The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-20

the non-M ormons had five members out of
thirty six, and in tne present legislature
they have eight. The amount of patronage
this appointive power, added to what he
already has, would give the governor Of
Utah, is greater in point of numbers than
that enjoyed By the governor of any state
in the union. l submit that it is danger
Gus power to place in the hands of any
man, be he whom he may. To control,
through his appointees, the assessment and
disbursement of the taxes, licenses, fines
and other revenue Of twenty-four counties
OF territory embracing a population of
over two hundred thousand people, with
assessable property, based on very low
valuation, of nearly fifty-two millions of
dollars, is power no man should possess
or desire
To point out the power proposed to be
conferred upon federal appointee by this
bill, is enough to condemn it without any
other argument There is one singular
feature about the measure to which, in
passing, l desire to call your attention.
While it provides that the governor should
appoint the assessor, who makes the asses
ment of the peoples taxes, and the select
men, who disburse them, by its silence on
the subject it leaves to the dear people the
privilege OF electing the collector of
the taxes, who performs what is often
disagreeable duty, thus virtually saying to
the people of the territory: 1.-THE COVER
nor's appointee is to assess our taxes, the
governors appointees are to eXpend your
taxes, but you, the people, are graclously
permitted to do the collecting. You fur
nish US the money and we will eXpend it"
This is certainly a most generous privi-
| lege. 1t cannot be claimed that this is nee
essacy, because the men heretofore elected
to Office in the several counties of the ter
ritory have been unfaithful to their trust
or derelict in the discharge of their
duties. On the contrary, the af-
fairs of the several counties have
been judiciously and economically
administered with, single exception. Du-
ring an administration extending over
forty years there has been no defalcation
among the officers elected by the people.
The exception referred to was in Salt
Lake county and the loss was settled by
the bondsmen of the defaulter without suit
There is no bonded Indebtedness existing
in any county of the territory and nearly
all the counties have large cash balances in
their treasures. While these duties have
been thus faithfully performed, the sala-
ries of the officers have been very moder
ate. 1t has not been the policy in Utah tC
pay extrayagant or even high salaries
The consequence has been, that men have
not sought Office, because of its emolu-
ments, but rather the Office has sought the
man and he has accepted it as an evidence
of confidence on the part of his fellow-citi
Zens.
1t will thus be seen that upon whatever
ground this bill is placed it is untenable
whether the design is to subserve the
public interest, to Cypress the Mormons
or to placate the gentiles. With the politi
cal control which the non Mormons have
in some localities and which they claim
they will have in others in the near future
it is reasonable to assume that even they
will regard with jealousy and disfavor tn,
election of officers by the ''Other man
power instead of by the sufrages of tn,
people