The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-10-28
rHr~oLD CANAL" CONTROVERSY

Il Nr. Ellerbeck. our respected towns
nan, thought he could make out cas-
in the interest of truth and principle s.
plain and irrefutable that the wayfar
ing man of the Tribune. though al
idiot, would not try to crawl away from
and kick up a cloud of dust to hide
from the eyes of its readers, no doub
he thinks differently, after wadinl
through the column and over of slusf
with which it attempts to reply to hi!
candid and convincing array OF facts II
Sundays issue of that sheet. Indeed
we hardly believe that he had such an
idea. for any old citizen must know that
facts of any kind are among the last
things the Tribune has any use for
People, generally, have lost all conf
dence in it, if they ever had any,
either as a teller of truth or retractor
Of falsehood, unless under fear of the
hOrseWhip.
The Tribune says, in relation to Mr..
Ellerbeck's statement that the old canal
cost the city $S,16427 instead of SAC, 900,
as asserted by that paper: "This is the
first word of explanation which has
been published on this account. though
the transaction was years ago. and
there has been endless heart-burnings
SINCE" Please overlook the bad gram
mar Of that sentence, and think only of
the beauty of that "heart-burning"
phrase, another rhetorical pet of this
EDITORS. But the truth Is that there
have been plenty of explanations
published on that account, and
there has never been a day since
the transaction was made that the
press of this city, Tribune and ALL could
not have had facts and figures to pub
lish for the asking. Sufficient time has
elapsed, however, since they last ap-
peared in print for the public te only
dinly recolIect the details, and this
gives the Tribune its favorite oppor-
tunity of reiterating the ancient false
hood and making necessary another de-
NAL. And even now, after this
latest showing by Mr.. Ellerbeck, who is
there that does not feel certain that, at
the end of what the Tribune considers
a safe lapse of time, the old forty
thousand dollar lie will be repeated
again in its columns, utterly regardless
Of. this refutation or any of its pre-
decessors2
The scurrilous writer tries to make a
point against the City Council, for not
making a formal statement of details
in relation to cost, construction. bonds,
ETC.. of the canal, and says, with an at
tempt at being pointed: do honest
men really enjoy being called robbers2"
No. the supposition is that they do not,
but Bsither does one enjoy the fruitless
task of kicking back at every little
terrier that runs out of its kennel to
bark at him as he goes by. A sens bic
nan prefers to let the insignificant
canine bark itself tired, well knowing
that a kick or look would only
encourage it to keep up the racket
still longer. No wonder the city
fathers, knowing the character Of
the Tribune, and how Yain the effort 10
satisfy 1t, even with proof as clear as
that which convicted Catalina, should
remain silent under its assaults all
these years To do otherwise would not
only have been 8 waste of time bgt
condescension of dignity. There is
hardly sentence in the T-ibupe's
reply to Mr.. Ellerbeck that could not
be answered by the word Lie" with
strictest truth and propriety. The
public records which it says were never
kept. psre kept, and the City Auditor
mas them in his possession, ready for !
examination by any citizen.
"Inconclusion, " says the disingenious
sheet. I'VE viii wager Mr.. Ellerbeck I
two te one and viii leave the decision !
TO himself, that he viii not frankly /
state that ne believes this city govern /
ment has been in all essential respects
honestly conducted for 6Ye years past, 4
or mat the Official reports have been
Just to the taxpayers. /" Ii Mr.. Eller
beck wishes TO confound once more this
mendaeious scribbler, he can very
easily do so, as the city records are
ready and awaiting his examination,
but it could only be vast OF time, for
even when completely "aabbergasted''
by evidence, the fellow could
still say: "Oh, Mr.. Ellerbeck, but
how am to know that you
are frank in so stating" and so crawl
again out the controversy. Besides, if
Mr.. Ellerbeck should win, even in the
admission of the Tribune, how would he
recover his two to one" to pay which,
even in dimes or nickels. Rould knock
the bankrupt concern irreparably upon