The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-01-25
A Staggering Blow For Polygamy.

Polygamy in Utah and adjoining
States received what will probably
prove to be a mortal blow when the
committee of the House of Repre-
sentatives voted unanimously
against permitting Brigham H.
Roberts to hold seat in Congress.
There is division in the committee
as to whether Mr.. Roberts shall be
denied admission to a seat absolute
" or whether he shall be admitted
and then expelled. But there is no
conflict as to the claim that lie is a
law-breaker and that a w-breaker
has no right to seat in law-mak-
ing body. There is no doubt that
the report of the committee will be
adopted by the House of Representa-
tives and that Mr.. Roberts will be
sent back to Utah i'll disgrace.
The decision of this case is a
decided gain to morality and decen-
cy. 1t is the most staggering blow
polygamy has received. 1t will be
the most conclusive proof the Nor
mon Church can have that this
nation will not tolerate the practice
of plural marriages. When the
polygamists of Utah decided to
flaunt their defiance of law and
public opinion in the face of the
nation they picked out their shrewd-
est member to represent them.
There is no doubt that Brig ham H.
Roberts is as able an exponent of
the doctrine OF polygamy as the
Mormon Church contains. He has
demonstrated his shrewdness and
capacity to explain Mormon ter
giversations on good manv occas-
ions. He believed that his capacity
was equal to one more tax, that OF
persuading the national House OF
Representatives that man and a
State can violate law and a pledge
and still be held guiltless by tie
nation.
But he failed. And his failure is
the most distinct victory for the
force anG influence of public opinion
this country has witnessed in a gen.
Grafton. Mr.. Roberts comes from
State among the majority of whose
population no public opinion exists.
They are accustomed to accept the
word of their Church as final and
not bother themselves about nice
distinctions in law or morals. Mr..
Roberts mistake was in supposing
that the same conditions exist al,
over the country. He expected tc
find the same low average of intel.
ligence everywhere that he founo
in his own community. He know.
his mistake now. And he will &C
back to Utah with a livelier sense
of the power Of public opinion tha,
he ever had in his life. Whateve
he does and whatever his futur,
course may be he will never believ,
again that man or State can TAX
sacred pledge and tearing it int
bits look defantly in the face of tn
American people and sneeringly as
what they are going to do about il
No polygamist will attempt to d
what Mr. Roberts has been punish
ed for trying to accomplish.
In distributing the praise Tor tn
defeat of Roberts it should be re
membered that large share of tn
credit for the result belongs to tn
Gentle population of Utah an
particularly to the Salt Lake Zri6un
, If the Geutiles Of that State had NJ
had the courage to grapple with II
: crisis brought about by MIR. Robert
election to Congress and had the
, not had fearless newspaper
t voice their opinions it is a questio
| whether the polygamists would NJ
! have been victorious and the matte
been disgraced. They went to wol
s energetically and awakened publ
t opinion so thoroughly that Congre
t was brought to act promptly al
? rightly in the matter. 1t is an il
: pressive lesson of what public OPT
S ion can do in this country Of fir
: discussion, and it is an impressi
S lesson.to every polygamist and la
). breaker of the punishment III sto
: for them if they trespass too far
0 the patience of the public. Pre-,
r BY vote of architects, taken
e a Boston publication, the follows