The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-02-01
Formal Protest May be
Made by Macon.
BASED ON THE ROBERTS CASE
The Resolution Will be Pre-
pared by Arkansas
Representative.
WILL CONSULT KENTUCKIANs

Washington, Jan. 26.-That Rep
resentative-elect Caleb Powers, of
the Eleventh Kentucky district, will
not be sworn in as a member OF the
new House of Representatives with
out formal protest, was definitely
settled here to-day when it was an
nounced by Representative Robert
Bruce Macon, of Arkansas, that he
would, in all probability, object to
Powers taking the oath, and move
that his case be referred to spec
ial committee for an investigation
of his right to a seat in the House.
an my judgment" said Mr.. Ma
con to-day, 'cold-blooded murder is
a worse crime than bigamy, and If
the Republicans would not allow
Roberts, of Utah, to sit with them
in the House, do not see how can
sit in Congress with a man charged
and three times convicted of muir
der in the first degree, owing his
release from prison to the executive
clemency of a partisan Governor OF
Kentucky.
81 do not intend to be oficious or
to NEEDLE in the affairs of the State
of Kentucky, and I am going to con-
suit members of the Kentucky dele
CATION before I take any action, but
this Is a national matter. one affect
ing Congress, and l will not neces-
sarily be controlled by anyone II |
reach the conclusion that Powers
should not be allowed to be sworn
in. If a member of the Kentucky
delegation objects, well and good.
If no member from that State makes
protest, my present inclination
will he to do it"
The subjoined resolution may be
offered by Mr.. Macon when Powers
presents himself at the bar of the
House to be sworn in:
whereas. II is charged that Ca
leb Powers, Representative
elected to the Sixty-second Congress
from the Eleventh district of the
State of Kentucky, is ineligible to
seat in the House of Representa-
tives, and
whereas, Such charge is made
= through a member Of the House on
= his own responsibility as such mem
Der. and, on the basis. as he asserts,
of public records of the courts Of
= the State of Kentucky, evidencing
such ineligibility,
: Resolved, That the question OF
prima facie right of the said Caleb
Powers to be sworn in as a Repre-
= sentative from the State of Ken
lucky in the Sixty-second Congress,
as we'll as to his final rightPto a
seat therein as such Representative,
be referred to a special committee
of nine members, to be designated
by the Ways and Means Committee
of the House, and until such COM
: mittee shall report thereon and the
i House decide such question, the said
Caleb Powers shall not be sworn in. y
The above resolution is based on
that in the celebrated Roberts case.
At the beginning OF the Fifty-sixtn
Congress, Brigham Roberts, a Rep
resentative-elect from Utah, appear
ed at the bar of the House to take
u. the oath of office. Upon the motion
II of Representative Tayler, of Ohio
= his case, by vote of 3O4 to 80, was
referred to special committee
' which reported against him. Near
ly all the Republicans of the House
voted against Roberts taking thu
IS oath of office. Among them was thu
then sitting Republican member
A. Representative Vincent Boreing, o
s, the district from which Power
IT comes. The small minority of thir
lie ty-two in favor of Roberts taking
s. the oath was composed largely o
Democrats, including the Democrat
y, ic leader, Representative Richard
lie son, of Tennessee.
10 Kentucky members of Congress
of who were told of Mr.. Macon's inten
err tions TO day did not care to common
I'd upon the case at this time. The mat
ter will be discussed by the delega
Isl ton before the next Congress meet
nd and a decision as to what attitud
will be taken by the delegation wi
ut then be reached.
ra Should Powers be refused tn
Ie- oath, the Republicans of his distrit
N, would be compelled to nominal
ay some other candidate for Congress
and special election would be cal
tn ed by the Governor.
to