The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-11

SQUABBLE OVER
A JOINT CAUCUS
Anti-Smoot Legislators Are Seek
ing to Postpone It
SENATORS BLOCK APOSTLE
OPPONENTS OF LEADING CANDI-
DATE WILL MEET.
SENATORS BLOCK APOSTLE

thing he could not and. Later he was
observed using a microscope. Dismay
was depicted on his countenance. for
he was engaged in an unsuccessful
quest. A fine toothed comb was ap-
Piled. with similar lack of result.
Other Republican members of the
same law-mending body were engaged.
diligently and vigifantly, in a similar
search. and with similar lack of sue
cess. The only discovery they could
rake was that what they sought
could not be found
The object of the general quest was
committee supposed to have been ap-
pointed Friday night by the Republican
caucus of state senators. The commit
tee, the representatives had been led
TO believe, had been named by the SEN
Rtors to confer with similar body of
representatives today for the purpose
Of arranging a joint caucus to select
n United States senator. When the
representatives found the senators had
not named a conference committee,
they were sOrely vexed.
1t was part of the Smoot plan of
campaign that both houses should ap-
point conference committees, so that a
senatorial caucus could be called for
next Wednesday or soon thereafter.
Therefore they Unanswered in every
way to bring about that result. Their
maneuvers succeeded in so far as the
house members were concerned, with
the consequence that anti-Smoot rep
resentatives declare the house caucus
was gold bricked"
Want Caucus Delayed.
Senators who are lukewarm in their
support of Smoot and others who are
actively opposed to him are anxious TO
have a Republican caucus, if one is
held at all. called for as late a date
BIS is possible. They hope that mean
time something win happen which will
RXtricate them from their dilemma.
Every hours delay carries with it the
possibility that the eagerly-awaited
something" may drop to relieve the
eituatiOn and make possible the selec-
lion of some other candidate. There
fore they forgot to name a confer
ence committee when they caucused
Friday night
What makes the Republican repre-
Bentatives particularly exasperated is
that they were informed while they
we're still in caucus that the senators
had appointed a conference commit
tee. The information was conveyed to
them by no less important a person.
age than Speaker-elect Thomas Hull,
NnOfn the caucus QdQ just lOnOTeu-
When questioned by members of the
caucus as to the source of his infor-
nation, Representative Hull admitted
that it was an inference. Chairman
J. H. Anderson of the Republican state
committee had directed the Republi-
can senators to appoint a conference
committee. Mr.. Hull explained. No
one seemed to have thought there was
any possibility of the senator's having
the house caucus proceeded to appoint
a conference committee and named Mr..
Hull as chairman of it.
PUSSY Jimmy" Butts In.
Chairman Anderson is, of course. a
Smoot man. He also is anxious to
have an early caucus held and he is
predicting it win be assembled not
later than next Wednesday, and that
it viii promptly nominate Mr.. Smoot.
The senators having ignored Mr.. An
derson's command, the situation is
somewhat worrying the Smoot men.
But the senators are chuckling-that
IS, those who are not anxious to vote
for Mr.. Smoot under the conditions
that have arisen. And they seem to
he in no hurry TO caucus again so as
to bring the SmOot candidacy to an
early issue, the outcome of which IN
der present conditions would be, it is
conceded, exceedingly favorable to Mr..
Smoot
Didn't we appoint a conference COM
mittee2'' asked Senator Love. chairman
of the senatorial caucus, when ques-
toned upon the subject. well, now,
that must have been overlooked. I de-
clare Strange how such an oversight
could have happened. Possibly none
of the senators was anxious to. have
an early caucus. and so had no mo-
tive 10 remind him.
Then Senator Love laughed quietly
and returned TO his work
Chairman Anderson busted himself
among the legislators during the day.
trying TO get the caucus arrangements
under way.
May Caucus Wednesday.
"The caucus?" he said in response
to a question. ''Oh, that win be held
Wednesday night in all probability
The sooner the better. Mr. Smoot will
be chosen, beyond a doubt There is
no chance of failure now. The SEN
ators viii caucus Monday and ap-
point a conference committee, the
members of which. with the members
OF the house committee appointed Fri
day night. will issue the call for the
caucus.
Anti-Smoot men are not 50 sure the
will act so promptly as Chair
man Anderson predicts, and some CT
them hint there may be no caucus at
ali. but that the selection Of a sena-
tor viii be thrown open to the 1egis-
lature- In that event. Mr.. Smoot. if
elected, cannot 60 down to Washing
ton with all the Republican votes be-
hind him.
Anti Smoot members Of the legisla-
ture viii hold caucus in a day or
two in order to decide on a plan of
action Until they meet, their future
course viii not be absolutely deter
mined, but the present outlook is that
perhaps seven members of the house
and five or more in the senate will
refuse absolutely to go into caucus
on the nomination for senator
The situation is not cleared yet. be-
cause there is no certainty that the
forces win act concerted
". The present outlook is that the ma
jority will go into caucus. On the
first ballot they may cast a compli-
mentary vote for Sutherland. but after
that, if they are needed. enough will
go TO Smoot TO insure an election
Chances of a Caucus.
If the Sutherland men in the senate
should stand out against Smoot. the
indications are that the senate will
not go into caucus There are twelve
Republican members of the senate. Of
these, four are avowed Smoot men
Williams. Gardner. Loose and Lewis
Mckay OF Weber was for Sutherland
as long as he thought the congressman
had show, but he is now counted |
- Tr.N~r -. -.