The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-10
THE NoN-PART1sAN MOVEMENT


Considerable interest is being mani
fest in the coming municipal election.
What has aroused public interest at
the present time is the fact that a
number of prominent, business men
have inaugurated non-partisan move
ment, by which they hope to eliminate
all the ills consequent upon a political
strife in the coming municipal election
and prevent the ward heelers and
hurrah boys from taking part in the
primaries The burden of this non
partisan song is that taxes are too high
and that the present city administra-
ton is not what it should be.
That things are not right with the
city government at the present time,
goes without saying. Our county af-
fairs were in a bad way last fall. but
the Democratic party found a way to
remedy the condition Of affairs by
selecting candidates for the several
county offices who were men above re-
proach, and the people elected them.
Now the business of the county is be-
ing conducted in an economic, bust
ness way, which is satisfactory to the
people.
To be plain, the non-partisan move
ment is being engineered in the interest
of the Republican party. but. strange
to say, several prominent Democrats
have taken part in the preliminary
proceedings who should never have had
anything TO do with it.
If non-partisan elections are proper
in municipal affairs. why not in county
and state elections? And right here
is where the shoe pinches. 1t is a fore
gone conclusion that the Republican
party could not muster a corporars
guard in a municipal. county or state
election, and there is no prospect of
change in this condition of affairs for
the next four years. at least; it there
fore follows that a Republican who is
in sympathy with the present national
administration cannot be elected in
contest between Democrats and Re
publicans, if party lines are drawn. 1t
is very plain to be seen why Mckinley
Republicans want TO eliminate party
lines now and to anticipate that SIM
liar proposition will be made when it
comes to electing legislature and
congressman next fall.
The Herald undertakes to say that
this municipal non-partisan movement
is a part of a well laid scheme on the
part of prominent Republican leaders
to bring about this very condition of
affairs. In order TO make the thing a
success, prominent Democrats have
been solicited to join in the movement
and several of them have done so,
doubtless having in mind only the
amelioration of the present condition
Of our municipal affairs, never sus-
pecting that the movement was so far
reaching in its results. To say that
the Democrats cannot nominate a set
of candidates for the several municipal
offices who will be in every way worthy
is to say that as a party it is a fail
ure. Democrats who fear the Demo-
cratic ticket will not be all right had
best wait. until the ticket is nominated
before they join non-partisan move
ment. The Herald does not believe in
the yellow dog style of politics, and it
viii not support unworthy men for
municipal office, but judging from the
temper of the leading members of the
party in this city there is no reason
to think that there viii be any neces-
sity for The Herald refusing to sup
port any nominee on the Democratic
ticket in this city.