The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-29
THE NoN-PARTrsAN MovEMENr.


1t is TO be assumed that all geod
citizens desire the hest interests aid
the welfare Of the city; that they de-
sire 20 see lis affairs administered hon=
estly and economically; that they aji
strive for these objects though they
may disagree as to the best means d
. accomplishing them.
We take it that good citizens who
are Republicans as well as good cfti-
zens who are Democrats desire this.
nut to accomplish that which they de-
sire is it necessary that they shall for
sake their parties and join in non
PARTISAN movement 10 secure it? We
think not. Would to do so not be a
cor fession that party governms is a
failure?
This city once tried a non-partisan
government and as such it ,ras a rank
failure. This IS admitted even bv those
Who are very ae.dve in the present
movement for q non-partisan city
aeket. But yesterday we heard 4 gen
liennan who has been and is very prom
ineht m the new movement admit that
me former experiment was a failure.
"Aen asked if II were not altogether
likely that the same result would fol-
low in the present case, should a non
partisan ticket be elected. he said no.
and assigned as his reason that the
ann was to make the present move
lnent permanent The scheme is alto
Gether too Ctoplan. IF there we're a
noh-Fartisan city administration elect
Cd does any one fancy for a single
n-oment that politics would not crop
, out the very first time appointments to
minor Offices were to he made? 1t
would he inevitable and might even
pc against their professed desires in
me matter, for a mans synpathies I'M
consciously sway his actions. Once in
power t-ie non-partisan happy family
would very soon become an unhappy
one would become house divided
against itself.
Those who favor on-partisanship in
municipal affairs do so because they
believe it is the only way in which a
business administration can be had. Is
mat true? Is it true that to give this
city business administration in
which the chief aim sought is hon
estS and economy and the best inter
ests Of the citizens, men and women
must lay aside their politics give up
their political faith? No. a Thousand
times no. The administration of the
affairs of Salt Lake City is no more a
business matter than IS the admins
tration of the affairs of Salt Lake
county. And are not the Democrats
giving Salt Lake county a thorough
business administration? Could non
Dartisans give it a more thorough one?
If the Democratic party can give Salt
Lake county a business administration.
one with which the people are fully
satisfied. one in which the question of
politics has been subordinated to the
public welfare. why cannot the Demo-
cratic party give Salt Lake City just
such an administration?
Those who do not favor the present
movement for a comparison city
ticket can point to the fact such a
ticket was elected once and that the
result was failure. When those who
favor the movement can point to the
failure Of Democratic administration
in CITY affairs it viii be time enough
for the Democratic party TO consider a
proposition to put up no Democratic
ticket but to join in a movement for
q nOn-partisan administration. When
the Democratic party has made such an
ignominious failure in conducting the
affairs of the city as the Republicans
have the non-parusan partlsans can
co this.