The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-27
THE PLEA FOR THOMPSON.

n OvERNOR WELLS BLOSSOMED FORTH a
TT thought-moulder yesterday IN signed editorial
- entitled "a Plea Fer Thompson" 1t a sweet
posy of thought, beautifully coored and bearing the
flowers of romance IN almost every line If 1t
thing it was modest, timid violet as it were.
Possibly would be the better figure for the trib-
ute to Ezra was the least bit lugubrous in its descrp
ton of the that have befaen the citynOt through
the Thompson regime, mind you but a legacy from
the wicked men who long agone plunged the city
in debt and made it impossible for such genius
Ez to retrieve its fortunes Mortgages" and mill
Of debt" and seriously retarded for lack of
funds of the adornments or the city treasury
the governor it, but not on Ezras account Per
ish the thought
.'If the taxes have been slightly increased" says
the governor with the accent the slightly, 1T
indspensaby for the defrayng of absolutely
proper expenditures"
Right there is a good place to pause Has the in
crease of mill in taxes had offset in absolutely
necessary expenses! Where the improvements in
public service to show for this increase! Where any
improvements aside from the water SYSTEM which Is
paid for by bonds.
In round numbers the city taxes for 1899 were
$230OO0.
For 1000, the first year of the Thompson rule they
S239,OOO
For this year the city Taxpayers viii have give up
That is, Mayor Thompsons expenses this year are
$4,000 than Mayor Clark spent liz 1899 not count
ing the spent for waterworks, which furnish
no additional water, and not counting the $4,000 or
Whereabouts which Is to be spent and paid for by the
rihce of the city's real estate.
Until Governor Wells specifies something Thomp-
son has to show for this increase expenses
and taxes, the public be pardoned if it refuses to
believe that ThOmpson's slight increase" has any
cuse that man would accept.
Again. the governor says: eff the street sprnkling
has cost little than it did under the previous adj
minisraton, he (Thompson) viii show anyone the
districts that have been sprinkled."
Truly Thompson could He could also show them
numerous private alleys and rights of way that
sprInked and paid for by the owners but Le couldn't
show anybody who got the money-uness he could get
sam Spry expert witness, make some of the
other in that department betray their confeder
ates also he could show thousands Of citizens
who complained of the lack of street sprinkling.
Yet again the governor says: eight months ago.
learning that the vice of gambling gaining foot
hold in the Cty he (Thompson) closed the gambling
den; they still closed and they will continue closed
long as he Is at the head of the city government
Mayor Thompson had been In Office year before
he discovered" the gambling dens. He was in Office
over twenyonc months before he discovered that pub
lie sentiment favored the closing of saloons on Sunday
man slow that in discovering things is too slow
10 keep the city from being robbed by incompetent
ployees and favored contractors.
Then, with the Republicans last appeal he warns
the people that capital viii he slow in here if
the Republican Is reelected That IS capital
VIII come galopng If II knows be increased
and extravaganza made the rule of the municipal gov
crment. Even the governors high Office does not en-
title such arrant twadde that to respectful consider
alton.
National issues have place in municipal politics
The citizens about to hire officials for two years
work IT they show any business sense they viii select
the men who enforce the laws give honest
value for every dollar they spend and economic in
lcgltimatc way they Democrat Populist Repub-
mean or paln ornery mugwump if man can do better
work Tor less money than his opponent in the race
ought TO be hired by election That is all there is TO it.
and by that same token the Democrats will be elected