The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-17

/ Inc w eStern w eekly OF last week
contains the story Of how the Smoot
machine shelved Ed Loose and his
guberna torial aspirations The political
prominence of Ed Loose. his announced
aspirations To succeed Governor Cutler.
the apparent support of the machine
and the sudden withdrawal of the
name of Loose have been factors which
aroused the curiosity of many who were
I unable to see through the game of the
politicians. The story in the Western
Weekly is said to be the inside" ac-
count of the manner in which Loose
was gotten rid of:
Pause in the hurry and hustle of
! these ante-bellum days in Utah and
ponder over the transformation that
has taken place within the republican
| party.
observe, if you will. the Hon. Will
lam Spry, United States marshal, the
only Republican candidate for gov
ernor. Look past his able record, his
| unquestioned fitness for the job. into
the causes that brought about his Sc
lection as the head of the next Repub-
| lican state ticket, and what will you
see?
THE boys who work in the trenches
of political activity are not alone in
their unrest. for at the front of the
party there is disturbing, disquieting
feeling that augurs much for the flu
ture and makes much food for reflec-
ton in the present.
&C. f. Loose. of Provo, Republican
national committeeman from Utah,
man who has provided sinews of war
for every campaign and who has not
been tagging in his efforts TO encom-
pass defeat of any political enemy pit
ted against the Republican party: a
i'll IL
and efficient along many lines and a
friend of Utah from the fringe of his
iron gray hair to the sOles of his boots
this man has been discarded for the
time being at least. and is now we'll
out of the zone of political activity
Mr.. Loose wanted to be the Repub-
tlican candidate for governor this fall,
and his friends were counted through
the state like a man on southern
Utah desert counts the stars at night.
There was no limit. and there is yet no
limit. to his friends in Utah. He
seemed to embody all that is big and
virile and genuine of the western type.
So. when he came to want the honor of
being the first Gentle governor of
Utah. Mormon and Gentle friends in
every party said il was a lauda bic
ambition and an honor BETTING the
man and his services to his party and
his state
THE loyalty of Ed Losses friends is
seconded only by his loyalty to them.
To his immediate associates he has been
as true as steel. and he didn't waver
from his devotion. He was made to
feel that he would be the choice: was
really the logical choice. His best
friends wanted to announce his cam
didacy, but true to his principles, he
waited.
Some one ought to take Colonel
Loose out in the woOdshed and paddle
him for not announcing his candidacy,
for that would have settled the matter
and would have given satisfaction in
every corner of the state and in every
faction OF the Republican party 1t
would have settled great many things
long before election time.
But he didn't announce it. and it is
a little late now.
"One day some of the Republican
leaders of the state met in Senator
George Sutherland's office. The Chicago
convention was over, and the only thing
that remained to be decided in Utah
was the choice of the Republican lead
ers for governor. The party machine
was long overdue in reaching its de-
cision. but a combination of circum-
stances contributed to this hardness.
"At that meeting there was a glow
ing sentiment for Loose. The Salt Lake
county Republicans. almost to a man.
wanted him. and if the voice came
from this county. surely Utah county
would chime in and there could be no
great complaint of a lack of geograp PHI
ical division in the nomination of state
candidates. Other counties would fol-
low suit.
ha actn oh of he
licans at that meeting Congressman
Joseph Howell raised the question of a
personal attack upon the character of
Ed Loose. Instantly the meeting was
transformed into session wherein
candidates were initiated into the An
anias club at the rate of ten a second
Loose was not at the meeting, but his
stanchest friends gave the lie to any
aspersions that might be thrown upon
him. Congressman Howell was told in
emphatic terms that the private life of
Ed Loose was as unsulled as the starry
flag.
why was this qyuestion raised?
Salt Lake county Republicans who
profess to know believe that Senator
Reed Smoot had something to do with
it. and that Notwithstanding his alb
sence from the meeting, the question
was raised with his knowledge and con-
sent. if not with his sanction. The
senior senator. however. denied voIubly
that there was anything IN any charges
that might be made against his life
time friend and associate. He had
known Loose in politics and i'm BUSH
ness. and he knew as much of his pri-
vate career as any one more closely
bonded.
But Congressman Howell raised the