The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-29
TIE DEPRAVED OPPOSITION.


way OF its general raiding Of Salt Lake
City, its decrying of what is done here,
or of it's holding out to the world that
Salt Lake City is the home Of boodlers.
robbers, and that taxes are so high
here that no man can afford to own
property or 20 into business. All this
is constantly being done by the oppo-
sition, which claims that those who un-
dertake to defend Salt Lake City from
their nlud-throwing are knockers and
that they are boosters-that is TO say,
they boost into view all the time every
thing that their depraved imaginations
can conjure up TO say against the City
and against its administration. And
all that they charge in this line is
utterly false, wrong headed, perverse.
An instance is found in the matter of
the public work going on, and especial
ly of the street paving. When Mr..
Moran gets contract there is howl
that the city is being robbed, that no
one but Moran can get a contract, and
that it is Doodle from start to finish,
all competition being shut out and fav~
orltism ruling IN every department of
the work. But let Moran fail to get q
contract and it is let to the Barber
Asphalt company, and a bitter wall
goes forth that the people are being
robbed and the taxpayers abused in the
interest or the trust. 1t makes no diff
ference whether Moran wins or loses,
to those who insist that robbery is
going on in either case. It makes no
difference whether the Asphalt trust
gets contract or gets pay under
former contract for work done, the City
is robbed just the same, and the tax
payers are the victims of the boodlers
If the City buys bed of asphalt in
order TO do its own work ii is Just the
same; the cry is: Doodle, Doodle,
graft, graft"
What contemplate rot it all is, and
what a contemplate gang it is that
utters II
These facetious gentlemen who claim
that al this disparegement is TO the
advantage of the City, that it attracts
capital, and that people are induced by
that means to settle, make their homes
here and invest their capital in various
enterprises IL the State, have queer no.
tions about what is attractive TO the
average man. The general opinion as
TO that sort of tactics certainly must be
contrary 10 the view Of the opposition.
Oace town gets bad name with re-
spec. to the reception Of added popula-
tion or capital it is not easy to do
away with the evil results that follow
therefrom.
There is a persistent wall by the op-
position here that the City is being
ruined by the American party. This is
so utterly false, so we'll known TO be
directly contrary TO the truth, that it
is a marvel that the public stands such
outrageous lying. The truth is that
this City was never so prosperous as
now; never before did it 60 forward
TO the front so strongly and so rapid
ly; never were there so many buildings
being constructed; never before were
there such opportunities for capital and
labor il given period as there have
been since the accession of the Amer.
lean party to power last January. All
labor IS in steady employ at good wages,
and there is more public and private
work in progress than ever before
known. The election of the American
party ticket vitalized every commercial
enterprise, gave the City new courage
to present an undaunted front to the
world, and TO claim all its right to
growth, in accord with American insti-
tutions, as the choicest place i'll the
whole mountain country for the invest
ment of money, the settlement of fam
lilies, and the making Of new homes.
The evidences of this arc all around us.
They arc plain TO the view. No one
here disputes them, The only possible
effect that the decrying Of the City's
advantages, opportunities and condi-
tions could possibly have is abroad,
where the ill-rcpute of the defamers of
the City is not known,
Surely it is time for this false cry,
this utterly mendacious. misrepresenta-
tion of tho actual conditions here, to
cease. There is no way to build up a
City, there is nc way for community
TO make the progress that it is entitled
TO make, save by a united pull all to-
gether for the common benefit; and
for the upbuilding of the City and the
State on right foundations Of law, or
der, and the proper division Of control
between civil aud religious authorities,
Let each keep to its proper place, and
let us have done with the cry that the
criminal law must be suspended in or
der that the regular procedure in bust.
ness, politics and religious associations
Shall 60 forward in due order and SC.
quence. Let us have Il City governed
by law IN accord with the institutions
of the United States. let us march on
ward breast to breast with the pro-