The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-03
TACT MISSING,
MINISTER SAYS
Rev. DR.. 7. C. Edwards, Mas
ter of Ceremonies, Ex-
plains Trouble.
.BLAMES BOTH MANAGERS
Pennsylvania PREACHER RE-
NEWS OLD ACQUAINTANCES.

The Rev. DR.. T. c. Edwards, general
conductor and master of ceremonies for
the Eisteddfod at Seattle, who is IN Salt
Lake, says that lack of tact on the part
of the management of the Tabernacle
choir and d representative of the Els
teddfOd committee was the reason the
Tabernacle choir did not compete in the
contest last week.
DR.. Edwards is pastor oe the Welsh
Congregational church al Edwards
vile. Pa, and one of the most prom
inent Welshmen in the United States,
having been an official in nearly every
EisteddfOd in recent years, and adjudi-
Gator of literature in many Of the con-
tests. Dr.. Edwards was guest of honor
at a gathering of Cambrians at the
home of State Senator and Mrs. William
\. Williams last night, renewing old
acquaintance made in Salt Lake TWEEN
ty-One years ago, and those made at
various EisteddfOds since that time.
''Ihe trouble at Seattle when the Tab
ernacle choir did not appear in the con-
test in which il had Travelled so far TO
take part, was that on the part of the
choir there was no manager with tact
and on the part of the EisteddfOd COM
mittee it had no representative who
could use tact and business sense" said
DR.. Edwards last night. THE fact that
the Salt Lake choir had not been in
formed that a charge of admission
would be made for the members has lit
tie bearing on the case, inasmuch as 1t
is the universal custom at all Eistedd-
fOds for the contestants to pay admis-
sion.
Mormon Choir Favored.
i understand that no admission was
charged the contestants at the Eistedd-
fOd held here last year, and also that
no charge of admission was made for
the Salt Lake choir at Denver several
years ago. These were exceptions to the
rule. At Chicago in 1903 the Utah choir
was admitted free as a special courtesy
in view of the long distance the mem
bers, had Travelled. Other chOrUses were
charged, and the fact that the Utah or
ganizatiOn was admitted free was not
known to the other chOirs.'
DR.. Edwards was acting as conductor
of the EisteddfOd last week, but he
knew nothing of the ''rumpus' outside
the auditorium until word was passed
to him that there would be only one
contestant for the chorus prize, because
the Utah choir had refused to pay ad-
missions to the auditorium. He said he
gave no credence to the statement made
cold feet" and was afraid to enter the
contest for fear of losing. As to the
merits of the Choirs he could express no
opinion inasmuch as he had not heard
the Utah choir since it sang in Chicago
in 1903.
Minister'S First Visit.
The first visit of Dr. Edwards to Utah
was in 1888, when Arthur L. Thomas
was governor of Utah, and he was a
guest of the governor. DR.. Edwards at
that time met Thomas Jones, master
mason engaged in building the Salt
Lake temple and Mr.. Jones took him
through the building, which was then
we'll on toward completion. At that
time he also met Evan Arthur and Will
liam n Williams and other Welsh resi-
dents in Utah.
Dr. Edwards holds a record of thirty
one years in his present pastOrate in
Pennsylvania, and a large and hand
some church building has recently been
completed by his congregation. He will
leave for Denver this morning. The
progress Of Salt Lake since my first
visit here has been so great that were
it not for some of the distinctive fea-
lures of the city it would hardly be rec
ognized as the same city" said DR.. Ed
wards
Included at the gathering last night
were H. r. Hills of Denver, Postmaster
A L. Thomas, Evan Arthur, John
lanes T. 7 Thomas and d I. Davis