The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-22
COMMISSIONERS. PLAY POLITICS.


sioners of Salt Lake county have con
cluded TO play politics. 1t is not al
all likely that this conclusion is sudden
or Immediate, although the eruptions
accompanying il are of comparatively
modern date. No doubt it has been the
desire of the Commissioners ever since
their installation into office to play
| politics, but they did not know Just
how to do 1T. They are learning. As.
( sociatc-Senator Sutherland has shown
them the first step. 1t was 10 agree TO
Gust James Sabine from She superintend-
ency of the county infrmary and install
Joe Cottlc, for the political services of
! the latter at last fall S election. This
is the most important victory that the
associate-Senntor has achieved in Utah
politics. He is to be congratulated
thereon But the narrowing thought
arises that possibly this victory is a
| sneak after all, and that Smoot did not
know about it or he might have pre-
vented IT. Still the associate Senator
ought to have something, and this is
about as little as could be accorded
him, with any sort of recognition of
his reflected dignity.
Another political play that the Com
missioners have made is in insulting the
delegation of the Grand Army of the
Republic which laid before the Com
missioners the usual request for an APP
preparation of fifty dollars in aid OF
the Memorial day observauces. The
Commissioners roasted the Grand Army
committee TO brown turn, calling the
organization ''disloyal' because some
members OF it had attended political
meeting and were reported to have
cbeered certain references to President
Roosevelt of which the Commissioners
did not approve. Therefore they stigma
tized the old defenders of the country in
its extremity as disloyal," These up
starts who undertake to lay down rule
of loyalty or of disloyalty to the Grand
Army are as much out Of place as
Lucifer was in undertaking to lay down
rules for the angels of heaven. These
Commissioners are merely agents Of the
church. They do not know anything
about politics; if they had the word
from the authorities they would just
as lief run on the Democratic, the Popu-
list, or any other old ticket, as on the
- Republican ticket They do not
know anything about party politics;
they care nothing about party name;
but are merely the servilc agents and
tools of the hierarchy, For such up
starts to undertake TO lay down rules
Of loyalty to the veterans of the great
war Of the Rebellion ls something so
so scandalous, that the
Commissioners are already feeling the |
weight of public opprobrium for their
and absurd course
The Grand Army men can well af-
ford to do without the fifty dollars !
that the Commissioners are reported to |
have voted after insulting the commit |
tee that asked for it. But they cannot |
afford to lie down tamely under the in
suit of the Commissioners who stjg-
natizcd them as 6isloyali merely be-
cause they saw fit TO attend meeting
and to express their appreciation Of
what was said. 1t is not in the least
,he Office of the Commissioners to take
he Grand Army men under their charge
ind to say what meetings they shall
attend or whether or not they shall up-
prove or condemn the utterances that
hey hear at such meetings. The thing
S so absolutely absurd that it docs not
bear argument. The Grand Army men
ire free and independent citizens. They
10 not owe anything to the County
commissioners; but the County Com
nissioners owe everything to them, as
10 all other officials within the limits
If this Republic. If it had not been
,or these men and others like them who
we're willing to bare their breasts to the
storm Of bullets from the rebellious
enemy, there would have been no coun,
'ry today TO serve, and no officialdom
worth while within the present United
States.
The Commissioners have in this po-
itical play heaped upon themselves a
weight of odium from which it will
AXE them long while to recover. If
hey think that they can compel the
5rand Army to humiliate itself before
hem they are woefully mistaken If
be Grand Army wants fifty dollars, or
vice fifty, all it has TO do is to let
he people of this city know the fact,
ind the money will be quickly sup
'lied. And Of one thing the Commits
ioners can be well assured: The peo.
Die of this city have more respect for
'ne little finger of any member of the
1rand Army than they have for the
Whole body of the County Commission
RS and all who back them. Let there
DC no mistake about the public ccnsuro
# this sort of politics. The County
commissioners where thoy arc not CON
and petty, are themselves
lisloysl, impudcnt, and presumptuously
A LONG WAY BEHIND,