Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-09
THE POSITION OF THE ProrLg.

REALIZING the questionable charac
ter OF the latest cccentrIcity perpc
trated upon the public by the CITY
Councll--the effort 10 dl,po-e Of Pioncel
Block to private corporatlon--th'
"Llberalv papcrs continue TO make tl'
most ridiculous representations In rel.
erence to tina, transaction. Instead OF
seeking 10 bolster such a conspicuous
piece Of public Jobbcry, they would
show much more prudence " 'hey IN
troduceJ a fcw brilliant flashes OF
slleucc on the subject. They ought TO
allow the matter 10 work u way
through the courts, into which II has
been carried, until final adjudication j.
reached under the law.
Instead Of doing this the newspapers
alluded 10 keep on stating that
the sale Of the Old Fort Block "
widely AMI almost universally en-
dorsed by popular sentiment. All the
evidence adduced before the Council
and otherwise shows the opposite OF
thlA 10 be the fact. II has been demon
strated, however, that the present CITY
government does no, care straw ior
public opinion. Neither does u mani
lest any anxiety to act In accord win
he law, nor with any OF tho gli.'crlns
"Llbcrnlr promises made before the
election. II there Is any denial OF
this position, let u be stated and 'he
proof will be furnished.
An exhibit Of popular opinion anu
desire on the nnbJcc, Il exactly what
the manlpulator Of the Transaction
have never wanted. n they had II
would have been a matter Of simplicity
10 have a.ccrtain-d them by test
giving the people mn opportunity 70 vote
yea or nay on tho question. Bogus or
even renl statements Of few individu-
ais, many Of them given anonymously
have no bearing on the subject.
There are numerous reasons for tho
people being opposed to the sale Of
Pioneer block 10 private corporation.
Itis historic spot Of ground. II was
there whore the brave and hardy pio'
neen first pitched thclr tents when they
entered Halt Lake Valley In 1917. IL
was around that plat Of Ground
that they crcicd a wall 10 protect
themselves from attacks by Indians
and against II built the rude lean.to
cabins In which they found shelter
until more commodious and slightly |
structures could bc erected. Pioneer
Block Il the initial centre Of civiiiza'
ton ani development for this entire
inter-mountaln region. No wender II
even from that basis alone popular
opinion should DO Overwhelmingly
against It's being disposed OF 10 a
private corporation aud this prominent
landmark DO thus obllteratcd by having
II transformed into q railroad depot,
with all in attendant noise, hustle
and confusion. They prefer TO have
The property devoted to the original
purpose for which II was lntended-a
public park. II Ia only In this way
hat II could DO preserved NJ u notable
feature Of this vast region.
The sentiment Of the people IA over.
against the transaction he.
rausc they believe It to DO contrary to
law, they being In line with the legal
adviser OF the corporation, who very
ably showed that the Council had no
right 10 sell TO u private party property
which had been set apart for a public
purpose. But seeing tho matter IL In
The courts, we would be will
Ing TO let the question remain
here but for the false cry
II I.iberal" journals that popular
favos theJob. The Salt Lake
anti."Mormon" organ gave a
list Of alleged expressions Of citizens ON
he subject. One Of them was unique,
being rs follows "Mr. Bacon win
now he ablc 10 float his bonds IN the
,ast." This slatomant was exultlngly
Haunted by the paper which Published
I As an indication Of popular opinion
,eing In favor Of the sale OF Pioneer
Block. What does II imply? Simply
his; That the people are DESTROYS that
he council should sell their 1.-THE
'eople's) property ut one half its In.