New-York tribune., 1900-01-24
PRICE THREE CENTS.
ROBERTS STANDS AT BAY
HOT FIGHT OVER HIS CASE
IN THE HOUSE.
EXCLUSION RESOLUTION MAY POSSIBLY
BE DEFEATED-DRAMATIC SCENES
IN THE OPENING DEBATE. -
IBy TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1Buxz.1

lBf TELEGRAPH TRIBCNE.l
Washington. jan 23.-Though the House OF
Representatives evinced on the first day of the
session its purpose to bar the door on B. H
Roberts the polyganist sent to Congress by the
people of Utah. on the broad ground that he Is
morally persona grata, the lawyers OF the
lower branch are still engaged in splitting
stitutional hairs over the particular mode IN
which the door is to be slammed in the offend
ing MormOn's face. The two reports which were
taken up for discussion to-day, and which will
be debated until 4:30 p. Thursday. agree
that the admission to membership OF so hagrant
offender as Mr.. Roberts against the marriage
laws of the United States would seriously pol
lutte the moral atmosphere of the House. Neither
report cOntempIates inhicting on that body the
nuisance of Mr.. Roberts's unsavory presence.
yet while each aims at Kidding the lower branch
of parsonage distinctly undesirable and often
sive his fellow members. wide divergence OF
method is disclosed in the means suggested for
accomplishing this deliverance-
GREAT INTEREST IN THE DEBATE
In the view of the majority OF the COMMITTEES
Mr.. Roberts's mere appearance at the bar OF the
House has precpitated crisis which can De
met only by frankly heroic action The signers
of the majority report find no remedy aoe-
quate to the situation but refusal, on grounds
Of moral quarantine. to accept certifcate OF
signers of the minority report declare. on the
contrary. that the pillars of the Capitol will not
fall even If a moral Ieper'' is admitted for
time-time enough. at least. to expel him in
orderly fashion-tO the seat to which he makes
an apparently constitutional claim
The legal niceties by which these two views
are supported are sufficiently novel and In
tricate to justify a three days discussion. and
few other debates at this session OF Congress
are likely stir the genuine interest or excite
the personal emulation which the contentious
now in progress over the Utah mans eligibility
have already aroused
MIR. LITTLEFIELD MAKES A HIT.
Undoubtedly the hit of the opening days de-
bate was made by Mr.. LittIefeId. of Maine. one
of the two signers of the minority report. TAX
ing the ground that the House was exercising
an unjustifable and dangerous power in refus-
ing to allow any regularly elected and appar-
emily qualified member 10 take the oath OF office.
and urging trial of RObertss qualifications by
all questions of contest. Mr. Littleheld delivered
one Of the most striking and effective nom
political speeches which it has ever fallen TO the
lot of a new and untried member to make The
House listened TO him first with indifference,
then with interest. and finally with enthusiasm.
and his success was the more notable IN tnaC
he was advocating an unpopular minority cause
Mr. Taylers opening speech was also forceful,
but II Scarcely equalled the level reached by
him In the earlier Roberts debates
ROBERTS MAKES AN ADROIT PLEA
Mr. Roberts was adroit in the handling of his
case and at times exceedingly dramatic TAX
ing advantage of the issue raised by the division
in the committee as 10 the method OF ousting
him. he appropriated to himself the argument
of the minority that he cOnStitutionaly
entitled TO be sworn in, and the argument or
the majority that once sworn in he could not
be expelled He defended the action OF the
MOrmons in lighting the authority of the United
States for years, because, he said, they believed
that sentiment would change and he dramat1-
caIy declared that in those days he would
rather have had his flesh hewn from his bones
than have renoUnCed his religious tenets
He concluded with perOration in which he said
that he had never been conscious or a Sharne1ul
act and if he sent forth he would go with
head erect and undaunted brow. Strange 10
say. most Of the applause he won was from
women But while they appeared to be his only
partisans other women manifested their bitter
hostility by kissing him at every opportunity
II is predicted tonight by many members
that the majority resolution for exclusion can
not he adopted Mr.. Lacey, Of Iowa, has a
proposition which he will submit 10 expel Mr.
Roberts by a twO-t thirds vote without seating
him which will have many supporters. and
this may lead 10 a compromise proposition.