The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-03
GRAND ARMY MEN
REFUSE DONATION
Col. George B. Squires Makes
Futile Efforts to Force 1t
on Them.
C0ITNTY'S $50 GIVEN
BACK TO THE AUDITOR
SmOot Organs Statement That
Money Was Accepted Proven
to Be False.

That the Grand Army of the hep0D
lie had accepted and used the $50 do
mated by the County Commissioners for
Decoration day expenses after the Com
missioners had insultcd the Grand Army
committee which visited them was the
utterly false statement made Saturday
morning in the editorial columns of
the Smoot organ. The Grand Army
committee has refused point blank to
accept the donation, and the warrant
has been returned to County Auditor
Frank Heginbotham.
Colonel George B. Squires, secretary
of the Republican (SmooD State com,
mittee, Jack Mormon and devoted
henchman of the Provo apostle, took
II upon himself 10 get the check or
warrant for the $50 from Auditor Heg-
inbotham several days before Decora-
tion day: but, after trying vainly to
induce the Grand Army committee TO
accept it. he returned il Saturday 10
Mr. Heginbotham. and that official now
has it, the Smoot organ to the con
trarv notwithstanding.
Squires Playing Politics,
Colonel Squircs, who is considerably
more of n Smoot politician than he is
a member of the Grand Army of the
Republic, was playing politics when he
took the check and tried TO force the
unwelcome donation down the thoats
of the veterans. When The Tribune
heaped upon the members of the Grand
Army by the Smootized County Com
missioners, the Federal machine saw
that serious blunder had been made,
and feared the political effect of re.
fusal of the Grand Army men to take
the money.
Colonel Squires, therefore, was "sct
apart TO manipulate an acceptance OF
the donation. He first approached ri.
p Burns, chairman of the general Deco,
ration day committee, and beseeched
HIM to go 10 the County Auditor s of
fee for the check. Mr. Burns fatty re-
fused to do so. Then Colonel Squires
besought Mr.. Burns To give him
lSquires) authority to get the check.
Tins was also refused by Mr.. Burns,
on the ground that he could not dele
gate such authority to anybody, but
that it was matter for the whole
committee to act upon. The commit
tee did not authorize Colonel SauiIes
to 60 and get the donation.
Without authority from anybody,
Colonel Squires got the check from Mr.
Heginbotham, After days of fruit-
less effort 10 force IFS acceptance h.,
was forced Saturday to take If back
= the Auditor and acknowledge ms de-
feat.
Colonel Squires Talks.
When asked for his version of The af
fair Saturday, Col. Squires said:
'l think so much of the Grand Army
that | wanted to see it get the money,
and | didn Z want any trouble. 1t was
with the idea of settling the matter that
l took the check. and when / found that
was impossible. / returned the piece of
paper 10 the County Auditor. Person
ally | regret the whole occurrence
Colonel Sguires admitted that some Of
the boys were wrought up over the
matter, but declined to go into the
merits of the case, He also admitted
that all his efforts as a peacemaker had
failed Colonel Squires holds the posi-
ton OF Deputy Secretary of State un-
der The Smootized State administration,
and is generally regarded as a candi-
date for Secretary of State next year,
Origin of the Incident.
Several weeks ago Judge c. C. Good
WIN made speech before the American
club In which he criticised severely the
Interference of President Roosevelt in
behalf of Apostle Smoot when the latter
was fighting for his seat in the United
States Senate. The Smoot "mouth''
declared that a number of Grand Army
men were present and applauded Judge
Goodwin s alleged blasphemy of the sa-
cred Roosevelt
So, when n committee of the G. A
K. called upon the County Commission
ers and asked them for the usual an
nual contribution for Decoration day
purposes, those Smootized county Of
hclals took it upon themselves to teach
the 6. A. r. lesson IN "patriotism -
and 'loyalty.
mon of high degree, acted as the spokes-
man Of the Commissioners. He told
the committee II it were true that mem
bers of the G.. a. r. had applauded
Judge Goodwin s utterances, he for one
would oppose granting the donation, and
the other Commissioners chimed in
"Me, tool"
Commissioners Back Up.
The action of the Commissioners was
promptly. exposed in The Tribune and
they backed up in a hurry. The dona-
tlon OF $50 was ordered made, but the
Grand Army men were in no mood TO
accept 1T, To emphasize their atti-
tude, Judge Goodwin was invited by the
Grand Army committee TO make an adj
dress on Memorial day, which he did.
The check for the money lay in Mr..
Heglnbotham IS Office until Colonel
Squires got hold Of it,
Colonel Squires, while urging Mr.
Burns TO go and get the check, lugged
politics into the Conversation, and EN-
phasized the fact that he himself is a
good Republican. Mr. Burns retorted
that he, too, Is Republican, but not
of the Utah variety, and pointed ont
to Colonel Squires that the latter is one
of mere handful Of Grand Army men
who are identified with the Smoot ma.
chine
L. D. AUSTIN RESIGNS.