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The rash of lawsuits against the smelting industry in Salt Lake County, UT, in 1904-1906 was an example of the Progressive reform attitude prevalent in America during the period. The progressive attitude is seen as a 'status revolution' of the old middle class, who felt threatened by smelter operators. These smelting capitalists even attempted to take control of local politics, further alienating the farmers, the representative middle class, who felt it was their area of concern.