The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-17
1T LOOKS LIKE BETRAYAL.

We learn something all the time
watching these double barreIled con-
ventions of the gentlemen devoted to
the destruction of the Republican party.
They let off one of their charges last
winter, when they called themselves
Republicans. demanded prohibition and
roasted" the party; they fired the
other charge Wednesday night. when
they called themselves a citizens party,
and slapped in the face every honest
prOhibitionist in Salt Lake.
Every one will admit instantly that
the men who called the prohibition,
Republican, party convention last
winter-the carefully packed conven-
ton at which no man was permitted to
say a word for the Republican party
are the same men who controlled the
convention of last Wednesday evening.
They are fdenticaIly the same people.
This new party, which they tried to
make believe was a movement Of citi-
zens for the non-partisan control Of the
city, was a thing Of their own manu-
factUre. Absolutely, the very men who
managed the prohibition convention in
January managed the anti-prohibition
convention at exactly the same place,
in September.
For it was an anti-prohibitiOn con-
vention-that Of Wednesday night A
resolution committing the nominees Of
the new party to prohibition in Salt
Lake was offered, and the delegates to
the new convention spit upon it, refused
to even listen to its authors move for
adoption; yelled their disapprOval of it
even before a prominent reconcenTadO
could make the formal move for its re
jection-and then they rejected that
prohibition plank with yell!
In January they were demanding pro-
hibition, and repeating constantly that
95 per cent Of the people Of Utah were
demanding prohibition. In September
the very same men. having a party Of
their own, absolutely the creature Of
their wills. certain to do anything they
want done, scorns to take the one step
which will prove they were sincere in
their earlier demand.
That looks like betrayal Of the prohi-
bition cause.
Please to note that on Wednesday
night they were in a. city convention,
They were naming a city ticket They
were not generalizing. They were not
romancsng, They were not trying TO
create sentiment. They were taking the
first step in the practical politics of a
struggle for the control of the city. The
law gives mayor and council the power
to-make the city absolutely prohibition.
Here was a resolution committing the
mayor and council to prohibition. And
they hooted 1t out of their convention.
Did they know they couldn't elect
their ticket, and wanted TO make as
good a showing as possible?
Did they think they might possibly
win. and wanted the help Of the sa-
looms?
Did they believe they were certain OF
winning, and fatty refused 10 adopt
prohibition when they had a chance tC
get prohibition?
They named a strong prohibitions
for mayor. The men who named hin
said in January that they were strong
prohibitionists. Yet here was theil
first chance to put that theory into
practice-and they scOrncd it,
1t must be pretty clear TO the publ,
by this time that the men of the new
Citizens party organized it to hurt th'
Republican party. Clearly, they would
rather see the American ticket than tn,
Republican ticket win. They don't care
any more for prohibition than they
cared for the auti-stockade crusade
They proved they were insnCere il
their fight on the stockade, because they
openly tried to get John Bransford, tn,
father Of the stockade, TO become theii
candidate for mayor. And they are evi
IDENTIFY no more sincere in the prohibi
ton cause.
They are d very good party to keel
out of.