The Salt Lake Herald

Vain Attempt to Harmonize.

It was announced very quietly yesterday that Judge Bennett, chairman of the Republican city committee, had named the sub-committee which is to meet a like committee from the county and territorial committee in order to arrange the details of the coming fight and endeavor in some way to bring about a harmonious condition of affairs in the party. The appointees are E. E. Ritchie, Joseph H. Lippman and A. S. Geddes. If the entire desire is to bring about harmony it is somewhat doubtful if the appointments made will do much in the desired direction. Chairman W. F. James, of the county committee, will have the appointing of his branch of the party machine and of course he will appoint rampant supporters of his own.

There is Bad Blood.

There is a party feud between James and two members of the new committee, Messrs. Ritchie and Lippman. In the case of Ritchie the trouble came up during the last campaign, when Ritchie had some idea of running for the constitutional convention, but offered to keep out of the race if James wanted to stay in. James was coy. He wanted the nomination. In fact he wanted it very badly. He had a very large sized gubernatorial bee buzzing in his bonnet and thought to make a reputation as a statesman in the convention. But he believed himself big enough to let the office seek the man and would not announce himself as a candidate. He wanted the nomination tendered to him by a humble and servile party, bowing low before his greatness.

Ritchie Was Beaten.

It happened, however, that Ritchie did not see it in that way. He put his friends to work and the end was that James' own ward went to Ritchie. The latter would have been nominated, had it not been that "certain considerations" caused him to withdraw from the race after victory was secure. That is how James came to be nominated and that is the reason of the very bad blood between him and the committeeman with whom he is trying to patch up harmony.

The trouble with Lippman comes through the management of the campaign, in which he and James had several serious disputes. Last year James was dictatorial in all the affairs of the city and caused all the committees to be at loggerheads. Unless he is removed from the head of the county committee, harmony will be an utter impossibility in the machine here.