1908 Utah gubernatorial election

none related races 1908 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1908 Utah gubernatorial election Utah 1903 Presidential no 1904 Utah gubernatorial election 1904 1912 Utah gubernatorial election 1912 November 3, 1908 William Spry (cropped).jpg William Spry Republican Party (United States) 52,913 47.30% File:JesseWilliamKnight.png 150x150px Jesse William Knight Democratic Party (United States) 43,375 38.78% File:JohnAStreet.png John A. Street American #AAAAAA 11,472 10.26% 1908 Utah gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 230px County results Spry: #FFB2B2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80% Knight: #A5B0FF 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% Governor John Christopher Cutler Republican Party (United States) William Spry Republican Party (United States) The 1908 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1908. Republican nominee William Spry defeated Democratic nominee Jesse William Knight with 47.45% of the vote. Republican nomination Incumbent governor John C. Cutler, while briefly intended to do so, declined to seek a second term. He dropped out after realizing he had lost support of Senator Reed Smoot and the "Federal Bunch," a group of powerful, federal-level Republicans in Utah. Cutler was part of the group before, and they gave him backing for the nomination against incumbent governor Heber Wells in 1904. He believed if he ran, he would split the party, and instead endorsed William Spry, chairman of the Republican State Committee in 1904, a former member of the Utah House of Representatives, and a US marshal.2016-01-04 William Spry https://www.nga.org/governor/william-spry/ 2024-08-14 National Governors AssociationJohn C. Cutler utahstatecapitol.utah.gov https://utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/john-c-cutler/ 2024-08-14 utahstatecapitol.utah.govSalt Lake Tribune 1908-07-12 Page 1 Governor Cutler to Quit the Race https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s693247w/13971219 2024-08-14 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enTruth 1908-06-27 Page 12 Mr. Cutler Announces His Candidacy https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6ns26b2/20665869 2024-08-14 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en Democratic nomination Democrats attempted to court mining magnate Jesse Knight for the nomination. At first, it was seen that Knight would accept the nomination, and David Evans, one of Knight's closest business associates, was so confident he'd win the general election, he offered to place a large bet in his favor. However, when Evans asked Knight about the nomination on a train in Logan, he declined. Evans reportedly used every argument to change his mind, but to no avail. Evans left the train at Brigham City in disgust, and tore off his "Knight badge" in anger. Evans stated that Knight told him that "...he had had Judge Whitecotton of Provo look up the duties of the governors office and that he found them to be exceedingly onerous. He said that he was 63 years old that he felt that he had neither the time nor the strength to give to the position." Knight himself would also state that he regretted the disappointment he caused, but would say that his business ventures wouldn't give him time to fulfill the duties of the office.Salt Lake Herald-Republican 1908-09-23 Page 6 Jesse Knight Expresses Regret at Being Unable to Accept Honor https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6s47xrq/10425816 2024-08-14 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Telegram 1908-08-20 Page 8 Jesse Knight Not in the Running for Governor of Utah https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6gt6vg1/16815103 2024-08-14 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en On October 3, the Democratic State Committee met at the office of James Moyle to pick a new candidate, in which they choose a new name: Jesse William Knight, son of Jesse Knight.Salt Lake Tribune 1908-10-03 Page 16 Jesse Will Knight Democratic Moses https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6zp5h8s/13975369 2024-08-14 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en On October 10, the committee hosted a rally/convention at a theater in Provo, formally putting forth J. William Knight's name for the Democratic nominee for governor. The Salt Lake Herold-Republican reported that the theater "...was packed to the doors with a crowd that also surrounded the theatre and filled the street. Those in this crowd [who] were too far away to hear but not too far away to cheer which they did long and enthusiastically taking their cues from the more fortunate auditors who were close enough to hear the speakers. The affair took on more of the as aspect of an inauguration than a