The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-09
SMOOT CROWD
PLANS BACKFIRE
Would Gust CounciImen to Di-
vert Attention From Judi
CiaI Scandal.
IT IS TECHNICAL POINT
MAY TRY TO REPEAT THE OG.
DEN EPISODE IN SALT LAKE.

stung by the exposure of its attempt 20
influence judicial decisions and to con-
troll the state judiciary, the Smoot ma
chine proposes, it is said. to take revenge
by instituting proceedings to Gust certain
city councilmen of Salt Lake on the same
charge as Councilman F. w Chambers Of
Ogden, follower of the notorious "BilP'
Glasmann and of the machine. was GUST
ed viz: accepting extra compensation IL
legally 1t was in connection with the
Chambers case that Attorney General Nj.
A. Breeder and United States Marshal
William Spry were caught and exposed
for trying to influence the trial court.
1t is declared by Smoot adherents that
proceedings will be commenced during the
present month to GUST five Salt Lake
councilmen-two Democrats, two "Ameri-
cans and one Republican. The Repubh-
can, ]. H Preece, will be sacrificed. not
because the Sm0ot-C allister-Anderson
Spry combine wishes TO do so. but be-
cause ii cannot avoid doing so Iii order TO
make good in it's fight to GUST the others
The two Democrats are +. s. Fernstrom
and w. ]. Tuddenham, while the Amer
leans are A. ]. Davis. president Of the
council, and L. D. Martin.
Sat on the Water Board.
The Smoot adherents claim that when
these cOuncilmen drew extra cOmpenSa-
ton for acting as members or the water
equalization board during the years 1904
out that a city ordinance had been passed
in 1903 specifically permitting them to ac-
cept extra compensation for this service,
but on the other hand il is contended
that the affected councilmen were mem
bers of the council when the ordinances
was passed, and could not legally accept
the extra compensation during that term
of office.
In the Ogden case there was no ordi-
nance providing for the extra compensa-
ton. Lawyers both for the machine and
for the cOuncilmen are looking into the
matter. and, should the machine institute
its action, great deal of law will prob
ably be cited on both sides. Many peO-
pie believe the machine would not dare
start the suit, because one or two of the
councilmen affected have friends that
even the SMOOTH -AndeTsOn-SpTy
combine dare not offend.
Increase american" Majority.
Assuming, however, that the suits
| should be Instituted, and the five council
| men should be Ousted, the result would
be to increase the American" majority TN
IF any vacancy shall occur in the Of
| flee of councilman, by death, resignation,
| removal or otherwise" says the law nr
| Utah "such vacancy shall be filled Tor
| the unexpired term by appointment OF the
| city council from the ward In which the
vacancy occurs.
With the five. councilmen ousted., the
council would have seven American
| members and three Democratic members
RE 3GmericanI majority would uBdoub1-
| edly fill all five places with Americans
which would give them three more mem
| hers of the council than they have now
| This fact ii is believed, will have a de-
| terring effect upon the angry Smooutes
Moreover. Senator SmOOt is in Colorado
/ and a good many people believe that IN
| his absence some of his henchmen arc
/ talking wildly.
What the Ordinance Says.
councilmen drew the extra compensation
| is as follows: -,
be paid an annual salary of $500, pay
able monthly as are the salaries or other
/ CITY officials; which shall be for all SER
| vices rendered except that when the wa
! terworks' committee sits as board OF
/ equalization of water rates, each mempcr
| shall be paid IS day for each days at
! tendance; and when the council sits as
/ board of canvassers each member shall be-
/ paid s. for each days attendance.
The members of the city council VINO
NAV he accused point cut that while they
! were in the council and voted for II, tneiS
| terms expired almost Immediately anu
| they were sworn In for second terms. no
! one knew when the ordinance was passed
| who would be on the waterworks. com
mittee the next year, because, while tho
new council had been elected, 1t had not
organized and the waterworks commits
! tee had not been appointed
Smoot Men Desperate.
The Smoot machine, however, has been
made desperate by the exposure of its mis-
deeds within the past few days and it's
members are holding daily consultations
and racking their brains to devise some
/ means to divert attention from their at
| tempt to influence the state judiciary,
| The plan to start a backfire on Salt Lake
| counciImen has struck them as the moss
! ready at hand, and unless Senator Smoot
| himself yetoes the scheme. it will prob
ably be tried.
The scandal in connection with effort to
/ control Judge Howell of Ogden has trav-
| eied far and wide over the state, and the
| members of the machine are receiving
| alarming reports from their henchmen in
| OUTLYING counties which explains their de-
sire to start a backfire.