The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-12
AS TO THE AMENDMENTS.

The Deserct News last night had for
its leading editorial one OF some bit
terness with respect TO the constItu.
tional amendments, basing it on the
proposition suggested by Governor
elect Spry that il they are defeated
by the vote Of Salt Lake City ''thcre
will be considerable bad feeling toward
the Capital, in the country where the
people have made up their minds that
they want money for high schools. -
The News proceeds thcreupon to be-
labor the American party in its usual
style, because of the expression III The
Tribune against these amendments,
There was not one reason urged by
anybody that we heard Of during the
campaign in favor Of those amend
monts We ourselves analysed them
early in the campaign, urging reasons
why they should not be adopted. Later
on, Judge Vnriau showed as to two Of
them that they would disarrange the
consistency Of our taxing system. AS
to tho high schools, it was simply
proposition to further bleed Salt Lake
City for the benefit Of localities out
side. If this causes any resentment
against Salt Lake City IL is the resent
ment Of those who expected to derive
advantage through the disadvantage Of
another, and surely ought not to be
pleaded against the one who was to be
made the victim; for, of certainty, a
victim has the right to resist aggres-
sion and to protect himself if he can;
and TO deny that right is to transgress
all human reason.
The fact is that the high school sen
timent is pretty general throughout the
State, and the people IN tho we'll popu.
lated areas are fairly well convinced
that they ought to have high schools;
many, if not most, Of such peoples now
have them. Remote localities already
get from Salt Lake City large revenues
by reason of the apportionment of the
three-mill public school tax. There is
no reason why they should receive any
more from Salt Lake City for the sup
port of education IN the different 10
calities OF Utah, whether for high
schools or any other schools. If il is
a crime for Salt Lake City to protect
itself against aggression then the
sooner that claim is known tho better
But as a matter of fact we don I be.
Eevc that anybody is of that opinion;
certainly no fair.minded person can
hold it,
Besides, altogether, irrespective OF
any question of interests involved. the
people Of this city have quite as much
right to their own opinions about those
amendments as the people of the couu
try have And it is noteworthy that
it is only since election that this queS.
ton of country VS., city has been
sprung.
So far as the amendments arc con.
cerned, they arc probably carried, be-
cause such amendments always do
carry. The amendment to the disad.
vantage of Salt Lake City, as com
pared with Salt Lake county changing
the provision in the Constitution as
first adopted, was carried by the vote
of the counties outside, that had no
interest whatever in it. But the ma
iority of tho people seemed TO think
that it was incumbent TO vote AYE
on whatever constitutional amendment
might be proposed.
1t is not possible at this time to say
whether the three constitutional
amendments proposed were carried or
not. But inasmuch as they were all
bad, and inasmuch as all ought TO have
been defeated, the probability is that
they all carried. That has been the
usual rule here, and we have no doubt
but that rule will be found to have
worked as 10 these amendments, as
well as TO the others heretofore adopt
ed. But to try to work up a feeling
Of resentment against Salt Lake City
for no reason other than that the city de-
sired TO protect itself from aggression
is ono of the stupidcst pieces of ma
lignity that has been developed, even
in the malignant minds of the man
ayers Of the base Deseret News.