Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-01-23
ROBERTS ON |A[ RACK'
Investigating Committees Reports
Taken Up and Debated on
Floor Of House.
Big Crowd, Three Fourths of Them
Women, Present in the Public
Galleries.
Taylor and Littlefield Argue the
Majority and minority Reports
Respectively.

Washington Jan. 23-In the house
today the galleries were packed toratlle
opening debate in the Roberts case,
three-fourths of t.ose present being
women. Taylor, chairman5of the special
committee which investigated the case,
rose to open the debate. He asked that
the agreement between the majority and
minority committee for a vote at 4:S0
Thursday afternoon be ratified by the
house Lacey, Of Iowa, objected. unless
it should be understood that the ssibsti
tute resolution he desired to offer for
expulsion of Roberts without swearing
him in, be considered pending. Taylor
objected and without any agreement
having been reached proceeded With his
argument in behalf of the majority,
which recommends exclusion of Rob-
'erts, while the minority desires to allow
him to be sworn in and then expelled
Chairman Taylor began by saying:
Chief Justice Waite, in the Reynolds
case in 1878. speaking of the claim of
pClygamy as a religious practice, said:
IL l'tIiiltL tuiS Notllu De III ctitNt W
permit every citizer to become a law
unto himself The government could
exist only in name. under such circum-
stances and Justice Matthews, in the
Ramsey case in 1884, declares in sub
stance that all political influence ought
to be Withdrawn from those who are
practically hostile to the establishment
of free and self governing common
wealth founded on the idea of the fam
lily as consisting in and springing from.
the union for life of one man and one
woman in the holy estate of matriinony.
If we are to attach amy Importance to
those fundamental declarations of the
highest court we must declare, no mat
ter what moral question may be involv-
ed. that this case presents. III bold re-
lief, the question of governmental life,
the basis of which is law. Now and
then we have a law which springs from
united people as an expression of civ
ilzed force, in which practically
all of them believe. ard which is neces-
sary to the existence of that civllizing
force. OF more than 75,0o0,0O0 American
citizens. all but the merest handful be-
leye and believe With d mighty fervor,
in the kind of commonwealth which
Justice Matthews declares is founded
on the marriage relation existing for
life between one man and one Woman.
That idea has been for many years
crystalized in solemn ard deliberate
law, whose principle and form has been
approved by the highest Judicial au-
thorty
such laws make Imperative the de-
mand for universal respect and obedi-
ence, and the duty of such respect and
the representatives of the people in the
law making body. II the claimant to
this seat is eligible, he is eligible be-
cause the constitution 50 makes him,
either by express Language or necessary
implication"
Tayler declared that in order 10 make
Roberts eligible he must read into the
constitution. by necessary Implication,
these words: provided no person
shall be ineligible 10 Il seat as such reps
resentative VINO. in form and sub
stance. in word and act, il, life and
practice deties the constitution and
laws and denies their validity and SUI
premacy.
Taylei. was vigorously applauded at
his conclusion. Littlefeid, Of Maine
then spoke in behalf Of the minority
plan of seating and then expelling Rob
crts. He declared there was no division
over the question of keeping RaDerts
out: the only question Was uf doing il
in an orderly and regular manner. II
the laws and constitution were OYER
ridden now a way would be found tc
override them next year 10 exclude
members because he Was an aduterei
or representative Of trusts. The
speaker reviewed the famous Wilkes
case in the British house of commons
and declared the majority here were re-
sorting TO the same Infamous instru-
ment OF outrage and oppression Rob
erts followed Littlefield With close in
terest.
The senate.