Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-06
THE MAYOR RESIGNS.

Mayor Ezra Thompson surprised his
friends in the City Council II seems
Monday night. by handing IN his resis-
nation, on account OF III health.
The resignation OF tho Chief of Police
was read and accepted at the Same
meeting. This was dated July 30. The
Mayors letter bore the date Of August
g. But. only i'll health prompted it, The
Mayor said so.
Runlor Is busy. The old dame has
VI that there ls an ever widening
chasm between the two wings of the
party. IN which some of the leaders
are sure to become engulfed. Anyone
who has followed the evolution of the
party knows that 1t is composed OF
two entirely different elements One Is
for a reasonably clean city gov
eminent and the other for the very
opposite. The conflict between the
two due to the revelations re-
GENTLY made, rumor says, has affected
the health of quite few party manipu-
lators.
The local interpreter of anti-"Mor-
mon" sentiment processes surprise
over the discovery that the News
does not accept the resignation OF the
Chief OF Police as an evidence OF re-
pentance of the party to which ne
belongs and which he served 30 wei
and faithfully That should not pc
surprising. The party mnnipulators
are responsible. not only for whatever
NAV have been the conditions IN the
police department, but also Tor the
tauele in which the financial affairs OK
the City now IL, and for the inettcieht
work performed on the streets, as
shown up In the News Those
manipulators must cease their UNI
American activity. The occasional
resignation of an officer, for political
purposes, does not help matters. as
long as the party policy is not chang
ed. Merely as a matter OF iliustra-
lion we may be permitted to say, tnat
a pirate ship would not be transform
ed into an honest merchant-man. by
the commander making the second
mate walk the plank. when he Is pur-
sued and afraid Of capture. A more
radical change is needed.
Tho party leaders promised IN"
citizens reform and their tools were
given charge Of public affairs on the
understanding that the promises were
TO be redeemed as far as possible. But
there was no reform. Under the ne"
regime dcns of iniquity multiplied ana
vice was rampant as never before IN
the history of the City. The money
Of the taxpayers has been squandered
and very little, comparatively speak
ing. has been accomplished In the
way OF public improvements. Last
year a great deficit was piled up, ana
no one has been able to explain salts
faotorilv what became of the money.
The streets last winter and spring
were a hiss and n bye-word They
were almost impossible In many parts
OF the City. and they furnished sur
iicient evidence that the money was
not spent where most needed. This
year. an election year. great display
Is being made. but there is more cry
than wool. more show than reality
The taxes have been increased os-
tensibly to meet obligations for which
provision has already been made by
ordinance. but in reality, we fear in
order to cover up the financial blund-
ers of the past in such way that
they shall not be noticed by the tax
payers just now. All this must be
changed. The citizens must place the
affairs of the city in honest and com
petent hands. The rule of sham and
hypocricy must be ended. That is
the reform" that counts.
San Francisco has had enough OF
the fight between petty politicians for
control Formerly the decent majority
of citizens took but little interest in
the outcome OF such struggle, and
the result was disastrous Now
they demand ticket. 70 vote Tor
which means the end Of petty party
strife for personal ambition ana adj
vantages. They demand citizenship
before paTtisnnship.' A similar move
ment is needed in every American
city.