The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-09
"A DEPARTURE.

President HARRISON starts out as if he
understood the party platform was meant
Tor something more than declaration to be
made to the country before election and
forgotten as soon as the oath of Office has
been taken. Party platforms, as a rule, are
very good. Lived up to strictly they would
be beneficial to the country, no matter
which party promulgated them. But the
practice has been to ignore, if not the en-
tire platform, numerous planks in it, and
truth conpels the confession that neither
OF the great political organizations has ever
lived up strictly to its ante-election prom
ises. Even President CLEVELAND fire.
quently forgot that before the election he
unequivocally accepted and subscribed to
platform which did not guide him in his
administration. This was strikingly the
case in the matter of appointments to fed
eral offices in the territories. AS to Utah
we can recall but one bona fide citizen who
was appointed to an Office here by CLBvE-
LAND. There was another who was resid-
ing here at the time, but he was here as
a federal official, came here as an official
and had been continuously in Office, CLEvE-
LAND promoting him to a more lucrative
place. The other territories Jared little
better, non-residents being given most of
the offices in defiance of the platform
declaration that bona fide citizens of the
dependencies, residents therein, should
have the Offices
THE HRRALD's special from Washington
this morning says that President HARRISON
proposes to make the plank in the Chicago
platform in reference to the territorial
offices a living thing, meaning just what it
says. Senator SToCKBRIDGE, of Michigan,
went to the president with a request for
one Of the offices in a territory for friend.
. We imagine the place desired is in Utah. for
Michigan, from time immemorial and under
all administrations, has held mortgage on
at least one of the federal offices in this
territory. 1t must have astounded Stock
BRIDGE when the president informed him
that he proposed filling the territorial
offices with residents of the territories,
and that he would not consider applica
tions for these places from any other
source" The departure from the
rule was so radical that it must have non
plussed the applicant, as the senators have
always regarded these offices as places in
which to put constituents who demanded
rewards for services rendered. HARRISON
is represented as saying to Senator PLAT,
afterwards, that lit is my purpose to
stand squarely on the plank in our national
platform regarding home-rule in the terri
tories" that he did not regard it as mere
empty phrase, but a solemn pledge, which
he was bound to respect, which he should do.
If President HARRISON shall stand by
this position he will be most popular in
the territories, though he may disappolnt
and give offense to the politicians. 1t will
not be giving the dependencies home-rule,
for the men placed in the offices will be
local politicians selected by the president
instead of chosen by the people; but it
will go as far in the direction Of home-rule
as the president can go.
THB HERALD has before expressed the
hope and it reiterates the wish that an ex-
ception will be made in the case OF Utah.
This territory is unlike any other in the
character of its population. tits difficult to
find men here without very pronounced
prejudices, and these preiudices extend
beyond party politics The conservative
men aren not the ones who would be likely to
get the offices, but the radical, fre-eating
fellows who would make it a point to keep
the community in a turmoil. There is less
TO be apprehended from strangers than
from local citizens, considering that the
local citizens who would almost necessarily
get the offices would represent only a rabid,
irresponsible and insignificant minority Of
the population. If President HARRISON can
be made to understand the situation in
Utah, he will mako an exception of this
territory in the matter of appointments to
Office He will send US wise, conservative
men from the states, and give them in
structions to administer the laws fearlessly
and fairly.