The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-15
APPROVE CHOICE
OF BRAASFORD
Men of All Parties IndorSe New
Mayor of Salt Lake
City.
Dlc1ATORS ARE REBUkED
MR.. sEFRlT's DESIRE FOR Sc
cRET CAUCUS EXPLAINED.

The election of John S. Bransford as
mayor of Salt Lake came as surprise
TO the majority OF the people Of Salt
Lake but was approved of almost unani-
mously, without regard to party MT
Bransford occupies the unique disuncuon
of being what might be determined non
partisan mayor. He is staunch Demo-
crat, he has never classed himself as an
American" and does not do so now. Inc
only condition that he accepts the Office
was that he should not be bound by any
outside influence. He declines TO snoul-
der the blunders of the American" ad-
ministratiOn and will act absolutely loot
loose from the party and Its leaders IN
the caucus his name was proposed by A
Fred Wey a lifelong Republican. A
Democrat, nominated by a Republican,
elected by the Americans" is the new
mayor.
His election comes as a direct rebuke
TO Frank l. Sefrit, manager of the party
organ and the self-appointed committee
which in star chamber session tried TO
foist a candidate on the party and die
tate his election. The council. naturally,
took the action as direct insult
Reporters Invited.
Instead of selecting the candidate
chosen by Sefrit and his committee,
the council called another caucus. Prior
to the opening of the meeting President
A. J. Davis of the city council Council
man +. r. Black, chairman of the caucus
and other American" members of the
council had invited the representatives of
the press to attend. There seemed to De
nothing unusual in this action, since the
meeting was in the nature of party con-
vention to nominate a candidate for
mayor of Salt Lake to be voted upon at
the council meeting that evening. 1t was
a matter of vital interest to the citizens
of Salt Lake and was not mere party
committee meeting.
Shortly after the meeting was called
TO order A. Fred Wey placed John s.
Bransford in nomination. Sefrit seemed
TO think that if the meeting could
be made private he might still dictate
the choice OF a mayor. He instructed
G. A. cleveland to ask if there were
any newspaper reporters present. Chair
man Black said that there were news
paper men there. invited by the city
council. This seemed to satisfy Mr..
Cleaveland, but not his instructor.
This is the only caucus l ever knew
off, complained Sefrit, where repre-
sentatives of a hostile press were al
lowed to be present. They are not here
to get the news. but are here to mis-
represent whatsver We do here 10 the
public"
A. Fred Wey was instantly on his feet
He was new to the method of the party
which he had recently Joined and such
tactics alarmed him.
Before anything is done toward ex-
pelling those newspaper men, he said
Il want to say that l have always been
Republican up to the present time; that
/ am now an American and that L am
not ashamed of anything I say here. and
l don't think anyone else here wants tina,
impression TO get out. Why is there any
need of secrecy? What we have to du
let us do it openly. There will be nothing
undetermined in our action. For my par
l should like to see the boys stay In
the meeting"
Mr.. Black said that there wasn't much
use of attempting TO suppress news, be-
cause the newspaper men usually found
il out in one way or another. and he
thought it quite proper that they be al
lowed TO remain. The other councilmer
agreed with Black, but said that they
were willing to leave it with the mem
bers of the American" party present. In
putting the question to a vote the chair
man did not confine the reporters to be
excluded to those of hostile" news
papers, and when the result was an
nounced the reporters of the friendly
organ as well as the hostile" news
papers were excluded.
The party organ is now complaining al
the lack of political etiquette on the par
of the newspapermen in accepting the in
vitatiOn of the cOuncilmen and attending
the meeting.