Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-04
WILLBAR ROBERTS OUT
Probable Action Of Investigating
Committee.
SENATOR CLARK'S CONTESTED SEAT

Hundreds of witnesses Summoned
From the Mountain stnte-Contcst
VIII he Expensivc-Congrc
Hcpburn's Discovery.
WASHINGTON, Jan. l. Especial -
Representative Robert w. Tayler gets
more mail on the Roberts case than
any other man in Washington-more,
even. than Mr. Roberts himself. AS
the Ohio congressman took the nitia-
tive in the matter OH the first day of
the session and was appointed chair
man of the committee TO investigate
the matter his name naturally became
prominently connected with the now
famous case. and people all over
the United States have been flooding
him with letters of advice and sugges-
ton. Some OF these letters, If made
public, would be really interesting
reading. but most of them are of
character Of very little interest Of
Their to MI Taylcr or to the people at
large. OF course these letters can be
Of no possible use to the committee at
the present time. as its desire is simply
to obtain information relative to the
allegations that Mr.. Roberts is polyg-
amst, that being the only question at
issue. Mr.. Tayler says that there has
been a slight decrease in the number
of letters he has received in the past
few days, but yet the great bulk of his
mail consists of these letters, coming
from all parts of the country.
While no intimation has yet been
made as TO what will be the decision of
the committee, it seems to be the gen
eral impression among those who have
been in close touch with the Utah sit
uation that the report will be against
MI Roberts and will sustain the action
of the house in refusing to allow him
to he sworn in as member. Mr.. Rob-
ertS seems determined to stand upon
his constitutional rights and to assert
that the house and the committee Of
investigation have no right to inquire
into his acts previous to the time he be-
came a member Of the house. This
position has already been overruled by
the committee. and this ruling seems
to foreshadow what the report will be.
From the Mountain State.
All Montana seems DESTROYS of COM
ing 10 Washington to take part in the
Clark contest Senators Chandler and
Pettus. the subcommittee to make ar
rangements for the hearing, have re-
ceivcd several hundred requests from
persons in Montana saying that they
can give testimony bearing on the case
either for or against Senator Clark.
This subcommittee Sits the names of
witnesses to be subpPnaed very care
fully. as the expense of each witness
to the government will be very near
$3.50. the mileage alone amounting to
$500. 1t is already estimated that the
contest will cost in the neighborhood
of $4,000. In deciding who shall or
shall not he subppnaed Senators
Chandler and Pettus consult with the
attorneys on either side and ascerta in
whether the witnesses can testify to
material points and, if they cannot
they are rejected One of the men con-
nected with the case says that, judging
from the humber who have thus far
erybody of any prominence in Mon
tana was concerned in that election or
else there are great many who are
seeking a free trip to Washington.
/ Mr.. Hepburn's skyIiEht.
Representative Hepburn of Iowa is
/ chairman of the committee on inter
( state and foreign commerce and by
! irtt or Il, III I'm nf = bn
committee room. He has had some diff
ficulty in getting matters arranged in
/ the room just to his satisfaction, owing
TO the desire Of certain employees to
have their own way and lack of desire
on the part of these same employees TO
do any more work than they are oblig-
ed to do. The other day Mr.. Hepburn
thought he would like to have the sky
light in the room cleaned. He made
application to the proper officer to have
some one sent TO do it. Two young
men "better dressed than / am" said
Mr.. Hepbucn. appeared to learn what
II was the Iowa man wanted. The
were told that the skyllght was to be
cleaned. One of them gazed at it for q
moment and said. well, by George,
didn't come down here to clean sky
lights"
"Neither did l." responded the other
what did you come here forY asked
Mr.. Hepburn.
"To have a good time" answered
one, and tn. o<ser nodded.
"And draw your salarlesT said Mr.
Hepburn, with some irritation.
"Surc," said the pertest of the two
and they disappeared.
Had n Pull.
The Iowa member was conSiderabl,
aroused by this time and decided Il
institute an investigation, He sough
the proper officer and suggested tina
members Of the house ought not to b.
subjected to such Inconvenience ant
that the young men employed to worl
about the house ought to do what the.
are told.
: well, if they won't, l can't max
them" said the official.
"Why don't you discharge them?
asked Mr. Hepburn.
'They are appointed on the recon
mendaton of Representatives -- an
-" said the official, land they can
J be disturbed