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Show REVIEW OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION. With the National Conventions of both parties but a few weeks away the situation nationally seems to be settled down to something definite. In the Republican party Taft seems to be the recognized candidate. If the convention were held to-day there would be no doubt of his nomination and unless things take a decided change he will head the Republican ticket. The fact that President Roosevelt favors Taft has been a tremendous factor in his favor. Roosevelt is beyond question the most popular President we have ever had. He is not the greatest statesman nor the deepest thinker, but he certainly has stood closer to the American people and come more nearly giving expression to popular ideas than any other man we have ever had. Most of our great Presidents have been thoroughly misunderstood mis-understood during their official and natural life, and it has taken years for the people to understand them. Not so with Roosevelt. His thoughts have not soared in the dizzy heights above the crowd, but he has reflected and expressed the opinion of the big majority. Some of his issues and some of the problems that he has solved and settled may prove to be only temporarily settled, but, at any rate, what he has done has been what the people of to-day have wanted, hence his popularity. Standing as well as he docs with the people, and the fact that he has refused to run again and has expressed himself as being m favor of Mr. Taft has caused many to feel that if they cannot have Roosevelt they will take the man who most nearly voices the sentiments senti-ments of President Roosevelt. We believe there is only one man in the Republican party who can beat Mr. Taft and that is the President. In the Democratic party the situation is different. Mr. Bryan, who has seemed to be the idol of the great majority of that party, seems not to be quite as sure of the nomination to-day as he was sometime ago fcot that he has grown less popular, but a new star has ascended 1 in the firmament, Governor John A. Johnson of Minnesota. This ! man, who was obscure and unknown a few years ago, seems now to loom up m wonderful magnitude and he is gaining strength dailv. There is something about the American people that causes them to like the unusual, they like the successful. Governor Johnson is such a man; he .is decidedly unusual, he is most pronouncedly successful. He has twice been elected governor of a normally Republican statc-l statc-l ir' I' 7lcolorc Roosevelt's magnetic name at the head of the Republican ticket. In the election of a President or any other officer the most necessary thing ,s votes. Johnson is a vote getter and when the Democratic convention meets in Denver Johnson will be a powerful power-ful factor, and he may win. Affairs locally arc commencing to take definite shape. The Republican Re-publican party have fixed the 7th of May as the day for ! . Aug their Jnrn , 1 1?1elcctlo. delegates to the National con. jntion. It LPf there will be some little excitement and agitation in 5 CMrM causc y t,c ati-Smoot contingent as represented by the Cntchlow committee, but unless something entirely unforeseen happens between now and then, we take it that there will be no serious seri-ous trouble, because it seems to us that the trouble with this independent independ-ent element in the Republican party .is, they have no settled ideas as to just what they want. The trouble with them is that they go into committee com-mittee meetings and into conventions with a long list of things that . they do not want, while the other party comes prepared to organize and fight for something they do want. The consequence is that the one party gets what it wants because it goes there knowing what it wants and is prepared to fight for it, while the other party comes knowing what it does not want and it usually gets it. Governor Cutler and Win. Spry are the two most talked of candidates candi-dates for the Republican nomination for governor. Wesley K. Walton's Wal-ton's name has also been mentioned as has that of former Governor Wells, but nothing is certain as to any of these men. Joseph Howell will probably be nominated for congress to succeed himself. In the event of the state going Republican there seems to be but little doubt jjj of Senator Smoot being a candidate for re-election. There is some opposition to him but it has taken no definite form. With the state Democrats the line-up for governor seems to be Wm. M. Roylancc of Provo and Lyman R. Martineau of Salt Lake, with" odds in favor of Roylancc. Frank B. Stevens of Salt Lake and Frank K. Ncbeker of Logan are the two most talked of candidates for congress. Should Bryan head the Democratic ticket there is little doubt but what good politics would suggest the placing of Frank B. Stevens on the ticket on account of his close personal friendship for Mr. Bryan. Let it be observed that the above statements and observations are like a railway time table, "Subject to change without notice." |