The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-01-22
Roberls' CommIttee ReporIs


port OF the committee Celebrates the 4
summaries and In some parts uses sgrong
language against Mr.. Robers. As to bis [
plural marriages lt says
prior to 1852 e. II Roberts bad mar
ried one Louisa Smith. She has borne
him six children and is san wing.
about 1885, when Utah was fairly ring
ing with the blows OF the EJmunds ac,
Of 1852; while numerous prosecutions we're
going on and after the supreme court had
passed upon thevaHdlty of the act; when
the American people supposed that
polygamy had received It's death blow;
when no man of the many whose cases
went to the United States supreme court
pretended the provisions against polyga
nous marriages were invalid, with an
these facts before him, Brigham H. Rob-
erts took another wfe-hls first polyga-
nous wife-Celia Dibble by name, who IN
twelve years bore him six children.
"This second wife me married n defiance
of the Edmunds law He spat upon the
| law; he declared by his act that Dee
recognized no binding rule upon him OF
1 law of congress he declared by st that
/ he recognized q higher law. The con-
/ gress OF the United states was TO him
an object OF contempt The supreme
court of the United States might declare
/ The law for others, but nor for him. He
] L.. Il
/ its admonitions. The executive which had
declared It's qualification that po,ygamy
seemed gone forever he dched and de-
spised OF what consequence to him were
laws of congress and declarations OF the
highest court and of presidents against
his sensual Interpretation of a sensual
doctrine
';And an the time the Edmunds law de-
clared not only polygamy but cohabita-
ton with more than one woman unlawful.
Roberts not only bigamously married
second wife, but he persisted in violating
and dehanty trampling under foot every
other province of the act.
"But he had not yet susiciently pro-
claimed his utter contempt for the
supreme court. for congress. and It's most
solemn enactments. few years later he
took a third wife.
From the time OF his second marriage
to the third he cohabited with two
women. From ,he date OF his third mar
riage down TO his election. and, we doubt
not, to the present time he has been Co
habitlng with three women.
"As recently as December g. 1899, he de-
fined his position as follows:
These women have stood by me
They are good and true women. The
law has said shall part from them My
church has bowed to the command OF
congress and relinquished the practice OF
plural marriages. But the law cannot
free me from obligations assumed before
II spoke. No power can do that Even
were the church that sanctioned these
marriages and performed the ceremonies
to turn its back upon us and say the
marriages are not W. now and that
must give these good and loyal women uD
I'm be damned If would
"In this statement ne adheres to q
ludlcrous assumption that the law Of 1855
did not speak to him and that he did no
recognize N as a rule OF conduct 20 him
we assert before The house the countrl
and history that II is absolutely ant
impregnably sound not to be effectively
attacked. consonant with every legisla
ture precedent in harmony with the law
and with The text books on thesubjeci
Tsat Brigham II Roberts persistent
notorious and defiant violation Of one 0
the most solemn acts ever passed by con
gress. by the very body which he seek
. now TO enter. on theory than he Is abov
the raw, and his defiant violations Of th
laws OF his own state, necessarily rende
him ineligible disqualified, unfit and an
worthy to be member OF the house q
Representatives and this proposition
= asserted not so much for reasons persona
20 the members of half the house as be
3 cause It goes to the very integrity OF n
y house and the republic as such"