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Show Vou 8; Price BALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, JUNE 11, 1904. No. 40. State and Local Politics. The Gentiles who have so strongly opposed the domination of Senator Kearns and his coterie in Utah politics are becoming alarmed and apprehensive lest the senator will succeed in making peace with the heads of the Mormon church and thereby to the Unitaccomplish his ed States. Those who are not favorable to Kearns compose the best element of the community. They have taken a determined stand against the mountebank senator and his efforts to reduce the state to a condition of vassalage to the corrupt political machine of which he is the head! The Gentiles and Mormons who have done such valiant work in that direction and hoping to see their efforts crowned with success are, perhaps, unduly but naturally alarmed lest their efforts be made nugatory and they and the state generally be again disgraced by a repetition of the methods which secured the election of Mr. Kearns four years ago. These fears have been engendered by the well known fact that Kearns is straining every nerve and moving every force at his command to compel, cajole or hoodwink the ecclesiastics into exercising their priestly influence in his behalf. The Kearns crowd are working every avenue which leads to that end. First of all they are working the harmony racket for all it is worth. Jesse Smith, a layman who has no particular corner on that indefinite something known from the dawn of history as priestly power, is posing as an apostle of harmony. He wants to bring together the warring elements of the Republican party and has arranged meetings between adherents of the Kearns and factions. He has tried to entrap Senator Smoot into attending his harmony gatherings, but without success. It is well known that Jesse is working in the interest of the machine and the harmony he is advocating means Kearns rule. Senator Kearns has renewed his oft repeated but futile efforts to enlist the priestly influence of President Joseph F. Smith in his behalf. Ever since his return from Washington he has been trying to obtain an audience from President Smith, but he has not succeeded. Failing to reach the head of the church the senator is laboring with the lesser ecclesiastical lights, such as Apostles Lyman, John Henry Smith and George A. Smith, In the hope of reaching the fountain head indirectly. He makes almost daily vis re-electi- on anti-Kear- ns its to George delegation in Washington would bo heralded as the work of Kearns. The other senator and the congressman would be made to appear like nonentities. There is no fear that Kearns will be by either the aid or connivance of President Smith or Senator Smoot. The danger lies in Kearns being able to secure the election of a lot of Gentile scalawags to the legislature who are purchasable. The Kearns people are centering their efforts on Salt Lake, Weber and Summit counties. In that way they hope they will him, or get enough voles to tie-up a and failing in that, to make prevent the election of anybody else. Smith and E. H. Anderson of the United States land office, both of whom owe the government positions they hold to the senator. It is natural, therefore, that they should feel well disposed towards him. Anderson is outspoken in his advocacy of Kearns, but George A. is in a different position. The high ecclesiastical position he occupies and the present hostile state of affairs regarding church influence makes it incumbent upon him to take an attitude no matter how of. strong his sympathies with Kearns The State Democratic convention is may be or how deep his gratitude. His course in that direction (the only con- now a matter of history. sistent one he could adopt) has been It was a lively affair, too, although such as to make Kearns and his work- the liveliness was not caused by any ers declare that both George A. and its at delegates to instructing his father, John Henry Smith, were attempt g the national convention for any parthem. In view of the occurrences of the ticular candidate or to any especial past two years, it is scarcely within policy. the range of possibility that Kearns no resolutions On the contrary, will succeed in enlisting the sympathies of President Smith. The presi- were offered at all, and the only incident looked with great disfavor on dent worthy of note in the organizathe methods by ' which Kearns suc- tion of the body was the amendment ceeded in being elected four years of Delegate Blair to amend the report ago. That Kearns failed to coerce of the committee on permanent orPresident Smith is a notorious fact. He resisted and treated with con- ganization and order of business to tempt the threats of Kearns and Perry admit of electing the members of the Heath to make war on the Mormon state committee and preparing for the church. He spurned the offers of coming campaign early. This motion Kearns to call off the dogs of war he was voted down. But one ballot was required to elect had turned loose in the shape of the Smoot senatorial investigation, the former