The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-10


Comparisons-Trum Lieuten-
ants are Keeping n Close Watch
on the Field During His Absence
-AnxiousIy Awaiting the Return
of "The LiberatOr.'
The constitutional convention has
done no harm to the Democratic party.
The Republicans went into it with
every opportunity to show that they
are capable of governing well. They
had behind them the nightmare of the
last Republican legislature. They had
kept silence on it as much as possible
and when forced to speak had gen
orally made lame excuses for its
marvellous incompetency and unfruit-
fulness. 1t would be imagined that
such an example would prove sufficient
to make the party leaders avoid pit
falls and go into the convention de-
termined that no blunders should be
committed. That they did not heed
the warning was evident from the first
and as the people of the territory
glance back over the record they are
likely to conclude that after all, the
best political timber in Utah is in the
Democratic party and that OrganiZa-
ton is by far the safest with which to
entruSt the deStinies of the new state.
In view of the talk about Democratic
division it is interesting to note the
developments of the convention. The
Republicans, "by a set of curious
chances" went into it all split up.
Goodwin, representative of the Tribune
crowd, including c. w. Bennett and
Arthur L. Thomas, was fearful that
Varian would be put in the chair.
Crane, leading the most powerful of
the anti-Tribune elements of the Re
publican party and backed quietly by
Trumbo's lieutenarts, was fearful that
Goodwin would be made leader and so
the Tribune crowd would be put in the
saddle. Crane knew, too, that Varian
representing the faction which cares
neither for the Tribune nor for the
machine, would be equally as danger
Gus TO his plans as would Goodwin
That is how it came to pass that c.
w. Bennett acted as the peacemaker
and had the two factions unite on John
Henry Smith.
In only one way could the choice be
called felicitous. 1t has placed John
Henry Smith al rest as a live political
factor. 1t was feared, even among the
Democrats, and not a little among the
Republicans to whom he might prove
troublesome, that he would take the
convention work in hand and conclu-
slvely prove himself a man of affairs
He had the opportunity of his lifetime.
II he had been able, his leadership of
the convention would have placed linn
right to the front; but he proved to be
OF too small calibre. Whatever hopes
the astute ones might have had of
using him as bait wherewith to at
tract certain class Of voters. have
been dashed TO pieces. Not only has
he no knowledge of public affairs. but
he is unable to grasp general princi-
pies and learn. 1t is understood that.
chagrined as he is over his lamenta-
Bile failure, he intends to rest on the
glory of having been the president Of
the convention and let his public career
end now. Thus a dangerous rival has
been removed from the neighborhood
of the gubernatorial, senatorial and
congressional aspirants now swarming
so thickly
No other good was accomplished by
his elevation. Wherein a man of tact
would have set 10 work to reconcile
differences and bring the factions into
good working order, so they at least
might present a broken front, he was
painfully deficient He only widened
the breach. Goodwin was given she
craftsmanship of the judiciary commit
tee and quoted as openly boasting it
was through his influence that Varian
was kept off the committee. Varian
was given the committee about which
he cared little. Crane was thrown into
seml-obscurity Thus the delegated
leadership Of the Republican side fell
on Goodwin, with the other two fac
tons constantly fighting him and little
harmony even in his own committee.
Under the circumstances there could
be no caucus organization. There was
absolutely no one to whom the Repub-
leans could look as their leader They
were divided on almost all propositions
and 1t is small wonder that the Demo-
Gratis, unified, well organized and ably
led by the executive committee author
lied to speak for the party. should
have been able to rout them at every
turn and, in the face of the Republican
love for bounty, so tie the hands of the
legislature that bounty will be an i'm
possibility unless there is surplus cash
in the treasury. Under statehood
there is small fear of that for years
to come.
Not appearing on the records them
selves, but known to those who were
on the inside, are facts which
brought out the superiority of
the Democratic side Through the
appointment of Republican majorities
O@A0 SAAolA man VI COI1LIltlGES II WOul0
be impossible for the Democrats 10
make any showing on reports made to
the convention. All these came in
signed by the chairmen and. because
of this and general legislative prac-
tice, they claimed the credit of the
various measures coming from their
committees. On this they stand. They
want it believed that they drafted the
measures submitted. In reality there
was hardly an important provision
that came before the convention which
did not originate with the Democrats
Take as one of the shining instances,
the article on private corporations, as
reported by w. f. James, chairman
of the committee. All the meritori-
Gus features in it and those which
passed through the convention, were
taken from two propositions intro
duced by Maloney, of Weber, and
Thoresen, Of Cache. Take the edu-
cationaI article, submitted by Frank
Pierce and claimed credit for by him.
It was taken almost wholly from the
proposition submitted by Professor
Kerr. Take the article on apportion-
ment Charley Crane claims credit
for that, conformity with Eldredge
who reported it. Yet that apportion-
ment, the fairest which could be ex-
pected from such a partisan body of
Republicans. was made up by Muir
dock. of Wasatch, and the ablest