notification." After the "notification" was made, a crowd of a 1,000 people marched from the theater to the home of William Knight, with two bands at the front and back, and each person carrying a torch light. After arriving, the "crowd cheered long and wildly" until William Knight came down to his porch, in which immediately "cannons were fired and Roman candles shot off, horns were tooted and the entire throng joined in cheering the combined noises making an uproar that was deafening." To add to the spectacle, a bonfire was also made outside Knight's residence from attendees carrying lumber and boxes. Knight then grab an American flag from hanging from his residence, which he then waved, increasing the cheering so much that "...it might almost have been heard in Salt Lake by Mr. Spry."Salt Lake Herald-Republican 1908-10-11 Page 1 "Cousin Jesse" Notified amid Wild Enthusiasm https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6pr91fz/11989503 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enInter-Mountain Republican 1908-10-11 Page 2 J. William Knight Now Knows Worst https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s69s2p25/4018895 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Tribune 1908-10-11 Page 1 News Broken to J. William Knight https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s65m7gvx/14004528 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en The crowd, along with Knight, then marched back to the theater, in which Knight rejected a car ride by judge Powers, a previous democratic nominee for congress, and instead opted to walk along with the crowd and shake hands. Arriving back at the theater, the nomination was offered to J. William Knight, in which he accepted, and gave a speech emphasizing the national democratic platform, supporting presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan, supporting public schools and industrial growth, and declaring that he will "not be partisan In executing the law of the state." After his speech, his father, Jesse Knight, then came onto the stage. Before the Democratic chairman was even halfway into introducing him, the audience was already shouting "Uncle Jesse" until the audience "exhausted its breath." Jesse Knight, in bouts of cheers from the audience, bore "testimony" that "Jesse William Knight will make you a much better governor than I would have made."Salt Lake Herald-Republican 1908-10-11 Page 9 https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6pr91fz/11989461 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en Third-party nominations The American Party, an anti-Mormonism party formed in September 1904 from angry supporters of Thomas Kerns after he was ousted as a senator due to Reed Smoot,Dean May Utah: A People's History 1987 University of Utah Press 978-0-87480-284-9 162 nominated judge John A. Street. Their main issues centered on removing church influence from state politics, with their 1908 platform stating "In short, we condemn the church commercialism which crushes out individual effort and deprives men of their rights to a free field trade." Their platform mainly criticized Republicans, and pointed to their inaction on allegations of people practicing polygamy.Salt Lake Tribune 1908-09-29 Page 1 [Illegible] Mass Convention Nominates State Ticket https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6698dn0/13969926 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en Campaign Labor, anti-trust sentiment, tariffs, personality, and LDS influence in politics were all major issues of the campaign. William Knight and state Democrats campaigned on policies in favor of the "working men," as well as anti-trust legalization. Knight positioned himself as an outsider to politics, compared to Spry who had been a part of Republican party politics for more than a decade, and campaigned on William Jennings Bryan's national platform, as well as his business experience. On the American Party and LDS issue, Democrats accused Republicans of fearmongering Mormon-Democrats to vote Republican in fears of an American Party victory, and called for an end to pre-justice and to promote peace in Utah politics. Republicans were also accused of running as a corrupt political machine. Democrats, like previous elections, were underfunded.Salt Lake Tribune 1908-10-31 Page 16 Democrats Hold Red-Hot Rallies https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6k374sf/14038950 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Herald-Republican 1908-11-03 Page 2 Urged to be True https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6rj5q2b/11992482 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Herald-Republican 1908-11-03 Page 1 Big Wave of Democratic Enthusiasm Sweeps City https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6rj5q2b/11992478 