The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-08-23
]. B. WALDEN'S VIEWS
A Talk with the City Treasurer
on the February Election.
FAvORS ECONOMY AND PROGRESS
An Interesting Interview on the Financial
Condition Of Salt Lake Bearing Upon
the Campaign.

A HERALD reporter called on City Treas
urer Walden with view to ascertaining
the financial condition of the city and its
bearing upon the municipal election; also
his opinion as to the charges of dishonesty
brought against certain members of the
city council by the Tribune. Mr. Walden
said: my prediction :for February is
that there will be a Citizens and Liberal
ticket in the field. The Citizens ticket
will be the natural outgrowth of the
straight Democratic and Republican vote
ombined-adding thereto quite a wing
from the Liberal party-who have not en-
joyed excessive taxation and the alleged
extravaganza of the present council. 1t
will be hard for the Liberal party to put
up frst-class ticket for February, for it
will be difficult thing to get good men to
serve. The Liberal council stands con-
victed today by the Liberal organ of
boodleism, and this smirch will stay with
each one of these councilmen until dooms-
day, unless the Tribune points out the four
boodlers or retracts its statement When
men sit in the council for virtually no
compensation, do their brsiniest and best
to serve the public and keep up their
party, and after all their efforts are
met with a crimson brand by the
organ Of the party that placed
them in power-it is poor incentive prof
Tered for these men to be induced to &C
cept of reelection, or for other good men
who sit quietly by and watch to take their
places. Again, the Liberal party has
grown heir to so many claimants for Office,
of the mud marching, torch bearing type,
! that to appoint men of brains in their stead
would be deemed base ingratitude, if not
impertinence. believe in school and mu
nicipal elections where each tax payer feels
| the powerful effects of direct taxation, that
l'party lines should not be drawn, but that
the business, thinking men of the city, re-
CARELESS of political opinion, should be al
| lowed to participate in the management of
its affairs and say how its revenue should
be expended. The old Peoples party saw
this, and with majority then proportionate
with the Liberal majority now, admitted
into the council Dooley, Roberts, McCor-
nick and Sowles Liberals). No one will
deny that the move was not good one, and
resulted in q more thorough representation
of the taxpaye which, by the way, is
good Democratic doctrine. The present
council, in my opinion, has made some I'm
necessary expenditures, and has been &C
tuated somewhat by party prejudice, but
| the insipuation that dishonesty has crept
into Its dealings is nothing more than an
| outrageous lie, made of whole cloth. Some
of them have worked necessarily for the
city's good and have just become educated
as to the needs of the city. They have
seen where errors have been made, and are
in position to avoid them in the future
The people will do we'll to return such men
| to the council, if they will accept renomin-
alton. A great many Liberals will
not vote a straight Democratic or
Republican ticket in February-be-
! 1slv-
party division. These same Liberals, how
ever, recognize the non Importance of
party lines in municipal elections, and will
vote for a thorough representative of all
interests. The vote in February will SAVIOR
more OF business sagacity than party fer
vor, and the mud marcher and torch carrier
| will cut small swath in influencing votes
The city has issued bonds to the extent of
| 81, 200, 900, and the schools 5000, 900. Should
it be decided that the $500, 600 school bonds
apply upon the bonding capacity of the
| city, then our power to borrow money by
bonding is nearly exhausted. The next
campaign should be fraught with reason
and conservativepess, for there will not be
much money to spend, and men should be
elected who will make it go as far as posi-
BILE. If the citizens here would drop
politics and fol-de-rol about Mormon trick
cry, and start crusade against high-rent
landlord hends, railway determinations
and other existing evils, the town would
fare better. To meet with the require
ments of our city, it will require at least
three or four millions Of dollars but Con
gressloual action must come first, or state
hood, in order that we may be empowered
to issue bouds for this amount In the
meantime, it will be best to confine our ex-
penditures to what is in sight, for the city
is getting to be little bit hard up I de-
light in party politics when it comes to ter
ritorial or congressional elections. Both
SAVIOR Of national politics. But in munich
pal affairs it behooves our citizens to pick
out their most representative men, regard
less of politics, to conduct their govern
ment.