The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-01
A HUGE BURLESQUE.
The FAR, in which Hiles. EmeI-
son, Kimball, sutherland and
Evans Recently acted.
OGDEN. UT, September Is, 1886.

OGDEN, UT, September Is, 1886.
To the Editor of THE HERALD.
The recent contest for the reporter
ship of the First District Court was a
farce. Long before. Judge Henderson
left Michigan the local supreme rulers
of tn Federal Courts in Utah had de-
cided for His Honor in the matter. And
if Mr.. Dickson or Mr.. Hiles had been
candid enough to make public their pre-
determination that 80 Mormon need
apply" several persons would have
been spared expense AID trouble.
1 was an applicant for the position.
After each of the two examinations.
positive statements were made by mem
| ters OF thee Immittee that l had excel ed
all other competitors. Yet the place Was
! finally given to another. l desire to
make a pubic gr0Wl, not mei ely be.
cause of defeat, but because of the con-
| temptible bIgOtry Of The autOcIats who
commanded and secured that defeat.
| When l venture to contest for the
| appointment. | imagined that personal
integrity and competency were the
requisite qualifications. The statute did
not prescribe that q person ID be eie-
gible must be a rei-hot crusader against
the majority of Utah's people; and 1
| had lost sight of the fact that the Dis
| trlct Courts were reported to be, exclu-
siveIy and absolutely, the property of
| anti MormOns. Hence, having a score
OF recommendation as to efficiency and
| honesty from prominent lawyers, 1
was impertinent enough to file IN ap-
|
Shortly afterward some OF my friends
obtsined direct information that, re-
CARELESS of all tests which might en-
sue, Mr.. John w. Pix would be given
| the place he had been fOreOrdaiced
for the calling by Tn an-powerful soTer-
eigns of the courts from before the ap-
pOintment of contest. And yet as
late as the night preceding the first ex-
animation, I was informed by one Of
the committee that Harmed Pratt and
myself would be the only competitors.
Judge Emerson, James n. Kimbau,
ESQ.,. and Assistant District Attorney
Ogden Hiles composed the first COM
mittee.
Mr.. Pike appeared on examination
day at Ogden, and We were tested sep
arately bv two. members of the COM
mittee. The work was not very severe,
and I asked the examiners to increase
the speed Of reading, but they decided
that 10 further trial was necessary.
Later, one OF the examiners stated TINT
l had led Mr.. Pike 225 words in five
minutes, and that my notes had been
4 read much more promptly than his.
But he added that Mr.. Hiles was de-
termined to ignore the test and recon-.
mended Mr.. Pike, as l, being q Nor
mon, should not on any account be
permitted to have the place. The gen
tleman objected TO this course, and l!
was necessary to await the coming OF
the absent examiner to decide the tie.
Evidently Mr.. Hiles could not get the
neceSs airy vote in his favor, for on the
afternoon of the next day the contest
was declared off, and new examina-
ton was appointed to take place in
Provo on Wednesday last.
Mr.. Pike did not enter the second
CONTEST; prelerring, very strangely, to
stand by the OgdeneXamination Judge
Emerson and Messrs. A. g. Sutherland,
Jr., and David Evans were the ex-
aminers. Mr.. Hiles was present in
spirit if not in person,
The morning after the second exam
nation, a member of the committee
called me to one side. He told me that
the test had again resulted in my favor,
and that the committee considered me
best qualified for the place. He then
asked me if l were IN full fellowship in
the Church. l replied that l was. He
stated that this was the only objection
to my appointment; but upon this
point the prosecuting officers of the
court were making q bitter fight.
A little later, the father and profess
sional partner of one of the other
examiners beckoned me from the court
room. He stated. as if by authority, and
as if this settled the contest IN my favor,
that the examiners We're agreed that
of all the contestants / was TIE best
qualified, and would render the mo s.
valuable service as reporter He deu-
cately asked me which / would CONSIDER
paramount, my oath of office or the
Dehest of the churCh-pOiOtlng his ap-
pication by saying: Ii son, OF
George O. Cannon or John Faylor were
to apply for the place-yOu can see what
dignant, replied 10 him with empha-
| sis: That no question of the kind init
mated by him so far as l was able to
see, could possibly arise; that l would,
in all things pertaining to my duties as
! reporter, be gOverneds by the law
and my oath of Office; and that no
person or influence would ever be able
to make me falsfy one title of eyi-
dence. He answered, 'An right then,
with an air which was equivalent to
/ saying: The appointment is yours.
Il The fight of the examiners wien the
prosecuting officer, 10 see whether their
| views should be sacrificed TO his man
date, lasted until Saturday. when the
recommendation OF appointment was
| given to Mr.. John w. Pike-the- man
selected by the courts Richeiieu. j