Kansas City observer., 1900-01-27
ROBERTS EXCLUDED.
HIS SEAT DECLARED VA
CANT BY CONGRESS.
The House Votes 2TS to 80 Against
Admitting the Mormon Representa-
tIve-Deposed Congress Issues a
Statement--WIII Not Run Again.


adoption of a resolution to exclude
him by vote of 27S to so
The exact language of the resolu-
ton was as follows:
That. under the facts and circumstances of
the case, Brigham H. Roberts, representatives
elect from th3 state Of Utah ought not to have
or hold a seat in the House of Represen tatives.
and that the seat to which he was elected is
hereby declared Vacant.
The amendment to expel Mr. Rob-
erts without seating him, offered by
Mr.. Lacey, was ruled out on point
of order, and the House only voted
upon the resolutions of the majority
and minority of the committee. The
latter-to seat and then expel Mr..
Roberts-was defeated-S1 to 244 An
analysis of this vote shows that ITO
Republicans, ~ Democrats and Pop
ulists voted against it, and II Demo-
Gratis, Republicans, 2 Populists and
2 silver Republicans for it.
The majority resolutions-to ex-
clude Mr.. Roberts and declare the
seat vacant-were adopted, 27S to so.
The affirmative vote was adopted as
follows: Republicans 164, Democrats
9s, Populists B, and the negative vote:
Democrats AZ, silver Republicans =,
Populists L
Mr.. Roberts was present through
out the day and only left the hall
after the result of the last vote had
been announced. AS he did SO he
gave out a statement justifying his
retention of his plural wives on the
ground that his moral obligation was
more binding upon his conscience than
technical obedience to statutory law,
and saying that there was little ex-
cuse for the extraordinary efforts to
crush a system already abandoned
and practically dead He said he was
martyr to a ''spasm of prejudice. J"
He would not, he said, attempt to
run for Congress again, although he
would go back home with light
heart, confident of the future.
Jan. 2I.-The second days debate in
the House upon the Roberts case was
less dramatic than that of yesterday.
Mr.. Roberts was not present during
the day. Had he been he would have
heard the most scathing eXcoriation
of the Mormons ever delivered upon
the floor of the House. Mr.. Lands of
Indiana charged that Utah had been
admitted to the Union as a result of d
Mormon conspiracy and reviewed the
history of the apostles of the church,
whom he charged with living in open
nd al Of CT af IN
laws against polygamy, to show that
they had basely broken their
solemn pledge to the government.
The other speakers were Messrs.
Powers, Republican, of Vermont, and
Meters, Democrat, of Indiana, for the
majority resolutions: Messrs. Snod-
grass, Democrat, of Tennessee, and
Wilson, silver Republican, of Idaho,
for the minority resolutions; Mr..
Lacey, Republican, of Iowa, for his
proposition to eXpel without swearing
in, and Mr.. Crumpacker, Republican,
of Indiana, for exclusion by two
thirds majority.
Routine business occupied the at
tention of the Senate in a brief ses-
sion. The resolution offered by Mr.
Pettigrew, of South Dakota, calling
upon the President for information
regarding the treaty entered into with
the sultan Of Sulu, was passed.
Jan. 23.-This was an oratorical
field day in the House over the case of
Brigham II. Roberts, the Mormon rep
resentative from Utah The galleries
were packed to sutfiOcation, chiefly
with women, and the spectators, after
listening attentively to the arguments
of Mr. Tayler, of Ohio, and Mr.. Little
field, of Maine, for the adoption of the
ma jority and minority reports, re-
spectively. of the special committee
that investigated the case, remained
long after nightfall to hear the i'm
passioned words of the accused as he
faced the house, like an animal at
bay, knowing that every hand was
raised against him.
Mr.. Roberts was very adroit in the
handling of his case, and at times ex-
ceedinply dramatic Taking advan-
tage of the issue raised by the divis-
ion in the committee as to the method
of ousting him, he appropriated to
himself the argument of the minority
that he was constitutionally entitled
to be sworn in, and the argument OF
the majority that, once swc-n in, he
could not be expelled. He defended
the action of the Mormons in fighting
the authority of the United
States for years, because, he said
thew believed that sentiment would
change and dramatically stated that,
in those days. he would rather have
his flesh hewn from his bones than tc
have renounced his religious tenets.
He concluded with an eloquent pero'
ration in which he said he had never
been conscious of a shameful act and
if he was sent forth he would go with
head erect and undaunted brow.
The Philippine Church.