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Show 1 THE PROPOSED FUSION. Smoot Clicque Seeks Alliance With Democrats. 2 ' People who have nothing to do but manipulate manipu-late politics, who make ales or shatter them according ac-cording to whether they are ratified or condemned con-demned on South Temple street, are very busy these days oiling their fowling pieces for the coming com-ing city election. Their present activity and perturbation were brought about by the recent victory of the Morris crowd in the council, and the exposure therewith of the Democratic plot to control the municipality at the coming election. The way the faithful deputies of Smoot have been floundering around the joint building ever since, and dashing into frequent fre-quent executive sessions, shows how terribly they fear political asphyxiation at the coming election. With the dread of losing a firm hierarchial grip on the city this year, all kinds of plans have been outlined, some incoherent and others more or less well defined, but all awaiting development in the Smoot political cyanide plant. The plan which at present is viewed with the greatest urbanity by this coterie is a fusion between be-tween the Republicans and Democrats in the coming campaign. In fact, this scheme has met with so much favor that indirect proposals to that effect have already been submitted to prominent Democrats. This, they rightly believe, would avert all danger of the demolition of their machine, ma-chine, and they could still retain that same old relentless re-lentless grip on the city government. In their anxiety to bring about such a consummation, they are willing to make the most liberal concessions to the unterrified. They propose to give the Democrats R. P. Morris for mayor, Judge Dey for city atorney and permit them to help themselves to seven of the fifteen councilmen, with the pro-i pro-i posal to take care of the redoubtable,, Fisher Harris under favorable consideration. Then they, I the coterie, which is Mr. Smoot and Mr. Anderson Ander-son and Mr. Callister, will submit for ratification one of those remarkable slates for which they are famous and which in the past has been about as strong as the armor on the battleship Oregon, containing names of those whom they desire for the other offices. After that, there is, of course, to be ostensible primaries, an alleged convention and a supposed election, and the same ring which has defied the wishes of thinking people in so many mock battles will triumph again by the same old system of tyranny by which they have achieved their other victories. It has been customary of late among people prominent in politics to say that opposition to this Smoot political juggernaut is futile. But this year there is every indication of a well organized organ-ized revolt. Republicans opposed to the longstanding long-standing and illiterate domination from that source are determined to place a straight ticket in the field, whatever comes of the Anderson-Callister Anderson-Callister proposals for a fusion. It is not, of course, certain that the Democrats themselves will accept the terms submitted, as they figure that in the deal that just went through they made a tremendous bid for Mormon and certain Gentile Gen-tile support, and that as a result they are safely besaddled for two years more at least. Added to this, the Herald, under the new control, has decided de-cided to become Democratic, and this fact gives great encouragement to the unterrified, who have been practically without an organ since the formation forma-tion of the party in this state. One quite certain thing is, whatever the outcome out-come of the negotiations, that the Smoot coterie are about as well satisfied with Democrats as with Requblicans in office, provided they will "ask for counsel." And during the present administration the Democrats seem to have been as easily and mercilessly controlled by them as the most abject ab-ject slaves of their own political clicque. |