Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-28
SALT LAKE CITY. NOV. sS, 1902
THE OLD FIGHT RENEWED.

ThE OLD FIGHT KENEWED.
The contention over school affairs Is
still hot In the First municipal ward.
This evening there are 10 be two noml-
mating conventions. The regular, adj
journed non-partisan meeting will be
held in the Exposition building at 5
o'clock. The other meeting is called for
citizens assembly 10 the City and
County building at the same time, 1t is
started by boilers from the regular
convention.
1t will be remembered by readers OF
the newspapers, that q non-partisah
convention was held in the Exposition
building on Monday night for the pur-
pose Of nominating a member of the
Board of Education, and that when Il
became evident that majority Of the
voters present favored the nomination
OF professor in the State University,
a determined effort was made to break
up the meeting, Some Of the prot
no,inced anu-"Mormons" attending.
jumped to the conclusion that the gem
tieman thus favored was Mormon"
and a Democrat. That iniamed their
imagination TO such an extent that
they declared the meeting was called as
Republican convention. and so they
pulled or and proceeded to take steps
to fight the action of the voters who re-
manned. On motion of Mr.. Critchow,
who resented the claim that the meet
Ing was called as Republican conven-
ton, committee was appointed to call
an adjourned meeting, and that COM
mittee fixed upon this Friday at 5 p.
m. In the Exposition building.
Meanwhile. Mr.. Critchlow boted from
the committee appointed on his own
motion and united with the OPP
position to the regular convention, not
soweyer, as q partisan, but as one Of
tae citizens" who wish to nominate
scfne one other than the gentleman
supposed to be wanted by the ma.
jarity in attendance last Monday even
ing. These citizens" are out with a
series of resolutions which. when boil
cd down 10 their essence, mean simply
that they do not want Prof. Byron
Cummings, because he is a preceptor
II the State University, and because he
appears to be supported by an organ
izatlon darkly limited at but not named.
We believe It is now pretty well |
known that Prof. Byron Cummings Is
not Mormon" We understand he |
Is not a Democrat. We do not care
about that. 1t Is evident that his chief |
opponents imagine he was one of the |
members OF the Utah Cummings fam
lily, well known In educational circles.
and hence the root OF their antipathy. |
They were greatly mistaken that is all. |
One Mormon" Bishop, 1t appears, had
expressed his approval OF the gentle
mans candidacy, and that was enough |
for the wild anti-"Momon' element.
and 1t was rumored that the Bishops
and other ecclesiasts in the First pre-
cinct were working for his nomination.
SO the old, stupid cry OF "Church In.
fiuence" was raised, and the wildfre |
was set burning.
The Deseret News called attention
10 the comments OF a morning paper,
which spoke disparagingly Of Bishop
Warburton as figuring in school mat
tiers. and when mentioning the part
taken in the convention by Rev =. A.
simpkin, said he acted "as citizen"
We argued that each of the gentle
men named acted "as citizen"
one just as much as the other. The
Tribune says we took occasion TO
mildly censure Rev. P A. simpkln for
the part he took, That is the way Of
that paper with an opponent. 1t takes
particular care not to tell the truth in
controversy. We did not censure Mr..
Simpkin, either mildly or otherwise.
On the contrary, we distinctly stated
that we found no fault with him. He
had just as much right to take part In
the convention as any other ''citIzen."
But so did every Mormon" minister or
member. "as a citizen" and It is only
on that capacity that any Mormon"
participated.
Now as 10 the nomination Of a pre-.
ceptor In the University for a member
Of the Board Of Education. We see
nothing in the alleged arguments OF the
"bolters" from the regular non-partsan
convention, why the Professor should
not serve on the school board. He is not
put forward because he is teacher In
the Uniyerslty,a as assumed In the resoiu-
tions, but because of his fitness for the
post and his prediction towards home
talent in home schools when il is equal
to outside ability. That is all there is
OF the long and roundabout resolutions
of the boiling Element They amount
to nothing but hostility to Cummings,
because he is supposed to be favored by
a number Of the Mormon" voters of
the First precinct.
We are not acquainted with the gem
tleman. We are acquainted with the
tactics that have been employed for
years in the First Municipal ward. to
defeat II possible anything that APP
peared to be desired by the majority of
the Mormon" people there. We see
clearly the same antagonism that has
worked strife IN the past, exhibited in
the present moyementfor the opposition
meeting tonight In the City and coun-