The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-12
FUSION TICKETS.

Some people have criticised, in rather
severe terms, the fusion ticket OF the Peo-
ple's party and the Independent Working
men of this county in the late election
Some Of the arguments adduced have not
been wanting in weight, while others have
been light, not to say foolish. similar
case occurs in New York city quite fire.
quently, where the Republican party joins
with one wing of the Democratic party in
the attempt to defeat Tammny Hall.
The New Y ork Mail and ErprSss, one OF
the most pronounced of partisan papers for
the Republican party, discusses the justin
cation for fusion tickets in these words:
| Why should it 1.-THE Republican partyl yield
the mayoralty, as it always has done, to Sec
ton of the Democracy much inferior to it
in numbers?' The answer is obious enough.
Because the ticket will be beaten if it does not
do so. Right or wrong, this is the fact, and
Messrs. SMITH, BLISS. AMMIpowN and the
other members of the committee are perfectly
| well aware of it. It is useless TO argue about
| the claims" the rights and the duty to 1t
self y of the Republican party when it is known
that demand for these rights" will END with
defeat at the polls.
AS matter of fact, about all the thoroughly
good government that New York has enjoyed
| in the last twenty years has been the outcome
of fusion movements. If the election of a
President were the issue, there would be
plenty to say in defence of standing by
straight party nominations in order to pre-
serve party organization. But no such
argument prevails in municipal poll.
tics Party lines are loosely drawn;
the issue is the efficient business management
oF, oil int
ests of every citizen. The question before every
voter is, how can secure the most capable and
honest control of city matters? If the Repub-
ilcan party means to nominate thoroughly good
men, its motive is commendable. But it ought
to know by experience that the best of its can
didates will never reach Office except through q
compromise ticket with the best elements OF
the Democracy.
AS in most other human affairs, the ques-
ton of fusion tickets is simply a practical
one--how to secure the pest government
under the present circumstances. We shall
be very foolish politicians, as well as very
clumsy moralists, if we refuse to unite
with the party of citizens that will secure
to us the best attainable control of public
affairs. When it IS not possible, from any
cause, to elect the very best men to office
it is the clear duty of the citizen to cleo
the next best if he can. 1t is not always
easy to subordinate strict party
} feeling to the common interest Tht
very nature of government, how
: ever, makes it simply a cancellation
of conflicting interests. To refuse to &C
cept the best government that it is possible
to get under the circumstances, because w,
) think some other that it is impossible t.
: have would be better one, is not the con
i clusion that the wisest men have usual,
l reached. Unless we adopt sort of slidin
) scale, and do what can be done even whel
S we cannot do the very best that might b
done under other circumstances, we shal
n have to choose the worst instead of tn
: second best.
: Thus, if we cannot elect our whole ticket
e is it not the next best to elect part of it!
S If we cannot keep the saloons closed a.
g day Sunday, is it not the next best thing
e keep them closed part of the time!
). If we cannot prohibit intemperance, is
: not the next best thing to restrain it!
: And so on all through the various prae
It tical questions with which we have to dea
# All true progress is a compromise with eA
r listing conditions.