The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-16

Democratic members of the Legislature.
You know, of course, in advance, hcw
such a caucus would result Your can
didate, having a large majority OF the
Democratic votes, could readily turn II
into a ratification meeting
So. Then it's majority rule that the
judge objects to- That is a fair confess
sion of the motive of the opposition.
1t IS to defeat the will of a majority:
to tramDle down this fundamental
principle of Democracy that ne is work
ing, is it? The Herald is sorry to hear
such an admission from one whose
Democracy and unselfsh devotion to
party it has extolled time and again
next to pure reading matter. Is it pos
sible that he is opposing majority rule
because it might mean the election of
man upon whose defeat P. H. Lannan
has set his heart?
In his letter. Judge Powers says:
Prior to the balloting favored a eau
Gus. suggested the two-t thirds rule.
1t is now too late to advance the
plan
Why is it too late? The Herald ad-
vocated it the next day after the No
vember election. 1t still advocates it..
It favored a caucus OF Democratic
members of the legislature for the
sake of harmony, for the good of the
party. Harmony is just as essential to
the welfare of the Democratic party
now as it ever was; and the welfare of
the party is just as dear to The Herald
today as it was in November, whether
it is TO Judge Powers or not.
He favored a caucus prior to the bal
loting, Ell? Why then, and not now?
Is our friend, the judge. entirely disin-
terested. patriotic and unselfsh, that he
doubts the possibility Of others pos
sessing such virtues?
The Herald devotes more space TO
the communication than it deserves
out Of high regard for the judge. The
Letter evades the facts to which his at
tention was called, and seeks TO cover
up the evasion by insinuations against
this paper. Some of these are so pal
pably unfair that Judge Powers actual
ly replies to them himself. He denies
the right of The Herald to speak for
the Democratic party" Who is he to
make this denial on behalf of the
party? Who authorized him to speak
for it? If three votes for the senator
ship make him feel that way, twenty
seven votes would make him think he
owned the earth.
But, he intimates that the policy of
The Herald is influenced by EIr. Nc
Cune's financial interest in the plant.
Yet he says that Mr. McCune owns but
one-twentieth of the stock. and that
The Herald does not depend upon the
outcome of this election. That is true.
The He-alds future is assured, and it
therefore talks without fear or favor.
But what right has Judge Powers to
complain Of The Herald?
Without one dollar in the paper, the
judge has, somehow or other. succeed
ed in getting more favorable mention III
its columns than any other man in the
state, perhaps, and has presumed upon
its friendship and forbearance, and has
taken liberties with its office affairs
that no stakeholder ever thought Of
taking.
It should not be necessary to be more
specific on this point
And now, in conclusion, The Herald
desires to call the attention of the can
didates, the Democratic members OF
the legislature and the people. 10 what
it said yesterday, and which has called
out this letter of Judge Powers.
No Democrat can afford to play the
part Of a dog in the manager, to hold
votes that mean nothing but opposi-
ton, to deny the right Of a majority
TO control, to decline to caucus be-
cause of such denial. No man is a
Democrat at heart if he refuse to
abide by majority rule.
And TO Judge Powers and Judge King
it repeats
Remember gentlemen, that the party
is greater than either of you: that the
election of a Democrat by the present
legislature has been demanded by the
people. The people are tired Of this pro-
tracted contest. It is hindering legisla-
ton. 1t is injuring the party. If either
Of you had as many votes as Republi-
can candidates are polling every day,
we should hesitate about asking this of
sou. Bat, gentlemen, both of you to-
Sether haven't sufficient votes to add to
those of either Republican candidate
and equal the strength Of the leading
candidate in your own party. Then
why do you hesitate? Why not yield