The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-27
Dozen Republicans Meet in
Secret to Sound Knell of
Federal Bunch.
LINES OF MEMBERSHIP
ARE STRICTLY DRAWN
No Federal Office Holders or
Ecclesiastics Are to Have
Right of Entrance.

A black cloud rose on the horizon of
the "federal bunch" last night when
secret meeting Of Republicans, who
term themselves insurgents was
held at the office of H. A. Smith at 902
Boston building, for the purpose OF
forming a Republican Tammany."
The meeting was so secret that not
more than half dozen of the dozen
who attended were willing to admit
that they were there.
The insurgents gathered in secret
conclave and predicted dire disaster to
the federal bunch and other organiza-
tion Republicans. Their first move, it
was outlined, was to capture the city at
the coming election and then to capture
the county and state. Plans for the or
ganization and rules governing its Sc
crecy and its membership were dis
cussed. However, there was some lack
of enthusiasm since many did not re-
spond to the invitations sent them
Among those who attended the meet"
ing were such leaders of Republican pol
itics As A. e. Beveridge, deputy county
clerk; Harry B. Cole and Frank Hines,
members of the state legislature; II. A.
Smith, recently a Democrat, now a Re-
publican candidate for Office from city
attorney to district judge; and Stanley
Price. County Treasurer Fred Bassett
and Representative j. A. Ekman re-
ceived invitations but did not attend
the meeting.
War Horses Shut Out.
Not a member of the federal bunch
was there. Fred Price, president of the
Young Men s Republican club, and re-
ceptive candidate for place on the
municipal commission, received no in
itation. Harry Joseph, without whom
no Tammany could be successful, was
not asked
A. E. Beveridge, deputy county clerk,
the idea to form an organization which
should be anti-federal bunch and anti
ecclesiastical. According to the pros
pectus outlined by the deputy county
clerk, the original Tammany would not
be in it with the now Republican or"
ganization. No church official was to
be eligible for membership in the or
ganization or to receive any office at
the hands Of the organization. No fed
eral officeholder was to be admitted to
membership. 1t was to be q secret or
ganization for Gentle Republicans.
Beveridge outlined his plan to several
and suggested that Frank Hines and
Harry B. Cole sign the call for the
meeting to organize his new "Tam-
many" Both demurred, so the invi-
ttThe Committee. The invitation fol
lows:
HYou are invited to attend an in
formal meeting Of Republicans which
will be held in suite 903 Boston build
ing, Saturday evening, august 20, at 8
O clock.
Gas this meeting may have, more or
less political significance, we trust that
you will be able to attend.
Attendance by invitation only.
"THE COMMITTEE.
"August "a, 1911"
Deeply and Darkly Secret.
About twenty invitations were issued
TO those selected to be the organizers of
the secret "Tammany. The result was
about a dozen at the meeting. IT any
thing were accomplished at the meet
ing it was strenuously denied by those
who were there.
Mr., Smith, in whose Office the meet
ing was held, denied knowing who any
of those at the meeting were, although
he admitted being there himself. He
said be did not know who was on the
committee, although the committee had
asked the use of his office. He said
that the purpose of the meeting was
to discuss candidates and plans for the
city election, but said that moth
ing had resulted from the meeting.
Frank Hines admitted Cooking in -
at the meeting but said that only few
stayed TO the conclusion of the session
and that nothing was done. He said
the purpose was to devise q plan to
keep the Republicans together in "off'
years, but that this was not accom-
plished,
The meeting is said to have ad-
journed "sine die" soon after it was
opened and that the Beveridge "Tam
many plan is still unmaterialized. The
only developments, it is said, were the
fact that Beveridge is to be a candi-
dat for county clerk in 1912, and that
Smith is to be a candidate for city at
torney in the event that a Republican
commission is elected this year and for
district attorney in any event in 1912.