The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-08
THE OGDEN ELECTION.

To-morrow will be great day for our
sister city, Ogden. 1t will decide the fate
OF the city for two years at least. and tell
the people whether or not they are to have
two more years of mis-government, high
taxes and official extravaganza.
Two years ago the Liberals, through
trlckery and fraud, gained control of the
corporation, and entered upon the duties
OF the administration with many promises.
The official term has about expired. and
what record it is that the government
has left! From the commencement there
mas been such extravaganza in eXpendi-
lures, as amounted almost to criminality.
Money was csQuandered most recklessly:
offices were multiplied in order to find
places for favorites; salaries were in
creased; the taxes were raised from 300 TO
100 per cent; improvements were under
taken, put never finished; the municipal
debt was piled up until it could be made no
higher, and finally, the immense revenue
being exhausted, the borrowing limit being
reached, the taxes being as high as the
rulers dared to make them, and the treasury
being exhausted, latterly there has been
resort to the old and ugly plan of standing
off creditors and meeting current bills with
promises to pay some time in the future.
This, in brief, is the financial record
OF the party in power. In other respects
the recood is no better. Ogden had the rep
utation of being one of the most orderly.
peaceful and Iawabiding cities in the re-
public, but within few weeks this repu-
tation was destroyed and Ogden became
known everywhere as the rem devious for
thugs, thieves, gamblers, prostitutes and
the evil classes generally. The whisky sa-
looms multiplied and no attempt was made
to check them. Houses of prosti tuition
were opened and attention was called to
them by Haunting signs over the doorways
gambling houses were established and
the business conducted openly, officers
charged with enforcing the laws
participating in the games. Finally
matters became so bad that the
decent citizens requested the United States
marshal to interfere to save them and re-
store the good name of their city. The
marshal did interfere and tried to enforce
the law, the result being that he incurred
the enmity of the Liberal government
which did its utmost to bring about his re-
moval from office.
We mention these things, not for the pur
pose of bringing discredit upon the vigor
Gus and progressive city, but to remind the
good people there of the duty which they
owe to themselves and their municipal
ity, and which they should perform
at the polls tomorrow. The same politi-
cal party which brought shame and dis
grace upon Ogden by its incompetent ex-
travagant and wicked administration, is
asking to be entrusted with two years more
OF power. The party which increases the
taxes 700 per cent. is soliciting authority
from the people to continue the oppressive
extortion. The party which protected the
gamblers, the prostitutes and the lawless
in the disregard of the statutes and their
defiance of the public sentiment of the PEG
pie is requesting the votes of
good citizens that it may go on
in its administration. THE HERALD charges
nothing against the individuals whose
names appear on the Liberal ticket. They
may be good men, for all we know. But
they are representatives and agents of q
party which has proven itself unworthy the
confidence and trust of a community which
has respect for the decencies and proprie
ties of life, and which believes that the
best government is that which enforces the
laws honestly, fairly, intelligently and
economically. While the candidates may
be personally upright, honest, progressive
and capable men, they cannot do otherwise
than their party directs, and experience
has taught that the Liberal party of
Ogden favors extravaganza in public ex
penditures, extortionarely high taxes, i'm.
morality and vice as adjuncts of material
prosperity, and the lax application of good
laws intended for the preservation of peace
and the suppression of crime.
The HERALD hopes the voters of Ogden
will not fail in the obligation which each
owes to the city and to society. We hope
the Liberal ticket will be so badly beaten
that the gentlemen composing it will real
lze that it is little less tnan disreputable to
belong to such an organization as that
which has placed them at the front as its
champions and standard bearers. We sim
cerely hope that on Tuesday we NAV be
able to announce the rescue of the citv
from the grasp of it's enemies This hone
will be realized if the voters love the CITY.
their families and themselves as tbev
should do.