The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-27
ANDREW c. NELSON.

In the passing Oh AHuIeW ~ .Noiopiii
superintendent Of public instruction, the
Is state OF Utah has suffered q grievous
loss, the great extent of which viii be
= more clearly perceived in the time to
Z come when the quality of the splendid
work performed by Mr.. Nelson is moro
generally understood
When Utah was admitted 10 state
hood, Mr.. Nelson was superintendent
of the Sanpete county schools. Soon
s afterward he was selected by Governor
Wells as member of the newly organ
that capacity he so deeply impressed
himself upon his associates, and others
with whom he came in contact, that
6 his nomination as the Republican can
3 didatc for state superintendent came
naturally in 1000. At that time he was
, comparatively unknown and his cleo
{ tion was due not SO much to public
belief in him as it was TO public conf
r dence in the Republican party, upon
whose ticket he was a candidate.
Three times subsequently, the end
of three qnadrennial periods-he was
candidate for the same place, and
on each occasion he was easily elected.
During his last candidacy-that Of 1912
-he enjoyed unique distinction in
that he was formally nominated by
both the great parties, the Republican
and the Democratic, as well as by the
new Progressive party. This unapimity
Of sentiment was not due to any cou-
viction that the Republican party could
not be beaten, for both Democrats and
. Republicans believed it well within the
7 probabilities that the Republican party
in Utah would suffer defeat that year.
In part because OF the growth of the
sentiment that good men do not all be-
long to any one party, and the conse
quent disposition of voters to cross
Z party lines, and still moro because of
the splendid record Mr.. Nelson had
made in an office which, under his ad-
ministratiop, was non-partisan in the
. strictcst sense, the Democrats and Pro-
greSsives both selected Mr.. Nelson as
their standard bearer. Mr.. Nelson was
assured OF election before this triple
, nomination came TO him, but it was
tribute that must have touched him
deeply, 20 find that, after twelve years
Of service, not only his own party but
the opposing parties as well could unite
on him a. the one man in the state best
qnahfied TO carry on the work OF max
lug citizens out of children
Mr.. Nelson was man Of high char
actcr. He had strong convictions, which
be was ready 10 avow, but never in an
offensive way. de did not belong TO
that class who assume all OF the vir-
AAN7 'tGNtht OH VI lnc vices
their opponents. He knew human ma
ture well, and was able to bend all
whom he met to the end he ever had in
vieT-the upbuilding OF the schools and
the elevation OF the standard of edu-
cation IN the state. A pronounced Re-
publican in politics, Mr.. Nelson pos
scssed the friendship and esteem Of
practically every leading Democrat in
the state 4 devout Mormon, he won
aud retained the profound respect of
non Mormos almost universally. In his
work as the titular head of the state
school system he bent every energy
toward the end that the school build.
inGs might be better equipped. the
school teachers better qualified and the
pupils better taught than before. The
standard of the schools was greatly
raised during the thirteen years of his
ineumbency Of office.
4 sufferer for many years from
disease for which science has been able
TO find no cure, Mr.. Nelson was cheer
rul always 10 the point Of optimism. To
the friends and acquaiDtances who met
BIN casually he gave no hint of the
physical torture that rent bis body,
though az times the pain became 20
great that kind nature would send him
Inconsistencies as relief. Just
week before hts death he was in Dixia.
eonductiug part of the programme of
the duties OF his office. He was urged
10 remain 10 that milder climate during
The winter, but insisted on observing
his usual custom Of spending Christmas
with shis family. This he did, and
part Of tho afternoon was spent IN