The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-24

Maine, Argues ON the Constitu-
HIS Seat a. q Member of Congress-.
WASHINGTON. Jan. e - Enormous
crowds were present today to witness the
opening OF the debate in the Roberts case.
Fully three-fourths Of the spectators were
women. They occupied the reserved gal
leries, tier on tier and their bright gowns
illumined the gloom of the cavernous re-
cesses about the spacious hall. The dip
iomatic gallery alone was yawning
chasm. -
Many Eyes Fixed on Roberts
Mr.. Roberts was in the seat which he
has been occupying, on the extreme right
of the hall, half an hour before noon, ana
every neck was craned to catch glimpse
of him. He appeared conscious OF the at
tention he was attracting. and after look
ing over some papers left his seat and
paced up and down behind the railing
which divides the floor from the lobby.
He was attired modestly in a long frock
coat with a dark tie. He left the hall
few minutes before the gavel fell and was
not present when the chaplain delivered
his invocation. He returned almost I'M
mediately thereafter, however.
Nearly every member was In his seat
few minutes later, when Tayler, chair
man Of the special committee which in
vestigated the case. arose from behind a
desk stacked high with legal authorities
and manuscript, and called up the case.
Tayler is q young man. slight and pallid.
but with energy and alertness stamped
upon every feature. He asked that the
agreement between the majority and mi
nority of the committee for vote on the
case at 4:3O o'clock p. m. on Thursday be
ratified by the house.
Lacey Wants a Substitute.
Lacey objected, unless 1t be understood
that substitute resolution which he de-
sired to offer be also considered pending.
To this Tayler objected. He also OBJ
jected to having Lacey's proposition read,
although appealed to by Bailey and Rich
ardson.
This proposition, as 1t subsequently de-
veloped. was for the expulsion Of Mr.. Rob-
erts without swearing him In.
The majority resolutions to exclude him
and the minority resolutions to permit him
to be sworn in and then expelled were
laid before the house without any agree
ment as to vote.
Tayler Opens the Debate.
Tayler of Ohio opened in support Of the
majority resolutions.
He spoke clearly and with great earnest
ness. When he began Mr.. Roberts chang
ed his position to one near the center aisle
of the Democratic side, where he could
hear with more ease. Tayler said:
"Chief Justice Waite, in the Reynolds
case in 1875 speaking of the claim that
polygamy was a religious practice, said:
TO permit this would be in erect to per-
NIT every citizen to become law unto
himself Government could exist only IN
name under such circumstances, ana JUS
tice Matthews. in the Ramsay case, in lsS4'
declared in substance that all political In
Auence ought to be withdrawn from those
who are practically hostile to the estab-
lshment of a free self-governing common
wealth founded on the idea of a family as
consisting in and springing from the
union of the life of one man ana one Wo-
man in the holy state of matrimony. IL
we are to attach any Importance TO tnose
fundamental declarations OF the highest
moral question may be involved-that this
case presents in bold relief question OF
governmental life, the basis of which is
law.
Detrnnce of Law Should Exclude Him
"This is a representative government. 1t
springs from the people who make the laws
and their representatives are such because
thew believe in the law and are subject to
the law. Men may entertain opinions as
IN the unwisdom of certain laws and a
hone that these may be erased from the
statute books; but in the very nature OF
things they cannot stand for defiance OF
law AS they cannot stand Tor denance OF
any law, how much the more must they
stand as respecters or ana opeulen1 10
such laws as have proceeded from the peo-
Die, at the peoples initiative and sustained
by the deliberate and intelligent approval
of substantially all the people.
'sNow and then we have a law which
springs from the united voice of united
people as the expression of the civilized
force in which practically all of them be-
Heye, and which is necessary to the ex-
isteuce of that civilizing force.
"Of the more than 75,000,000 of American
citizens, all but the merest handful believe.
and believe with a mighty fervor, in the
kind of commonwealth which Justice Mat
thews says is found in the marriage rela-
tions existing for life between one man
and one woman. That idea has been for
many years crystalized in solemn and de-
liberate law whose principle and form have
been approved by the highest judicial au-
thority Such laws make imperative de-
mand for universal respect and obedience,
and the duty of such respect and obedl-
ence presses most urgently upon rep
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