Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-24
DR.. lifts Part in Case Against
P0lygamiSt.
ALL CHARGES PRo WEN
Rev. Tiff Travelled Through Thirty
States to C~rystalize Sentiment
Against Lawbreaker.

Rev. DR.. T. c. Tiff, head Of the mission
Of the Methodist Episcopal chu ch OF
Utah. and who, prior to his twenty-five
years among the Mormons was a Mon
tana missionary, building the mr. 81 ITO
testant church in western Monta ma ar
rived in the city yesterday ana IS the
guest of DR.. Albritton, of the NJ ountaln
View church.
There is one man in Utah who does not
hold DR.. Tiff in very high esteem. his
name is Roberts. To DR.. IllH, more IMAM
any other one man was due the crushing
reh,,ka received recently when
the ~muchmarried congressman-ele ct was
sent home in disgrace. DR.. Tiff started
the movement, and was one OF the com
mittee of three ministers representing 'he
Eyangelistic churches OF Utan 0
which the maelstrom ragged. Neeuless 70
saw he IS a man of dauntless courage. his
associate committeeman We're Dr. Paden
of the First PRESBYTERIAN church and DR..
c. T.. Brown of the First Congregational
church of Salt LAX In order 70 crys-
talize public sentiment against the seat
ing of Roberts he travelled nearly all over
the country. visiting thirty states ana de-
voting nearly all of last year to the ac-
complishment of the purpose ne hao SET
out to do. ..
.'This opposition on our part" said he
to an Inter Mountain reporter today
WAS not because Mr.. Roberts was a
member of the Mormon church, for we
recognize that congress has no rleht 70
exclude a man because Of his churcn
afiliation or religious views, but the op-
position was wholly on the ground that
he was a persistent polygamlst and q
defiant l~awbreaker, and that as such ne
could not be allowed a seat In congress
without that body putting its approval
upon such a lawbreaker becoming a law
maker. n at the same time in directly
sanctioning polygamy. \.
1.-The result of the campaign against
Mr.. Roberts is we'll known to the COM
munity. 1t was my duty and privilege
to be present at the inVestlgat ton at
Washington before the congressional
committee in December. By the clear
est and irrefutable evidence we sustained
all the grave charges that had been made
against Mr.. Roberts relative to his
polygamous wives and children, hence
there could be but one outcome, in view
of the universal sentiment throughout
the whole country. namely, his exclusion
from congress. Very properly it was in
no sense a political question, so that the
decisive vote of 26S to so came from both
sides of the house, and doubtless has for
ever settled the question that a polyga-
mist is mot entitled to a seat in congress,
and at the same time placed a premium
Ol l1c SdIlCllly olo SdClCuA4CSS u lC
family that is most pronounced and
healthy"
What were the special agents that
brought about Roberts expulsion?" the
doctor was asked.
1.-The united Christian churches of the
land" he replied, IAN a united press.
1t must be evident that these two mighty
forces, when allied on some great moral
question. are irresistible. Foremost
among the press was the Salt Lake
Tribune, because of its position. ability
and fearlessness. 1t is proper that the
New York Journal should be mentioned
in this direction. One other agency, and
the greatest of them all, was the women
of the land. Foremost among them by
her influence and her means, was Helen
Gould. always ready for every good
work."
When spoken of in regard to the work
of the ministers Of Utah, the doctor mod.
estly remarked hat he did not care tc
place special emphasis on their part in
the matter, n yet it is only fair tc
say that most Of the preliminary steps
and information had to b. put in shape
and scattered all over the country, the
doctor himself spending the greater par
Of a year.