The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-29
A RIFT IN THE Lutte.

| There appears to be rift in the
| harmony of the political lutte which
the machine has been playing upon in
this region for 10 these many years.
| Mr.. j T.. Fldredge, Jr.. L. S. Assayer,
has long been chairman of the county
| Republican committee, but for some
reason or other saw fit some days ago
to send in his resignation rs chairman
to that committee. It seems that some
of the members of the committee were
anxious to accept the resignation and
put r. a Callister in his place. A mi
nority of the committee met on Satur-
| day evening and undertook to accept
the resignation and elect Mr.. Callister
But Assayer Eldredge got in before
the meeting closed, denied its validity,
claimed that it had been irregularly
called. and that mere minority only
of the committee was there, and conse-
qucntly that any action taken would
be invalid. According to the list of
those present at the meeting, Assayer
Eldredge's position was well taken; for
it appears to be clear case that there
was not a quorum of the committee
present, and therefore any action taken
would necessarily be void.
a plea is made against U. S. AS
sayer Eldredge by the organ of the
Federal bunch that it was necessary
for Eldredge TO get out Of the chair
manshlp in order to comply with or
ders of the President. But, so far as
has been made public, there have been
no recent orders in regard to this mat
ter. Such executive orders date back
even prior to the time that Mr.. Ed.
redge was appointed u. s. Assaycr
here; and if they were to be enforced
1T was in absolute violation of those
orders for Mr., Eldredge to have been
chairman Of the county committee all
these years that he has been holding
the Federal office named The plea
OF violation Of executive orders, there
fore, is evidently an afterthought, and
one brought forward for the purpose
Of Mr.. Eldredge S undoing,
Mr.. Eldredge charges that the pre-
cipitatc move for the acceptance of his
resignation was caused by those who
are opposing Governor Spry's capdi-
dacy for denomination, and that the
meeting was called irregularly in the
interest of that movement. However
this may be, it is clear case that
there is a decided antagonism between
the Assayer and the U. S. Marshal. But
il there is any order to prevent Assay
or Eldredge being active in politics, the
same order should surely prevent U. S.
Marshal Anderson from being equally
active and prominent. 1t will hardly
do 70 claim that there is an executive
order that will squelch Asssyer Ed
redge, and that will still leave Mar.
shal Anderson free to take part actively
in political management, Here is III,
lemma that perhaps the Federal bunch
in. its hypocritical raid upon Mr., Ed
redge seems to have forgotten; and
when we remember that the Federal
bunch here Is composed of Federal Off
GERS, including Internal Revenue Col.
lector Callister. U. S. Attorney Booth,
o. S. Marshal Anderson, Postmaster A .
L. Thomas, and other Federal officials
less active than they in the bossing of
Utah politics, the curious spectacle of
that bunch undertaking to plead exec.
utlve orders against Mr.. Eldredge is
sensational sight. An executive order
that would apply only to the Assayer
and would leave the Internal Revenue
Collector, the u. s. Marshal, the U, S.
Attorney, and others, free to retain
their active control of the politics of
the State. would be singular order
indeed
The rift in the lutte is evident. The
reason for that rift, as given, is ride
ulous