The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-29
THE QUAKING OF THE "BUNCH. >

Governor Spry is quoted in a morning
contemporary as saying that he be.
lieves "the division between Mormon
and Gentle should be maintained as
nearly on an equal basis as possible. -
winch may mean that he desires to
see perpetuated the line of cleavage
between the Mormons on one side and
all the other population, so long and so
vlndlctively insisted upon by the priest
ly marplots. But as he was talking
about the question Of Senator Suther-
land S successor, perhaps he only
meant division Of the offices.
In that talk, Governor Spry was con.
siderlng the suggestion that Represent
ativc Howell might he candidate to
succeed Sutherland, and the Governor
was emphatic in repudiatiug any such
design on the part of Mr.. Howell lie
even went to the legth of saying that
he did not believe that Howell would
accept Senatorial nomination, As
the Senatorial nomination is made in
Legislative caucus, and is commonly
equivalent to an election. we fear that
Governor Spry is much too unrescrved
III his declination in behalf of Mr..
Howell, 1T is hardly conceivable
proposition that Mr. Howell (or Gov
cruor Spry either, for that matter,)
would decline a Senatorial nomination.
And If would be mighty hard to con
vince either of them that it would be
an unfair division if they should ac-
cept.
But what is the immediate outlook
Representative Howell was in with the
political deal with the liquor interests
in this State last fall, precisely as
Smoot. was, as President Smith was, as
Senator Sutherland was, and as Gov
ernor Sprv was This is we'll known
to such of the minor Mormon priest
hood as was busy in engineering the
prohibition movement last winter. OF
course, the officials named, and the
''Federal bunch also were all aware
Of the DEAL and consentng to it. So
was President Joseph +. Smith, and
his approval is said to be extant in
letter to certain Of the "F'ederal
bunch - approving Of their course. and
blessing them for their political efforts
in getting the support of the liquor in
terests for the church local ticket.
Under these circumstances, it is not
easy to see how the tangle is going to
work out. President Smith disapproves
Of the prohibition move, and approves
of the political deal with the liquor
men. a large segment of the church
priesthood are vIrulently committed to
| prohibition, and so must come under
President Smith s censure "unless they
repent 1T may become necessary for
him TO stamp out the prohibition activ
| ity; but if he does, how can those who
| led out in ii square themselves with
those who followed theml
| On this supposition the "Federal
bunch would be sustained, and the
prohibitionists would be trounccd, and
would have TO subsidc.
But, on the other hand, the prohibi
tionists declare that they will not sub
| side. but Will carry the war into the
next Republican State convention,
and will put a prohibition plank in the
! platform. And they say that though
President Joseph +. Smith may have
approved the deal with the liquor men
! last fall, his approval went no farther
/ than that campaign, and that hereafter
| he will be with them.
On this theory, the prohibtionists
will win, and the Federal bunch -
i,wiil be smashed, And it this theory
that worries the Smoot ''Mouth, !"
( which evidently fears it is true. and so
it deyotes lis space to frantic appeals
TO Republican Americans 10 "comc
back into the bogus Republican party,
and protect the "Federal bunch - from
''the enemies they have made, - But
rs those enemies were made in a dis
honorable fight against Americanism,
and to defeat the American party, the
appeal will be in vain
But how the "Federal bunch are
shaking in their hoofs'