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Herald-Republican 1908-11-03 Page 2 Knight at Bingham https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6rj5q2b/11992487 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Herald-Republican 1908-11-01 Page 8 The Battle's End https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6126z45/11992058 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Tribune 1908-10-29 Page 3 The "I'll Tickle You; You Ticket Me' Club! https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6th9xtg/14038372 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Herald-Republican 1908-11-03 Page 2 Jesse Knight Supports His Son's Candidacy and Tells Facts About Senator Smoot https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6rj5q2b/11992484 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enSalt Lake Tribune 1908-11-03 Page 10 Jesse William Knight, Democratic Candidate for Governor, Addresses People of Utah https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6sn1m2x/14040098 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en Spry was presented as a calm, level headed business man, and campaigned on agriculture, with promises of full investment into the State Agricultural College if he became governor. Spry also campaigned across the state, traveling to the southern portions of Utah, and campaigned on William Taft's polices. Republicans, like in 1904, gained favor from Mormon voters due to anti-Mormon sentiment from the American Party, and benefited from would-be democratic voters voting for the American Party.Ogden Daily Standard 1908-10-29 Page 4 Our next Governor https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s60k3b7s/6673024 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enInter-Mountain Republican 1908-11-01 Page 1 Spry and Howell Talk at Logan https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6qv4jmv/4022921 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enInter-Mountain Republican 1908-10-26 Page 1 Candidates Back from State Trip https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6hb0370/4021842 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enDaily Utah State Journal 1908-11-02 Page 4 https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s66746b8/29728526 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en A false article was printed stating that John A. Street would be dropping out of the race and endorsing William Knight, but this was debunked and Street remained on the American ticket.Salt Lake Tribune 1908-10-15 Page 2 Judge Street's Name Will Remain on Ticket https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s60z8df0/13960082 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en William Spry would go on to win the election with 47.30% of the vote against J. William Knight's 38.78% of the vote. John A. Street would take 10.26% of the vote, up nearly 2.5 points from American Party nominee William Ferry Jr's total in 1904 at 7.82%. Spry's total would be 2.7 points less than John C. Cutler's victory amount at nearly 50% of the vote in 1904. Knight improved on James Moyle's 1904 performance at 37.40% by nearly 1.4 points. Notably, Knight did very well in Juab County, the location of the Tintic Smelter, and Knightsville, a now ghost-town named after and run by Jesse Knight, his father. Knight took 52.3% of Juab's vote compared Spry's 39.5%.Edwards J. A. Seventh Report of the Bureau of Statistics of the State of Utah for the Years 1907-1908 1909 The Tribune-Reporter Company Salt Lake City 70 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.102188384&seq=314 30 December 2025 thumb|A pro-Democratic cartoon featuring Republican candidate Spry and Senator Reed Smoot General election Candidates Major party candidates William Spry, Republican Jesse William Knight, Democratic Other candidates John A. Street, American V. R. Bohman, Socialist Results 1908 Utah gubernatorial electionUtah State Archives, Abstract of the Returns of an Election held in the State of Utah, Tuesday, November 3rd, 1908, for Presidential Electors, for Representative in the Sixty-first Congress of the U.S., for State Officers, and for District Officers in Districts comprising more than one County, and for the Adoption or Rejection of Proposed Amendments to Constitution of This State.State Canvassing Board's Official Election Returns https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85058130/1908-11-28/ed-1/?sp=2 30 December 2025 The Salt Lake Herald 28 November 1908 Salt Lake City 2Official Vote of the State of Utah https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045396/1908-11-28/ed-1/?sp=12 30 December 2025 The Salt Lake Tribune 28 November 1908 Salt Lake City 12Some sources give the totals as Spry 52,913; Knight 