The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-24

who framed it. He challenged and rid
| died many of the majority's authorities
and precedents. He said the minority
stood with Burke, Jefferson, Madison.
Hamilton. Norris Webster, Storey,
| Cooley. John Randolph Tucker.
Il believe said Mr. Littlefeld.
that Mr.. Roberts has full coast;tu-
tional right to a seat in this House.
The applause which followed swept
over the floor and to the galleries.
Mr. Littletield urged that there was
no reason why precedents should Dc
slavishly followed, referring to the man
ner in which ex-Speaker Reed had over
turned the presidents of century and
converted the House from an unor
ganlzed mob into an instrument which
registered the will of the people
Mr.. Lttlefield then turned 10 the cor
sheraton of the proposition Ihlt il the
House had a right to add To the gualiti-
cations of member the disqualification
imposed by the Edmunds act did rot APP
NV to Mr.. Roberts because a meDEOer
of Congress was not an officer "UnIer
the United States" within the mcanin:
of the statute. He then attacked the
proposition of the majority that M.
Roberts had violated the compact be-
tween Utah and the United States. He
asked for the authority for the state
ment of an understanding and eloquently
declared that the idea of a compacs be-
tween the States had been the father Of
secession blotted out by the lives OF Ia.f
a million men. He pointed to General
Wheeler's return from the Spanish War.
covered with laurels, when no mere sem
timent let the speaker and the judiciary
Committee override their duty Of adverse
action. He pointed out the unquestion-
ed right of either house to expel a mem
Der for sufficient cause.
+ Mr.. Roberts then spoke for one and
a half hours at ease and without temper
ROBERTS ADROIT ATTACK.
He said he might say with propriety:
"A plague on both your houses since
both propose his undoing. Uaughter.)
But the situation was not altogether
without its advantages. He was con
WINGED with the minority that the House
had no light to exclude him and with
the majority that. once admitted he
could not be expelled Between the
two said he, matters fall out about as
tice will be done" Renewed laugEter.1
His constitutional qualifications were
admitted by both the majority and min
GRITTY of the committee. and he declared
that the members of the House. if they
had regard to the Constitution of their
country would call him back to the bar
from which he had been improperly turn
ed away He warned the House thar
nations fell because they departed from
their traditions. If nation INDUCED in
constitutional immortality" it died IS
did the individual who was guilty Of
physical immortality. He beseeched Tie
House not to yield TO the clamor Of IN
thinking people Was this an emergency?
y man was elected to Congress who,
in the sanctity of the church had mar
ried a plurality of wives. He said we
have passed the stage of representing or
defending polygamy, and he did not want
his remarks so construed. He said the
crime of polygamy is nahum prohibitum,
not mala in Sc; that i'll the teachings Of
the great Master, although he denounced
every crime, every sin that man can com.
init, there is no word of his condemniGg
the conduct of the patriarchs or of the
law as it was given to Moses and ancient
Israel. He quoted Martin Luther as
saying:
Il cannot protest when one takes
many wives, for it does not contradici
the Scripture" and again that the Cos
pels do not revoke or contradict the laws
of Moses in matrimonial matters
Yet we built monuments to Luther
notwithstanding his federation and de-
Tense of that form of marriage. | say
this only to show that polygamy is mere
ly a crime because prohibited by law"
POLYGANIY'S STRUGGLE.
Mr.. Roberts explained the Mormon be-
lief i'll polygamy, and said the church
thought their creed on this point came
within the constitutional inhilsition
against laws prohibiting the free exercise
Of religious belief.
Referring to the continuance of polyg
amy after an adverse Supreme Court
decision, Mr.. Roberts suggested it was
apparent such great religious conviction
could not Immediately be given up; that
the Supreme Court frequently reverses
itself, and he pointed to Mr.. White, N.
C., coloredD, on the floor as one of IA
race who, if absolute submiSSiveness to-
the decisions of the Supreme Court was
to be the last of controversy, would have
been but piece of goods and chattels in