The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-11

been attorney for the Western Loan
ana Savings company for about five
years and his enthusiastic champions
claim for him that he has been in the
territory long enough to be counted
Well-known citizen. Rumor hath it
that he was some sort of a country
Justice of the peace or something else
Of that kind in the east. Some people
have had a sneaking supicion for some
time that he has a judicial mind, and
he has not made a half bad record as
referee in some cases that have come
before him.
Perhaps the most refreshing PROPOSE
ton has been borne on the sweet
mountain breeze that comes down Par
ley's canyon. 1t is whispered in the
faintest and most delicate tones that
Wilson l. Snyder, of Park City, has
tried on the judicial ermine, regarded
himself long and patiently III the
mirror. and reached the conclusion
that il fits. 1t was feared all along
that when Salt Lake county was
tackled on to Summit and Tooele coun-
ties, or to put it more properly, when
those counties were tackled on to Sale
Lake, that the Republican lawyers
would demand part of the judicial pat
ronage. The fear has been realized
Snyder, ii is said, intends to rouse the
political cohorts of Summit county and
bring them down here with a mighty
determination to secure a candidate
after their own heart or do something
rash. Or course. Mr.. Snyder will insist
on his candidacy on these grounds
alone. It Will not be for love of office.
That is not the nature of the man.
He will act only from a deep sense OF
duty TO Park City and Summit county.
But still he is likely to be doomed to
disappointment. There are enough
hungry Republican lawyer-politicians
in Salt Lake city to swallow up
bench that would be ten times as great
as the one proposed by the economi-
cal constitutional convention. What
is more, Salt Lake will have a lead
pipe cinch on the district, and all the
outside counties will be expected to 20
is to swell the Republican majority.
Therefore, Snyder's vaulting ambition,
backed as it may be by countless min
ers. is doomed 10 bitter disappoint-
ment.
Not quite so refreshing, but very
much so. are the claims OF Justice OF
the Peace Harris. These seems to be
some fatality in officeholding which
makes a, man ever banker for greater
and better office. and that, too, often
without regard to his fitness for the
position. Harris has not been bad as a
justice of the peace, though he mas
not earned the most Sybillant pean or
praise from those members of the bar
who have come in contact with him.
He has a pretty good general idea OF
the law and seems at times to be able
to supply this to cases at hand. But
as it takes more than one swallow 10
make a summer, so it takes more than
one quality to make a judge. Harris,
superior as he may be in some re-
spects, lacks the judicial mind. Ii 1t
were not for this slight defect and the
fact that he is soured on humanity as
a general principle, as well as some
things of secondary Importance, he
might be considered a very good man
to think about. AS it is the political
grave is more likely to close over
his luXuriantly budding ambition.
But Harris is not the only one of the
class of petty magistrates who are
quoted as desiring to assume the great
er dignity and larger perquisites of the
district bench. In fact. there are
others Grant H. Smith. dispenser of
star-eyed justice, strong lectures, small
fines and long sentences to dubious in
diViduals, small boys, soiled doves and
the other vagrant classes brought to
his attention, is said 10 have the weevil
of politics in his brain. Judge Powers,
in his lecture on Wonderland, said this
weevil of politics is worse than the
Colorado potato bug, and the judge
ought to know Smith has a great
deal of ambition. Likewise he has
great deal of dignity. The combination
would be perfectly subserved by eleVa-
ton to the district bench. But then he
is a little inclined TO be hasty and
lacking in that well-balanced mind 50
necessary in a judicial officer. Stories
of tempered moments come floating
from the sacred precincts of the police
court and deter those who would press
on this gallant dark horse. More than
that the old Liberal element will not
readily forgive one who took part in
breaking up their hold on the city.
They have it in fer the police justice
especially.
Harmed Pratt is another who has
been suggested. AS a commissioner he
has been very fair and has given. per-
haps, as good satisfaction as any of
his rivals of late years. He has
strong backing among "A certain ele-
ment of the machine However, he is
wanted on the bench. But, speaking
of that, it is becoming very apparent
that the bench under statehood will
not be as good as it would have been
had the convention given larger sal
aries to judicial officers. Lawyers of
the ability that would make them &C
ceptable to the bar and litigantS are
generally in receipt of larger salaries
than they would get from the state.
More than that their practices are grow
ing. These are disinclined to throw
themselves into the political vortex
with the knowledge that, at best, they
can have but four years certainty.
and, at the end of that time, they are
likely to be swept back into private
life. with their practice gone and
necessity of beginning all over again.
This is very likely to keep the judicial
race in the hands of the lawyer-politi-
clans, and while there are many good
men among them, yet the ermine will
stand in danger of being dragged in
the dust
Both parties are beginning to get
their work into shape, but there is
a general desire for a short campaign
this fall Politicians here understand
that with good preparation it is
matter of no great difficulty to arouse
the people in six weeks or two months
time. Money is not very plentiful, ex
cept around the mouth of Colonel
Trumbo's ba J, and expenses must be
kept down as far as possible. However,
both parties are beginning their or
ganizauon preparations. The Demo-
Gratis in accordance with the deter