Evening star., 1896-10-03

is known as the city and county building.
This is a magnificent structure OF stone
and marble situated not far from the center
of Salt Lake City. 1t Is surrounded by ten
acres of beautiful lawn and it Is one of the
finest city buildings of the United States.
1t is built entirely Of Colorado stone, and
its cost was more than S1,GD,0O0. The gov
ernors Office is on the first floor at a corner
of the building, which looks out upon the
sHow-clad mountains. The governor sits in
q big arm chair behind a mosaic ia bic made
OF woods gathered from all parts Of the
world. There is no red tape about his offices
and you enter without the use OF a card.
Chat With the Governor.
After meeting Governor Wells 1 asked
him a number of leading questions about
himself and his state. He was. you know.
q bank cashier at the time he was elected
20 the governorship. and my first query was
as to how it felt to be governor. Governor
Wells laughed as he replied:
We'll, so far as the routine OF the work
is concerned it doesn't seem to be very
rluch different from the bank. My lie
is little buster, that Is all. The noto-
-iety connected with the position here Is
what troubles me. l did not seek the gov
4rnorship 1 was taken from the bank
and boosted upon this pedestal and heid
up to the blazing gaze of the multitude l
have to make speeches and this Ia the
trial of my official life. Oratory does not
run in my blood and 1 fear 1 shall never
master it."
But governor. you generally have some
thing to say. ! see that your message to
the legislator is full of suggestions. This
is not con mon to the average governor.
The executives of the east are more figure
heads than anything else
Il don't know about that" replied Gov.
Wells 1--WE are anxious here to see Utah
become one Of the greatest and best states
of the Union and l only recommended to
the legislature what 1t seemed to me we
most wanted. Many OF my Ideas nave
been adopted and they are now the law"
How about vetoes, l understand that
you vetoed a number of the laws?'
THAT is a mistake" replied Gov. Wells.
Il vetoed no important measures. and In
all l only vetoed twenty. One bill was
passed over my veto, but cherish no re-
sentiment on that account. don't pretend
to be right more than half the time"
Do the Mor1nons Run the Governors
You were a Mormon. Mr.. Wells. l
have heard 1t said that the Mormon
church is running politics out here. and
that its elders had appointed a committee
to supervise your acts and those of the
legislature and to tell you what to do.
How about that?"
THAT charge. so far as am concerned"
said Gov. Wells, 'is the rankest nonsense.
If q committee has been appointed to sup
ervise me I do not know it, and l have
certainly received no communication to
that effect. There was q man who was
said to belong to such a committee who
came to me during the session and urged
me to disapprove certain bills. l had a
number of other men, both Gentiles and
Mormons, who did likewise but l acted
entirely on my own Judgment and this
mans opportunities had no more effect
upon me than those of any other lobby
ist The men who are loudest in claiming
that such a committee exists admit that
it has had no effect upon the legislature.
tN hn hot fo3r n
of the legislators came to the leaders OF
the church and asked their advice as to
the wisdom of certain pending measures
The leaders of the church did not at the
to them and they referred the Legislators
to other members Of the church daymen),
who had had more experience in legislative
matters 1t was from this that the story
of an alleged committee of supervision
arose 1 regard the whole thing as tenn
pest in q teapot and don't believe that any
/ such charge would have been made had
1t not been for the so-called new manifesto
Of the church"
The New Mormon MnnifestO.
"By the way, governor. some people think
| that that manifesto means that the Nor
mon Church intends to control the politics
| of Its members. Is that so?''
| LAS to that" replied Gov. Wells. II am
rot here to defend the Mormon Church
| question of the authors OF the manifesto
While I am Mormon. I am not answer.
| able for the pronunciamentos of any
| church and I cannot he expected te
| construe their meaning. will sa,
| this much, however, l don't see any
| thing in the document to lead to the be
| lief that 1t Is the purpose Of the church tc
| assume control Of politics in Utah. A par
Of It directs certain persons to seek tht
counsel Of the church before accepting po