The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-07

Washington, jan 6.-LSpecial las the
time approaches nearer for the meeting
OF the Idaho legislature and the termina-
fion OF the warm factional fight that has
arisen Within the ranks of the all derour-
ing g. o. p. of that state, the politicians
are becoming somewhat anxious about the
outcome. To the initiated there are Wis
ions of the shutting up of a, small room,
nigh up in a building on Fourteenth
street, where Sweet holds out in bachelor
quarters, and entertalns quietly; or if
ne is successful, the loss TO a small
coterie of senators who delight in the
diversions Of the national game of poker
OF companion who has shared their COM
pany for many years.
4 Hard Game.
Senator Shoup stands in grave danger
OF losing his distinction as a poker player.
His cronies realize that he has taken
hand in the hardest game OF his life
Not only is there no monetary limit, but
his whole political future is bound up IN
the issue. In the face of this the cards,
have been stacked against him and he
Is precluded from a bluff because his op-
ponents know what cards he holds There
seems to be only one way in which he
s can win. That is to use all the money he
pan get together and fairly raise the
other fellows out of the game.
1t was a nonsensical proposition for him
70 enter the light at the late day he did.
had he intended doing this before the
conNenuon met in the state it would
nave been wise for him TO have begun
WORK quietly among the county conVen-
tons and secured enough votes to have
maze him a power all the While letting
McConnen work for him in the north.
IL this had been done the comhinat ton
tfat has now entered the field would have
been formidable to say the least.
Mastery Inactive.
But he die nothing. He pursued the
! 1aeIan policy OF mastery inaction,
get the advantage He was foolish enough
10 allow Dubois in the south and Sweet
IN the north TO marshal their forces with
out opposition. Sweet had been working
every wire in order to get the people of
the north solidly in his favor. Dubois
VINO Is a faT-seeing politician, whatever
ms faults may be, had seen a, contest
in the south for a number of members of
the legislature whom he could control.
Everything in TINS line fell out as had
been expected. After the county conVen-
tons had done their work Sweet and
DUBOIS had their separate machines in
4 GOOD working order. Dubois had been
10 offset in the south the weakness of
Hepburn in the north. Sweet had been
working the harder because he wanted 10
6fut OH Hepburn and Mcconnell in the
forth and make preparations against the
iRaetivity Of Shoup in the south.
Thus it came that the majority Of the
~1swenty-two Of those elected, a good
majority in a caucus, were SO pledged and
instructed that it would be almost i'm
possible for them to vote for anybody
else but the choice of Sweet and Dubois
All that was needed to make the COM
biration invulnerable as regards the Re
Dubois, and this was easily accom-
plished when Dubois made the tour of
the northern counties and found how Ia
Iuentably weak Hepburn was and how
strong Sweet had made himself, and when
the combination of Mcconnell and Shoup
forced a merging of their interests for
self-preservation.
What VIII He Do:
II is a question what Shoup will do. II
he should 20 into caucus On the senatorial
beat him SO quickly it would make his
eyes swim. They would give no oppor-
tun5ty for desertion on the part OF the
pledged I 4, but would demand a viva
Vcce vote and force the matter. At that
point Shoup 77ould be beaten unless he
Should adopt some revolutionary method.
Would his forces bolt the action of the
caucus and precipitate an interneclne
quarrel that would have to be settled by
the Populists and Democrats? That would
be the only thing to do and 1t IS extremely
doubtful If that would be of any effect
for the simple reason that 1t is not
at all certain that Shoup has such an
ne fondly fTnagines ne has
IF he should refuse to so into caucus
he would precpitate fight on the moor
and the end of that could hardly be fore
seen, though it is probable that Sweet
would receive benefit from the Populists:
Sweet is perhaps the least partisan OF
fighter for the cause of silver he is
worth ten Shoups, despite the praung of
the worshipers of the latter regarding his
enormous influence in Washington
When Shoup attempts to make a speech
in the Senate he is simply allowed TO 10
Ct because of the senatorial courtesy; He
spect ana in fact can seldom keep any
senators or even the gallery.
Is Well Up.
Sweet, on the contrary. is well up on
the silver question. OF the men in the
House from the Rocky Mountain states
issue than any other Republican. He has
ideas Of his own and is an able man. he
is what Shoup is not-a good legislator:
His ability, combined with the fact that
his lack Of intense partisanship, as set off
against Shoup's neSatveness IN leglsIa-
ton and extreme partisanship, cannot
but help him with the PopultSts.
The talk about Shoup's extreme homes
~ and the rearing of his banner of hon
or, simply proVokeS smiles among certain
people at the capital. That old honesty
Jacket has been overworked by men who
have political bees in their bonnets; snu
the men who use it viii bear Watching
EShoup as perhaps llIle DtCteI I4Idn liz
average politician in either House OF
Congress. Like Fred Dubois or Sweet or
the ultra pure and unselfsh Mcconnell,
he stands ready to do pretty mucn any
cove{s. BY placing himself on y pedes-
faI of extreme virtue all the while his
gponor is being questioned on every side
presents him in a ludtcrous HgnI-
Each Wants n Dig.
There is no use Identifying this sena-
forial contest with any claim of the ex-
creme honesty or patriotism Of either OF
sbe men who are taking part in 1T. It is
a malignant reversal of the old adage
, that the Office should seek the man. Each
man wants a dig into the pie. Each one
IS looking out solely Tor hlTnSeIf anu dis
regarding everything else in his efforts
10 get there. 1t is not the habit OF poll
ticians to be angels of goodness, ana
there is no exception IN TINS case. IL -
simply a question of which man rs max
6ng the greatest show of himself in the
race. 1t is bad enough for Sweet, WIN
an accusation of withdrawal against
18Th his ever present itch for ONCE. II
q bad enough for Dubois, with his sell
dsh manipulation But it is worse LOT
Shoup, With his strongly expreSseu oe-
n1ent, and then 10 have made such a
spectacular show of himself by taking
The first fast express train back into the
melee with the hope of Dlucking some
thing from the midst OF IT.
Whichever way the politicians look at
the matter the sky in Shoup's direction
IS black. He has money, and that may
pull him through. But that seems at
present his only salvation If he goes
down with the accusation of cjishonor to
a friend overhaagiDg him 1t means polit-
ical destruction to him. Two years hence
when the contest comes on for tl1e seat
of dubois there will not be enough left
OF Shoup':s political influence to sweep up
and put II. the chip basket. If he coes
nj