The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-03
'.AEyvsoroLrTAss. VS. ~ALFAIrAs.s

The controversy which has occurred
during the present and each of the two
preceding legislatures between the city
and the country members is altogether
deploraole. l. should be the effort of
every patriotic citizen to discourage
any future exhibition of such sectional
ism The urban and rural districts of
the state are interdependent, and any
injury inflicted upon one section Is
sure to result IN injury to the other.
AS well might the eye declare that the
whitening up Of the arm is of no con-
cera to it as for the country to disre-
gard the permanent interests and well
fare Of the cities.
10 nurture the cities is to enrich the
country. The city is the consumer. the
c1n1try the producer; the city furn-
Fines the capital for the employment
of the labor OF the state and the de-
velopment Of its resources. AS the
cities grow in population and wealth
our country friends find enlarged mar
kets for their products, more capital
70 interest in the development of their
latent wealth, lower prices in mer-
chaDdise owing to the growth of com
petition and manufactures, and partici-
pate in that development of education.
art. science and general intelligence
which Is the invariable accompaniment
OF the growth CT municipalities.
The Salt Lake valley has all the
elements of greatness. Nothing but
u -e petty sectional jealousy of man can
prevent the growth of one or more
large cities near the shores of our
Dead Sea. This is the hub of the in
ter-mountain universal region rich
beyond comparison in mineral wealth
and agricultural and manufacturing
possibilities, endowed by lavish Ma
lure with sunshine, healing waters
vast subterranean cisterns of artificial
light and heat, and presenting to the
admiration of mankind the sublimest
exhibition of the divine architecture in
the blending of mountain, valley and
lake. Men viii seek homes in our
central cities because they will find
here opportunities for their enterprise,
investment for their capital and health
Tor themselves and their families.
But the contamination of this end
SO devoutly to be wished for by all the
citlzens of the state viii be impossible
II in addition to our necessarily great
local t4xes we shall be compelled to
bear an unjust proportion of the bur
dens of the state. The Herald is not
unmindful of the fact that this city
Is the centre of wealth and must neces-
sarly bear a proportionate tax-this
no true citizen Of Salt Lake will at
tempt TO dodge-but it will only be fair
as between man and man, it will be
essential to the best interest of the
whole state, that having done this
mucn. the rural counties shall not seek
TO put further burdens upon US.
1t is probably true as charged that
country members have not been alone
in tfeir desire to aggrandize their
nome courties, and that the disposition
10 evade proper burdens and to CEN
tralize public benefits has cropped out
among some of our own representa-
tives. The feeling is to be deprecated
Wherever manifested. 1t is quite as
unjust that public funds contributed
by ali the people should be spent for
the benefit of the few, or that the cities
should be permitted to escape any bur
den justly to be put upon them. as
that the evil before described should
exist
We are not going to discuss cases
this morning. There would be little
or no benefit al this Stage of our his
tory in doing so. We are content
merely with submitting these few con
siderations to the people trusting that
they may be seeds sown upon ground
not altogether stony and may yet bear
the fruit OF mutual consideration. 1t
is to be hoped that no subsequent leg
isiators will have occasion. either real
or fancied, to organize into Alfalfa"
or other clubs, but rather that there
will develop spirit Of Christian
emulation in dispensing the favors of
the state and in placing its burdens
among its several counties with even
handed justice