The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-09
MAYOR cLARK's MIsTAKE.

Mayor Clark made q mistake last
evening when he returned the name of
Arthur Pratt to the city council, and
requested that his nomination as chief
of police be confirmed.
The mayor takes issue with the
/ council on the statement that Mr..
Pratt is Objectionable to a large ma
jority of the people as chief of police.
and is of the opinion that very small
portion of the people are opposed to
him. We do not wish to question the
mayors judgment, but we do not
hesitate to say that he is poor judge
of public sentiment if, after all these
weeks of public and private discussion
of the chief of police controversy. he
is honestly of the opinion that Mr.
Pratt is the choice of any considerable
number of the people of Salt Lake
City for that Office. II the mayor
wishes to know the sentiment of the
people, and such a thing were posi-
bic, ne might submit the name of Mr..
Pratt to the people for confirmation,
and he would soon be convinced of
his eTTor If the mayor is DESTROYS
of ascertaining the sentiment of the
people, let him ask the men and women
whom he can meet any lay, walking
up and q wn Main street 10 give him
their candid opinion of the matter,
taking care to exclude all who, for
personal reasons, might be prejudiced
against Dir. Pratt. and after an hours
time, he viii count the votes for and
against his nominee, and then go and
write another communication to the
council, stating the matter exactly as
he found the fact to be, it will be diff
ferent from the one he sent in last
night
If so few people are opposed to Mr..
Pratt, why has not an indignant host
of citizens and taxpayers petitioned
the mayor and city council to give
them Mr.. Pratt for chief OF police?
The mayor has 4 perfect right, in
the face of all opposition, even in the
face of the wishes of a mighty host
of indignant citizens. to cling to Mr..
Pratt if he is honestly convinced that
there is no other man except Mr.. Pratt
for chief of police, but he makes
very grave mistake when he does so,
because the opposition to Mr.. Pratt is
not confined to a few disgruntled in
dividuals. but merchants. artisans,
bankers and day laborers. who bear
Mr.. Pratt no personal ill-wil, and who
have no reason 10 wish him harm, are
free to say that they think the public
good demands that he be retired.
The city council did the proper thing
in rejecting Mr.. Pratt so promptly,
because, while as the mayor says, he,
as the chief executive of the city, has
a duty to perform, the members of the
council are also responsible to the
people, and they, in their wisdom,
realized that Mr. Pratt was not the
choice of the people in any sense and
rejected him.
The members of the council have the /
same. but no better, facilities for find
ing out what the people desire than the !,
mayor has and they were able to learn /
thar Mr.. Pratt was not the choice for /
chief of police, and so stated in the
most polite terms to the mayor when
they returned Mr.. Pratts name, and (
they emphasized this opinion last
night when they refused to consider T.
The matter any further.
It is to be hoped now that the
mayor and Mr.. Pratt will understand
that the latter is finally out of the
race.