Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-05


furnished by the purling waters Of City
Creek. 1t is sweet song, and has a
pleasant sound as it falls upon the
sleeping ear.
"If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of IT, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again; II had dying fall.
o, IL came DER my ear like the sweet south,
Tint breathes upon bank of volets
Stealing, and giving odor"
The taxpayers will have their surfeit Of
this crystalline music that sounds upon the
air. Salt Lake City must have water,
and who can so well furnish the water as
the owners of the two hundred and twenty
acres upon which are situated the "'Old
Saw Mill Water Power the 'Old EN-
pire Mill Water Power, the New Marble
Works Water Power and the large
gravel beds formerly used by the city for
grading purposes?" If anyone thinks
that il is rather high TO pay $4,000 for
this same two hundred and twenty acres,
let such pause and think what might have
been. Many people think that the very
bad is good because the very bad might
have been much worse. On this theory,
let every good and law-abiding citizen
think what might have been. In place OF
$50, 900 for two hundred and twenty acres
of land upon which are situated the cold
Saw Mill Water Power" the cold EN-
pire Mill Water Power" the New Mar
BILE Works Water Power" and "the large
gravel beds formerly worked by the city
for street grading purposes" the price
might have been $500 10000, and our gra
cious city fathers, the guardians of our
peace, the cleaners and beautifers OF our
streets, our city fathers sans peur et sans
reprOche, would have paid the price. 1t
may be asked if the taxpayers did not
elect the city fathers to be public SER
wants, and we answer, yes. But the tax
payers should remember that "Y cannot
serve two masters" Whom shall our
city fathers, those living examples of
great and good men, serve, their tempor-
al or their spiritual masters? What
shall it profit man if he gains the whole
world and lose heaven? Naught. Would
any taxpayer be sohard-heated, soselfsh,
80 un-Christian as to deprive our city
fathers of their eternal salvation? And
that would be the case were they to re-
fuse to pay the price asked for his hum
dred and twenty acres OF land. What is
$4,000? A mere nothing; sum some
what in excess OF the city revenue
derived from taxes for one year; that is
all. At best it is but small tribute paid
by each taxpayer for little more than
one year because we are all in the Glands
OF the Lord" Doany complain OF this? If
any such there be, let them remember
that the Lord hath given and the Lord
hath taken away. Blessed be the name
OF the Lord"
The scoffer, the unbeliever, the re-
deemed, and perhaps irredeem-
able, may think that 5000 is so
great price for this to be notori-
GUS two hundred and twenty acres OF
land, together with the wonderful
water privileges, that he will ask if there
were no other method by which it could
be obtained, if essential to the city, than
by paying without question the price
asked Yes the law provides IL way,
which is for the city to 90 into court and
ask for the appointment OF three apprais-
ers to set price upon the land, and have
it condemned. This is the proper course
to pursue when there is difference be-
the parties rs to the price to be paid for
land, and one of the parties has the
right OF eminent domain. But upon re-
flection, we are convinced that such q
proceeding, considering who the parties
are, the Mormon church on the one side
and Salt Lake City on the other, would
be violation of that 'inspired instru-
ment'-the Constitution.
But to cease sarcasm and raillery, why
do not the City Council treat the matter
as it is II matter OF business and nothing
else? Ii they have not the manhood and
moral courage to deal honestly and fairly
with the city funds, will they have the
manhood and moral courage to say that
they dare not so act in the present case
for fear of the anathemas OF their church
This parade, this play OF independence
on the part of our city officials, is far
more sickening and revolving than their
absolute slavery itself Their independ-
ence their manhood Bah they are
but. puppets in the hands OF their eccles-
iastic masters. Ii they had the courage
to say that they believe that their church
has Il divine right to rule in political mat
ters, IL divine right on account of itself
and without regard 10 the individual
members composing it, they would be en-
titled to respect; but as it is they are en-
titled to nothing but contempt and loath-
ing. Let the taxpayers OF this city and
the people OF the common country un-
derstand that the City Council give TO the
Mormon church at least $25 900 because
the City Council Of Salt Lake City are
members OF that church and dare not do
their duty lest they will be 'ostracised. !"
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CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS.