. He spoke in a low
tone. He could hardly be heard in the gall
leries
The first member OF the Roberts commit
tee 10 speak was Mr.. Lands of Indiana
He is an agreeable talker, and for more
than. an hour held the close attention of
the House. His remarks were frequently
punctuated with applause His was the
speech of the day. There was opposition,
he said to the admission OF Utah as
State by those who asserted that the reo
pie OF Utah were deluding the Government
OF the United States: that they desired
TO change their political status SO that
they might, practically unhindered, prac-
tice their religion. But in all the oppo
stion no one was brave enough to assert
that in less than three and half years
after being admitted to Statehood. the
people OF Utah would elect a polygamist as
their sole Representative on the floor of
this House; and yet that is just what the
people of Utah have done. They sent to
Washington a man with a plurality of
wives and multiplicity of children.
Mr.. Landis said he entered on this dis
Cussioa. succeeding the gentlemen from
Ohio and Maine, who were lawyers. with
some hesitancy.
Mr.. Lnndis' Youthful Desire.
II had been the desire of his youth, he
said, to become criminal lawyer: but
after three days study OF the subject he
bad discovered that the jury was the sole
judge of the Iaw and the facts Believing
this to be an unwarrantable reflection upon
the profession. but seeing no way to over
come it. he had thrown up the study Of the
law and Joined the jury. [LaughterI
AS layman. therefore, he would discuss
the case. II presented, he said. three
questions: First-Is Brigham H. Roberts
a polygamist? Second-If he Is p polyga-
mist, is he entitled TO a seat on the floor
of this House? Third-If he is not so en-
titled, how shall We proceed so as to part
company with him:
The first question has been unanimously
answered by the committee in the affirma-
tive. the second he would answer in the
negative for the reason that the election
of Mr.. Roberts violated the condition prece-
dent upon which was predicated the act of
admission OF Utah.
The speaker said he could come 10 no
other conclusion than that the admission
of Utah came as the result Of conspiracy
to free the people Of that Territory from
the heavy hand Of Federal authority that
they might be free to live their religion.
Mr. Roberts. as had been told the House
Mr.. Lands said. was a candidate for Con-
gTess IN 1895 and was defeated. He was
a candidate without the consent of the
Mormon Church, and he was defeated, be-
cause the time was not ripe for Utah to
demand the admission OF pclygamist as
Representative in Congress. Nj. Roberts
was disciplined by the Church. and the
gentleman who presented his name TO the
convention in 1898 said he was candidate
with the permission of the Church.
ynIor at War, Virtue Mt Prayer.
Recall, gentlemen" Mr.. Lands said.
the summer Of 1898, when this nomination
was made. You well remember the scenes
enacted throughout the country about that
time. We were engaged in a war with a
foreign foe. American manhood was away
from home or all absorbed in the fate of
the country. Nalor was at war, and virtue
was at prayer The people of this nation
were awaiting anEiously every hour for
tidings from the boys fighting the battles
of their country under a torTid sun or
wasting with disease on polluted fields.
Animosities were forgotten. Classes were
wiped out The son Of the millionaire and
the son of the mechanic marched side by
side-the North and the South under one
flag. They hoped. in this general condi-
tion Of magnanimity to come back and it
was then this perjured cheat attempted
to crawl in. Sir. il came by stealth, but
1t will be hurled back boldly and in the
open day by the outraged Indignation of the !
American people. GApplsuse.I 4 I'D across
yon threshold will be written in letters |
large enough 10 be read from the National |
Capital TO the Mormon temple, No polyga- |
mist shall ever sit as member of the Amer !
lean Congress-" Applause
Mr.. Lands commented humorously upon |
the proposition of the minority. that Mr.. |
Roberts should be first admitted and then |
thrown out. II suppose that is upon the |
that we always give a man a
square meal before hanging him" Laugh
teri
In Behalf of the American Home.
II protest" he said against this mans
admission in behalf of a constituency that
has read the Ten Commandments, and
who believe in the precepts there laid
down. / protest in behalf of the Ameri-
can home, which has been made beautiful
alone by the virtue of womanhood
protest in the name of the American
mother and child and of the American |
lather, who will never consent TO The en-
thronement and dedication OF human pas
sion" Mr.. Lands closed amid a whirI-