The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-20
THE ATTACK ON PATRICK
Tlade BY Republicans Solely For
Political Effect.
PLANT FROM RECHFIELD.
THE FAR FETCHED CHARGES
FALL To THE GROUND.
No Flaw in the Record of the DEM
ocratio Candidate From the
Fourth Precinct on the Water
Question-Dry Benchers Are Under
Obligations to Mr.. Patrick.
0 the Editor of The Herald.

To the Editor of The Herald.
1 have just had put into my hand by
a friend, late copy of the Salt Lake
Tribune. containing, under the head Of
correspondence from Richfeld, Utah,
October IA, the following paragraphs:
There is at present a gentleman in
Richfield who declares that the Demo-
Gratis of the Fourth precinct in Salt
Lake have nominated at least one man
for the council-Robert Patrick-who
should and no doubt will be defeated
by the voters of that district. They
will not soon forget the attitude OF
that gentleman with respect to the lay
ing of the Waternlains through that
part of the city at a, time when they
we're to man crying for water At
that time it was made an issue by the
people of all classes in the Fourth pre-
cinct. and Mr.. Patrick, at the time
member of the council, knowing full
well that water was the crying need
of his constituents, deliberately sat
through every and all proceedings of
the council and voted squarely against
the wishes and best interests Of the
people he at the time represented.
The Republicans of the Fourth pre-
cinct should remind the voters OF MI
Patrick's career as a member OF the
city council"
There used to be a passage in the
Bible-and 1 presume it is there still
reading: ITO the law and the testimony;
if they speak not according to that,
it is because there is no light in them.
I propose to take this gentleman in
Richfield," who | suppose is some re-
lation to the Tribune'S respectable old
LADY, that used to tell that paper so
much-"to the law and the testi-
mony;" in other words, to the
records of Salt Lake city. made at
the time l was a member of the city
council, and when the water question
was, as this gentleman" says, made
an issue by the people of all classes in
the Fourth precinct which l repre-
scented.
1t is we'll known to the citizens of
Salt Lake city, if not to some of the
gentlemen of Richfield," that this city
has two systems, or a double system,
of Waterworks in City Greek canyon,
the first of which was constructed
many years before became a member
of the city council, and the second one
during the latter part Of the eighties,
when ! sat in the city council as alder
man from the Fourth precinct. The
first water system was not intended to
city, and does not do so today; out
the second system was so intended, and
it is by. means of il that the people llv-
ing in that part of the Fourth precinct
formerly known as the Dry Bench now
have water for drinking and culinary
purposes, which was indeed their cry
ing need for many years. 1t is
for my alleged opposition to this great
Improvement, which has been of so
much benefit to my constituents, past
and prospective, living in that quarter,
that [ am called in question. Let US
see how the charges made against me
will bear the light of truth.
Preliminary to bringing forth the
proofs in my possession, which viii
show that my accuser has made state
ments utterly at variance with the
facts in the case. either from being
misinformed or else in reckless disre- |
gard of another passage of scripture |
which says, Thou shalt not lie, l will
say that l deny in toto his accusations, |
and defy anyone to produce the least !
particle of evidence to subStanuate
them. SO far from opposing the laying |
of the water mains through that part /
of the city comprising the Fourth pre-
cinct, in which [ have resided for over I
thirty years, and have therefore been |
personally as we'll as periodically in |
tereSted in improving the property /
thereof, my record will show that [ !
have been among the foremost on all |
occasions to encourage and promote !
every movement looking to that end; |
and particularly in behalf of the peo-
pie of the dry bench, with whom I |
heartily sympathized. l once opposed |
the appropriation of money by the city |
council for the publishing Of the History |
of Salt Lake city, not because [ did I
not want it published, but because l |
thought the needs of the people I
on the dry bench, who were |
suffering for water, ought first to |
be considered and supplied, before the /
history was published, in which the |
sad fact would have to be recorded
that one-siXth of the city's population |
were without drinking water at their
homes. On another occasion, after IA
vorable action had been taken by the
councils committee ON cemetery, on a |
report of the city sexton asking that !
water be supplied to irrgate and |
beauty the public burial grounds, !
opposed the committees recommended |
ton, saying that 1 thought it far
more important that the living should |
have water before the dead; and again |
standing up in behalf of the waterless
inhabitants of the dry bench. l was
warmly thanked and congratulated ]
upon my position by Captain Burt, the |
CITY marShai, and other residents OF |
the Fourth precinct, some of whom
are now Republicans and some Demo-
Gratis, but all of whom that know any,
thing about the matter can testify
that L invariably favored the laying
of the mains to supply the people of
the dry lands with water. The Deseret (
News approved of my attttude-that
the rights of the living should have
precedence over those of the dead, and |
published an editorial at the time APP
plauding my course and supporting
my argument. But to the official
records.
On March 9, 1885, a petition from
Edgar Howe, William Timms, = By
water and other residents of the
Fourth precinct came before the city
council, asking that until such time
as the city council could afford /
to lay water pipes from City
creek to the dry bench, an irri-
cation ditch be constructed between
those points for the purpose of con-
veying water to the people. 1t is re-
corded that on motion of Alderman
Patrick the petition was received and
referred to the committee on irrigation
The irrigation ditch plan was not
popular, as the waters of City Creek
uare aheOrhod iran f71y NV ,,-;o,. oil