The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-26

the assent Of all citizens, for all good
citizene are In favor of mogt of Ike
things there declared for. Did any OF
the committee ever Elaar OF any partI
advocating the election or appointment
to municipal or other publie Office o.
persons WHO are dishonest, EEiaff1c.au,-
OF unwilling to devote tae requisite
time TO the public service?
This committee says it IS in favor of
those who Will favor M higher taxes
than are absolutely needed for public
expenses? That is well and good SO far
as it goes, but it lacks in putting TO
limitation upon the expenses.
Having examined the address some
what in de.atl, it is proper to make
some general comments
The committee having in charge the
ncn-partisan movement reYerse5 the
accepted order in launching a party
or a ticket. it having launched both
In other cities Of the United States,
and Of Utah also, those who wish to
launch a new party or merely to place
new ticket before the voters, first
issue an address, ascertaining what
public sentiment is. and then proceed
to formulate their platform and ticket.
This the non-partisan movement pro-
motors Of Salt Lake City have not
done.
That Which prompted this movement
in this city was the VIGOROUSLY tncom-
petent administration of the city gov
eminent at the present time, YET the
committee having the movement in
charge has not had the moral courage
to denounce that administration or to
condemn in terms municipal partisan
government generally. This is a
strange thing indeed. If partisan city
government is bad enough to renudi-
ate it is bad enough to be condemned.
1t cannot be said that it was antici-
pated that the committee would make
any explanation of it's attitude in re-
spect to calling no primaries or nom
mating convention, still there was con-
siderable wonderment whether it
would. It has studiously ignored all
reference to its method of procedure,
assigning. no reason why it pursued the
course it did, or why it did not adopt
anather- 1t simply says I'VE place in
nomination the following named per-
sons to fill the various elective munich
Pal Offices" and eve" consist of Just
twentythree persons. We" never
! asked the voters of Salt Lake City to
aid in framing a ticket that would
carry out the policy I'VE" believe to
be best fcr the city, for from the be
! ginning I'VE" haye ulistrusted the peo-
pie, feeling that if once they met in
primaries CIR convention they could not
! be held in check or directed to do that
which we" thought proper and ad-
vlsable. The promoters OF the non-par-
/ tisan movement have shown by their
every act that they not only distrust
( party government. but that they have
no faith in popular government. for no
one can deny that TO doubt the capac-
/ ity Of the people to make proper nom
! nations for office is to doubt their ca
paeity for government, the nomin-
alton CT public officials by the people
/ being as essential as their election by
! the people in a popular government
We do not believe tG,at the non-par-
! tisan promoters have strengthened
{ their cause by their address to the peo-
pie, but we would advise all the people
to read it carefully and see. if they
can find in it any promise of better
government than they viii find in par
tisan platforms.