Evening star., 1900-01-24

magnificent heroic statue of stern old Mar
tin Luther, than whom the nations of
western Europe and America owe no man
more than they do to him for the religious
and civil liberty that they now possess;
the founder of Protestant 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, 1, indeed. must
confess that l cannot protest when one
takes many wives, fer it does not contra
dict the Scriptures
And. again. in his letter to Philip the
I.andgrave of HeSse, remarking upon the
fact that Philip had taken a second wife,
his first wife being still living he said: In
matters of matrimony the laws of Moses
are not revoked or icontradicted by the
gospels.
Yet we built monuments to Luther not
withstanding his liberation and defense of
that form of marriage Now, | say. all
these things not for the purpose of argu-
ing here upon the rights of polygamy. but
l do say that l have here remarked for
the purpose of fixing it in the minds of
members that ii is merely a crime because
prohibited by law. l say that the United
States had the right to make that law if
they wished to- The states have the right
to make it, Utah had the right to make
It the law of that state and has done so.
Consequently it is outside of the realm of
discussion further than in this incidental
way"
The Mormon Relief.
Mr.. Roberts then explained the Mormon
belief in polygamy, and said the church
thought their creed on this point came
within the constitutional inhibition against
laws prohibiting the free exercise of reli-
gious belief. He then continued:
I'm 1876, desiring to put the matter to
test and not to be under the odium of
violating the Constitution or the laws of
the COuntrV. and being cODfi5npt hat ba
courts would sustain the views that they
had held, the Mormon Church themselves
furnished Il case, furnished the evidence
and witnesses, and brought that case be-
fore the courts. carrying it from one court
to another until, in 1878. the law against
this form of marriage was sustained.
1t has been recited as the chief offense
both of the people and of the member from
Utah that, Notwithstanding this decision,
the people still continued to maintain the
rightfuness of that institution. The in
ference seems to be that soon as the
decision of the Supreme Court was rendered
those people should have dropped their
hands and instantly conformed to the law
of the land. Limited, indeed, must have
been the reading of that man who would
suppose that controversies of this charac-
ter would be so easily disposed of and that
great religious conviction would be i'm
mediatey given up on the decision of a
court. Worthy of all respect as the Su-
preme Court of the United States unques-
tionably is. and held in high esteem amount
ing almost to veneration by my people,
still could not forget the fact that the
court was still human and liable to falli-
bilities. We could not forget the fact
that this Supreme Court of ours high and
exalted as 1t is, frequently reverses it
self. We remember that it has sustained
the consti;utionalty of the fugitive slave
law, and that lis decisions had been over
turned by the people by revolutions in
tenements as we'll as revolutions in arms.
l see upon the floor of this House man
belonging to race who, if absolute SUBJ
miSsiVeneSs TO the decisions of the Supreme
Court was to be the last of controversy,
" ould have been but a piece of goods and
chattels III this country instead of being
member O. the House of Representatives..
He described the condition that existed in
Utah in 1852 as a reign of terror. The
federal courts We're being used, he said, to
drive women into exile. A man was brought
before the court He was told that he need
not go to prison if he would give up polyg-
amy
But then" said Mr.. Roberts, dramat-
cally. Il felt it would have been deserting
the cause of God to have agreed"
A scattering wave of applause passed
over the galleries at this utterance, but it
was quickly drowned with Kisses. Il had
rather had my flesh hewn from my limbs
than TO have been untrue to my people. 1t
was this feeling that WAS the incentive to
the lawlessness. such as it was"
But he continued, the time came when
the Mormons of Utah We're obliged to sub
had been not Il single plural marriage in
Utah. The plural relations had been broken
up in many cases. Death had kindly solved
the problem for some and the heartaches
it left for some made them wish the same
end had come to them.
Compact Observed.
He insisted that the compact with the
United States had been observed, that
polygamy had practically ceased, that the
Mormon Church had given up polygamy in
good faith. Mr. Roberts said he had been
in public life for twenty years. and was
not driven to the defense of his moral char
aCter. He was not here representing the
Mormon Church. He had received a greater
number of votes from Gentiles than Nor
mons.
You can neither exclude nor expell me-"
said Mr.. Roberts in conclusion. Il will
cling so hard to the pillars of liberty that
You shall not drag me from them without
bringing down the whole temple. applause
and hsses) / have lived with good con-
science until this day, and am sensible of
no act of shame upon my part. You can
brand me with shame and send me forth.
but | shall leave with head erect and brow
undaunted, and walk the earth angels
walk the clouds. If you violate the Const
tuition all the shame will be with you"
There was outbUrst of applause in the
galleries when Mr. Roberts concluded.
Many of the ladies in the galleries were eS-
peciallE demOnStrItiVe