The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-10
A SETBACK FOR THE CITY


According to the construction placed
upon some new legislation melted
secretly and put through quietly by the
Smoot machine, it looks as though the
public improvements in this city are TO
be stopped until the Legislature can lift
the ban which 1T has placed upon them
in this city. According to the opinion
of City Attorney Hiles' (and no one is
more likely to know tho effect of a
statute than Judge Hilcs), there are
such difficulties in the way Of pushing
improvements here under this new leg.
islation that if it is given the full effect
apparently intended, there can be no
public improvements here for the ensu-
! ing two years.
This legislation appears to have
| slipped through without particular no.
tice from anyone; those who planned
and schemed for it being the only ones
in the secret Of what the effect of 1T
would be, We rather suspected that
something sinister had been done when
we saw in the Smoot tmouth wild
and gleeful exultation over the pas
sage Of certain statutes which it ex-
| plotted as something that would be
hindrance 10 the American party in its
work of improving the city, Still, that
is such an ignorant, foolish, "yappy'
concern, that after all, no one paid
much attention to its eXultation. 1t
appears now, however, that that ex-
ultation was based on solid, if evil,
foundation. and it will knock the city
stiff for two years in its progress, II
the present appearances turn out to be
actualities, making the proposed inn
~rovcments impractlcable through their
costlincss, and their exacting require
mentS that no contractor could ordl-
narily meet.
The blow which this threatens to in.
flict upon the city is one that will be
very severe. 1t will be certain also
TO awaken deep resentment among the
progressive people of Salt Lake. A
very extensive system of Improvements
was planned during the present season.
The advertising for the same had been
done, and the contracts were about TO
be signed, everything was ready to 60
on with the work, but all at once this
sinister legislation was discovered
which appears to stop the progress Of
Improvements entirely. One contract
was let by the Council on Monday even
ing from which 1T is expected that cer
tain test suits will result which will de.
termine just how damaging this lcgisla
tion is. 1t ii turns out as serious as the
intimations now are that it will do. 1T
will be n bad day for Salt Lake which
is stopped in its progress; and the
backsct Will be ruinous TO great
many who had banked upon the ad.
vancement of the city on the lines OF
progress and growth which had assumed
definite form within the last year and
quarter.
But if the worst turns out to be the
fact, or if any serious handicap is put
upon the progress of Salt Lake, every
one will know precisely where 60 lodge
the cause. This damaging legislation
was passed by a Smoot Legislature, it
was cXulted in by the Smoot "mouth.
And coterie Of evil wishers to the
city and TO its government have eyi-
IDENTIFY been rejoicing for some days
over this wicked blow which their ma
chinations have inflicted upon the pro.
gress Of our enterprising town. AS TO
the responsibility for this evil blow,
there cannot be the least uncertainty
or doubt about locating it. The blow
was delivered iii secret from an evil
plot laid and put through by the Smoot
machine in secret ccncave; done for
the express purpose OF hlndcrlng the
very improvements that are now held
up by this legislation. The blow TO
Salt Lake comes unquestionably from
the Smoot machine, and it is the Smoot
machine men who have been and are
now rejoicing over the discontinue of
progressive salt Lake, inflicted by their
evil plot and Vaccinations.
The people know precisely whom to
hold responsible for this malicious and
atrocious work; and they will not fail
to hold these evil plotters to a direct
responsibility for the damage they have
inflicted, this reckoning to be had at the
election next fall.