The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-05
Mr.. RAWLINS INTERRUPTS
A Mild Sensation Yesterday at the
Roberts Hearing.
The senator From Itnh Declares
There Was No Compact at the Time
of the states Admission Which
Required the Abandonment Of
Existing PoI.Gnmous Relations.

What amounted to mild sensation oc-
CURED yesterday at the hearing in the cas-,
of Brigham II. Roberts by the House spe-
cial committee now investigating the eiigi-
bility OF the Utah Representative to
seat in the House. While Mr. Schroeder,
representing the opposition to Mr. Roberts.
was declaiming against the action of the
| State OF Utah in violating what he termed
an implied compact with the rest OF the
States in sending polygamist to Congress,
Senator Rawlins, who was in :he room, de-
| ciared himself constrained to declare that
that only understanding at the time of the
! admission of Utah was that the Mormon
Church should prohibit further polygamous
marriages. 1t was not expected. he said,
that existing polygamous relations should
he broken up
Chairman Tayler opened the session OF
his committee by submitting to MIR. Rob-
erts statement received from a witness
! in Utah, and asked II he would accept it
I as testimony. Mr.. Roberts declined and the
matter went over. The chairman then said
the case was closed unless ii should devei-
J op IN the course of the arguments that ad-
ditional evidence was needed.
Mr.. Roberts wanted to submit some doc
uments attacking the credibility OF the
witnesses examined but as the documents
were not in the nature of testimony the
committee declined to receive them. Mr.
Roberts read the card of former Judge
Brandon, one of the most important wit
nesses against him. published in the Salt
Lake Herald last November wherein that
gentleman denied giving any information
against Mr.. Roberts. Mr.. Roberts said he
submitted the card for the purpose of
showing the unreiiability of the witness.
In the absence of Mr.. Carlisle. who was
to have made an argument on the question
OF Mr.. Roberts naturalization, Attorney
Schroeder. representing the opposition to
Mr.. Roberts, took the floor and made the
opening argument against the Representa-
tive-elect from Utah.
The first question to be considered. Mr.
Schroeder said. was that of citizenship
He referred to Mr.. Roberts naturalization.
but said he would not press that question.
as he did not have certified copies of the
court records. Mr.. Roberts interrupted
and said he desired the committee TO look
into that question. II was agreed that the
question OF naturalization should 20 over
for the present
MIR. Schroeder conteuded all through his |
argument that Mr. Roberts was not citi-
zen of the United States. and therefore was
not eligible to membership in the House. |
He also argued that the Office of Repre- |
sentative in Congress an Office under |
the United States. and that the Edmunds act |
applied to it. which. being the case. made |
Mr. Roberts ineligible to the Office Mr..
Schroeder contended that the House had a
right to exclude Mr.. Roberts. 1t had been
s-pd bs he fgs- ha said hat NJ
Roberts was guilty of polygamy was liy-
ing with plural wives. which. being true,
made that gentleman ineligible The gen.
tleman from Utah, he said had been |
quoted as saying that he would not give up
his wives.
After recess OF an hour the committee
resumed its session, and Mr.. Schroeder
continued his argument. Mr. Mcpherson,
Of the committee. wanted 10 hear Mr..
Schroeder and Mr.. Roberts on the ques-
lion OF the compact between Utah and the
United States. Upon this phase of the case
Mr.. Schroeder went into the history of
Ctahs efforts for admission into the Union,
and also gave a brief history Of polygsmy.
with which the State is identified. He
cad at length the Testimony taken by the |
Senate Committee on Territories in the |
fifty-second Congress. when the question |
If home rule for the then Territory OF Utah |
vas up for consideration. to show that the | ,
United States had been deceived, and that
he compact between Utah and the United | I
states regarding polygamy had been
,roken.
Senator Rawlins of Utah. who had been
IN interested listener, at this point inter I
upted the proceedings. He said Mr.. I
;chroeders statement was misleading in
hat the committee might think that the
referred TO related to the ldmis
ion of Utah 10 Statehood. He introduced !
he bill for Statehood, ne said, in the I
fifty second Congress. when he was n
Delegate in the House from the Territory
t Utah. The hearing referred TO by Mr.
schroeder related to the bill for home
ule. which was before the Senate COM
nittee. Senator Rawlins said he did not =
Understand that Congress believed ut the
ime when Utah was admitted to State
ood that parties who had contracted }
lural marriages should abandon their Z
lural wives. I
Chairman Tayler asked IL he. Senator I
awlins. believed Congress would have ad
lifted Utah had 1t been known at the time | !
nat within few years thereafter the I
tate would have sent a polygamist to 4
Ongress. The Senator gave no direct an |
ger. but insisted that polygamy was a :
hing of the past; that plural marriages. Z
lcept in sporadic cases, were now I'M =
nown.
Does the Senator think" asked Mr..
oberts that Utah would have been ad-
tilted if Congress had thought Presi-
mt OF the United States would have ap-
,lnted polygamists 10 Office" IL
Before the Senator could reply Chairman | =
ayler said: II don't think IL would. :
Senator Rawlins then made a few re- | =
arks on the subject OF polygsmy and Mr.. | =
'hroeder resumed his argument He con- <
uded by contending that Mr.. Roberts !
atus was that of polygamist and, there | =
re, he was ineligible 10 held Office. q
Mrs. J. Ellen Foster, OF this city fol- 4
wed in an impassicned appeal 10 the Z
Immittee to exclude Mr.. Roberts. She | J.
i'd she had been all over the country. .
Id thet the wives and mothers in every !
ate o. the Union were deeply interested. Z
lie had been petitioned by the women of <
e country to talk for them before the 4
mmittee. She was disappointed because ..
e member from Utah had not taken the
and and acknowledged the responsibility =
owed to his plural wives. She argued
at Congress had the right TO stamp out %.
lygamy. and the most effective way was ri
excluding the member from Utah.
The committee will meet this morning | Ci,
1890 o'clock, when Mr. Roberts will L.
AXE his argument en-
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