The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-05
-PARTISANSHIP At PROVO,
SOME SENSIBLE SUGGESTIONS
FROM A CORRESPONDENT.
The Motive Is Apparently to Disin-
tegrate the Silver Forces
Friends Of Silver Should Be on
Their Guard.

Provo. Sept. 4-Editor Herald: A
strong effort is being made by Repub-
lieans to have the coming city election
here conducted on non-partisan lines
Some of the Democrats also have ex-
pressed themselves as favoring the OBJ
/ liberation of party lines in municipal
government and are seconding the
movement for bipartisan city cleo
ton A number of alleged reasons for
the proposed wedding of the parties are
given, the strongest being that the
people want it, 1t will readily be ad-
mitted that if this is true, it is a good
( reason for a non partisan election, but
the fact that three meetings of Demo-
Gratis have been called within the last
two weeks, for the purpose Of obtain
ing an expression from them on this
question, and that the largest attend
ance at any one of the meetings was
IS, would indicate that the Democrats,
at least, do not look upon the non-par-
tisan movement as absolutely essential
to their happiness and well being, es-
pecialy as the majority of those who
| attended the meetings flYored a
straight Democratic ticket being nom
mated Some of them may become con-
Verted if the cry, the people want it,
is sounded long enough and loud
enough, just as it is hoped they will be
converted to the belief that the Re-
publican administration has Eaused the
advance in the price of wheat, if only
the claim is made often enough and
strong enough
Whatever causes may exist in other
| places for non-partisan city elections,
none whatever is to be found here, eN
cept that with a Democratic and a Re-
publican ticket in the field the former
is sure TO be overwhelmingly victorious
at the polls. The affairs of the city have
been economically administered in
every department, salaries are very
low, there is not hint of any of the
ordinances being violated through the
negligence or conniVance of city Off
Gals The present mayor is Republican;
there are eight members of the council
| Democrats. and two Republicans; the
( city marshal is a Democrat and the re-
! corder and treasurer Republicans Does
! anyone suppose for moment that the
same favorable municipal condition VIII
not continue if the officers and council
are all Democrats or all Republicans?
/ Both parties viii nominate good men,
and in addition to the interest every
good citizen has in doing his part to-
wards making the city well governed
municipality, the official who is elected
I BY a party VIII have an ambition TO so
shape his official course as to make it
/ reflect credit upon his party.
! This does not seem to be a sgood time
! for Democrats to loosen party ties, even
| though it be only in the matter Of a
| city election. All the signs of the times
point to a strong attempt 10 turn Utah
away from the cause Of free and un-
| limited coinage Of silver at the ratio1of
16 to l. and it is not possible that IL
political fusion is made in municipal
! affairs that when a separation is made
on matters Of greater Importance little
of the silver will remain With the gold 2
Is that not the very thing hoped for
by the gold standard disciples who are
so anxious for this era Of prosperity
to be ushered in at this particular
time? If it is not that. what Is SC? 1t
| is not the offices, because they are few
and unimportant, and if there are any
issues which the non-partis2ns advo-
cate for the good of the city they have
not been made public.
1t is therefore not a very Violent PRE-
| sumption that the insiduous disinte-