The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-13
A WORD TO DEMOCRATS.

The Democrats of this city. and as
for that matter the Democrats of every
city and town in the state where the
non partisan movement has been in
augurated, should ask themselves a few
questions regarding it, for by SO doing
they would soon see what its true i'm
port is.
The non-paptisans say that they want
business administration OF this city,
one where the interests of the people
and taxpayers will be the first consid-
Grafton Is not that the kind of a gov
eminent of the city that the Democrats
Want2
Do pon-Dartisans want well dis
ciplfned, honest and eflcient police force
any more than the Democrats do?
Are -partisans more interested in
an efficient and capable fire depart
n1snt than the Democrats are?
If the Democrats cannot give the city
a business-Iike and economical admin
istration as Democrats, can they render
any real assistance in giving the city
that kind Of an administration by be-
coming non-parcisans9
Do the Democrats believe that they
are any less honest and patriotic, that
they have any less desire for the best
welfare of the city, that they are not
just as. good citizens as the non-par-
tisans claim to be?
VIII any Democrat admit that he
gives his political allegiance to a party
which is incompetent to administer the
! affairs of city as they should be?
VIII any Democrat. having an abid-
ing faith in the capacity of the people
for self-government, say that a move
ment started by few men to get con-
troll Of the city government in all its
/ departments is more in the interest of
/ the people than it is to have the whole
people come together and indicate their
wishes regarding the government Of
those affairs which most intimately, in
public sense, concern them?
! Win Democrats tolerate the theory
that there is more wisdom in a COM
mittee of twenty than there is in the
multitude, and especially when that
multitude is the people engaged in
| choosing those who shall direct and
! control their affairs?
| Democrats still believe that all just
powers of a government-city state or
national-are derived from the consent
I of the governed, and not from any COM
mfttee. And now do the Democrats Of
this city propose to be dictated r. in
municipal matters by a self constituted
committee that neither consults nor
asks the advice OF the people? If this
non-partisan committee, which pro-
fesses such great soncitude for the peo-
Pies welfare, really has the interests
| Of the people at heart. why does it not
call the people together in mass meet
ing and lay the condition of the city and
its plans for amending and improving
them before the people? Does the COM
mittee mistrust the people? It must be
said that its every action elbows that
it does. If the committee had faith in
the people it would trust the people
Democrats have never been afraid to
! trust them, and never viii be.
Democrats should study the non-par-
tisan movement in all its bearings. They
win find, among other things, that it is
an absolute mistrust of popular gov
eminent and that it puts, or seeks to
put. an imputation upon them as in
competent and unworthy to manage
the affairs of this city. Have nothing
TO do with it.