Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-27

those elected Mt the ward primaries
! VIII take charge Of the election ma
! chinery: Jas. Il. Daniels. chairman,
MISS Rose Young, secretary; Mrs. Eft
| Beesley, second ward: Miss Bette
Bray, Third ward; Mrs. Mary Boyden,
Fourth ward; Mrs. Teenie S. Taylor.
! Fifth ward.
The following platform was adopted
The citizens municipal organization
in convention assembled, having In
| view the best interests of Provo city.
submit herewith the following reasons
for presenting to the electors a non
partisan ticket:
First-Non-p partisan city electors are
In accord with the spirit OF the age
The best authorities ON municipal gov
eminent agree that cities governed I'M
der partisan methods develop manifold
evils and corruptions, n fact illustrated
by the condition Of most cities of our
country today; these authorities also
agec that the most effective remedy
for such evils and corruptions is
united reform movement on the part
the citizens Irrespective of party afiili-
atons. That their judgment on these
propositions Is well taken is evidenced
by the reforms already effected In sew
eral large cities, notably in the city OF
New York, through non-partlsan adj
mlnistrations. The movement to free
iiihAAANi ltAllAltn rum iIlt tNliln VI lAlAlE@
an politics is spreading throughout the
United States, Utah being by no means
behind the times, as witness the Citi-
Gems movement in Salt Lake city and
other places,
Second-While Provo City has not
yet reached the state of corruption eS-
hlbited in older and more populous cen-
tiers the incipient evils OF partanshlp
are plainly manifest in our municipal
affairs and we believe II to be a wise
policy to prevent their growth rather
than to trust to reform after they
become aggravated.
Thlrd-As instances Of such evils we
mention: % the unnecessary dlscord
and bitterness aroused between neigh
bors and fellow citizens In an election,
where no political issue is really in
volvcd; (2) the feeling on the part of
the victors that patronage must be
distributed as reward for party SER
vices rather than as a badge of actual
merit and official ftness-a custom
sanctioned and practiced by all politi-
cal parties. II often happens, more
over, that the city administration is
divided between parties and the wran-
gle over appointments to office unnecea-
sarily clogs the movement of public
business; 49, the fear of putting po-
litlcal party at disadvantage in n
canning election operates to make
partisan administration timerous In
the enforcement of city ordinances.
Fourth-A non-partisan adminIstra-
ton for Provo will tend to mitigate
or remove these evils. AS city officers
Will in such a case owe their election
to no party but to citizens as n whole
they VIII not hesitate to enforce the
ordinances and as n consequence the
city will be improved in the matter of
sidewalks and shade trees,
without discrimination MS to locality;
In the wider use OF the city's water SER
vice; in the abatement of nuisances
that endanger the health of the citizens
and in the closer enforcement of ordi-
nances against all public evils and i'm
Fifth-We favor low taxes. Wise
economy, but not parsmony should
govern in public expenditures. Elk
travagance is as impolitic in public as
IN private affairs. High taxes, large |
debts and excessive salaries are direct |
~ detrimental to the growth of the |
city, We favor the reduction of taxes |
20 the very lowest point consistent with |
he amount of revenue needed to carry |
IN the business Of our municipal cor
sixth-We favor the redemption OF
he city water bonds as rapidly as our
'esources will permit.
SeVenth-Thc movement resulting in
he citizens municipal organization
originated wholly In an unselhsh desire
% serve the best interests of Provo |
city, and We therefore invite all citI-
tens that place public good before pri-
ate interests to cooperate in the cleo
ion of the citizens ticket.