The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-22
WANT TO GET BACK.

Three years ago the Republicans of
this city were in complete control of
every branch of municipal government.
In 1857, we had a Republican city adj
lninistration-may council and all.
At the end of two years of Republican
control the affairs of the city were in
badly demoralized condition After Re
publicans had been in power two years
the following named gentlemen signed
IAN address to the people of Salt Lake
CITY" in which the failure of Repub-
lican rule was clearly depicted:
p H. Lannan, c. C. Goodwin. w. w.
Ritter, P. L. Williams. T. G. Weber
George A. Lowe. J. E. Jennings. john
Henry Smith, o. ]. Salisbury, j. L.
Little. ]. E. Dooly, John T. Game, John
q. Cannon. E. Kahn, S. H. Hill, r. d.
Nillet. L. S. Hills, w. S. Mccormick
r. S. Richards, J. R. Walker, Jr, f. y
Gentsch, James Sharp.
They acknowledged that Republican
rule was a miserable and disgracetul
failure. which might well be hidden IN
shame from the world, but in their ad-
dress to the public the above named
gentlemen said:
We hold it to be necessary to state re
gretfully yet plainly, certain factS WIN
reference to the condition of public al
fairs in Salt Lake City; It IS better TO tel
the truth now, even at the cost Vi auNe55-
Using our misfortunes. than by SohSeal7
nent and inactivity TO rush swiftly on 10
further suffer1ngs.
Having had a brief respite from pile
burden of local Republicanism, few
of these gentlemen desire, like Solo
mons canine, to return to the political
mess at which they gagged two years
ago.
Going into details. the committee
whose names are printed above descrlo-
ed infinitely what Republican
nayor and a Republican city council
had done for the city. Over their sig
natures AIessrs. Lannan, Goodwin,
Dooly. Salisbury and the others said:
Heavy debts. increase of Office, large
salaries and consequent excessive taxa
ton have made the burdens upon the
neople unbearable In 1890 the aggre-
gate of taxation in Salt Lake City was
II mills; in 1897 it is 2712 mills. Even
this enormous figure will not cover cur
rent expenses at their present volume;
and when to this is added that the val
nation on which this assessment is
made is in many instances greater than
the property is actually worth, there
will be none to dispute that Salt Lake
city bears d burden heavier than al
most any city in the land. Deprecia-
ton in values since 1890 has gone hand
in hand with increase in expenses; the
case with which public money has been
expended is only TO he compared with
the difficulty the people have had in
supplying it. All things considered, the
statement is fairly susceptible of proof !
that taxes have increased more than |
200 per cent during the seven years, |
while the prevailing depression has |
many times multiplied the difficulties
Of the taxpayers. The load thus placed |
upon the small wage Garner and home |
owner has been and is grievous to be |
borne; among the poorer classes it has |
in many cases amounted TO virtual con-
nscation. Public improvements which, |
under a more conservative policy, |
might have been prosecuted, and thus
furnished employment to many people, !
have had to be postponed. Nor have the |
poorer classes been the only sufferers.
Investment has been discouraged be- |
cause property, even where favorably !
situated, is able to return little more
Than the amount of the taxes; capital, |
naturally timid, has not looked this !
way with favor; and business men gen.
orally have felt to the utmost extent
-
consumed so much of the profits Of
their enterprise and Roll"
@ @ @
Then they told. in the same address,
what burdens of indebtedness the en-
suing council would have to assume,
and what additional taxes would have
TO be levied 10 redeem the city from
The shameful condition into which Re
publican officials had plunged it. They
said:
For the present year the city's in
come mas been partially anticipated and
used-a deficit exists, in the payment
OF which a large portion of the current
years taxes viii be needed that should
properly so only for next years neces-
sary expenditures. In addition to ordi-
nary expenses, $5O,0OO per year, COM
mencing with 1898, must be raised as
a sinking fund for the payment of our
municipal debt, which, as a fitting eli
max to these financial woes. may be
announced as reaching the enormous
sum of over $2,5OO.OOO Besides all other
evils that come from the condition of
public affairs, the city is prevented
from doing necessary work in preserv-
ing and adding TO municipal improve
ments, the consequence of which is that
the city's progress is stopped.
After painting the city such sornbre
hue and fixing the blame upon the Re
publican politicians in power, the afore-
mentioned signers pledged them
selves TO put the city on a business
basis. and pledged their mayor TO ap-
point only such persons to municipal