The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-20
WHY NOT TRUST THE pEoPLEe


pie here think that the movement lin
which they are engaged is the same
kind as that in New York and that
they are pursuing the same methods in
making nominations. Nothing could
be further from the facts in the case.
The Citizens union Of New York has
not assumed to nominate a municipal
ticket without any consultation with
the people. When committee from
the union waited upon Mr.. Low and
told him ii was their belief that there
was a popular demand fer him to be-
come a candidate for mayor End asked
him if he would accept a nomination,
he informed them that he would re-
quire more evidence that there was a
genuine popular demand for him. The
union then instituted a personal can
vass, the result OF which was that more
than a hundred thousand voters
pledged themselves to support him.
should he become a candidate Then
he was nominated by the Citizens
union and accepted the nomination.
And now what has the Citizens union
done in reference to other candidates
on its ticket? Tt has sent out a re-
quest for suggestions from the people
in regard to candidates for comptroller
and president of the municipal council.
The New York Evening Post says that
the managers of the union desire to
get in regard to these offices as salts
factory an expression of popular senti-
ment as they received in reference to
Mr.. Low. III order that when they put
their completed municipal ticket in the
field it can be said to be, in the fullest
sense, a ticket nominated by she peo-
pie themselves, and hence a representa-
tive ticket, and for this purpose blanks
TO be filled with the names Of desirable
candidates have been sent to all en-
rolled members of the union, though an
expression of opinion is desired from
the people at large
Has the committee having in charge
the non-partisan movement in this city
pursued this method? 1t has not. On
the contrary it has pursued the methods
Of an aligarchy. 1t has despised all
methods whereby the people themselves
were to be directly consulted. What
we wish not What the people wish, +"
has seemed TO be its motto. It has
condemned primaries and conventions,
those best known methods of giving
expression to the popular will. while it
has absolutely ignored the ways Of
ascertaining public sentiment adopted
by the much vaunted Citizens union
of New York The non-partisan COM
mittee has not consulted the people,
has not desired to know their wishes,
does not trust the people. 1t has prac-
tically assumed the role of a dictator
It is said that when it rests from its
labors of making up a ticket it will
submit that ticket to the people, and
that they viii be satisfied" The ef-
frontry of this assumption almost
challenges admiration. Did net the law
require the formality Of an election
doubtless the non artisens would dis
pense With it. would be glad to. They
will submit their ticket to the people,
and they will be satisfied with til"
There is TO be genuine Dlebiscile,
that favorite method of Napoleon the
Third for securing popular approval for
all his schemes.
Have the people OF Salt Lake City
Democrats, Republicans, Popultsts-
considered Just what this non-partisan
movement means? In reality it means
the surrendering Of political power into
the hands Of a few. Have the people
asked themselves why they have not
been consulted regarding this move
ment? Simply because those in control
of it have feared that they could not
have their will were the people to come
together and deliberate. Those in con-
troll of this bipartisan movement will
not tell the people they mistrust them,
but their actions say that they do; and
actions ever speak louder than words.
A common argument urged in favor
Of the methods of the on-partisans is
that few men can select better
ticket than several hundred in conven-
ton can. That is by no means certain,
but supposing it were, what then? The
selection OF a ticket by several hundred
men and women, chosen by the people
is the American way of selecting a
ticket while the other is that of mon
archicaI governments. Berlin Vienna
and ST. Petersburg are better gov
erned cities, in the strict sense of the
word. than any American city. But are
American citizens ready to surrender
their right of control over their NUM-
cipal affairs that they may have even
such well governed cities as are Berlin,
Vienna and st. Petersburg? And then
what guarantee is there that the non
partisans will give the city that ex-
traordinarily good government that
they say they viii? None in the world.
But after all is said the one great
question recurs: If those in control of
the non partisan movement have the
interests of the people at heart, as they
say they have. why have they never
consulted the people in one way or an
other, either as regular political parties
do or as the Citizens union of New
York has done instead of holding secret
meetings to which the public and the
representatives of the press have not
been admitted? Their every move has
shown a distrust of the people.
ToNIGHT'S PRIMARIES.
Tonight the Democratic primaries for