The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-15
ALL THE WORSE FOR UTAH

Apostle Smoot comes out in his nor.
sonal organ with an exutant veil that
certain bad appointments have heen
made IN Utah, and that The Tribune
/ was not able to prevent them That
Is trne, and II is all the worse for Utah
that 1t is true
Inc appointments specified in this ev.
utatlon were those of Arthur L. Thomas
Tor salt Lake S postmaster; William
Hpry, as United States Marshal: Hiram
T.. Booth, as United States ATTORNEY
Tor the district comprising this State
now, II there is anyone outside of the
SPECIAL Smoot ring that indorses these
appointments, especially the latter two
we have vet TO hear Of it
Arthur l.. Thomas has not the ad.
mnIstratlve capacity necessary in tbo
postmaster OF n town Of this size and
Importance There is here very large
discretion invested in the postmaster
salt Lake is a settling office for q con.
siderable number Of minor postofices
In this matter of the crimes in the Fill.
moro postot flee, for instance, it is bar5Iv
possible that the postmaster al Salt
Lake would fail TO know something
about what was going on, if he were
the right sort Of official The RIGHT
KIND OF a postmaster would al once
have called the attention of the denart.
ment TO it, would have stonpcd tbe
thefts and the lawless meddlinp with
Ine mail, and would have brought the
guilty official TO his due punishment
Besides that, the delay and ineficiencv
IN handling the mail matter in th;s
clty has been the cause of hundreds az
complaints and considerable damaoa o.
times to those who were improperlv dc-
pcved of the prompt delivery of tbo;r
mali. Mr. Thomas would be an excel
lent assistant postmaster. He is first
class IN drawing up routine reports; he
could Keep track of the stamp accourt
and as subordinate with someone IA
tell him what to do and to REQUIRE vioor
and efficiency in the office, he would be
hrst-class man, But as postmaster he
does not measure up to the standard
as everyone acquainted with him knows
and as The public generally has found
out. Besides. we doubt if he wonld
nave the moral courage to act in such
O case as that at Fillmore if he ascer.
tanned that the political tactics of the
ring raquired suppression of the facts
and immunity for the crlmes.
The appointment of Mr. Spry was. of
course, distasteful tn The Tribune as II
was TO the loyal sentiment of this State
generally. 1t was bad mistake TO
make this appointment. Mr. Spry him.
self demonstrated the fact of his ina
blhty TO measure up to the requirements
OF the office when he went with Attor-
neY-General Breeden to Judge Howell.
at Oglen, and undertook 10 persua 10
him into making a ruling in the as
sumed interest Of the Republican party |
and against the law. We understand !
we had no hand in it, that
this transgression of the Marshal was
brought directly TO the attention of
President Roosevelt and, though he is
'tiekler for the sort of propriety that
this act of Mr.. Spry was a distinct
butchery Of. ne accepted Smoot s. ex-
planation as satisfactory and allowed
the transgression to pass.
The appointment of Mr.. Hiram f..
Booth as United States Attorney was
another that The Tribune considered
unfit to be made. That it was, has been
ibundaptly demonstrated since. In the
matter Of the alleged illegal coal land
'ntries which were the subject Of inves.
.igation by the Federal Grand Jury here
short time since, it was shown that
Mr.. Booth was attorney in cases where