The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-30
THEY FIGHT FOB GRAFT.

The desperation of the Smoot gang is
manifest In their frantic struggles and
blG-type appeals to be saved. At the
same time, the weakness of their case
is plain IN the pitiful, puerile outcry
which they make They have nothing
TO say that is worthy the attention of
intelligent women or men But all
through their childish appeals, the fear
that their maladmipistration of county
affairs is about TO be exposed. is mani
feet.
The affairs of Salt Lake county have
been shamefully jobbed. Graft, fa-
voritlsm, rake offs, and plain stealing
have permeatcd all through the county
administration. And now the frantic
effort of the grafters, iobbers and in.
competents is to hide their evil and
sloppy work, so that the taxpayers may
not know what these rascals have been
doing.
The road tax has been used as pTi.
Vate snap, TO give fine avenues and
walks 10 the favored ones Of the Off
cials.
The commissioners have grated con,
tinually in their accounts, and have
winked at stealines in and from the In
irmary.
The sheriff has squandered county
money by the tens Of thousands OF dol
lars in his political iobbcries, and in
his official warfare of County VS.. City
His enormous expenditures are clearly
abuses of the public, and a needless op-
preston upon the taxpayers. The shcr-
If S accounts, faithfully investigated
the past two years, would undoubtedly
show an amazing mass of corruption,
and expenditures which his bondsmen
would have TO make good No wonder
he is fighting with the ficrceness of de-
spalr against having the light turned
upon his huge, unnecessary, and unwar-
rapted expenditures.
The county clerk is retaining from
the public, money by the thousands of
dollars, which the Attorncy-General
says should be turned into the public
treasury. Is IL surprising that be
should be savage at the idea of being
officially called 10 account3
The county attorney has been an &C.
tive conspirator with the sheriff in the
warfare of the county against the city,
taking the public money by handfuls
TO promote their personal and political
warfare. An investigation of his Office
would undoubtedly disclose many NAL.
odorous things.
The Office of county recorder used TO
be ono OF great profit to the holder,
when the fee system Of paying him was
in vogue. But now, since the salary
system is in operation, this Office is
heavy expense 10 the public treasury.
An investigation, energetic, thorough,
and fair is due in this office;
but it can never be had with an agent
Of the ring in that Office. And the same
is true Of all the offices, and the abuses
that make them rotten.
The only possible way to get reform
is TO make a thorough change. The old
gang will not clean up; they will not |
show 10 the people what they have been
doing, nor will they permit any one
whom they elect to make such a show |
LuSs Iucy GIG al lOStlutt Az JllC sduDt |
boat, all shameless abusers OF the, pub
lie confidence.
The election of the American candi- |
lates will sweep out the old gang, and |
Will clean house. The old gratis. Jobs, |
steals, and incompetence will be ex.
posed by the American incumbents. |
And that is what puts the Smootite
gang of rascals in deadly fear. They
Tread more than anything else in the
world, the cleaning up and exposures
which the new American officials will !
make, That is why they fight so dcs-
oerately against change. But the
same dishonest reason which makes
hem put up such fight. is the very
eason why the honest public should de.
nand tho change which would come
With the change TO American control.
And in the interests of the public, es
,ecially in the interests OF the taNpay-
RS, that change and renovation cannot
afely be longer delayed.