The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-08
A Democrat OH the Convention

A Democrat Oh the Convention
The late and by great many la
mented Petroleum V. Nasty once gave
expression 10 his feelings In language
conveying all that a wounded heart
could feel: "Wot good is a Demmycrat
wich has once tasted the sweets OF Office
and been highsted ?" These words are
not strictly applicable, but they bring
US at once to the main question.
A Democrat that has been properly
''highsted" is of but little good, for the
reason that Democrats can generally
remain in Office during good behavior
and capability so loEg as there is a
Democratic administration. Still there
be those who keep on saying and per-
haps believing that those who were
cast out of the Ogden convention held
on Saturday last, were no good because
they were cast out. I hope to b. able
to show such that they are wrong.
The only person who has ever been
cast out because Of incompetence, who
figured in that convention, was one
who once tried to be a member of the
Supreme Court of Utah. But of him
hereafter.
am led to remark, and can
sustain the claim that orthoepy is the
only resem blance that exists between
merit and Merritt. They sound alike,
but otherwise, to quote Nasty again,
Good Lord, what shrinkaee!
And again, the only Hall big enough
to be seen or worthy of commendabIe
mention on that occasion, was the one
in which the convention assembled.
Preliminaries are nearly always tire
some. Iwant to get down to solid bust
ness. l was delegate to that body,
and, knowing something Of the charac-
ter of the gang l was to tackle, ex-
pected little in the way of decent treat
ment. 1 never expected q hog to get
out of my way so l could pass him
without being the recipient of some
of the attachments of his latest lodging
place; it never occurred to me that a
polecat by any other name would diff
fuse his fragrance more odorously; and
a congregation of mules would sing
quite as loudly and kick fully as vigor
ously if few gentlemen were looking
al Luen 1IOu colc uASGduCc' CO IL WAS
at Ogden.
1t wass by presumption a
convention, called together for
the purpose of maintaining party
discipline at home and receiving re-
cognition abroad. In pursuance of
that idea goodly number of the faith
full had congregated at the temporary
Mecca. These contained among their
Ao hn he
good. the bad and the Indifferent, as
well as some other classiications I'M
necessary to mention. The delegates
from Utah, weber, Davis, Millard,
Morgan, Juab and Sanpete Counties, it
occurred to me early in the day, lacked
an essential qualification by being duly
sober, but thought perhaps this might
be overlooked in view of the general i'm
portance of the subject and the fac that
their title to democracy was otherwise
unimpeschable. Well, we got together.
Kent's band discussed some excellent
music, until one Hall. al eyed secretary
of the Territorial committee, got ready
to announce progra mme which he
and some others had agreed upon. His
remarks savored so strongly of pre-
arranged plan by means of which the
programme referred to became dis.
tinctly visible, that real Democrat
who was present as delegate,
one who was also sober, and had
sand in his giZzard as well as muscle
in his clothes, foreseeing the game,
proceeded to assert his privilege by
naming a candidate for temporary
chairman, but was rewarded by being
overpowered. 1t has always been the
custom in Democratic and believe in
other conventions for the chairman to
be elected, as a compliment to himself
orally; but what did Hall care for that?
He was simply carrying ont his in
structions, and rules and precedenss, if
understood at all, were to be ignored.
He went on with his psrt of the dsst-
ardly business and capped the climax