The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-09
SENATOR SHOOTS CONVENTION.

SENATOR SHOOTS CONVENTION.
That Republican convention and the
things that happened to the insurgents
remind one of the old, old story of the
man who tried a telephone for the first
time and made connection with
stroke of lightning on the wire. He
knew his wife was on the line, except
that she had gained strength a little
since he last tested her energy. The in
surgents knew the SmOot bunch was
on the line, all right, by what eventu-
ated.
Come to think about it. though, the
protestants against the machine sue
ceeded in making an important point
in calling attention anew 10 the intOl-
Grant rule which characterizes the ma
chimes domination of the party. They
advertised most effectively the progress
sive loss of votes by the party, and they
proved by their reception that the ma
chine has got beyond the point where
it is willing TO permit in a Republican
convention any unfavorable discussion
of its candidates or its methods. In the
fnal result the Smootites won a vic
tory but il was the sort of victory that
means ruin in the long run.
X X x
The sO-called insurgents presented
resolution calling for the nomination Of
a candidate to succeed Sm0et by the
state convention which is to name state
officers. On the face of it the resolu-
tio,, did NOT coon, 70 i,,Stif-- tina ,-inIapra
with which it was received. Mr. Ride
out, who presented it, was interrupted,
insulted and finally compelled to cut
short his speech in support of his mo-
ton. The men who followed him got
the same sort of treatment, and it Is
worth noting that the most conspicuous
of their assailants were Harry Joseph.
Jake GreenewaId. Fred Price and Glas-
mann. Comment on the character OF
the convention is unnecessary when IL
is known who led the demonstration
against popular nomination of a SEN
atOr.
1t was foregOne conclusion that the
revolt against SmOot would be smoth
cred i'm the convention. The delegates
had been chosen by the Smoot machine
and the program of work had been
mapped out days before by the little
coterie of federal office-holders which
is i'm control. Mr.. Irvine accused the
delegates of letting some one else do
their thinking for them, but he was TOO
complimentary. Very little thinking
was done nor was it necessary. All the
convention was meant to do was to fol-
low orders from the senior senator; and
all he wanted done was to have his
friends sent as delegates to Chicago.
Instructions We're given the dole
gates to vote first for Roosevelt and
second for Taft. The Roosevelt instruc-
tions imply that the senior senator
questions the sincerity Of the p-esi-
dents solemn declaration that he viii
not accept a nomination for another
term: but i'm their devout alteration OF
the president it is supposed the Utah
congressional delegation wishes to inn
press on. the executive mind one final
and supreme evidence Of their loyalty
To his royal person and policies. The
verbiage of the resolution cost nothing
and its tone may hatter the sensibiH-
ties of a president who is not entirely
above hattery.
Eventually. OF course. Utah. win ap-
pear as supporter of Taft and there
seems to be no good reason why the
s,tDerf1uous instructions for Roosevelt
should have appeared at all. Most OF
the leaders of the convention are ad-
rninistration office-holders, and the rest
hone to be They expect Taft to be the
next president, and they are not fool
;sh enough to anita gonize him now, and
they might as well have gone for Taft
first. last and all the time. as waste
ammunition OH Roosevelt. Anyway, the
names are interchangeable. and It
makes no vital difference TO them who
gets the nomination so long as the ma
chine is in the right position to catch
the pIums IL they ever drop.
To the machine crowd the outcome
of the convention may seem glorious
triumph. and so. far as sitting free
speech was concerned II may be. But
a convention of men named by the ma
chine does not determine election re-