43,266; Street 11,404; and Bohman 3,936. These figures come the 1908 Secretary of State's report. However, the original handwritten canvass, held at the state archives in Salt Lake City, gives different totals (except for Spry) which were widely reported in newspapers of the day and also in the report of the state Bureau of Statistics, headed by the State Auditor. The differences are primarily in Salt Lake County but the Secretary of State's report contains several typos that lead to different results. Republican Party (United States) William Spry 52,913 47.30% -2.67% Democratic Party (United States) Jesse William Knight 43,375 38.78% +1.38% American #AAAAAA John A. Street 11,472 10.26% +2.43% Socialist Party of America V. R. Bohman 4,095 3.66% -1.15% 111,855 100.00% 9,538 8.53% Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) -4.04% Results by county County William SpryRepublican Jesse William KnightDemcoratic John A. StreetAmerican V. R. BohmanSocialist Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # %Beaver87952.20%74244.06%392.32%241.43%1378.14%1,684Box Elder2,24257.90%1,53139.54%601.55%391.01%71118.36%3,872Cache3,57649.74%3,53249.12%320.45%500.70%440.61%7,190Carbon83148.94%76144.82%241.41%824.83%704.12%1,698Davis1,62752.33%1,41945.64%331.06%300.96%2086.69%3,109Emery98849.15%83041.29%422.09%1507.46%1587.86%2,010Garfield70866.86%30728.99%40.38%403.78%40137.87%1,059Grand22046.32%22647.58%122.53%173.58%-6-1.26%475Iron68653.14%52240.43%80.62%755.81%16412.70%1,291Juab1,31839.53%1,74452.31%240.72%2487.44%-426-12.78%3,334Kane39576.11%12223.51%00.00%20.39%27352.60%519Millard89048.74%86147.15%422.30%331.81%291.59%1,826Morgan45754.02%32838.77%00.00%617.21%12915.25%846Piute29252.05%17731.55%91.60%8314.80%11520.50%561Rich40958.60%27238.97%131.86%40.57%13719.63%698Salt Lake16,92043.31%10,40726.64%10,18926.08%1,5493.97%6,51316.67%39,065San Juan12750.00%12549.21%00.00%20.79%20.79%254Sanpete2,98851.70%2,62045.33%621.07%1101.90%3686.37%5,780Sevier1,52647.19%1,51446.82%300.93%1645.07%120.37%3,234Summit1,31641.58%1,53548.50%1926.07%1223.85%-219-6.92%3,165Tooele96648.79%93046.97%291.46%552.78%361.82%1,980Uintah71744.65%72044.83%402.49%1298.03%-3-0.19%1,606Utah5,29745.72%5,93651.23%1341.16%2201.90%-639-5.51%11,587Wasatch1,07745.81%1,15749.21%311.32%863.66%-80-3.40%2,351Washington71345.88%83553.73%20.13%40.26%-122-7.85%1,554Wayne25846.57%20236.46%00.00%9416.97%5610.11%554Weber5,49052.02%4,02038.09%4213.99%6225.89%1,47013.93%10,553Total52,91347.30%43,37538.78%11,47210.26%4,0953.66%9,5388.53%111,855 Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Grand Summit Uintah Utah Wasatch Aftermath Spry gave a statement after his win, stating "I am very well satisfied with the result. It Is an evidence that the people are satisfied to continue the era of prosperity which they enjoyed under Republican administrations." The Utah legislature would also keep its Republican majority, ensuring the re-election of Reed Smoot.Spanish Fork Press 1908-11-05 Page 4 Utah Republican by Big Majority https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6qr67rn/15132328 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu enOgden Daily Standard 1908-11-04 Page 6 Re-Election of Smoot Assured https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6737snd/6673963 2024-08-15 newspapers.lib.utah.edu en Spry's first term would involve funding the construction of the Utah capital building, which the legislature at first denied, but it would move forward in 1911 when the state received $798,546 in inheritance taxes from the estate of the late multimillionaire Edward H. Harriman.William Spry utahstatecapitol.utah.gov https://utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/william-spry/ 2024-08-15 utahstatecapitol.utah.gov During his administration, legislation would be enacted prohibiting child labor and the sale or distribution of tobacco products to minors, the construction of an armory for the National Guard, and the creation of a state road commission. He also led a successful fight to defeat ratification by Utah of the federal income tax amendment. Calling Utah's tax system "ludicrous," Spry campaigned for reform, but voters rejected constitutional amendments drafted by the legislature in 1912. Prohibition would also complicate his first term, when in 1909 Republican legislators blocked one dry bill and Spry vetoed another. Spry would sign a local option bill in 1911 and vetoed another statewide prohibition bill in 1915, but the move undoubtedly cost him the nomination in 1916 for a future third term.2016-01-04 William Spry https://www.nga.org/governor/william-spry/ 2024-08-15 National Governors AssociationUtah History Encyclopedia https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/s/SPRY_WILLIAM.shtml 2024-08-15 www.uen.org Notes References 1908 Utah Gubernatorial