The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-17
SALT LAKE ouTwITTED.

for many years Sait Lake mas nau
vicious method Of representation in the
State conventions, this applying both to
tho Republican and to the. Democratic
II party Under this system, Salt Lake
county Is broken up into small units,
its delegation has no cohcrcncc or com
mon purpose. and goes TO the convention
like big BOBBY, subject TO tho peck
ing of all the outside flock. Salt Lake
county ought TO have very powerful
influence in any political convention. rs
| it is, however. Salt Lake county usually
has practically no Influence at all, so
undoubtedly it is the interest OF the
| Federal bunch TO keep the county brok-
| en- up into small units and prevent the
Conference of the delegation as body.
| In this way, the bunch finds IT easier
to handle the salt Lake delegation, by
setting ono faction against another. II
is easier thus to thwart any pronounced
Independence that might possibly crop
up therein. Other counties have their
county conventions and elect their dele
cations as unified whole, these being
prepared to act together in one body
and for any definite purpose that may
be agreed upon. The result is, that Salt
Lake county is outplayed and outgen-
craIed all the time.
First of all, the disorganized condi-
tions in which Salt Lake county goes
into the convention tells against it. It's
vote is never ready, because 1T is not
organized or properly prepared to give
its vote when called for. This makes
the outside counties impatient on two
grounds; first, because they see no rea-
son why Salt Lake county should not
be prepared to vote in its turn when
called, and second, because these outside
delegates either fear or affect to fear
that Salt Lake county has some scheme
on, some "job up its sleeve which
will be against the interest Of the out
side counties, and Salt Lake county hes
there disorganizcd, inert, helpless, at
once the scorn and the suspicion OF the
other delegations,
What is needed in Salt Lake county
is to have county conventions for the
selection of delegates to the State con-
vcntions. There should be no State
delegates elected direct from the cleo
ton districts. These election districts
should elect delegates to the county CON
vention; nothing more. Then the coun~
ty convention, composed of delegates
from the different election districts,
should elect the delegation to the State
convention from the county at large.
OG course. due regard should be paid
in such case to locality representation,
but the great advantage would be that
the county would be a unit in sending
the delegation, and this delegation
would represent Salt Lake county as
whole, and not merely the disjointed
fragments Of the county. The county
delegations, on being chosen, should i'm
mcdiately get together. organize, and
subdivide into convenient sections for
the purpose of collecting the vote on
any proposition that may come before
small enough to make prompt returns
so that the vote of Salt Lake county
could be announced instantly upon the
county being called on any proposition
upon which a roll call is taken.
For a good many years now, Salt
Lake county has been in this helpless,
scorned position In the State conven-
tions. 1T is impossible that it could
ever be otherwise until the system Of
clecting delegates is changed, In for
mer times, Salt Lake county had its
county conventions the same as other
counties have, organized its delegations,
and was prompt In returning its vote.
Under those conditions of prompt action
Salt Lake county was never put at the
disadvantage that it has been since,
and was never any object Of suspicion,
there being no reason TO suspect, much
less charge, that Salt Lake county had
something sup its sleeve as a reason
n withholding its vote.
A conspicuous illustration of the
belplessDes of Salt Lake county in its
disorganized condition was seen in the
Provo convention Of Wednesday. The
Salt Lake delegation was disunited, OBJ
structive. contemplate, and finally it
bad to withdraw from the hall TO eau.
Gus as to what it would do. When it
returned and the convention proceeded
again TO business, it was found that
all the other counties, scornful Of Salt
Lakes impotence and contentiousness
had united against this county, and
Salt Lake was powerless to do any
thing. Its caucusing amounted to moth.
ing; it's viciousness defeated itself; and
so il is likely to be all the time until
q rational procedure is had in Salt
Lake county delegations.