The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-31
FORTY SECOND JOINT BALLOT.

Excitement in the senatorial contest
reached the highest stage yesterday.
In the sessions of the joint assembly
the contending factions engaged in a
fierce and desperate struggle, and the
, hopes and fears and passions of the
members were aroused to a tremendous
pitch The assembly was divided into
two almost equal parts. one sanguine,
exultant and hopeful, determined that
Moses Thatcher should be made a sena-
tor before the session ended, and the
other desperately and wrathfully re-
solved that his election should be pre-
vented. Throughout the day the op-
posing forces contended, and, by a ma
jority of two, the allied factions op-
posed to Thatcher at length succeeded
in forcing an adjournment of the
tempeStuouS session.
THE THATCHER WAVE RISES.
The Thatcher tide rolled high in the
early balloting. Shepard and Wilson,
hitherto among the most steadfast of
the Rawlins supporters, deserted their
candidate and went over to the
Thatcher side. They were followed by
Speaker Perkins and Martin and Dot
son and then came the four Populists.
and on the fourth ballot the Thatcher
column had risen from 10 to 2S. Had
the candidate received three more votes
President Nebeker would have de-
clared him elected, for there were but
81 members present, and, as the presi-
dent construes the law, a majority of
the members voting is sufficient to
elect.
PREVENTED A BALLOT.
One more ballot was taken, resulting
In no further gains, and a recess was
taken to o'clock. The combined
Henderson and Rawlins forces, at the
. afternoon session. reSorted to every
dilatOry method known to parliament
AIRY law and prevented further ballot
ing. The point was raised and urged
by almost. if not quite a majority in
the assembly, that the afternoon ses-
sion was irregular and Illegal, as
motion to adjourn until Monday had
been carried at the morning session
and the president had declared the as
sembly dissolved. The Thatcher forces
were eventually routed only by the
aid of Mr. Ray, one of their supporters,
who was firmly convinced that the
proceedings were irregular. The
Thatcher leaders were quite certain
that this adjournment prevented the
election of their candidate yesterday.
The tt atcher boom was without
doubt precinitated by the action of
1 Shepard and Wilson. 1t is known that
for some days a strong pressure had
: been brought to bear upon these mem
bers. 1t had been represented to them
that they held the key to the situation;
that with their votes Thatcher could
certainly be elected and that they
alone were responsible for the dead
lock. While they did not share in this
view, they were unwilling to bear the
responsibility thus thrust upon them,
and felt disposed to demonstrate
whether or not their votes would elect
Thatcher. It is learned from very re-
liable source that at an interview held
with Mr.. Thatcher at the Knutsford
Friday evening they consented to vote
for him and to act with the Thatcher
supporters throughout yesterday, no
matter now many ballots should be
taken. 1t was represented to them,
so it is claimed, that, with their aid
enough votes to elect could without
question be secured. Tt is also stated
that Mr.. Thatcher was free to admit
that if. with their assistance, he could
not secure a majority, he could not be
elected at all, but this little statement
was not verified. They fulfilled their
promise voted for Thatcher through
five ballots, and he was not elected.
Inasmuch as the Thatcher leaders
claimed they could have elected had
further balIoting been permitted.
Shepard and Wilson may give them a
further opportunity TO demonstrate
their utmost strength on Monday, and
remain with Thatcher another day
WHAT THEY COUNTED UPON.
It is not certain that Thatcher would
have been elected, even though the bal
ioting had been prolonged Indefinitely
Yesterday His managers hoped to Sc
cure the votes of Murdock, Snow, Ken
\ner Mrs. Cannon, Mrs. Anderson and
%. c. Kimball, one of the Republicans, |
or at least there were six possibilities |
from which it was hoped to secure |
three votes. Murdock and Kenner. it
is represented, are both willing to cast
the deciding vote, but will not vote for
him until he comes within one of cleo |
tion. Senator Snow is also reported to |
have said that he would not go to |
Thatcher unless his vote would elect /
The Henderson managers declare that |
Mrs. Anderson, who yesterday re- |
ceived a number of telegrams from
her constituents, urging her to vote !
for Thatcher, will not leave Hender- |
son. One Henderson supporter ex-
planned that every one of those teie-
grams, without a single exception, was
signed either by a Republican or by
q Democrat who had been turned |
down by the county convention. You