Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-11

lower
the felon In q cell.
I'VE must measure public officials by
the way In which they bring things TO
| pass.
| But, important as Is general dis.
cusslon on citizenship we have met
TO discuss very specific subject Two
weeks ago, In this room delivered a
sermon which has since attracted some
| attention. This is what | said at tina,
| time;
When man, either through weak
ness or duplicity, lends his influence to
trickery, then he forfeits the right to
the respect of decent citizens. He has
| 'nerited and will finally receive the con-
tempt of all high minded citizens. There
are some men In public office for whom
! have wholesome respect, and others
for whom l have supreme contempt
FACTS ON HAND.
When l uttered those words, | in
tended at some future time to substan-
tiate the general assertion | was In
complete possession of the facts at that
time, and us the time for delivering the
facts has been fastened by the action
of the city council, | am prepared to
make good my declaration today"
Mr. Goshen read the resolution intro
duced I'm the council by r. r, Black,
declaring that its wording indicated
that he had not been a listener at the
sermon he referred to. He then depre-
Gated the notority brought upon him by
the action of the council, and stated
that he would confine himself exclusive
ly To the matter of paving First South,
leaving out all matters of gossip and
combining himself strictly to the records
and well known facts.
The trouble commenced in petition
filed with the council Feb. II, 1907.
Through the entire recital the charge
was brought out time and time again
that there was nervous anxiety in the
council in favor OF q certain kind of paw
ing, regardless of opposition. The first
example of this was charged against
Councilman Black when the speaker
said, after reciting the facts Of an
agreement to send certain rocks TO tho
Washington Good Roads department to
ascertain their value in road making.
1T was agreed" he declared, that In
the interval between the meeting time
and the receipt of the report that the
matter should rest and that nothing
should be done. The gentleman VINO
introduced the resolution (Mr. Black
was a party to the agreement, and was
agreeable, so far as any one could
know The rock was sent to the city
of Washington to the good roads de-
partment to be tested.
BLACKS ANXIETY.
The citizens of the street rested In
perfect security that 10 further actlon
would be taken, ON April l, iso" tIleie
was a petition presented to the council
asking that the street be paved with
asphalt. on the first of April. 1907, thus
was voted for in the council by men
who had agreed to allow the matter TO
rest until the report could be obtained
In violation of the agreement, in VOL
lation to the trust was this act OF
April | 1907. on the morning of
April q 1907, when ] learned of the
action OF the council of the previous
night, telephoned To Mayor Thomp-
son. who was then mayor, as you re-
member. He was duarantined at nome
because OF sickness of child. toiu
him that Ii was impossible to present
the facts then, but assured him that
the committee understood them. ana
that if he had the evidence before him
he would not put his signature TO the
action of the council. on the sixth day
of April, 1907. he vetoed the action or
the council that had been passed on
April /. 1907. 1t may have been trick
cry or chicanery; perhaps either Is
too easy a word.
RECORD WAS ALTERED.
From this pont Mr.. Goshen passed
rapidly to another illustrating the same
anxiety to favor Moran's brand of as
phalt, and charging that the record
had been interlined to make 1t appear
that the action was legal The mat
ter referred to is in file sc of the report
of the committee on streets and Mr..
Goshen declared that on April l6, 1907,
after thorough discussion the city re-
corder was notified to request bids for
Utah asphalt.
arc 70 - 10 III
the speaker, you will learn something
If you do not know 1t now.
You will find that there is an In
terline with the word Utah" scratch
ed out, and the words 'or All equally
good asphalt" inserted. Gentlemen,
that was not the agreement, and you
know IT, You know that the agreement
read plain and specific 10 pave with
Utah asphalt.
THE material specified was Utah
asphalt, the property owners on the
street and those interested in the paw
ing of the street supposed the matter
was settled, and all was well. But all
was not we'll
THAT may be neither trickery nor
chicnnery-cal It what you will.
1T was provided In that notice or
intention that from Second TO Fourth
East streets the pavement be eighty
feet wide, and that from Fourth TO
Thirteenth East streets IL be sixty
feet wide.
when the opening Of the bids was
made. 1t was found that =. j Moran
had filed one bid for Califosnia as
phalt and one for Utah asphalt. Tho
notice of intention provided only for
Utah asphalt, and there was as much
reason for bid on a hairbrush AS
there was for ono on California asphalt.
(Applause).
BLACKS EXPLANATIONS.
II called on Councilman Black and
asked him what was the reason for
these two bids He told me that
there was not enough Utah Asphalt TO
pave the street with, and that If there
were any more attempts 10 pave the
street with Utah asphalt II would go
unpayed altogether That statement
was made in the presence OF Dr. II,
b. Beatty who was party TO the dis
cussion,
In spite of the fact that the resi-
dents had agreed upon Utah asphalt.
In spite of the fact that the city council
had advertised for bids upon Utah as
phalt and could not legally close a con-
tract for any other material. they
awarded "A contract for California as
phalt. on the goth of March, 1858,
those counclmen interested I'm the
California product, secured the passage
of resolution providing for the paw
ing OF the Intersections with California
asphalt and the blocks with Utah as
phlat,
Now. II any one is willing to believe
a A.. tp IN "a fl.uiI