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Show I FROM A STABLE BOY TO GOVERNOR WILLIAM SPRY probably will bo renominated governor at the Bv Republican state convention H September 5. If ho is and his sup- B porters say it will be by acclamation B he needn't thank any lucky stars, B for these rare and untrustworthy B twinklers didn't even figure in this B case. H Governor Spry's success ' is largely B duo to the fact that he has been a B governor of the people all the time. B During the four years that he has B been in office he has kept close to the H folks in whoso interests this govern- H ment is run. There are a lot of fel- Hr lows who say that when the histor- W ians write about Bill Spry they will all B start thus: H "Governor Spry came more nearly Bj being a governor of the people than H any other governor of the United B States." H They may word it differently, but H1 the sentiment will be there all the B same. H Mr. Spry used to be a stable boy. fl Unlike a great many other great men, B he did not have an ambition to be H governor when he was following that H prosa'.c occupation. In fact, Bill Spry, H stable boy, had no idea that it would H be possible to cross the breach from H stable boy to governor, so he didn't H think of it. He merely contented him- H" self with doing his work well, and H those who remember him as superin- w tendent of stalls in a Tooele livery flj stable say that he was very thorough H Whatever task he has struggled with H he has given the best that is in him Bj towafrd its accomplishment M Maybe the plebeian occupation of 1 his youth and the struggles that fol- H lowed it have had something to do Hl with his inclination to keep olose to H the people. H At any rate, he marched up through j the aisle, stopping for a time here H and there, until he reached the high- H est office within the gift of the people H of his state. His career has been H neither spectacular nor meteoric H Stable boys are not born under lucky H stars with silver spoons in their Ht mouths. H' When William Spry was elected gov- H ernor of the state of Utah, it is said H that some of the folks down in San H pete and other counties resented what H they regarded as an intrusion. They H predicted dire things for the office H and for the Republican party which H had honored him. A few months later H the recall was worked on that judg- H ment and an altogether different vor- H, diet was rendered which has held H. without reversal all through his ad- B ministration. H In the governor's inaugural address B he said that if it could be said of him W and his administration that he and Hj 5t na(1 oen potent factors in bringing H' a better feeling between the people B of Utah, ho would feel that his admin- B istration had been successful. He MB' seems to have attained to that goal. Efaffi? Four years of conciliation, four years HHj of cementing warring factions, four years of effort toward eliminating discord dis-cord this has been his administration. administra-tion. The governor has set a good ex-amplo ex-amplo for the rest of the state officers, of-ficers, resulting in the devotion of all their time to the interests of the people. peo-ple. Wlille his office has been open to people of all creeds, classes and politics, he has been busy familiarizing familiariz-ing himself with their situation and has lent his best effort toward bettering better-ing It. On his way from the Tooele stable to the executive chamber, Mr. Spry encountered what now appears to have been insurmountable obstacles, jHHgwBIBKfajfi'r HHbbBII lHB&' wiii'iifiri" v 'fiMiiMlBiBtofti 1 H w, hHBBBk iBM-'1' -'' YH hSb' BlF ' ni&SBm'vL IBBHBHflH IfllBlffinlcr wgnHNnflBBLi 'Zft jBlk.v JBBflKRBBHflH BBBBEflBHBBHnSpA "JftiBBflBBHBiiliBBBBBBBBBiwwi3BBBBBBBBI IBHtHliB teu&jHBBEBHHBI GOVERNOR WILLIAM SPRY. but he cleared them. That training fitted him for the barriers that were to confront him in the high office to which he climbed. For instunce, in 1908, when he was elected, the people of the state voted against an amendment amend-ment to the constitution permitting of state aid to high schools, a seeming essential to the advancement of education edu-cation within the state. The gov-c-nor worked through the next session ses-sion of the legislature a resolution for the re-submission of this important question, and It was largely through his personal efforts that the amendment amend-ment was voted, by the people at the general election In 1910. Today the state high schools are enjoying the benefits of this state aid. No college or school exercise in any part of the state has been too inconsequential incon-sequential for the governor to attend. If he had a moment to spare he attended. at-tended. He showed a kqen interest in education. If the state spends $14,-000 $14,-000 a day for the education of Its youth, this must be an important part of the state's business. He became familiar with the peculiarities of the educational system and the result is that his boards of control in the educational edu-cational institutions are among the very best the state ever enjoyed, while the standard has been raised until Utah ranks far and away ahead of larger and older states of the Union in educational matters. The governor has spont his time giving a personal supervision to the state institutions. He has kept in touch with their affairs. He is as familiar fa-miliar with each as any member on the board of control. The work he has done at the state prison, the state mental hospital, the industrial school and the school for the deaf and blind has increased their efficiency. It is a noteworthy fact that all of these institutions have operated (lur ing his administration without internal inter-nal discord and without exception his appointments to state offices have proven first-class in every particular. The appointments have justified themselves. them-selves. The state capltol was started during dur-ing his administration and the people of the state are familiar with his activities ac-tivities in procuring passage of the necessary measures and appropriations appropria-tions for it. Then he helped procure the passage of a resolution designed to amend the state constitution, so as to permit the state to enjoy the in- "'' crement from idle state moneys. One of the most important accom- plishments of his administration, and one that will grow in importance as the effect of Its work becomes known, was the revenue commission. This commission will report its findings at the next session of the legislature and this report will become the basis for new revenue laws and revised ones. No measure that is calculated to benefit the people of the state but has found the governor fighting for its adoption; no move that meant the advancement of the state's interests but found impetus through Governor Spry's personal support. ' Some of the outlying counties jal- ' ready have instructed for him, and more will instruct their delegates to the state convention to support him. His friends from all parts of the state say that ho will head the Republican , ticket again, and that ho will have no opposition In the state convention. |