The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-05
Prominent Attorney Says He
Was Deceived Regarding
Silver Service.
CARELESS IN SIGNING
Declares Mischief-MakerS Are
Doing Harm to the State
of Utah.

Judge O. W. Powers, attorney
orator aud Democrat, whose, nam
appeared on a petition 10 tho congrcs
sioual committee regarding the desig
OF the silver service for the battle
ship Utah. has addressed TO The Trih
Inc letter explanatory OF the way III
name appears upon q document tina
loes not meet his approval. 1T appear
that Judge Powers. according to HI
own admission, acted hastily and WITT
out due consideration in aftiXinG nj
name 10 document the contents o
which he did not know. Judge Pow
FRS saws that he trusted lady and wa
grossly deceived. After the Judge r.
allied the import Of the petition he ha
signed he was much aroused ana IN
signed communication thus cXpresse
his sentiments:
To the Editor of The Tribune
The action OF the American con-
vention in adopting tho ill-ad-
vised resolution, condsmning me
design OF the silver service of the
hattleship Utah. gives me an opportu-
nifty To make .. public declaration.
which I have long desired TO make,
II may be that what ! say VIII he
Of no particular interest, but | reel
thai | ought 10 make the statement.
Before the tempest In teapot that
has been aroused over the Brigham
Young monument design had been
created. l was called upon one morn
ing by a lady In whom | had conh-
dcnce who stated In me that tho
design for the silver 10 he presented
to the battleship Utah contemplated
medallion OF Brigham Young upon
each piece. ] had no hesitation In
stating and did state To the lady that
such design would he in very bad
taste and that II would be wrong to
adopt IL She told me that she had
tho signatures OF several leading Gen
tiles. and desired my own. TO tele-
gram TO be sent TO a. woman whom
she vouched for as conservative and
patriotic. who would mako an invcs-
tigation and ON her own response
bilTty would protest II The design
was as reported, and who desired the
telegram as sort OF introduction and
10 give her n certain amount or
standing. I asked for time 10 inves-
tisatc before signing. but the lady
told mo that II was necessary 10
wire At once and contrary to my
usual ,course of investigating before
signing any paper, and being assured
that the silver service was 10 be as
stated 7 hcsltatcd and then signed
the telegram.
Cause for Regret.
II Is the only time In my life that
I have signed my name TO "A public
tho action. But I have regretted
hat act and do now regret II. and as
confession Is good for the soul
now confess it.
Later when found that the lady
had been misinformod as 10 the ma
turc OF the design. and that as
consequence ! vas misinformcd and
that the woman TO whom the iele-
gram was sent had Haunted the same
In the face of the congressional COM
mttee. and had declared that tie
signeTs did not dare To have their
names known because the Mormons
would ruin them in their business,
] felt indignant I made preparation
10 go to Washington and ask per-
mission 10 appear before the con-
gressionsl committee 10 refute the
statements reported to have been
made; but the next news was that
Grafton OF the matter and had G-
norcd tho protest. I supposed then
that the matter was q closed Incident
hut now comes convention and
adopts the resolution in question.
Having confessed that 7 feel lru-
inflated in having unintcntionally
and through too hasty action on my
part been made party TO an un-
reasonable and most intolcrant pro-
test, feel tina I am entitled to pun
licly express my true feelings In this
matter
Blames Mischief Makers,
feel that all who are aiding the
ill-adviscd fight against the silver
service designs as adopted arc mis-
chief makers. doing more harm than
good 10 the state of Utah. and unin-
tentionally ] appear 10 have been one
Of them. II there was less inloler-
ance among Gentiles Of the nature OF
that under discussion. there would
he a more tolerant spirit among Nor
mons toward Gcntiles. II the Ameri-
can convention. and those hot-headcd
persons who indorsc It's action. in
protesting against a reproduction
upon ono piece OF silver or the Pioneer
monument would be consistent they
would resolve against the monument
itself. They stood by and helped 10
dedicate the monument and today
they make no protest against It's
standing at the head OF Main street.
and point II ont with pride TO
shocked because II is reproduced up
on the silver Of the batrleshIp.
! am not In sympathy with them.
and ] firmly believe that their course
tends 10 place the Gentilos OF this
community in wrong light and that
II causes unprejudiced people 20 be
lleve that We are imbUed with such
bitterness OF spirit and such intol-
crance In thought and action that
what we may say at any time is un-
worthy Of serious consideration.
If mischief makers and strife Gre
ators. both Gentle and Mormon.
would cease working overtime for A
while. the Utah question would be
solved and solved right by the level
headed portion OF our population.
O. W. POWERS.
salt Lake city Utah. Oct 4. 1911.