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Show SMOOT WILL KEEP HIS SEAT. Public opinion, in Salt Lake at least, has changed considerably within the last month or so in regard to Sen- j ator Smoot's chances of retaining his i seat In tho United States senate. Public opinion, is a most Inconstant, 4 unreliable jado. Nothing has happen- ft ed since Mr. Smoot was elected sen-ator sen-ator to either increase or diminish his right to sit in tho senate, but public opinion on tho subject has varied with every wind that blow. Most people are Influenced by tho little things thoy see around them and frequently attach great importance to things which are really of no significance. Just after tho recent municipal election from which tho Kearns-"AmorIcan" party by a mere chanco came out successfully, public opinion in Salt Lake ran in a 4 strong antl-Smoot current, although there was nothing whatever in the election or its results which had any :M bearing whatever on tho right of Sen- '(T ator Smoot to his seat. Tho Salt Lako Tribune, by tho force of constant and vehement reiteration of tho falsehood that tho Kearns-"AmerIcan" party had some standing nnd influence nationally, nation-ally, had succeeded In causing many weak-minded, prejudiced people to believe be-lieve tint such was tho fact. Tho appointment ap-pointment of William Spry, as United States marshal, A. L. Thomas as postmaster post-master and others on tho recommendation recommen-dation of Utah's congregational dole-gatlon dole-gatlon and over the protests of tho leaders of tho Kearns-" American" p-rty changed public opinion In a day. The air balloon of the American party was effectually punctured and there is nothing loft of It but a limp rag. ff Onco in n while public opinion has a solid foundation. If public opinion was always wrong It would mean that popular pop-ular government was a failure. Onco in a whllo public opinion is based on facts and common sense. That is tho strength of this Republic. The government gov-ernment would bo bettor and tho Re- ... public stronger If once in a while became be-came twice in a while cr even more frequently. It is a good thing that the U. S. senate is removed as far as it Is from the infection of public clamor which Is to a large extent the expression expres-sion of public opinion. However all that may bo It is a fact that public opinion here In regard to the fate of Senator Smoot has undergone under-gone a decided change. It is very gen rilly believed now that Mr. Smoot will retiin his seat In the United States senate. This view is founded on the fact that the Kearns-"AmorIcan" party has been proved to bo a yellow dog, and on expressions which have been uttered privately and publicly by members of the senate. Senator Perkins of California on the occasion of his presenting a batch of anti-Smoot anti-Smoot petitions in the senate maJe It plain that he was not in sympathy with the demands of the retltloners and furthermore intimated that the case of Mr. Smoot would be decided on Its merits with due reg rd to the constitutional rights of Mr. Smoot nnd his ccnstlutents and not on public clamor. Senators Patterson of Colorado Colo-rado nnd Warren of Wyoming when presenting antl-Smoot petitions from their states made statements similar, almost Identical, to those of Senator ' Perkins. These occurrences were not accidental. acci-dental. They foreshadow nnd were in tended to foreshadow what the senate's sen-ate's action will be. It will first o' all be decided that an afllrmatiYe vote of two-thirds of the members of the senate is necessary to deprive Sen-flr Sen-flr ator Smoot of his seat and on the vote being taken It will be found that about 55 of tho 90 members of tho senate are favorablo to Mr. Smoot. Tho testimony taken and tho general gener-al performance of tho protestants at the reopened hearing made a good , many now friends for Senator Smoot both In and out of tho senate. |
