The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-18
THEY DESERVE GREAT CREDIT.

The Herald stands on the same
ground it has always occupied on the
bounty question and the loaning of
public credit for private purposes. 1t
believes that to be wrong in principle.
and that what is wrong in theory can
not be right in practice.
The Republicans. led by Mr.. Varian,
who in the constitutional convention
united with the Democrats to prevent
the loaning of pablo credit for private
purposes, are accused by Republican
paper which says it is mot Repub-
lican organ" OF going straight back
upon the principles of their party"
and says they did SO TO win for them
selves Democratic approval"
Those gentlemen supported a propo-
sition to place in the Utah constitution
a provision which is incorporated in
the constitutions of score of Repub-
ucan states. The Herald quoted those
provisions at the time. If that is going
straight back on the principles of
their party" those Republicans are in
good Republican company. Nearly
every new state admitted for a num-
Der of years has embodied that re-
striction in its fundamental law.
Many states have amended their con-
stitutions so as to establish it. The
provision is necessary to protect the
state from the bankruptcy which i'm
practicable persons, like the assailant
of the Republicans referred to, would
plunge it into by overwhelming debts
constructed for private purposes.
Men who have no computations at
running into debts they never expect
to pay, may be expected to favor pub
lie debt to any amount and for any
wild speculation. But prudent men
foreseeing the evil seek to avoid it.
The few Republicans, led by Mr.. VAR
ian, who helped to put that clause
into the constitution have saved the
state from prospective ruin. If it had
not been for their action, the state
as a whole and every city, county and
incorporated town, could have pledged
it's credit in aid of private corpora
tions and speculative capitalists. and
no mortal could safely predict the ex-
tent of the catastrophe which would
have been the consequence. They de-
serve the thanks of the conservative
people of Utah of every party and
persuasion. Was it done to gain the
approval of the Democratic? No reason
able person believes that. 1t is the COM
mon failing of some folks to suspect
others of their own failings. And it
was better to gain the approval even
of Democrats by the support of
prudent measure, than to spend time
in seeking to gain the applause Of
Democrats or Republicans by playing
the clown and simply cracking jokes.
The Herald never approved of the
violation Of contract by the govern
ment or private person. The paper
that says it has even done so is will
fully mistaken. Nor has The Herald
ever objected to a bonus for the es-
tablishment of a laudable enterprise.
A public bonus. however. Should be
for a public benefit. A private enter
prise if aided by a bonus should re-
ceive its aid from other than public
funds. That has always been our
position on that question.
If our morning contemporary cannot
distinguish the difference between that
and the bounty system, we cannot
help it. That will not be matter of
surprise even though it may be
matter of regret. But Utah is saved
from the gigantic evil Of loaning its
credit for private benefit, and also for
many years from spending public
money for private uses; in that there
is no reason for regret.