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Show I GOVERNOR SPRY IS ! PRAISED BY WELLS f 'i Salt Lake, Aug. 8. Former Gover-; Gover-; nor Heber M. Wells, in a public state- ment Issued last night, declares his ;. belief in the candidacy of Governor j William Spry and outlines the rea-i rea-i sons why he believes the present ex-j ex-j ccutivti should be the choice for the candidate of the Republican party at j its convention today. Mr. Wells de- clarcs that In his opinion a governor has the same right and the same priv- ilege and should receive the same i treatment as a candidate for the sen-atorship. sen-atorship. He declares that Governor Spry has as much right to be a can-;. can-;. dlriate for a third term as has Smoot or Sutherland. Reasons Are Given. The statement in full is as follows: "I have been pleased to meet and ; greet many of my old-time Republican Republi-can friends during the past several days in Salt Lake City and I have ' been importuned by many of them to ex-plain my position with ieference :i" to the contest which is now raging for the Republican nomination for governor. '. "I can do so in a very few words and as I am not a delegate to the convention in Ogden, respectfully request re-quest space in the public prints it they shall deem a statement from n mo of any. importance, to answer all J such questions as to my attitude. I "I am for William Spry. Some of I my friends, especially from the southern south-ern counties of the state, which constituted con-stituted my main strength when I was running for governor, have expressed j. astonishment since I was defeated that I should favor the candidacy ot any other man for a third term that I should be willing another man should achieve a goal which I was unable to achieve. They say that the ) same influences were at work to de- feat me which are at work to defeat L Sprj, and, as a matter of self-respect or of retributive justice, I ought to say that if I could not be nominated for a third terra no man on earth ever will be with my acquiescence and support As to Third Term. "While properly grateful for these complimentary expressions and while not pretending to any more unselfishness unselfish-ness or self-abnegation than my fellows, fel-lows, I see nothing Inconsistent in standing upon the same platform I stood on twelve years ago, namely, that if the people of Utah are satisfied satis-fied with the services of a governor who has served two terms, there is no law ajjanst his running again, and no logical reason why he should not be nominated and elected again. I am altogether unable to discern why a congressman or a United States senator may be selected and re-elected for term after term, until his tenure ten-ure of office encompasses a generation, genera-tion, and a governor who has served the people well and faithfully must never dare to aspire to more than two terms. "I am for William Spry for a third term because he Is entitled to it as a recognition of his distinguished services to his state during his other ! two terms just precisely as I was , for Reed Smoot for a third term in 1914, and as I am for George Suther-land Suther-land for a third term, because of their distinguished services to their state. Question Is Asked. i "What right has a United States senator to draw the drapery of his couch about him and He down to ' pleasant dreams of perpetual succes- j sion and deny the same pleasant j drenm to the honest aspirant for three terms as governor? William ( Spry has distinguished himself throughout his state and throughout all the United States of America as j a bold and fearless champion of in- r dividual and property rights, as an j able and conscientious executive and as a defender of his state and his a people against the calumnies and vili- f ications of every enemy. j "He has favorably advertised our 8 state and her resources and attrac- f tionB everywhere throughout the E length and breadth ot this nation and j. las advanced the pennant of our be- q loved Utah to greater heights and e caused more prejudice against her e :o be removed than any other man i ivho ever lived. He has by his broad- p nlnedness succeeded to a greater ex- n tent than any other man in pacifying and uniting the contending elements of our own community. ' His opponent candidates are all fine, honorable gentlemen, but when It comes to estimating their qualifications qualifi-cations for the exalted position of governor and to place them In comparison com-parison with Spry, they are as splinters splint-ers in a splendid edifice composed entirely of sound gubernatorial timber. tim-ber. (Signed) "HEBER M. WELLS." |