The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-13
THE PERsUADERs' FAILURE.

/ TIE FEhOOAOGno FHlEOREs
Although this is written before the
final action OF the council meeting, it
is evident that the self-constitUted
purifiers and nominatOrs of the Amer
lean" party have been defeated in their
first attempt at reforming the re
form party by the selection of W. J.
Halloran as mayor. Two very good
reasons are offered in explanation OF
this defeat: One is Mr.. Halloran's re-
fusal to be sacrificed; the other is the
council combination of A. ]. Davis,
Black, Crabtree, Martin and Nulyey,
which sees in any real reform the de-
feat OF its control and the end of the
syndicates peculiar line of operations
in connection with public works and
public business generally.
Exactly such an outcome of Mayor
Thompson's resignation has been fore
seen and anticipated by The Heral1.
The men who really control the
American" party do not want real re-
form in the city administration. and
what is more, they won't have it. They
are in office for what there is in ii,
not for the good Of the city or the sac
rifice of personal gain.
From the first day of their incum-
bency, the election of Davis as presi-
dent of the council, the appointment
of Sheets as chief of police and the
confirmation of Jake Raleigh as super
intendent of streets; from the initial
donation of $4,000 in extras" to Fat
Moran to the last grab, the crematory
contract, there has been no regard for
the public service half so important to
the syndicate members for themselves
and their friends.
1t was a foregOne conclusion, there
fore, that these men, though posing as
patriots" prating of reform" would
balk at any movement to place an eff
cient, honest, disinterested man in the
mayors chair. Mr.. Halloran is such a
man. and so long as an American is
sure to be mayor, it is a pity he has
refused and that the syndicate is left
in absolute control of the public BUSH
ness.
That, however, is a matter of party
responsibility; and the Americans"
have proved very clearly that the
worst element of their organization is
the controlling element. Their party
slogan of reform" reads well. sounds
well; but the party heads, A. ]. Davis
and Black and Crabtree and Martin
and Mulvey, discredit every cry of ire
form" every claim to honest admins
tration. Their whole record in the
council gives the lie to the platforms
promises. the campaign pleas and
pledges, the high moral attitude upon
which they secured the support of a
large number of Salt Lake citizens.
The pledges were underwritten by men
of respectable eminence like Colonel
Wall and Mr.. Ferry and Mr.. Halloran:
but the underwriters, having to depend
upon the council syndicate, have been
unable to deliver the goods.
The fatal error of the committee of
persuading reformers was in their
original plan to force the election of
MIR. Halloran by the council without
consulting the real powers of their
party. Colonel Wall and the gentle
men associated with him in the per-
suading business meant well, no doubt
but their system was amateurish.
They should have consulted, first of
all, the Hon. p. ]. Moran, ex-officio
mayor and city council of Salt Lake
under the American" administration
If they could have secured his views
they would have known what was 60
ing to happen to them.
Davis and Black and Crabtree and
Martin and Mulvey ali recognize the
wisdom of Moran's views and are
amenable to his gentle, persuasive elo-
quence. He doesn't say much ever, but
what he says goes" with the syndi-
cate. If he wants, say, $4,000 for plas-
tering conduit that needs no plaster
the boys line up and say. Sure, he
needs the money; let's vote it."
And they vote it.
If his quarry desires to supply the