The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-24
AS TO oBsTRuCTIoNIsTs.

some members who do not always float
with the tide Of the majority. They
are sometimes dubbed Constructions
ists'' but may not deserve that appela-
ton. They are men of mind and they
make their mark They promote
healthy agitation. They bring out the
good and bad points in proposed public
measures. They cause a friction that
develops light.
A man is not necessarily an Job
structionist'' because he differs from
the majority or even from every one
else in the body to which he belongs.
He is there to honestly express his
convictions. He is not elected to be
an automaton, or to say ''nie too"
when he does not agree with others.
There are two sides at least to every
question, and he should express his
view of matter even if by doing SO
he stands alone in relation to it.
Grave public questions ought never
to be passed over without full and free
examination into their merits and de-
merits. Frequently solitary objector
to a measure of moment is a public
benefactor. At any rate he is the
means of bringing to the surface such
flaws or defects as may be in it which
would not be otherwise discovered.
His opposition is not fairly to be called
obstruction.
The financial condition of this city is
such as to cause every prudent person
to stop and catch his breath when con-
fronting it. Having reached the limit
of its borrowing power Congress was
appealed to by the city for an exten>
sion of that bound. The authority was
granted to run further into debt.
Bonds for the full amount are to be is
sued. The interest which will have to
be paid on the city debt will form a
heavy financial burden for several
years to come. How much further
shall we try to go? This situation is
fully perceived by those members of
the city council who have an eye to
the future.
The position taken by Mr.. Clawson
in relation to the gravity sewer and
other public improvements was not for
the purpose of obstruction, as we I'M
derstand it. His desire has been to
pursue policy of retrenchment and
economy, which was the cry of the
citizens at the last municipal election.
He is a prudent and successful bust
ness man, and he has simply performed
what he considered a public duty in
calling attention to the falling value of
property and the accommodating obliga-
tons of the municipality. We refer to
his position because of the structures
that have been passed upon him when
he was courageously standing up al
most alone for what he believed to be
the public welfare.
There are members, however, who
are just as sincere and DESTROYS of the
public good as he, and who are in
favor of the measures which he has
opposed. They are in the majority.
They have decided to go on with the
city and county building and the grav-
Iity sewer, and that the latter can be
better and cheaper done by contract,
even with the forfeit to the contractors,
than by city employment of workmen
at days wages. Granting that there
may have been some informalities in
arriving at their decision, we believe
they have weighed all that could be
said against these movements, and they
have made up their minds that their
position is correct, considering all the
surrounding circumstances.
Now let the work go on. Give en-
ployment to as many men as possible
Let those men be bona fide residents of
this city. The taxpayers will object to
the work being done by transients.
There are plenty of hands to be had at
reasonable wages among our own labor
ing men. The contractors should not
encourage the tramp element nor let
home labor go idle. salt Lake work
for Salt Lake workmen."
The current expenses will have to be
kept within close limits. The taxpay-
ers have been burdened as much. as
they can bear. The valuation of prop
erty will necessarily be reduced consid-
erably as the law requires it to be as
sessed at its cash value That means
cut in the city revenues for the year.
Economy in expenditures will therefore
be necessity. Every item will have
| to be watched. And the citizens will
expect that gentlemen elected on a plat
form Of retrenchment, will interpose
their objection to any attempt at ex-
travagance, even if they should come
under the sarcasm of less careful mem
bers and be for the moment unjustIy
stigmatized as ''obstructionists.'
WHAT A STATE OF MIND!
The Springfield Mass Renuhlican