Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-18
DEsFRET EVENING NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER is 1908

G. .E,NVS FRIDAY D,El
/ Political machines have battled Tor
control of city governments IN order
/ to give patronage to poll tical Eparasit ties
land franchises to$corrupt individuals or
4 corporations. Back of the ward and
the city political orgaaliza ton, has been
! found the qualifications of aflroa as,
4 franchise interests, seekers of special
privileges. and they have been the
I forces controlling and destroying the
| people n Xxi
| Efforts to secure special privileges,
monopplies and franchises led to 'tyran-s
] ny IN past centuries. The same forces
| have led to oppression and corruption.
| in oul. municipalities. Public conscience
has been dulled and the people have 81
| lently and without protest permitted
| themselves to. be bound gagged and
| robbed The vicious, corrupting and
| predatory elements have been united,
and have Jointly preyed upon the peo-
! pie. Streets have been turned over to
| politicians and corporations. Valuable
| franchises have been thrown into the
! laps of corruptionists and favored par
tisans and the public utilities which be-
IlonRed to the people have become the;
| price for which schemers have Waged
relentless and cruel warfare.
NEED or MORE PATRIOTISM.
What we need is d moral awaken
! ing along political and governmental
Hines We need more patriotism ana
less partisanship. There should be
greater desire for good government,
and less desire for mere party gov
eminent. In this statementsl do not
mean 10 depreciate the work of poii-
teal parties or argue for their aboll-
l,,,f. In th1f CvprNWhGrC
in this republic there should be
love of country and state and city
| a broad and generous patriotism winch
is paramount to partisanshlp, anu
seeks the welfare of the people rather
that the advantage of party and sell.
A man may be too PARTISAN and pre-
fer the triumph of party to the sue
cess OF principle. All good citizens
should desire good and Honest
government. not mere party triumph.
think 1t was the great philosopher
Locke who said that the object OF
government should be to secure hap
piness TO the people. When govern
ments fail to accomplish this end eth
er by evolution or revolution they
should be changed II political par
ties do not serve the people they
should be destroyed. Before the.
birth of our nation it was thought by
the fathers that the parent govern
ment was tyrannous and oppressive anu
that the purpose for which govern
ment was instituted among men was
not being realized Accordingly they
asserted the inalienable rightato es-
tablish that form of government that
would conducc to their happiness,
liberty and moral advancement. This
government by them and by the con-
sent of the governed was thus es-
tablshed and it has been the beacon
light OF liberty to all the world. With
the birth Of the republic political
parties were formed to carry into eff
feet the principles accepted BY the
people and they sought to crystalize
into executive and legislative conduct
the views accepted by the people as
their political guides. But some OF
those parties became corrupt and OPP
prcssive. They departed from the
great PRINCIPLES. of Justice and liberty
upon which they were founded. Fail
ing in the object for which they were
organized some of them died and
others. rebuked by the people, return
ed to principles of Justice and liberty.
Today We have great political or
quotations. SO long as they repre-
sent that which is best in human
government and contend for the prin-
ciples OF liberty and Justice, for ma
tional honor and for moral and eth
iaal development, they should re-
ceive the support and confidence
of the people. But if political lead
ors and parties fail in their high
mission they should be rebuked by
the people and dragged down from
their high station. The necessity
which leads TO the formation and
perpetni:v of political parties In
state ana nation does not exist in
municipalities. The party system of
course Is part Of our institutional
life and [ think has been OF immense
advantage to the people of the re-
public: but the opinion is being forced
upon many, though reluctantly con-
fessed, that the introduction into
municipal governments of political
parties and the conduct Of munici-
pal affairs upon national lines, Is not
productive Of good. but results in
much of the corruption found in
oSses today.
DANGER OF APATHY.
perfection in city affairs is found in
the apathy of the people. They re-
member the heroic and courageous
work of the fathers in building the
republic and they are relying upon
the proposition that the republic will
care for the people. They seem to
think that there are no rocks or
conduct is something like that OF the
captain of a strong ship. builded in
the most approval fashion. His
pride is. so great that he fears no
storm or danger. In this state of
mind he takes no precautions for the
safety OF his vessel. Lulled into
security he sleeps when he should
watch. but awakens too late and
finds himself wrecked upon hidden
rock. Too many of us. believing that
this government was builded by I'M
mortal hands and that the seal of
divinity is found upon the Constitu-
ton. become apathetic and trust the
institutions end government and Ii
berries OF the people into the hands
of corrupt politicians. combines and
monopolists. who Use the government
for personal ands and party aggran-
disment. II is q dangerous condition
when tho people permit bosses and
rings to control in civic and govern
mental affairs. There is no Inheritance
that can more quickly be squandered,
no patrmQny that can be more efHec-
tually Lost than that Of Liberty.
Watchfuiness and cease,ess vigilance
and earnest participation in govern
ment are demanded if the people
would be secure in life. liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. "a
Governments do not run themselves,