The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-02

Ogden, Nov. 1.-Only one issue is before
the voters of Weber county in this cam
paign 1t is graft and anti-graft.
Bib Glasmann is frightened. So are
the varied crew who through participation
In the benefits therefrom derived, or
through fear OF his abuse cling to the
notorious one. An indication of their ter
ror is the manner in which "BilP' and
ms salt Lake newspaper accOmplice are
Spewlng volumes of filth at all who dare
assert that public officials should be hon
est and that a county attorney should be
elected who would enforce honesty Their
Temple of Graft, reared so carefully and
50 olldly is IN danger of ruin. Hence
the alarm.
The cause of all this panic is a young
man who, not so very many years ago.
was following a plow on his fathers farm
near Plain City. He rejOices in the plain
1armer-boy name OF Jedediah-Jedediah
j. Skeen. Less than a year ago the
members of the gang to whom he mildly
suggested that grating was going on and
should be stopped, made him the favorite
butt of merry Quip and ribald jest. They
sneered contemptuously at him and went
bhthely on their course
One by One They Fall.
Since that time one after another of the
gang has been removed from office as
the result of the single-handed efforts OF
this same Jedediah Skeen, who convinced
the courts and the JurieS that these Off
Gals had been guilty of taking money UNI
lawfully. The gang began to treat him
with more respect when he started to do
these things. They pleaded. begged and
sought To brOwbe I, and then entreated
again that he let up" He went I'M
swervingly on his course, working as
private citizen, and furnishing the graft
ers ono by one.
Now he is candidate for county at
tOrney of Weber county, and there is
panic among those who have been plum
uering the public.
IF Skeen as private citizen can get
men removed from office for illegal acts
what in the world won't he do if he is
elected county attorney they are asking
Twill he investigate the connection of
Glasmann and others with paving and
sidewalk contracts? Will he seek TO find
out whether money was paid by gamblers
and others for protection under Glas-
mann's administration? VIII he inyeSti-
gate the various city and county offices?
Isn't there danger that the next thing
we know somebody Will be going to the
penitentiary?'
Panic of the Gang.
The answer to these questions is found
tn the panic of Glasmann and others of
abe gang
In their terror-stricken desperation they
ere seeking TO befuddle the issue by talk
ing about other things, and are trying
to diScredft Skeen and his work for good
citizenship. For year or more they have
been working night and day to find some
thing on which to attack Skeen- They
ducing it and reiterating it with photo
graphic illustrations. Vehemently they
proclaim that although not a word can
be said against his financial integrity, his
penmanship is poor. Anybody who doubts
this is invited TO see a desk memorandum
he kept as secretary of the Weber county
fair association. Hence ne should not be
eiC cted to a position where he can fer
ret cut graft and prosecute grafters-
This in substance is the situation in
Weber county today.
Jedediah Skeen, Believer in Honesty.
jededah Skeeu is of Scotch descent
which may account for his Inherited idea
that men should be honest, even in pub
JIG office. Ii also helps to account for
the steady. persistent way he has gone
along when he once got his head set in a
certain direction.
He was born on his fathers farm near
4 Plain City, in Weber county His father
q vman II. Skeen. was one Of the pioneers.
II JIe has a reputation Of being an honest
b hprse-trader and the youthful Jedediah.
sGs he was reared on the farm. was con
j fseuuently taught that he should be hon
est in all things, even in a horse trade
He went to the Brigham Young college
in Logan. and to the state Agricultural