The Sun

UTAH BOURBONS MEET AND NAME THOMAS CHAIRMAN

HATCHET BURIED FOR THE TIME BEING.

Wallace and Richards Factions Get Together On Prohibition Officer For Utah Until Such Time As Successor May Be Chosen--Ready For Fight In State and Nation.

Following an entire day of debate and party warfare, Utah democrats buried the hatchet last Saturday at Zion with the election of Mathonihah Thomas as state chairman. They had previously disposed of the battle between factions representing C. C. Richards and W. R. Wallace, both of whom had recognized claims to the state chairmanship. Thomas will serve until the state convention, which will be held in Salt Lake City early in June. The split over the chairmanship had its inception April 5th, last, when what was reported as a meeting of the state central committee named Richards as chairman to succeed W. R. Wallace, then incumbent. Action of that meeting was protested by supporters of Wallace, who contended that the meeting had no authority to name a chairman and was not attended by a quorum of the committee.

Two meetings were held Saturday before the compromise was reached. The Richards faction held a meeting at 2 o'clock of the afternoon and ratified previous election of their candidate as successor to Wallace. The Wallace faction met at 8 o'clock of the evening and with what it claimed was a legal quorum refused to recognize the election of Richards. A joint meeting followed at which the first signs of oil appeared on the troubled bourbon waters. The latter did not recognize the election of Richards as chairman, but proceeded to elect him with the understanding that such recognition was for that meeting only. At the same time the resignations of Wallace and R. B. Thurman, state secretary, were accepted. Election of Thomas as a compromise candidate followed.

Thomas is a veteran democratic warhorse and gained prestige in his party in Utah by reason of his having conducted the campaign of 1916. Paul H. Ray succeeds R. B. Thurman as secretary.