The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-10
WHAT NON PARTIsANsHIP
MEANS,

a contemporary says that non-parti-
sanship in municipal affairs means, as
it understands il, the selection of the
best available men for city officers, re-
gardIess of their politics or their re-
ligion. Granting. for the sake of argu-
ment, that this is what non-partisan
ship in municipal affairs means, the
question recurs. How are these men to
be selected? That is quite as impor-
tant as their selection. If people are
asked to lay aside their partisanship
in municipal affairs. should they not
also be asked to aid in the selection
OF men for city officers? If they lay
aside their partisanship is it necessary
that they lay aside their right to say
who shall be candidates for office?
The promoters of the non-parttsan
movement ask the people of this city
to lay aside their craftsmanship but
they did not ask them to aid in the
selection of a ticket. Is it reasonable
to expect the people to respond to any
such invitation? If the purpose Of the
non-partisan movement is to secure the
the people who are the most deeply
interested in public affairs and their
proper administration, to aid in seeur-
ing the selection of that kind of men?
The promoters of the non-p partisan
movement have not done this nor have
they explained why they have not
Processing to act for the best interests
of the people, they have ignored the
people altogether; and is it for the best
interests of the people that they be
ignored in those things which concern
them most intimately? Is it not for
their best interest that they have a
voice in the naming of the candidates
for city officers? Is it for their best
interest that they surrender to a self
appointed committee the power to name
candidates for public office?
The non-partisan movement is in no
sense q peoples movement; on the
contrary, it is the very reverse. Every
movement of the committee in charge
of il has been a manifestation of its
distrust Of the people, and nothing else
In no form or manner have the people
been consulted by the committee; all
its proceedings have been jealousy
guarded from them. Pursuing meth
DDS the very reverse OF those to which
the people are accustomed, the pro-
moters Of the non-partisan movement
have offered no explanation or justif1-
cation for their course. And why?
Because to explain it was to condemn
it. and there was no justification for IT,
They simply have no faith in the ca
pacity or fitness Of che people to name
suitable men as candidates for office
If this is true. it is equally true that
the people are unfit for self-govern-
ment- 1t must be plain 70 everybody
that If the people are not fit to name
candidates for city offices, they are not
fit to name candidates for state Of
fees.
The non-partisan movement in this
city is not merely an attack on party
government; it is an attack on popu-
lar government. and the secret meth
DDS of the non-partisan committee is
proof OF this That committee has not
only not trusted Democrats and Re
pubhcans as such. but it has likewise
refused to trust those whom it is
pleased 10 term non-partisans. If a
few gentlemen can succeed by band
ing themselves together in getting con-
troll of the government Of this city, they
can succeed in perpetuating their con
trol Of it; and that viii be their aim.
And they VIII then select only such
good men" as VIII do the bidding in
all things of the regency so unright-
eousiy established.
It is claimed that the method OF nom
mating candidates pursued by the non
partisan committee secures better men
than can be secured by the American
method of conventions, which ii does
not; sttll a set of officers so selected
would not be popular government, but
oligarchie government
How long since is it that party gov
eminent became such a lamenta bic
failure in the cities of Utah? II the
non-partisan movement can be made
TO succeed in Salt Lake City the people
may be sure that an effort VIII be