The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-20
M'WH|RTER WRITES
TO HIS HOME PAPER
Salt Lake Officials, He Says,
Would StOop to Any Dis
honorable Act.
DOESN'T TELL OF THE
GREAT GAME OF POKER
Neither Does He Give Names of
Kind Friends" Who Put
Up Cash for Bakery,


late of Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland,
now of Main street, Salt Lake City,
has been contributing TO the columns
of the weekly paper in his home town
an article on the political effect of the
conspiracy hatched by the church poll
ticians for the overthrow of American.
ism in Salt Lake City and Utah.
and in which he and his brother
Willie PLAYED a conspicuous and un-
successful part Alexander, in his
epistle 10 the Maybolians, trif]es with
the truth in n manner an unco guid
"'toou cooncillor'' should not do;
and he omits from his letter a recital
of those personal details which would
be Of consuming interest 70 his late
fellow townsmen.
For instance. lie docs not tell about
his game Of poker. in which he lost his
money; because Presbyterians object
To card playing, and he had never
handled a card before. so he said. Nor
does he tell of the subsequent proceed
ings. at whose solicitation he re,
turned TO Salt Lake and entered
into the political coup, of which he
boasts to the Ayrshire people. He as
serts that the police protected the men
with whom he played cards, that the
Chief was tried for compoundlng
felony and other things: but has ne
stated that the Chief was acquitted ot
that CHARGE. concerted against hlm
by the church politicians, aided by the
Scotsmeu?
Aha! Kind Friends.
The McWhirters have now com
menced business with the kind as
sistance of friends says the paper.
II would be interesting 10 know. IN
and facts, who the 'kind friends
But If Alex and Willie know moth
ing of cards. as they say, they
know the political value, of their
story. Who told them of that value .
What was the compensation for It's po-
litical efrect7 The Scottish twain
should divulge the whole plot.
But if Alec = knowledge of lis poo-
lteaI value is as reliable as hls
knowledge of politics, perhaps Alec
was played upon. He says the Ameri-
can narty was defeated last fall in
Salt Lake City. and this defeat he. at
tributes TO hH case. The American
PARTY carried Salt Lake City last fall,
and elected it's candidate for City JUS
tice, and polled a larger vote last
November than it did in November,
1906. notwithstanding the machlns-
tions ot the church politicians. Alec
has also been misled by the con
spirators when ne says this IS the brst
time in the "history of Utah that the
Mormons lost control of Salt Lake
City, Alec cannot be expected TO
remember the late SOS and early 90's,
but the conspirators do.
But American party officials are
grafters--'' men who Will stooP TO any
dishonorable act for gain says the
ilustrious but unsophisticated Scots
man ".This would seem 90 denote
rotten state of municipal government
and a pretty lawless community, n
American cities he continues Well
Alec has been n "toon councillor y
and he should know: but he has
elected to begin business in this 'law
less communitv'' with the assistance
of ''kiud friends and that should
be the best evidence that Alec does
not know what he is talking about, or
does not mean what he says. or rather,
writes. Alec was wrongly prompted
when be made this statement. The
bunch which used him In tho con-
spiracy against the city administration
told him this, and he believed them,
and he quotes from the "Smoot''
mouth and the other defamers But
Alec makes splendid defense for the
church. he shows evidence of careful
training under ecclesiastical coaching,
and some day he may be heard in the
Tabernacle. or is he an nspirant for a
Councilmauic nomination on the
church ticket3
Light OH Conspiracy
The whole epistle throws an inter
esting light on the church -McWhirter
conspiracy. II is herewith reproduced
in its entirety, SO that Americans NAV
know OF what manner Of people they
are, d viewed from the church stand.
ard,
Of how ex-Councilor McW6irter. late OF
Maybole. who, along with his brother
William, had been robbed Of 10000 in
Whirter was well known and highly re-
spected In MayboIe, the report in last
weeks newspaper has created a good
deal of CONSERVATION among The inhabi-
tants. From the undernoted letter which
was sent 10, a friend IN Mayboe, il will
be observed That the brothers McWhirter
with the kind assistance of friends have
now commenced business on their own
account,
"As you will gather from the story.
II was a cold -blooded affair and we got
absolutely no assistance from the police:
in fact, they protected the robbers and
did their best TO hush UP rhe matter
doubtless receiving share of the plum
der-a common occurrence in America
This would seem to denote a rotten
state OF municipal government and n
pretty lawless community, state OF af-
fairs that applies to most of American
cities. but not SO much TO Utah AK some
know. For the first time In the history
Of Utah. the Mormons last November
lost control of the city administration.
and the Americans (or Gentiles) came
into power
1.-The result has been To I'LL the city
public offices with men who vii! stoop
10 any dishonorablc act for gain-graft-
crs they call them in this country The
MorinoHs. on tn" other hand hold the
county and State Offices. among which
is the Sheriff,s department. and 1t was
due tc the Moimons. and the Sheriff 8
office In particular. that our case was
taken up. reward Of $500 being offered
for the capture OF the gang who robbed
us. The Chief Of Police WAS arrested
and tried FOR compouuding felony. con-
cealing knowledge OF crime from a
magistrate, and harboring and protect
Ing criminals. One of the robbers was
,apturcd several miles away The affair
Somine just pricr ~ the November cleo