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Show George Sutherland, Senator: Tolitical JVotes. The caucus on Wednesday night, which resulted re-sulted In the unanimous selection of George Sutherland to succeed Thomas Kearns in the United States Senate, was the culminating scene In a politicnl drama in which acrimony and bitterness bit-terness were the predominating notes. It marks the complete vanquishment of Mr. Kearns as a political power in Utah. Although the consummation of the struggle between Mr. Sutherland and the retiring senator was lacking in spectacular interest, it represents two years of an almost continuous political grapple grap-ple between the rival aspirants, in which Mr. Reams' chief weapon? were contumely anl abuse while Mr. Sutherland's challenge for supremacy was based upon recognized attainments and a splendid record in the public service. There are those who contend that Mr. Sutherland Suther-land won his victory through an alliance with the church dignitaries, but there is no justification for such an imputation. It is true that Mr. Smoot and Mr. Sutherland were in harmony in the recent political battle, but they were united because each was contending against a common antagonist, and all sinister hints that Mr. Sutherland Is In any sense obligated to the church authorities for the recent preferment are merely emanations from the organ of the senior senator and an' item in his program of vituperation. Mr. Sutherland's success is a flattering tribute to his political sagacity and courage, and his personal per-sonal popularity with the citizens of all sections of the state. From the beginning he has been heavily handicapped. His rival was equipped for the struggle with two daily newspapers, both servile and unscrupulous, and unlimited financial resources. Mr. Sutherland made his dignified bid for the senatorship in the face of these discouraging discourag-ing conditions, without monetary prestige ana without a single dally newspaper supporting his candidacy. The controversy between the present senator and Mr. Sutherland began when-tbey were the joint representatives of Utah in the congress, whore Senator Kearns heaped upon the congressman congress-man every indignity, both in the way of personal affront and through the medium of the two local dally organs wh'icW he consols. Immediately upon his return to Utah, Mr. Sutherland began his war of retaliation, and there are but few people In the state who are not confessedly gratified over his signal success. It may be expected that people in other states who are unfamiliar with the peculiar conditions surrounding th contest from which Mr. Sutherland Suther-land emerged the victor will attribute his success to undue influence of the dominant church, but among unbiased residents of the state the election elec-tion will be recorded as the result of a dignfled and consistent campaign, in which a gifted gentleman gentle-man respected wherever known triumphed over a tentative boss who attempted to vanquish him with bludgeoning and bulldozing and the gloss of gold. ' Mr. Sutherland's election and the consequent retirement of Mr. Kearns was a good thing for the state and the people and will clarify the political po-litical atmosphere. It is flattering to him and his friends that he should have been chosen with such unanimity that all other competitors for the place saw the hopelessness of attempting to wrest from him the senatorial toga. Few instances aro recorded in any of the states where a candidate for the United States senate has been given the total legislative vote in a caucus, a fact which makes the recent action of the caucus doubly gratifying to Mr. Sutherland and his friends. |