The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-21


new recruits had been enlisted in the
cause. Then the making of speeches
began.
GLASGOW A MODEL.
President Lawrence introduced Mrs.
Zorbaugh, who spoke of the municipal
affairs of Glasgow. The Scottish me-
tropolis, she said, was the model city
OF Europe. She referred enthusiastically
to its vast public improvements, its
public sanitarium. its paved and be-
lighted streets, and the long tenure of
office &C those who presided over its
municipal des-inies. There had been
local political corruption there at one
time, she admitted, all of which had
cost the CITY very many thousands of
dollars. but it was now a model, in
matters political, for all other cities to
pattern after.
COMMISSIONER HALL.
L. E. Hall made an address, in which
he advocated the necessity of a thor
ough organization of the league and
independence among the voters of Salt
Lake. He believed that only men who
were worthy should be voted for what
ever their political ties might be. 1t
was the duty of the league, he said, TO
condemn all others. He claimed that
the league, when it represented 500
votes, would be a tremendous power in
politics, and would cause unworthy as
pirants for office to tremble.
Mr.. Hall argued in favor of branch
organizations being set up in every vo--
ing precinct. In this way it would not
be difficult to gain a following of LOCO.
Twenty members, he believed, could be
obtained in each voting precinct, and
when this was achieved, he predicted
that the purpose of the league could be
conSumma.ed.
ITO be a member of this league" he
said, means that, if you are Repub-
lican. you win demand of your party
that it put honest and responsible men
in Office. This may bring down upon
you the taunts OF the bosses, but Won
will be d. power which the party cannot
afford to overlook"
THE POLITICAL MACHINE.
H. W. Lawrence delivered a speech
on The Political Machine" The gov
eminent, he said. was not one of tAe
people or by the people or for the peo-
pie. JusE now it was a government
solely of the bosses. He interpreted the
spirit of the league to be that if the
government. was to be continued there
must be p change i'll the conditions
which prevailed.
Republics, he claimed, never had
been a success. The cause of this was
that TOO much power had been given
to representatives, and they had be-
trayed the people who had supported
them. This had been the history Of
the past and was the history of the
present.
Referring to the early days of the
republic, Mr.. Lawrence claimed that
for the first 80 years political conven-
tons were almost unknown. Then it
was the voice and the vote of the peo-
pie which prevailed and not the die
tum of INSCRIPTIONS politicians. After
conventions were inaugurated, politl-
clans began to lay their plans so that
a few men might have the sole con-
troll.
Political conventions" he continued.
'are controlled by a few bosses, who
make all the states. Men are utilized
to go to conventions simply that they
may vote for certain men who have
already been selected. Nothing has
been done by the choice Of the people,
but when the ticket is put up before
them al election time, they foolishly vote
for it because they belong to the party.
SO long as men vote in strict accord
ance with party lines the government
will be corrupt, and the time has ar
rived for parties to be ignored
Mr.. Lawrence then referred to the
wiles of the political office-seekers, and
said that they subscribed for charities
and paid for laudatory write-ups, in
order that their names might receive
favorable consideration at some ensu-
ing convention. Men of this kind, he
said. went into politics for selfish pur-
poses, in order that they might let con-
tracts and franchises for their own en-
richment Thousands OF dollars had
been squandered away in this manner,
and it was time for the people to rise
in their dignity and assert their rights.
IF YOU hear of a man working for
Office" he continued, you may know
that he has some motive in view, not
for the public good. He is working for
his own selfish ends, irrespective of
the welfare or the wishes of
the people. Franchises and contracts
{ re worth a great amount, and corrupt
officials reap a rich reward from them.
If a public Improvement exceeds in
value what the people desired, you may
know there has been some Juggling
done. This building itself was. accord
ing to the general understanding, to be
built for about $9"c; Nq0 but in reality
it cost in the neis- Ncl hood of 81 Goo 900.
and entailed an adj. SEcsl e--sense upon
the taxpayers of about $40 100 year.
Had the people beer consLseed as to
the expense of the building, they would
have objecte1 almost unanimously to
such a vast expenditure. OF course,
everyone is in favor Of public improve
ments, but some limit must be placed
upol such lavish expenditure of the
public funds.
Mr.. Lawrence then referred in con-
way to the way public
schools had been built, and said that
the exDa 11iture had far exceeded what