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Show I SENATOR KEARNS'S POSITION I The following:, from the Utnh Stato Journal, being- an editorial by former Senator Frank J. Cannon, Is reproduced as a candid statement by a political opponent: The following1 astounding statements are made by the weekly Messenger of ! MantI, Sanpete county, Utah: Sontor Kcarns Is back from tho National capital, and as usual Is tolling what "I" accompllahcd during tho session Just closed. By hla "untiring efforts'" ho would I have passed "this bill and that bill had not the Smoot Investigation prevented." Hypocrlto and ignoramus that ho Is: had ho been a friend to Utah and her lntor-0315 lntor-0315 and possessed of a fraction of tho Influence that ho profcsscH, he would havo been heard in defense of Senator Smoot and tho pcoplo of his State, Not a word has he spoken. While tho sensational bigots of tho country havo been saying all manner of evil of the peoplo of Utah, tho senior Sonator has nover lntcrposod an objection or offered a defense. Ho hopes to profit by tho Smoot investigation. investiga-tion. Tom wants to go back to tho Sonato, and is willing to sacrlflco tho Interests In-terests of the Stato and tho honor of hor citizens In ordor to help himself. Tho first opportunity tho pcoplo have, they will dlsposo of Tojfj for good. The Messenger Is a good paper, published pub-lished by a good man; and Its editor undoubtedly dock not deBlro to do injustice in-justice to nny one. But he eeems to have been nctuated by less than hie usual Intelligent fairness In the foregoing forego-ing comment on the senior Senator from Let us see. "Hypocrite and Ignoramus!" Igno-ramus!" These are startling words to be applied by a paper of Republican proclivities to a Republican Senator, who was elected by a Republican Legislature Legis-lature when it had the full freedom of choice In a party posi'esslng many brilliant bril-liant members both intelligent nnd sincere. sin-cere. Are these appellations justified? Is Thomas Kcarns, senior Senator of I the United States from Utah, a hypocrite hypo-crite and ignoramus? The State Journal is politically opposed op-posed to Mr. Kearns and expects to contend to the very last minute of election elec-tion day next November to prevent the selection of a Republican Legislature, Legisla-ture, thus Insuring the retirement of Senator Kearns from his present high ofllce; this paper Is not In his confidence; confi-dence; and It has no desire to laud him or to strengthen him beyond his real merit with the vqtcrs of the State. But common every day Justice requires that tho people shall analyze this criticism, which, if It be true, Is an eternal disgrace dis-grace to the people of Utah. Hon. Thomas Kearns, the senior Senator from thin State, has been placed In a most difficult position by the Smoot Investigation; and to his credit it must be acknowledged that he has conducted himself In that matter so far as the public has been advised with discretion and dignity. Previous i to tho election of Apostle Smoot to the Senate, Thomas Kearns presented In his own behalf and In behalf of the President of the United States, a most earnest remonstrance against what he deemed to be a prospective blunder, costly to his party and much more costly to the commonwealth of Utah. Kearns had nothing to gain by thus placing himself In the breach. He knew that he would antagonize the most powerful single element In the State by showing his opposition to Apostle Smoot's election; ho would make a breach where formerly there had been a strong alignment of friendship for him; he would Jeopardize, if not destroy his own chance for re-election. "Whatever else may be- said of Thomas Kearns, let It be remembered that under un-der these circumstances he performed a brave and unselfish act for the people who had honored him with high office. To preserve them from the danger which they refused to see but which had become apparent to him, he offered his own political expectations as -a sacrifice. Kearns did not elect Apostle Smoot; he did not provoke nor iixvoke the Investigation; In-vestigation; there Is not a scintilla of evidence to Indicate that he has added one hair's weight to the opposition which has been oeveloped In "Washing- ton against tho retention of a seat by the apostolic Senator. It seems doubly surprising for any Republican writer of this State to threaten Senator Kearns with destruction destruc-tion because he has not risen In the Senate and defended to tho country Mr. Smoot and tlffi people to whom he bo-longs. bo-longs. If his silence be nn offense, the Republican party Is responsible. It selected se-lected Thomas Kcarns for tho Senate well knowing that he made no pretense to the possession of the Websterlun power of oratory. That party selected Reed Smoot for the Senate after due notice that a storm would rage the country over, and that his seat nnd State would both bo attacked well knowing, too, that Mr. Smoot had not the forensic ability to defend himself; and that Mr. Kearns would be at a disadvantage even if he were to make such an effort. Criticism of Mr. Kearns for silence la a resounding criticism of the Republican party for provoking a situation of danger for which It had deliberately failed to make provision of defense. But It Is extremely Improbable that It would bo proper for Mr. Kearns during dur-ing the Investigation oven If he possessed pos-sessed the eloquence of an Ingersoll and tho debating power of a Vest to attempt to present any defense of Senator Sen-ator Smoot or the people of Utah. The Senate Itself might resent any such an lnopportuno effort His duty will come when tho case is reported from the committee. There was but one time when cither of the Senators from Utah could havo properly met this Issue on the floor of the Senate, and that was In the opening open-ing hours of tho session, when the petitions peti-tions began to pour in from all quarters. quar-ters. Then, If Reed Smoot had possessed pos-sessed the genius, he could have settled the question In thirty minutes by an address to the Senate and the country. He did not do so, and it Is somewhat unfair to blame Kearns. The Congressional delegation from Utah Is not composed of hypocrites and Ignoramuses, nor 1b there any such person per-son in that delegation. They are not tho ablest men of their party In this State, but they are far above the average aver-age in point of ability. Hon. Joseph Howell, Representative In Congress, is a man of wide experience experi-ence In business affairs and In State legislation. He has demonstrated that he can take Immediate rank with the average member of Congress; he Is clean of life, conscientious, devoted to hi3 State. Senator Smoot Is a good man, a moral man, an energetic man, .an Intrepid man; tho ono criticism which the people of Utah utter against him is that he has sacrificed the peace and the material prosperity of the people peo-ple of his State In his insensate ambition ambi-tion to secure political preferment when he was already overburdened with business and ecclesiastical cares and honors. Senator Kcarns Is an ablor man today than he was when selected se-lected for the Senate by the Republican party; ho has demonstrated that he can command ns much Influence as any Senator In Washington; his committee work has been strikingly successful, and his personal relations with his follow fol-low Senators have been of the closest and most valuable character. Probably no one would havo thought of calling Senator Kearns a hypocrite and an Ignoramus if Apostle Smoot had not been elected to the Senate and If Utah had not been deluged by a flood of national disapproval. When Senator Kearns and Senator Rawlins were colleagues, col-leagues, no such charge was made; the State was In high repute and Utah's Interests In the national legislature received re-ceived admirable care. There has been serious blundering In the selection of men by tho Republican party. The whole nation attacks Senator Sen-ator Smoot, and Utah Republicans arc now attacking Senator Kearns for not saving the Republican party from its own deliberate and suicidal act. The best way to do Is to elect- a Democratic Dem-ocratic Legislature next fall. Not even a Republican will charge that King or Richards, Powers or Newhouse, Rawlins Raw-lins or Evans, Henderson or Moyle, Is both a hypocrite and an Ignoramus. |
