Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-07
AMERICAS GREATEST PRonLEM.

War clouds may overshadow 1t and
when they pass away the silver ques.
tion may distract the attention of the
| people from IT, but greater than the
] cuban or the silver question. far great
| er than n war with Spain would b.
SO far as ease Of solution is concerned
| looms up before America. with ever
Increasing magnitude, the problem Of
| political spells. When Cuba Is FREQ
when the war with Spain is over, IL one
should happen; and when the monetary
standard OF this country Is settled
/ thore win sim remain the greatest
| problem Of them all--how to rescue
/ from political spoilsmen the highest
( interests OF the people in respect to the
administration of public funds, affairs.
Offices and institutions,
| The gas works Of Philadelphia. valued
at fifteen million dollars. were recently
turned over to u private corporation
In fragrant defiance Of public opinion.
The corporation secured the property
by the simple process OF buying coun-
cilmauic votes. stlll more recently an
other corporation, the Schuylklli Water
company. las undertaken to get pos-
session Of the city's waterworks by the
same means. and there have been some
sensational disclosures In connection
with Its operations. The bribery Of
councllmen In the interest of the water
company has been pretty conclusiveiy-
proved before a committing magistrate,
L.. -.
ell have been held on the charge.
Votes In favor Of the water company
come pretty high, rs much as $1,000
each having been paid for several OF
them. according to sworn testimony;
and the district attorney claims to have
positive knowledge that $4,000 was
spent in order to secure a favorable re-
port from the city council committee to
which the bill was referred. A member
of that committee has confessed that he
received $500 FOR his vote In support OF
a report recommending the passage of
the bill. one councilman testifies that
he was offered 5000 for his vote in
favor OF the bill when 1t came before
the council, but that he resisted the
temptation and voted against the
measure. So much for the political
morals of large and typical American
city.
Iowa is n state noted for Its adj
vanced civilization; but the spoilsmen
had such grip on the state penal.
charitable and educational institutions
as to make Of them merely means for
rewardlng partisan services. Asyiums
for the insane were placed in charge of
ward heelers instead of experts COM
petent to properly care for their in
mates. other state Institutions were
utilized in sInilar way. to the crea.
tlon of u great scandal and a crying |
abuse. The legislature now in ses-
sion has attempted to remedy the evil |
and has passed bill abolishing all |
existing boards OF trustees OF state
institutions and placing all Of the lat
ter In charge Of one board of control |
under restrictions which are Intended
to prevent any institution supported |
by public taxation from becoming par.
tisan spoils
Iowa's efforts In this line win be |
watched with great interest In many
other states in the Union. The ex- |
pertinent she is trying may mitigate
the evil at which It Is aimed. but 1t is
doubtful whether the political spells,
men can be SO easily deprived OF the
prizes for which they strive.