The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-10-26

wards, the same to be under the contro
of the watermaster in each ward,
Section 24-It shall be the duty of the
city watermaster to appoint one OF
more assistant watermasters in each of
the bishops wards of the city, who shall
act under his direction, and the assist.
ant rwatermasters shall distribute the
water to the inhabitants of their respec-
tive wards in such manner as they NAV
deem necessary and just.
Section 23-It shall be the d., OF the
watermaster to adjudicate all difficult
/ ties arising from the distribution of wa
ter in the several wards.
Section 29-It shall also be the duty
/ OF the watermaster to report quarterly
! his proceedings to the City Council
commencing on the first Tuesdays OF
March, June, September and Deem
Der OF each year and to recommend
such Improvements as he may deem
| necessary for their action.
| Again, in the charter of Salt Lake
| City, Section Il: The Mayor and Alder
men shall have exclusive jurisdiction in
! ali cases arising under the ordinances of
! the city, and issue such process as may
be necessary to carry such ordinances
! into execution and effect.
Also the City Council shall have ex-
elusive authority and power to establish
and regulate the police of the city
and for the peace, good order,
regulation and convenience and cleanli-
ness of the city, for the protection of
property therein from destruction by
| fire or otherwise, and for the health,
safety and happiness of the inhabitants
| thereof
There is in these sections of the laws
of Salt Lake City abundance of proof
positive that the inhabitants of the dry
! benches of this city have an equal right
to the water flowing therein and that it
is the unmistakable duty of the City
| Council to instruct the watermastel to
! do his duty for the health, happiness
and comfort of The people and also to
preserve their property from the danger
of fire.
AS it is and has been ever since the
birth, as it were, of our city, if fire oc-
Cured on the benches, it had to burn
everything up; there has been no relief,
| the fire engine would be of no use above
the water line; lives might BE lost and
property utterly consumed because the
| peoples rights in this respect have been
WIDELY disregarded by the corporation
created by them purposely to admin
lister to all their just rights.
nCll hlA1lG VIC. TIC vi
these bench lands, have been for these
twelve years cheated out OF our
rights, causing toll and suffering to SO
many from youth to old age, and re-
peatedly entreated our City Fathers for
relief and have been willing TO even ac-
cept of the surplus water in order to
avoid such toll for ourselves and fam
lies from the dTudgery of packing
water I'D hill for many blocks for many
years, yet deaf ear has been turned to
all our entres ties and still the same thing
continues, although the City Council
have the printed laws in their poses
sion and it may safely be presumed that
they can each read them.
What can be done under these circum-
stances2 Shall we continue to suffer in
silence and contentment, or shall we
unite as a man to compel our rights to
be surrendered to us? We have the law
on our side, as have shown to you, and
If we contend for our rights, We can OBJ
tain them.
It is not only US who live in this gen
Grafton, but our children after as who
will suffer, if we do not now, while we
can, obtain justice and an equal distri-
button of the water flowing into this
city.
We 10 not now feel justified in begging
for a miserable, unreliable pittance of
the water which is annually wasted. We
can not claim surface water, but we can
and do claim our equal rights with all
other citizens.
The depreciation of our property in
consequence of our vested rights being
withheld from US would foot up large
sum in the aggregate, amounting to
thousands of dollars, which deprecia-
ton we cannot believe has been caused
through ignorance. ~
The man who i afraid to ask for that
which belongs to him ''when he sees it
enjoyed by another" for fear of the
consequences, is -.
But now, fellow-citizens, stand up for
YOUR rights. We ask for nothing more,
ing we shall gain the respect of all
good men and our generations after us
viii know that their forefathers We Q
free men, not in bondage to any man or
set of men.
But while maintaining our right to an
equal distribution of the waters flowing
into our city, let us do what we do de-
Gently. 1t will not look well for Us to
indulge in NEAR and contemptuous
SneerS and insults. We have been
served so by those who ought to have
known better, and we did not like it.
But let US act as gentlemen under the
circumstances, and fearlessly demand
our rights in proper manner of those
whose business it is to distribute them,
and if they viii not do their duty by us,
compel them by the law; but that
should and will be our last resort, yet
it must unwillingly be applied if all
other resources fail. We mean TO have
our rights!
We have been indirectly instructed
not to bring religion into our contro-
versy. What are we to do? Can we
do as the Quaker did, take off our coats
and throw them down and say, Lay
there, religion, while 1 lick this man 2"
No! My coat won't come off; / carry
my religion with me, in my every act,
and when cannot engage in anything
without stripping off my religion, I'll
quit.
We can do right and act as men of
honor while contending for our priv
leges, and keep our religion with us. 1t
Is a good thing for those who have got
it to take it into the fight with them,
and stand or fall with it for compan-
ion. We shall be able to do better with
it than without it.
We are not craving after the waters
OF Dry Canyon. We want, as free citi-
zens of Salt Lake City, an equal por--