The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-07
Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. 6, 189

Editor Salt Lake Herald:
By your courtesy have been per-
mitted to read communication from
Governor Wells to you, in reply to the
interview of mine that appeared in
your issue of Sunday morning: and
understand that what I say is to be
published side by side with his alleged
answer thereto.
The governor accuses me:
First-Of being afflicted with the
rabies of office-seeking,' 'extraor-
binary itching for office" as making a
mad race for office" that I am "in-
ordinately an.sltlous for office" that I
possess enormous greed for office"
In reply, have only to say, never
held but two offices in the state in my
life: I was member of the constitu-
tional convention in 1895. L held the
Office of trustee on the board of the
Agricultural college at Logan, under
his appointment, for about one year. to
which there was attached no salary.
Governor Wells has been in Office, in
city, county or state, from his teens
until now, except sope very short pos
sible gaps Of time which are insignifi-
cant; and from his youth up he has fed
from the public crib.
At the solicitation IF numerous
friends. in 1895. I was a candidate Tor
congress. and was nominated by ac-
clametion at Ogden. bu-. with my
party, was defeated. though I ran
nearly thousand votes ahead Of the
party ticket.
In 1898, again at the solicitation of
numerous friends. and among them
some of the most prominent men of the
state. I became a candidate before the
Democratic convention. and though the
governor makes the astonishing state
ment that when the convention as
sembled. it did not want him. (me),
yet was nominated on the first ballot,
and by large majority of votes.
I did solicit some assistance from my
friends in distant counties. which was
readily granted to me.
When Governor Wells says that Z
"wantonly, and with malice afore-
thought. planned the trouble and tur-
MOL in which the people find them
selves. he knows that he deliberately.
and with malice, says that which is
untrue. When he says that I was re-
peatedly warned of the possible trouble
my candidacy might engender, he says
that which is only partly true: and.
Furthermore. when I did hear threats
that in open convention there would
be such an attack made upon me, that
question was submitted to my best
friends, some of whom I regarded as
having the right to decide whether
such an agitation should be risked, and
then proposed to them, if, in their
judgment, under all the circumstances,
it was thought wise for me to with
draw, I was perfectly VIKING to do so.
But they were not so craven as to
counsel retreat before mere threats of
irresponsible parties.
For the rest of my answer to his per-
: sonal abuse and villifcation, L refer
| him to the facsimile of mis- letter, pub
lished herewith. and give him an op-
: portunity to see the difference between
Philip drunk" and Philip sober"
In conclusion. will only add that
when he sent that letter to me, he
knew as much of my domestic affairs
/ as he did when he made his vicious
and uncalled-for assault upon my can
didacy in the Salt Lake theatre on Fri
day evening. Respectfully,
/ B. H. ROBERTS.