The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-23
TWO LOCAL PICTURES.

When the local Republican party was
in full control of every branch OF city
government, when all the Offices. elect
i've and appointive, We're filed by Re
publicans. the city went from bad to
worse until the disgracefulness of the
situation was forced home to Republic
ans themselves.
At the end Of two years of Republican
administration, as the Republican or
gan called il, the condition of municipal
affairs was like this: Taxation was in
creased and debts incurred until
further increase of taxation was made
Imperative. Office expenses were out
rageDusly high. and "the consequent
excessive taxation made the burdens
upon the people unbearable." Owing tc
the decentralization of silver by the ma
tional Republican party, which depre-
ciated values. and the extravaganza
of the local Republican party the city
was bowed with a weight carried by no
other city in the land. Nationally and
locally the party hurried the municipal
ity to the verge Of ruin. "The load thus
placed upon the small wage-earner and
home owner was grievous to be borne;
among the poorer classes it has in many
cases amounted TO virtual confiscation."
Nor were the poorer classes the only
sufferers from Republican rule. In
vestment was discouraged because
property. even where favorably situat-
ed was able to return little more than
the amount of the taxes. This was the
condition of Salt Lake City at the end
of the last Republican administration:
in witness whereof Messrs. p. H. Ian
nan, c. c. Goodwin, ]. Z. Dolly, O. ].
Salisbury, w. w. Ritter. George a. Lowe
and John Henry Smith affixed their
seals and signed their names in Septem-
Der, 1897.
Then change came. a Democratic
council, treasurer. recorder and attor-
ney Were elected along with the candi-
date for mayor supported by the gentle
men whose names are given. So when
their mayor describes the change that
has taken place since the city passed
from Republican control, these gentle
men are not in position to discredit
his figures and statements of fact
Mayor Clark made an official statement,
after the Democratic council. treasurer
and recorder had been in office a year.
in which he said:
1T is a matter of congratulation to
note that while the receipts from all
sources OF the city's revenue show an
increase Of S44, 331o1 over that of
1892, the total expenditures were
SIS, 364.33 less than those of that |
year, making net gain to the city
of $50, 1864"
The saving to the taxpayers and the
correction OF Republican errors will be /
even greater by the end of the present
year and over $4,000 will be saved |
with which to discharge the debts in
CURED under preceding administrations. /
Mayor Clark said further:
while making acknowledgment to
the city council for its full share of
the excellent work that has been
done, I wish to earnestly recommend
a continuance of the same careful,
painstaling, economical, yet progress
sive, policy that has governed during
the past year"
One would naturally think. in view of
these two pictures, one full of despair
and the other of hope, that the local
Republican party would not have the
nerve to ask the taxpayers of this city
to reinstate it so soon. But its nerve /
paSseth understanding, and the fact
that some of the mayors supporters
the artists who drew the sombre pic
ture OF Republicanism which so strong
". contrasts with the mayors picture of
reform. adds TO the suspicious mystery
which lies behind the party's audacity.