Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-27
fCoMMUNIcATEp.1
THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

!
in municipal affairs have said all that
possibly could be said against that
movement. and they have no doubt as
diligently sought for and said all that
could be said in straight party defense.
Much of the former was I'M
! fair and untrue, and much Of
the latter was assumption and in no
way applicable to the situation. 1t has
never been limited by tine reform move
ment that there were no good men in
| the ranks of party. One of the argu-
ments has been that the success OF
either party Gas such) was to ignore all
other persons in the distribution of
patronage and to make of Office an I'M
yielding vehicle for continuing the trl-
umphant party in power.
1t is easily seen that where parties
are nearly equal, representation of the
minority becomes an impossibllity,
which in local affairs is manifestly I'M
just. Under non-partisan control the
very best Of citizens can be culled as
| public servants, with great advantage
/ to public interests and to the securing
| of the present great need and aim, viz:
/ an economical administration of local
matters as understood, not by politi-
clans but by conservative business
men. In opposition to, this the ques-
ton has been asked in a kind of DELI
ant way by one party: Have we not
given you a clean and economical adj
ministration in Salt Lake county by
members of our party?" To those who
are familiar with the honorable COM
missioners the claim is void, for they
have acted as men, as interested citi-
zens who had individually something
at stake, and also as the guardians of
what others had at stake as well.
They would have been just as valiant
for economy If they had belonged to
the opposite party, to any other or
to none at ALL and after all the county
vote never was, neither can 1t be, as
subject to transient voters and impe-
/ cunious aids as have too often deter
mined our city elections.
There are good men, similar men,
on the political party tickets, but their
subservlency to party is predicated OF
them all, and issues like that of silver
are injected into the platform and
on that and many other questions are
of no moment whatever in the con-
test. either here or abroad. What
cares any but the rank partisan be-
You'd our borders what political COM
plexion our coming Mayor or city
fathers may be of? or If they do as
sumo to give any fictitious value to
public action here, every honest citizen
would say: present and local saliva
ton is what we are seeking now;
whenever the exigencies arise, requir-
ing an expression of public sentiment
on the silver question, the people of
Utah and Salt Lake City will vindi-
cate their attitude on that as before
and with no less uncertain sound"
Some little controversy has arisen in
regard to political methods in the
mother country" and some very silly
things have been said thereon. The
facts are that the spirit and methods
of the two countries are "as far asun-
der as the poles" Practically, it may
be said that politics there do not en-
ter either into local or even national
affairs. English methods of our day at
least never could have crystalized into
general acceptance the Amer
lean proverb that ito the
victoria belong the spois;" for
when Rosebery or Gladstone on APP
peal to the country is superseded by
Salisbury, no man is moved from any
position of public service or emolument
save the advisers or cabinet; which is
really the governing power of that
wise and conservative country And the
expenses OF a general election are to-
day probably less than is now being
spent for the election of a senator from
Illinois, where, according to the dis
patches, money is by Hanna being
lavshed like water" and even the
Chief Executive is said to be about to
"stoop from his lofty station" to secure
senatorial honors for a man who is
claimed to be without any qualifica-
ton save Ignorant effrontery" for so
exalted position. When the last
ministerial crisis occurred in England
II was only two weeks from the issue
of the writ until the election was over
and the complexion OF the new Parlla-
ment determined, which also de-
termined the question for the incom-
ing premier, who assumed the relns Of
power and formed a cabinet in harmony
with the expressed sentiments of the
voting population. now approaching
American universally. The modifca-
ton there existing would save this
State and city, to say nothing of the
country at large, from much vicious
political chlcanery and from the posi-
tive though ignored rule Of an element
not iufrrquently bought or sold.
The Citizens Reform party may not
accomplish all that It desires now, but
it is something to have realized the
necessity for change. ard the more
the taxpaying citizens study this ques-
, ton, the more numerous viii its ad-
+ herents become, for 1t is founded on
common sense and the instinct Of self
preservation. The principle involved
will survive the slurs and inuendoes Of
: office seekers and scheming pollti-
, clans. It will spread throughout the
state as the people become educated
, Alright, and 1t viii be men. not alto
ether measures--the latter will assur-
. eddy be coed II the elected men are