The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-11-14
CITY COUNCIL
VACbIES PARK
Stephens Said They Couldn't,
But They Did.
MUNICIPAL STATESMEN
WAGED FIERCE BATTLE
Preliminary Step IN Donating
Park to Railroad.

At the close Of the hottest fight that
has been waged in the council in
many a day. the rules were last night
suspended and the ordinance vacating
Pioneer square as a public park was
read the third time and adopted. This
is the preliminary step necessary be-
fore the square can be donated to the
proposed Salt Lake-Los Angeles rail-
road for terminal facilities The pro-
ponents of the measure had votes to
spare. All fifteen of the members were
present and only Buckle, Fernstrom,
Canning and Tuddenham were against
it.
The debate for the minority was led
by Buckle, who called c. r. Howe to
the chair. For two hours and a half
the battle ragged. At times the discus
sion was extremely acrimonious and
the cOuncilmen didn't waste any time
hunting for choice expressions to toss
at their colleagues.
Many Charges Made.
COttTeIl was accused of breaking
pledge he had made to his constituents
in the Second. c. r. Howe was charged
with making unfair rulings and so was
Whittemore, who succeeded him in the
=
more. who was actively lobbying for
the ordinance. came in for a lashing
at the hands of Fernstrom. If the pre-
viOus question hadn't been moved and
ordered several times the council might
have been in session throughout the
night.
The members of the minority knew
they were beaten long before the final
roll-call, but they kept on filibustering
in the hope that the opposition might
wear out. Every possible point was
taken advantage of. Amendment after
amendment was offered and one point
of order after another was made. The
same speeches We're made half dozen
times by half a dozen different mem
bers and a stenogUaphic report of the
proceedings would ill one or more
gOOd-sized volumes
Canning Calls It Job"
As soon as the report of the joint
committees had been read Whittemore
objected 20 what he called railroad
ing the measure through. He offered
an amendment inserting the word
not after the word be" so as to
make the recommendation read that
Pioneer square be not vacated as a
public park"
a long argument on this point fol-
lowed. Speaking in favor Of the amend
ment. Canning said: Il think this is
only a railroad job with nothing be-
hind il except a little wind. and . am
opposed to its going through tonight or
any other time Hewlett made a talk
in favor of the original report and
against the amendment AS he closed
he asked. at the request of Buckle
that the opinion of the city attorney
on the subject be read.
In brief the attorney said that the
council had the right to vacate the
square for municipal purposes. but not
for the purpose of giving it to a rail-
road company. He admitted that some
eminent attorneys differed from him.
but this opinion was the result of care
full investigation.
Shot at c. o. Whittemore.
Fernstrom was the next speaker. He
argued that the city attorney should
be sustained, for his opinion should
guide the council. incidentally he
caused z roar of laughter by a quiet
shot at c. o. WhittemOre. 7 don't
think we ought to give away this
square, he said, even if it was prom
ised by one of our attorneys at a ban
! quet in Los Angeles when he was feel
ing good. If we are to give ten acres
I of ground as the price of one banquet
+ TO this gentleman, suppose we'd have
! TO give up Liberty park as the price OF
/ two"