The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1914-06-20
Senator Smoot

OF Senator Smoot having swiped his
great Arlington Memorial Day speech.
On the face of the first dispatches II
appeared that the senator's critics had
succeeded In making a pretty strong
case. However, he comes back the
following morning with a pretty sat
isfactory answer that the poem of
Inspiration" and the description of the
battle taken from Darling's Grafton
we're not claimed as his own, but
were shown In parenthesis
The senator's address was printed
by the government and a copy sent TO
this paper. A copy of the National
Tribune, the organ of the old soldiers.
also contains a verbatim copy of the
Grafton, together with the addresses
In full OF President Wilson and Speak
er Clark, made on the same occasion.
They bear out Senator Shoots con-
tention, showing the parts complained
OF In quotation marks.
We suspect there is an anninas back
OF all this hub-bub. for Senator
Shoots address was the elimination
OF one of the greatest victories ever
won by any one over his enemies. II
IL fresh In the minds of all how most
OF the reform forces In America
were arrayed against the senator
maintaining his seat. For several
years the fight was waged, gradually
gaining strength till II appeared that
Utah might loose all of its represen-
tatives. The great charge made against
him and about the only one attempted
10 be proven In the months of time
taken and hundreds of volumes of
testimony given, was that he was an
alien and representative of trea-
sonable organization. SO great was
their success and the pressure that
was brought TO bear that almost one
half OF the great United States sem
ators voted to Gust him from his seat,
and We suspect that had Il not been for
the influence brought to bear by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, several senator's who
voted In his favor would have voted
the other way and would have changed
the final result.
Now comes the Mordaci parallel.
Instead OF being the reasonable rep
resentative OF an allen organization
ne Is given the seat of honor on the
most patriotic day. In most loyal of
all organizations. In their celebration
on the one most sacred spot In all
America.
The Grand Army OF the Republic Is
the one organization composed of men
who consecrated their lives for free
dom and the life of the nation. Their
one great day of all days is Memorial
Day; and their Mecca, their shrine of
worship, to which all faces turn in
reverence, the center OF all patriotic
inspiration, is Arlington Cemetery,
where are buried so many of their
comrades who gave their lives that
their country might live. On this
sacred spot on this sacred day this
most patriotic organization invited
president Wilson and Speaker Clark
to make addresses, but Senator Reed
Smoot OF Utah was invited to be the
orator OF the day. In introducing the
president OF the United States, Com
mander Gleeson simply said, IL have
the honor to present as the next
speaker the President OF the United
States. When the chairman intro
duced Senator Smoot he said, 81 nov
have the honor OF introducing to you
as the orator OF the day a man who is
no stranger TO you, a patriotic states
man. who by his acts and votes has
proven that he Is true friend of the
veterans. and intends that they shall
ut all times be fairly treated. honored
and sustained by the nation. pre-
sent the Hon. Reed Smoot, United
States senator from Utah"
While making this little dissertation.
which is not intended to influence any
one In his vote. we will also make a
few remarks about n recent assault
on our county commissioners. which
we think. too Is without justification
A certain paper has recently worked
Itself into fury because the commits
sioners have been making some good
roads In the north end OF Utah county
alleging that Provo and vicinity is
being neglected, all of which is rot
pure rot.
True, the commissioners by grading.
rolling and sprlnkling have made the
best county road ever constructed be.
tween Lehi and American Fork. But
for years, while Provo was riding
across the bench on a smooth shale
county road and TO the mouth of Prove
canyon on a boulevard constructed
under the supervision of a government
expert, and all at the expense of the
county taxes. Lehi and American Forl
citizens were travelling over count,
roads up to the hubs IN mud. OF re-
cent years the county commissioners
have at least tried to be fair We
believe in a square deal Provo usual
ly gets everything in sight. but an.
the present commissioners
are trying to do the square thing. So
much for Senator Smoot; so much for
the cnmniY com mi eeinnnrr