The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-24
FOR BUSINESS Reasons. "

A BRIEF dispatch announced yester-
a day that Richard Watson Glider.
editor Of the Century Magazine. had
declined TO accept a nomination for
alderman of New York as candidate
of the Citizens Union. To quote the
dispatch, mr.. Glider says that while
he is in hearty sympathy with the
work Of the Citizens Union, he never
theiess finds il impossible for business
REQ sons to be a candidate"
Mr.. Glider is a conspicuous example
Of the good" citizen who refuses the
very duty he would urge upon other
good citizens. Like Petroleum Mas
hey, he is willing to sacrifice his wife's
relations or anybody else but himself
on the altar Of patriotism. and he
probably wonders why it is that Tam
many can exist in an intelligent COM
munity.
no better explanation could be az
forded for Tammany's success than this
brief announcement. Did anyone ever
hear Of a Tammany politician refusing
20 run for office for business rea-
sous? Does the typical Tammany
man need any urging to get him to
accept office? Hardly. He accepts
public duty and makes a private snap
OF it. while the man who would con-
slider Office a trust declines to sacrifice
his comfort and his business for the
sake Of the dear people whose inter
ests he holds so sacred-the0retically
When old John Adams was called to
serve his country ne left his business
knowing it would suffer and that his
family might be called upon to face
privation. but he did not decline the
call OF duty FOR business reasons"
When the great rebellion came, hun
dreds OF thousands Of men shouldered
their musiets and marched to the front
knowing that every step they took was
toward bankruptcy. The men who de-
cliued to march for business reasons"
were branded rs towards or worse.
The duties Of citizenship in times o.
peace are just as urgent, just as inn
perative as they were in 81. Particu-
larry I'm the larger cities are the enc
mics or the state as dangerous to the
welfare of the nation as if they were
I'm armed rebellion. There is little
glory in a battle for civic righteous
ness, but the call to patriotic service
lis just as strong as if it were a bugle
blast sounding the charge against an
invading foe.
Until men like Mr.. Glider recognize
their duty as sacred and respond with
Willing. service at any sacrifice. they
may preach and inveigh and deplore
the decadence Of politics ali they
please. The hosts of corruption and
ignorance and loot care little for
preaching or denunciation so long as
they are not fought on their own
grounds by the men whom they fear.
This Is as true of Salt Lake as it is
of New York The most capable bust
ness men. the men who have the abil
ity to give US q clean. honest. efficient
administration Of the city's affairs.
cannot be induced to run There are
exceptions, but so few as to be nota-
bic. The result is just what might be
expected.
This fall there is to be a city election.
The city needs good men to conduct its
businessN but the politicians are hgur-
ing. as usual. on party advantage to
be gained regardless of fitness in can
didates
The Herald believes that candidates
of the right sort might be elected. II
is question more of getting the right
men to run than of getting votes for
them after they are nominated. If the
Democrats nominate a straight party
ticket of this kind they may win in
spite of the conditions which have dis
couraged them in recent elections. But
unless they can induce the best men
in the city to accept nominations as
civic duty. the city cannot hope to
have the reform in it's anairs which
everybody knows it needs. and which
all but the politicians hope to see
achieved