Newspaper Page Text
. THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 3, 1912.
jpRY AND TOLTONJ
I HIGH RAILWAY OFFICIALS ARE SUPPORTING I
I THE GOVERNOR 1
Republican Organ Insists on Dragging Spry's Railway Record Into the I
M , Lime-light. A Factional Blunder . I
Knowing that John Frank Tolloirs record is
mv of subservience to corporations and that
lliain Spry's record is very vulnerable on
Ksc points, the Herald-Republican malieious
B Sails for a comparison.
I 1 repeats and emphasizes the claim that Tol
PflN'as responsible for the attitude and action
I Kfchc state legislature oF 1907.
Hvhcu it is recalled that there were but seven
noerats in that total membership of sixly
:,K, the absurdity of the claim is apparent,
iwBfcss the Republican organ wishes to make
' topppcar that only the .Democrats were rcspon
jlc to the people.
Btis childish to allege that Tollon dominated
Bcr the committee or the house.. Tt! he did,
h such numerical odds against him it is a
B reflection upon the heavy Republican ma
JiujwVt backed, as it was, by the Bunch and
., B-governor.
MWBut the malice in the Hciyi Id-Republican's
'"torial is not directed against Tollon so much
iBtoaBjfc is against Spry.
Bo-attract attention to the vulnerable spot on
" 'Bated leader is a, species of treachery that
ilE governor would do well to investigate,
lest Jf01' William Spry has a record as the frieud
Bl agent of banks and railways second to that
1 spKk ,, , -T-
wno governor in any state ol. the Union.
KtkKjherc has never been a bill proposed by the
jtyirfKvnys since Spry became governor, that he
f pii't favored, urged and approved. As a
ltfl"fci(l, a patron and boucfieiary' of corporate
(ori'UuoiK'C, there is no man in the west like
Hiani Spry.
KJuder his approbation, the actual valuation
ltillup Jack ling's railway betwecu Garfield and
iiutffigliani was reduced for purposes of taxation
jKcpiibliciiii officials from $-.1,539,506.24 to
6,0.90.00 on (he assessment rolls. Did any
wm eV01' receive such consideration?
Bfader Governor Spry's policy of corporate
ftRinlity the railroads ot! this state are as
esiBsed as follows:
0,"1 Per Mile.
R. & U. G $J:-J,000
inu Pedro .Railway . .12,000
flrPi'0gon Short Line Railway 22,000
"western Pacific Railway 30,800
Bnion Pacific Railway 21,200
Properly, real estate, rolling stock, tools,
t.tiB. all improvements divided by number of
les of track.
tSBfmv do these figures compare with assessed
Klatious of railway property in neighboring
B s(s 'Jl ms (romparison forever fix
t; status of Governor Spry in relation to the
ir.Rjva' corporations. ttead this list as a com-'
iBS01J ,cvocn the assessed valuation of rail-
mi l)l'ljC,,ty in Utah and neighboring states:
V Per Mile.
!coB7ishiugtoij . $9b000
tH'011 76,000
'pevada 31,500
Idaho 60,000
BTava.Vs were assessed in Utah as the'
l0Bni Idaho their total assessed value would
S5P10000.0U0 instead of $20,000,000, now as-
f$A K Vas Hot intended to use these facts on the
1Beinor ns s carrying enough of the bank
mo to defeat any public officer seeking rc-
But the purpose of the attack on Toltou was
to provoke an expose of Spry's railway favor
itism and the answer is the record.
This is made all the plainer by the compli
ment; paid Mr. Tolton in holding him responsi
ble for the act of an almost solidly Republican
assembly.
No one believes the Republican organ would
seriously hold Mr. Tolton accountable under
such. odds. It is a compliment, however, wheth
er paid intentionally or unwittingly. But what
a slam on the big Republican majority in that
body?
What' is it that Mr. Toltou is arraigned for
anyhow? Did he pass a bill, or did he veto
an act? Let us see:
To the Republican legislature of H907 came
John Ifyank Tolton, Representative from Beav
er county; a .county without railroads and with
out" railway affiliations. He was one of eight
Democrats, one having been killed after his
election, so there were but seven in that legis
lative assembly of sixty-one members.
During this session Senator Lawrence intro
duced a resolution, known as No. 3, providing
for the creation of a board to "investigate ir
regularities, discriminations and impositions
practiced by coal companies and public carriers
in their charges and delivery of coal."
"On motion of Mr. Tolton the rules were sus
pended and the resolution placed on its final
passage." See page 137 House Journal.
The committee was appointed and its report
is found on page 836 of the same volume. It
was signed by Clegg, Hollingsworth, Bnllen,
Hone, Bowns, Barnett, Willis Johnson, Harry
J. Robinson and J. F. Tolton.
Eight of these were well known Republicans.
Mr. Tolton was the only Democrat. There was
no minority report. If the result of the investi
gation was unsatisfactory it was because of
the dilatory procedure aaid one member of the
committee cannot be held accountable for that:
They found that "the remaining time of the leg
islature is too short" for definite action and
recommended further action which the gover
nor never urged on the next legislature.
Representative Tolton soon saw that there
was no hope of investigation by the Republi
can house. He was informed that there was
nothing doing in the solidly Republican sen
ate. We wauted it taken up by some one,
some organization that was not owned ajid
controlled by railway interests so he asked to
'have some state, wide association of fair and
active business men take it up.
As quoted in the Herald-Republican: The
Inter-iUountain Republican of January 29,
1907. describes as follows. Mr. Toltou's action
when the resolution was introduced:
Representative Tolton arose with the roraark Umt: "I think
that perhaps tho house should rofor this resolution to the Mer
chants and Manufacturers association. Thoy have gone into the
subject iiuito exhaustively, and it is my opinion that perhaps they
aro more" Speaker Joseph interrupted him, saying: "You
arc out of order."
