The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-06
ROBERTS ARGUES HIS CASE.
SAYS THERE HAS BEEN NO CON-
elusive EVIDENCE.

That He Was Ever Married 10 Mar
garet e. shipp Roberts--Did Not
Know How His Picture Got Into
Her HOuse-CRrlisle Says Roberts
Is StilI PoIygamist and should
Not he Seated.
Washington. Jan. 5.-The Roberts Inves-
igaung Committee continued its session
to-day, with a large crowd Of Interested
spectators present Among them was Miss
Roberts, the daughter of the Utah mem
her-elect, who sat near him, and followed
atienuvely the argument presented by her
father.
Chairman Tayler of Ohio stated at the
outs. that he had received from ex-Sec-
rotary John q. Carlisle a letter giving
his views on the case Mr. Carlisle said
he was suffering from a cold, and was un-
| able to make an oral argument at this
time. AS to the case, he said:
"The resolution under which the COM
mittee is proceeding directs II to ascertain
and report. not only upon Roberts prima
facie right, but upon his final right. He
seems to have objected TO the evidence un-
less il shows that he was guilty of unlaw-
| ful cohabitation since the fourth OF March
last, when he claims to have become a
member of the House. / think the testi-
| mony shows prima facie that he has been
| so cohabitating; but this is not material,
| in my opinion, even though the committee
| had no jurisdiction 10 inquire into conduct
| prior to March 4, 1899, because he is un-
| doubtedly polygamist and has been
~ OF b.a aI
| plural wife. within the meaning of that
| term as defined by the Supreme Court of
| the United States in the Ramsey case He
| is at this moment a polygamist, not hav-
| ing at any time abandoned or renounced
| the relation assumed by the plural mar
! liages, and cohabitation with the alleged
| wives Is not at all necessary. The ques-
tion. therefore, is whether the committee
| viii decide upon the question of final right
that an undoubted polygamist who justi-
| iies the doctrine and practices of polyga-
| my, shall be allowed 20 hold a seat In the
| House"
Mr.. Roberts then began his argument
| He spoke quietly and deliberately with
| some evidence of hoarseness.
| Roberts Reads His Argument.
| Mr.. Roberts took up typewriter state
4 ment reviewing in detail the proceedings
| of his case up to date 1t said regarding
| his case:
| "It is case In which there is no con-
| test and where it appears so far as the
| proceedings before the committee are con-
| cerned the representa- tive-elect possesses
| all the qualification prescribed by the Con-
| stitution of the United States, and where
| there is no statute, so far as made 10 APP
| pear before this committee, either in the
| state of Utah or the United States apph-
| cable to the case, which disqualifies the
| representative-elect from Utah for the Of
| - IN lowe ~
| the American Congress"
| Mr.. Roberts dWelt with special empha-
| sis on the right of a constituency to de-
termine upon the moral capacity of
| member.
'Tt is left to those constituents TO de-
| termne" he said, what shall be the
moral status of the man they wish to send
to Congress as their representative, and
| not 10 the houses of Congress"
In support of this he read with emphatic
| and approval comment a congressional re-
| port signed by +. F. Butler Daniei w.
| Voorhees, and Others in the course of
which ii is said that the House of Repre-
| sentatives shall be composed Of members
| chosen by the people of the states and not
| by the representative of other states, "ac-
| cording to the notion of the necessities OF
| 'se1f-preservation and lf-purihcation'
which might suggest themselves to the
| reason or caprice of members from other
| states. in any process of 'purgation or puri-
| fcaton.'
| MIR. Roberts declared that Utah. one OF
| the great silver producing states, had
been denied representation of late, while
the important financial bill vitality in
| volving Utah's silver mining and silver in
| dustry was considered and passed
Marriage Not Proven, He said.
| Mr.. Roberts anayzed the evidence,
questioning its direcness and conclusive
| ness.
1T has not even been established" he
| said THAT b. H. Roberts was ever mar
ried to Margaret c. Shipp Roberts"
1t had been shown that he was seen
near the house and once in the house.
But there was no testimony Of marriage,
nothing as to their maintaining marital
relations, nothing as to their being seen
at the theater or church or otherwise as
sociating as man and wife.
How do you account for your picture
being found in her house?" inquired
Chairman Tayler.
Il do not know how to account for it,"
answered Roberts.
As to any marital relations with Celia
| Dibble Roberts, he said there was no di-
rect testimony. In the main, the evil
dence was as to general repute, he con-
| tended, which was short of that conclu-
| sve proof required. He challenged the
| charge that he had contracted three polyg-
amous marriages.
Mr. Roberts vehemeutly exclaimed
against those who had "hounded' him.
They were not the bankers merchants
lawyers and other substantial citizens of
| Utah, but they were in the main Eastern
missionaries, who had gone to Utah to op-
pose Mormonism.
The committee adjourned until 10 O'Clock
tomorrow morning, when Mr.. Roberts
will conclude.