Senator Joseph L. Rawlins, grand jury investigation and the gen- fermer Senator Frank J. Cannon, Hon. eral investigation of the Mormon Joseph Monson of Cache, Hon. S. A. church. If the head of the church had King of Utah, Hon. Simon Bamberbeen inclined to accede to the de- ger of Salt Lake and Hon. George mands of Kearns for the exercise of Whitmore of Juab delegates to the priestly influence in his behalf the national convention. At the conclutime to have done it was at the be- sion of the election of delegates Alan ginning, when Kearns could have Lovey, cartoonist of the Salt Lake called off the dogs of war he had Herald, was unanimously chosen an sicked on. Now they have got beyond alternate, after some especially happy his control, and Kearns could not still remarks by Senator Cannon. the troubled waters, no matter how much he might desire it. Even as a of a fight But oh, what a matter of policy it would be extreme- there was when the beauty time came for the ly foclish for President Smith to make terms with Kearns now, after having selection of a national committeeman. d withstood his assaults and his cajolery It was the hardest struggle ever for years. on the floor of a state conAgain, few people will think Presi- vention in Utah. It was a peach; a dent Smith so unwise as to prove the lu lu. The candidates were Hon. O. charges which are being urged W. Powers of Salt Lake City, Hon. D. against him and his church, by aiding Kearns political fortunes by that H. Peery and Hon. Alexander H. Tar- church influence. bet, although it was conceded by the terms can no make Kearns supporters of the latter that he had no .chance of winning. As a matter with Smoot, either. The time for anything of that kind is past, if it was of fact, Mr. Tarbet made no aggresever possible. Kearns has made a sive fight for the place, preferring to fool of himself and he must take the leave the matter in the hands of his consequences of his folly. Who could friends to getting cut and rustling. stand the arrogance of Kearns if he Mr. Peery was placed in nomination term? The by Hon. William H. Dale of Salt Lake were elected for a Kearns organs would make Senator county, who made a very able speech, Smoot look like thirty cents. Every- setting forth the merits of his candithing that might be done by the Utah date. He was followed by Hon. Fisher A. re-elect- ed re-ele- ct non-interferen- cross-roadin- wit-nsese- much-talked-- of six-ye- ar 5 Cents Harris, who made one of the efforts placing the name of O. W. Powers before the Judge no In spirit of antagonistic criticism, it may be frankly stated that Mr. Harris' speech was not only oratorical, but intensely dramatic, as it was intended to be. Fisher was carrying the convention by storm, and had another good speaker for the Powers side followed him, a motion to suspend the rules and elect Judge Powers by acclamation might have prevailed. But the opportunity was lost, and one of Peerys supporters in the person of C. M. Jackson, obtained the floor and made a strong appeal on behalf of his candidate. During his remarks he said that Judge Powers would be a candidate fer congress before the next convention, and made tho statement that he would doubtless be nominated by that convention by acclamation. This statement caused an intensely dramatic and thrilling scene. Mr. Harris rushed down the aisle and declared that no man had the right to say that Judge Powers was a candidate, whereupon Mr. Jack-so- n retorted that Judge Powers had told him that he (Powers) would not decline the nomination if it was tendered him. Judge Powers came down into the parquet of the theatre and declared no man had the right to bandy his name in a convention; that he was not. a candidate. He did not deny Jacksons statement to the effect that he would accept if the nomination was of his life in cm-ventio- n. tendered hhn. It was at this juncture that Hon. B. II. Roberts arcse for the purpose of seconding the nomination of D. H. Peery. He performed a coup that was disastrous to the Powers forces. Mr. Harris, in his very able and very eloquent address, had alluded feelingly to the services Judge Powers has performed for the Democratic party; to the hard work which he has done and especially referred to the Roberts campaign. He described the scene in the Salt Lake theatre when Governor Wells made his famous speech Holier ts, and recited the conagainst dition of despair and lost hope that prevailed throughout Salt Lake City and county, after that address. All hope was lost, said the speaker, until Judge Powers came to the fore front and by a masterly address in the same theatre, refuted the statements made by the governor and saved the party. His description of that work on the part of Judge Powers was a masterly effort and one which called forth the most tremendous demonstrations of applause. It really looked like Powers right then and there, but happily for Peery the scene changed. When Mr. Roberts obtained the floor he declared that he had all the admiration for Judge Powers that any man had or could have; that he respected his ability and admired his courage; |