The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-08
NATIONAL CONVENTION COMMITTEE
Done by Salt Lakefs Represent
tatiVeS,
To the Editor of The Herald:

To the Editor of The Herald:
An editorial in The Herald this
morning, concerning a recent inter
view of Mr.. P. H. Lannan in the east,
while criticising his remarks, Indirect
ly criticises myself, Colonel Trumbo
and Hon. f. j. Kiesel. L therefore beg
to reply and to set some matters
right.
In April last Governor West, in re-
Spouse to a resolution of the CaIfofnla
legislature, appointed P. IL. Lannan,
Isaac Trumbo, Fred J. Kiesel and Q.
w. Powers as delegates to attend a
proposed convention at San Francisco
of the states and territories west OF
the Missouri river, for the purpose of
endeavoring to bring one or both ma
tiopal conventions west. That con-
vention was never held. Nevertheless,
we deemed it our duty to do what we
could to further the object. We held
meeting at Mr.. Lannan'S residence
and agreed that if we had the proper
support that we would advance the
claims of Salt Lake City first, and
San Francisco as a second choice.
In order to secure a proper place for
holding the convention in Salt Lake
we sought the privilege of presenting
the matter to the first presidency and
the twelve apostles of the Mormon
church. that we might request the use
of the tabernacle. Mr.. Lannan and
myself were granted the privilege of
addressing those gentlemen, and they
at once cordially and unanimously
placed the great tabernacle at the dis
posal of the two national. committees,
at the same time assuring us that they
would do all in their power to further
he 01ni Th11c
thority to tender the use of the taber-
nacle.
We also investigated the feasibility
of using the pavilion at Saltair and
we learned from competent architects
that it could, at comparatively small
expense, be enclosed with windows
and made an ideal auditorium. It will
therefore be conceded that the motion
of using the pavilion" is not a wild
one.
We investigated the capacity of our
hotels and received replies from each
one as to the number of guests that
could be comfortably accommodated,
the total number being 6.315. Our
lodging houses are sufficient to ac-
commodate $500 more, making a total
of 1926, and we concluded that our
citizens could take care of from
10000 to 10000 more. We were assured
that the railroads would aid us by
running half hour trains morning and
evening to and from Ogden, and sew
eral thousand people could find accom-
modations in that city as readily as
they do in the suburbs of Chicago.
Our hotel men stated that their rates
would be from 81 to Sc per day, making
no increase over the usual rates.
We considered our telegraph facili-
ties as good as those of Minneapolis
and we did not consider that there
would be any "buncombe" in advanc-
ing the claims of our city. Our news
papers are as good as could be asked
for. and if one of the conventions
could be induced to come here our
people would well care for the crowd.
Now as to the financial part. Mr.
Lannan has been authorized to offer to
the Republican national committee by
men we'll able to pay the amount, the
sum of 1000.
Mr.. Lannan and Colonel Trumbo
have gone on to Washington I was
so situated that I could not go, and
hence cannot keep my promise made
to them to present our claims before
the Republican national committee.
Both of these gentlemen agreed that
if | would do so, that they would at
tend the Democratic national commit
tee with me and aid me there
Your editorial does an injustice to
Mr. Lannan, and it is not fair to the
Utah committee in view of all that it
has done. 1 wish that we could have
done more. I sometimes think that
whatever may be our local differences
if we would all stand together for
Utah and Salt Lake and strongly
maintain the just claims Of our sec
tor. that it would inure to the benefit
of all. o. W. POWERS