Wouldn't any taxpayer of Utah feel a hun
dred times more safe in leaving his business
in the hands of the Commercial club, 6v the
Merchants and Manufacturers association, or
any other body of reputable mcu than in the
hands of a Republican legislature with Gov
ernor Spry or the Federal bunch dictating its
1 every action.
Why shouldn't any body, really desiring an
honest investigation for honest purposes
want that investigation made elsewhere than
where it could be used as the basis of black
mail to compel corporations to come through
with the coin to save a party 'organ from bank
ruptcy. But why single out one member of the com
mittee for criticism? Mow is it; possible that
the ninety per cent of the committee did right
and the ten per cent did wrong in signing the
same report? And why blame a lone Demo
crat for the act of an almost unanimously Re
publican legislature? Everyone who knows
John Frank Tolton knows that 'he is not the
tool of anybody or any corporation.
In every big-lettered editorial the Herald
Republican prints about John F. Tolton there
is not oue thing which reflects upon him or his
legislative iccord in the least, and the gang has
had a corps of desperate and persistent clerks
going through the records and files of public
offices and newspaper offices, and all the ash
cans and cuspidores in and about the state of
fices. What if Tolton did despair o.f any investiga
tion by that Republican legislature. If it had
wanted to do so couldn't it have gone ahead
without Tolton?
The proof of tho Republican's insincerity is
this:
Did the legislature investigate?
Was John F. Tolton able to defeat the will
of an almost unanimous Republican body?
An answer to these questions can't help but
reveal the actual purpose of the Herald-Republican's
attack, as intended to force Spry's rec
ord iuto the limelight.
SPRY AND TOLTON.
What has William Spry ever done for his
country to make him director of the destinies
of a hard working people or custodian of the
earnings of taxpayers?
Eight years ago. at middle age, he was a
floor walker in a local store.
As a wire-worker, he made himself useful
to politicians and got the appointment as U. S.
marshal.'
By an accident he was able to wrench from
Ed Oallistcr, the man who made him, politic
ally, the gubernatorial nomination. His elec
tion followed as a result of the methods in
vogue.
Now he -is a director in very many corpora
tions so many that he forgets he is director
in a bank which carries one-third of the state
funds on free deposit
All he has and all he ever made, come out
of politics aud political opportunities. ,
Me is the candidate ot the favored bankers,
while the' 95 per cent of all the railway of
ficials iu Utah are for him.
There is uo railroad eaudidate, but the Herald-Republican
asks ""Is a railroad tool fit for
the governorship of a great state?'' it knew
that the question would embarrass Spry and
Spry only. v
On the. other hand, who is John Frank Tol
tou? What does, he represeut? And how has
he made his living?
John Frank Tolton. is a native son, but claims
no support for that rcasou, realizing that many
excellent citizcus of the state, through no
m
fault of their own, were born in other states
and countries. Pl
He comes from humble English parents and jM
his early life was made up of the privations aud
experiences incident to pioneer life in the tcr
riloiy of Utah. He was raised on. a farm, but
varied its labor with that of wood-chopper,
coke-burner and saw-mill hand. Of the com
mon people, he was educated in the common
schools; being a man of unusual will power and
application, he carried his education far beyond
the opportunities afforded in the schools of his fH
locality. He became a teacher and is still a
factor in the educational work of his coimnun-
ity, being president ot the Murdock academy,
one of the leading institutions of learning in 'M
southern Utah.
Two years in Great Britain, in the center of a
large manufacturing district gave Mr. Tolton
a valuable practical insight into the affairs
and possibilities of the industrial world, par
ticularly from the viewpoint of the working
people. This information was later put to use
in conducting woolen mills in his home town,
1 a manufacturing enterprise with which Mr. fM
Tolton is thoroughly familial.
He is chief owner and the business director
of one of the largest mercantile institutions
of the southern part of the slate. His farm is
one of the largest, best equipped, and best
stocked with pure bred cattle in that section. ''JM
He is the pioneer banker of his county and
president of the local bank; president
of the Beaver waterworks company: and
a director and active force in the Beaver
Reclamation company, engaged in building
reservoirs for the reclamation of a large area
cf land in Beaver county. Although a busy
man, Mv. Tolton has found time to read Jaw JH
and has been admitted to practice, but has
never followed this profession. For three
terms, he served his county in the state legis-latiu-c
with credit to himself and to the satis
faction of his constituency.
Thus it will be seen that Mr. Tolton is a pro
gressive in practice and not merely by profes
siou. The development of the slate, the bet
.torment of his locality, the improvement of his
mind aud the encouragement of worthy meas
i ires and enterprises have marked his active
career. And while his rating with Dun & aH
Bradstrect is highly satisfactory, he has not jH
depended on public office or friendships iuci
dental to official power for his prosperity and fH
standing. These have come as the result of Ins
own enterprise, public spirit and progressive
disposition which have made him equal to any
'undertaking or to any responsibility thrust
upon him. jH
There is uo reason to withhold support from
Ir. Toltou because you don't know him, or
can't vouch for his progressivenoss. He has
been a pretty busy man to have a visiting list
aud his whole record is one of progressive ideas
and principles put iuto practical use.
flis time has been spent as the ordinary tax
payer and voter spends his time ueither for
the banks nor the railroads, nor in drawing sal
aries from other taxpayers for looking after .
the. interests of corporations and political ma-
And now that the Herald-Republican has
succeeded in getting the spot-light turned on jH
Governor Spry's railroad record, what are the '
voters going to do about it?
(Advertisement.)
