The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-01-27
THE HOUSE WAS CROWDED.
Intense Interest Manifested in the
Disposition of the Roberts
Case in Congress.
The AUDIENCE WAS LARGElY WOMEN.
NIr.. Roberts was There, and List
cned Intentiy ms Chairman Tny-
Ter Of the Investigating Commit
tee Presented Reasons why Rob-
erts should Not he Seated>

erts should Not he Seated
Washington, Jan. 23.-Enormous
crowds were present to witness the
opening of the debate in the Roberts
case. Fully three-fourths of the spec
tators were They occupied
the reserved galleries tier on tier, and
their bright gowns illumined the
gloom of the recesses about
the spacious hall. The diplomatic gal
lery alone was a yawning chasm.
Mr.. Roberts There.
Mr.. Roberts was in the seat which
he has been occupying on the ex.
treme right of the hall half an hour
before noon, and every neck was
craned to catch a glimpse of him. He
appeared conscious of the attention he
was attracting, and after looking over
some papers left his seat and paced up
ana down behind the railing which d.
vides the floor from the lobby. He was
artired modestly in a long frock coat
with a dark tie. He left the hall a few
minutes before the gavel fell and was
not present when the chaplain deliv-
cred his invocation. He returned al
most immediately thereafter, how
ever.
Nearly Every Member Present.
Nearly every member was in his
seat a few minutes later when Mr..
Tayler (O.), chairman of the special
committee which investigated the
case, arose from behind a desk stacked
high with legal authorities and manu-
script and called up the case. Mr..
Tayler is a young man, slight and
pallid, but with energy and alertness
stamped upon every feature of his
countenance. He asked that the
agreement made between the majority
and minority of the committee for a
vote on the case at 1880 p. m, on
Thursday be ratified by the house.
Mr.. Lacy Objected.
MI. Lacy Oa.) objected, unless it be
understood that a substitute resolu-
ton which he desired to offer should
also be considered pending.
To this Mr.. Tayler objected. He al
so objected to having Mr.. Lacy's prop
%osition read, although appealed TO by
Mr.. Bailey (Tex.), and Mr.. Richard
son (Tenn.) This proposition, as il
subsequently developed, was for the
expulsion of Mr.. Roberts without
swearing him in.
Reports Laid Before the House.
The majority resolution to exclude
him and the minority resolutions to
~-.-l.+ l.-, - 10 x - a.I @Ia
expelled were laid before the house
and without any agreement as to a
vote Mr.. Tayler CO., opened in sup
port of theS majority resolutions. He
spoke clearly and with great earnest
ness. When\h he began Mr.. Roberts
changed his Position to one near the
center aisle OK the democratic side,
where he could hear with more ease.
Mr.. TayIer's Argument.
"Chief Justice Waite, in the Reynolds
case in 1878, speaking of the claim tna'
ITO permit this would be, in effect, t.
permit every citizen to become a law unit
himself.
Government could exist only in nam
under such circumstances and Justice
Matthews, in the Ramsey case, in 1884
declared in substance, that all politica
lIAliut L OuSilt " 10 lIoU
those who are practically hostile to thu
establishment of a free, self-governint
!, commonwealth founded on the idea of
family as consisting of one man and on,
woman in the holy estate of matrImony
"lt we are to attach any Importance t
those fundamental declarations ofth high
est court, we must declare-no matter
what moral question may be Involved
that this case presents, in bold relief,
question of governmental life. the basi
OF which is law.
This is a representative government
l. springs from the people who make tn,
laws, and their representatives are sucl
because they are believers in the law ant
subject to the law. Many may entertain
opinions as to the unwisdom of certain
, laws, and a hope that these may be erased
, from the statute books, but in the yer,
nature of things they can not stand TO
defiance of law. And as they can no
stand for defiance of any law, how mucl
mere must they stand as respector
of and obedient to such laws as have pro
=, cecded from the people, at the peoples mi
l tiatlve, and sustained by the deliberate In
, telllgent approval of substantially all tn
! people.
Now and her we have a law whicl
springs from the united voice of a unite
| people, as the expression of the civilize,
force. in which practically all of then
believe. and which is necessary to tn
existence of that civilizing force. OF tn
more than 5000, 900 of American citizens
all but the merest handful believe, an
believe with a mighty fervor, in the kin
commonwealth which Justice MattheY
otNidit - louiiutu On ne marriage Tela
, ton existing for life between one ma,
d and one woman. That idea has been 70
many years crystalized in solemn and de
liberate law, whose principles and forn
have been approved by the highest ju
dicia! authority. Such laws make impera
D tive demand for universal respect an
obedience, and the duty of such respec
, and obedience presses most urgent upo
@ a representative of people in a law-mal
y ing body.
"These propositions are fundaments
, ana self-evident. They lie at the root {
things. They are the bedrock on whic
written constitutions rest; they preced
I constitutions. constitutions assume thel
a pre-existence and their perpetual exist
e ence; they are institutional.
4 IF the federal constitution had ey
pl.citly. declared that all persons shoul
be eligible for representative in congres
who denied that the constitution was tn
supreme law of the land; that instrument
ano the government 1t sought to Great
@ WOULD not have endured a single ga,
It follows that If such specific declare
lions could not have been made, L ca
not be implied. Neither the presence nc
- the absence of certain words in the IL
strument can imply a certain meanin,
II 1t is impossible that such meanin
,r could have been expressed.
~ the claimant to this seat Is eligibl
10 | 1a 10 AIfofhla 1n..,o H.