The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-03
THOMPSON AND HIS PLEDGES.


THOMPSON AND HIS PLEDGES.
Mayor Thompson's apologist, the or
gan of the obstructonists, presents an
elaborate defense of its candidates rec
ord on the water question, which would
be Interesting, if true.
It urges in his defense that every
step in his process of bonding the city
and spending S25O,OOO was published,
understood and approved by the people.
The accuracy of that statement may be
judged by the fact that Thompson said
he would spend $4,000 tn--water- main
improvements, and really spent 100000
for iron pipe not needed at the time; he
promised TO secure 100000 gallons of
water daily from Parley's canyon by
purchase. and spent SOS, 4tO.62 for land
without any additional water; he was
20 spend $4,000 for improvements in
the Utah lake supply and actually
abandoned the work there after spend
ing S2O,901.71 without securing any adj
ditiOnai water.
Finally, Thompson, in an address TO
taxpayers, promised to spend $4,000 for
mains and standpipes which would en-
able the city TO use canal water for
sprinklng and SO save the mountain
water for domestic use. He spent ex-
actly SS,1149S for digging up useless
sewer pipe and piling it up, but he did
not spend a cent on sprinkling stand
pipe system.
BY the record, Thompson stands con-
victed of violating every pledge he
made in his published address to the
taxpayers and promising that the
money should be spent for the purposes
named in his address. He was strong
on expense for iron pipe, altogether sat
isfactory TO his favored contractor, but
eak and miserable failure when it
came TO fulfilling pledges. If Thomp-
son had spent $4,000 for a sprinkling
system as he promised, there would
have been no occasion for the howl
ThompsOn's friends made over the wa
ter shortage this past summer and if
ne had bought water instead of iron
pipe there would have been less diff
Guilty in solving the problem he left to
his successor.
Because the Big Cottonwood water
IS not flowing in the mains, the organ
Of the Thompson obstructionists asserts
that Mayor Morris has done nothing to
secure additional water. Aside from
The fact that half of the Big Cotton
wood water. over 100000 gallons
daily has been secured and is ready
for the conduit being built. what part
has the American" party played i'm
the game of obstruction Which delayed
the water plans?
II was d member of the American
party who brought suit 10 defeat the
bonds after they had been issued: il
was an american" who brought suit
10 prevent the acquisition of the Big
cottonwood water after the bonds had
been pronounced valid by the supreme
court; it was a member of the ''Amerl-
can party who appeared in court as a
legal Obstructionist. and every one of
feat the acquisition of more water
Moreover, the only delay in letting
contracts for the Big Cottonwood con-
duit has been due to "Americaus''-de-
lays which lasted nearly six months of
time and threw active work on the con-
duit into the fall months instead of let
ting work begin early in the summer.
In the effort to belttle Mayor Nor
ris' work, the 0bstructionists' organ
declares the mayor has added nothing
10 the culinary water supply or the irri-
cation water. The addition Of 1000 900
gallons of culinary water from Big Cot
tonwoOd is ignored; the purchase out
right OF 10000, 900 gallons from the East
Jordan canal for exchange purposes is
no addition To the irrigation water. "
A blind ostrich with his head in the
sand and legs waving in the air could
not be more ridiculously obliyious of his
attitude in the eyes of spectators than
his absurd apostle Of the untrue
The fact is-and the Daily Obstruc-
zionist knows it-that Mayor Morris
has carried forward plans for d greater
water supply 20 a point where they viii
settle the water question Tor the next
decade and longer. The Big Cotton
wood conduit and the additional lake
water secured. make ii possible to ac-
quire by exchange practically all Of The
Big Cottonwood. Little Cottonwood and
other mountain water as il may be
needed. No prevarication or evasion or
misstatements can dodge that fact: nor
can any mendacious campaign subter-
fnges deceive the people as 10 the prog
ress the mayor has made ia a problem
which Thompson failed utterly to meet
In the course of the discussion, the
Tribune resers to The Herald as the
morning organ of the ecclesiastical
push presumably meaning to be hu-
nlorOus and at the same time convey
the impression that The Herald is In
some way identified with a vague. ec-
eiesiastical combination. If The Herald
has made one thing plain in its course
for years, it has been the opposition to
political activity by high ecclesiastical
officials. This was true when the Re-
publicans elected a legislature which
sent Thomas Kearns to the senate; il
was true when the Republicans elected
q. Tas.fs4a trt-e thar sauf d. Co.. -.