The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-26
SERIOUS SPLIT
NOW MENACES
COP. IN UTAH
InSurgent Faction Issues Ad-
dress to Voters DenounC-
ing State Committee.
RED HOT MEETING
HELD BY ANTI-SM00TERS
CAUSTIC COMMENT ON ACTION
OF COUNTY COMMITTEE IN
READING OUT MEMBERS.

That the Republican party i'm Utah
is facing the most serious split in it's
history was demonstrated at a meet
ing held in the Wilson hotel last night
An address denouncing the test oath
feature of the call for the state con-
ventiOn and the action of the county
committee in reading out of the party
the committee of fifteen appointed to
prepare the address, was adopted with
only one dissenting vote. Although
several speakers tried to talk harmony
the meeting was distinctly anti-Smoot
anti-federal crowd, anti-machine and
anti-everything else that has had any
part in controlling Republican destinies
in the state during the last few years.
The test oath feature of the call for
the Republican state convention and
the action of the county committee
We're debated copiously, fuently and
with some heat. The editor of the par
ty organ, Leroy Armstrong, a pro-
nounced Smoot man, did not preside
over the session. He was, however,
bodily and, to some extent, vocally
present.
Mr.. Irvine's Pointed Remarks.
Some idea of the temper of the gath
ering may be obtained from the
remarks of A. B. Irvine during
a discussion relative to the ad-
visibility of adopting an address
prepared by an insurgent junta COM
posed of fifteen members Mr.. Irvine
described the action of the county COM
mittee already referred to as Childish,
infantile and idiotic" The committee,
ne said, was composed of prominent
Republicans from all over the state,
and it was ridiculous for IAN aggrega-
ton of peanut politicians to arrOgate
to themselves authority to read these
gentlemen out of the party"
Mr.. Irvine spoke earnestly in-faYoT
| of the proposition to nominate a can
didate for United States senator in the
state convention, declaring that "any
candidate who is afraid to submit his
| claims in an open convention is un-
worthy to be United States senator. -
| Reverting again to the reading of the
insurgents out of the party, Mr. Irvine
said that the action was fathered by
men who hauled Democratic voters
| in Republican wagons to vote against
! Frank Knox when Knox was the Re-
publican nominee for mayor" In con-
clusion, Mr.. Irvine moved that the
party organ be requested to publish
on the front page the address prepared
/ by the committee of fifteen.
Editing the Organ.
| After some debate, during which il
was suggested that the address be Civ
! EN- the space usually occupied by a To-
cal option argument, Mr.. Armstrong
| agreed to at least start the story or
1 the first page. After ]. G. McClain
who seemed somewhat befogged as &c
the purpose of the meeting, had made
a peace talk. George Wilson refused L
be restrained any longer. Il don't like
this wishy-washy business" he said
IF we keep it up we will never amount
to anything. If we're going to hav,
peace let's fight for it, 1 know thes,
people. If you beat them in the con
vention they go out and vote the Dem,
ocratic ticket. If they can't control tn,
machine they're Democrats. That.
Reed Shoots gang"
Then the party organ came i'm fOl
some caustic comment. Orson Hewlett
objected to the papers habit of BELT
ting and making a mockery of the in
surgent cause. John A. Houghtor
could not see why any Republican
newspaper should be embarra ssed by
request to publish honest Republican
news. He had come to the conclusion
| ludl he ndu 10 place III Ile RepQDll
can party, anyway
Taking w the discussion of the ad
dress once more, Mr.. Armstrong ex
pressed the hope that the reference I.
the state committee would be eliminat
ed. George n. Lawrence replied tina
such action would cost the party thou
sands of votes at time when vote
would be badly needed. Mr.. Arm
strong insisted. nevertheless, that tn
test oath was perfectly fair and prop
err If he had his way he certainl,
would exclude Americans from par
ticipating in Republican primaries
though he would not attempt to kee
them from voting the Republican
} ticket.
MIR. Armstrong; Secret Out.
Mr. Armstrong openly proclaime
himself an advocate of the machin
and of Senator Smoot. But he sal
!. that he believed in the election o
United States senators by popular vote
That gave John @. Critchlow what h
) thought was an opening. The gentle
, man from Indiana politely yielded {
the gentleman from Utah.
"Will you advocate in your paper tn
election of United States senators b