The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-02-11
THAT Trick"

1t is a characteristic argument on the
part of the Liberal soreheads. this
allegation that the offer os the part Of
the Mormon majority to admit the
Gentle minority to a generous repre-
sentation in the City Council Is not
sincere but is trick. 1t is character
istic, because it Is unreasonable and
idiotic. Those who present it say there
is trick in the tender; that in little
while the MorIaons will be compelled to
surrender all, and that they give up a
little noT merely to appear generous.
, Where is the logic in the yielding now
because you may he called upon at
some future time to surrender? No
one will assert that the Mormons could
not have elected to every office in the
municipality this year, whatever may
be their strength two years hence; no
body will say that the giving up of two
seventies of the Council now will make
them any stronger at the next election.
Therefore, what have the People to gain
in a political sense by taking four
Liberals into the City Council
Absolutely nothing, and nobody knows
it better than the men who are de-
nouncing the fusion as trick.
But it is also alleged that the scheme
is in the interest of the statehood move
ment, though not one who has asserted
this has explained how that can be. II
a Gentle is opposed to statehood, the
fact that he is a member of the City
Council will not convert him and his
friends to the theory that the
Territory should be admitted TO
the Union. His participation il
the municipal government is not
going to act as an argument against q
political opinion he may have formed
Itmay be stated here, just as it has
been asserted by some of the gentle
men who addressed the meeting held
during the week, that refusal by the
Gentiles to accept the offer of the
Peoples party would have given the
latter an excellent argument with which
to have gone before Congress and the
country. It would have furnished most
convincing proof of the correctness OF
the oft-repeated allegation that the Lib.
erals were opposed to peace and
harmony, just as the malcontent fac
ton is proving itself to be.
The truth is simply that which has
appeared on the surface and is known
10 all. The People, understanding
better than anybody that they
were in the overwhelming majority
and couId control the city government
at least for two years without the slight
est fear of disturbance, nevertheless
taxpayers, and were interested in the
gene. al welfare OF the city. The ma
iority felt that as matter of right the
minority were entitled to voice in the
government and to say in the direc-
tion of the expenditure of the money
which they contribute to the support
of the municipality. 1t was also knowH
that the city was on the eve OF 9
"boom," which would involve the
adoption of more progressive
policy than that which had beer
pursued, and that vast and expensive
Improvements must be undertaken. AL
these considerations suggested the
propriety, the wisdom and the justice
of a representative municipal govern
ment such as has been arranged for
There was no trick in the business, mol
was one contemplated. When tricks
are attempted, they are in the interest
of the perpetrators, and no one can
suggest the possibility of material OF
political advantage accruing to those
who are accused of this allapad trick