The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-26

any observing person that it has taken
something more than the ambition of
one man TO produce such a condition
We believe il is generally conceded
that at the head of the Republican
ticket in both elections were popular
and able men, and the balance of the
ticket was exceptionally strong. Never
nave we had more ammunition and
used it with as little effect, yet we are
told that everything is all right and
that there is nothing the matter with
the republican party. Furthermore
the above condition is not peculiar TO
Salt Lake county alone. as some
would have us believe. Witness the
loss to the Republican party of such
cities as Ogden, Provo, Logan, Brig
ham City and possibly other towns.
Should this condition continue, where
VIII the Republican party be four
years hence? 1t is bad enough to lose
the chief cities of the state, but the
loss of Salt Lake county and the Third
judicial district, with all that it i'm
plies, would be a calamity. We have
now reached time when it is due the
Republican voters of the state to know
the contentious embodied in this move
ment within the party.
Election of Senators.
A majority OF the states of the
Union, including the state of Utah,
have from time to time memorialized
congress TO amend the constitution of
the United States so that the people
night elect United States senator's by
direct vote, and while congress has
thus far failed TO accede to this re-
quest, various states have practically
accomplished this purpose by nOminat-
ing, senator in open state cOnven-
ton. This, We contend, should be
the policy of the Republican party of
Utah.
I'VE contend that all conventions of
the Republican party should be a To-
rum for open and free and untram-
meled discussion of party policies,
state and local, and that even where
maJorities subvert this right the result
means the final overthrow of the
party.
I'VE deplore the course of the Re-
publican state committee in placing in
its call so eXacting a requirement fix
ing the political status of those who
may participate in the primaries for
the coming convention of the party.
This is particularly true in view of the
anomalous political condition, especial
ly in Salt Lake county, where thou
sands of votes might be lost TO the ma
tional and state ticket OF those who
choose to remain allied with either the
American or Democratic parties in
local politics. The sovereignty of the
American ballot consists in its free
and untrammeled exercise and any
coercive effort to abridge that right
must result in injury to the party
which initiates it.
I'VE believe that delegates to the
Republican national convention should
be selected from the ranks of the par
ty, regardless of national or state pO-
sitions.
In conclusion, we desire to say that
our best efforts shall be directed to
promoting fraternity and good fellow
ship within the ranks of the RepubH-
can party; in building up and extend
ing its glorious policies; in electng
the nominees of the party and in
bringing within its ranks all. those
who are willing to subscribe to its
principles, and to this end we ask the
cooperation of all Republican voters"
Thirty or forty of the insurgents,
many of them men who have long
been prominent in Republican politics,
attended the meeting. Among them
were Stephen H. Love, George n.
Lawrence, James Devine. A. b. Irvine,
Farley P. Jensen. Oscar Carlson, ]. NJ.
Carlson. Louis Watts, ]. W. Currie,
Stephen Stanford, OTson Hewlett,
George Wilson, J. H. PTeece. Ed Nor
gan, j. G. Weaver, John a. HoughtOn,
Don Dixon, o. c. Brown, George
Buckle, jr., John NJ. Hayes, Leroy
Armstrong; Charles Bell, John James,
J. c. McClain. George Baxter, John Q.
CritchlOw, George A. Black, DR.. c. w.
Gates, D. c. Robbins, Michael Earl,
John Rasmussen.
Within the near future a mass meet
ing is to be held, and at that time the
insurgents expect to give the public
some idea of the size of the party split