The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-10-01

Gus members of the city council This
BODY had for some years previous to
my sudden elevation to office enjoyed
the reputation of being "out for the
stun Not that there were no honest
men in the council--far from lt-but
there was a clique Of men in II who
managed, one way and another, to put
over ordinances which carried with
them the strong suspicion Of being
crooked BY cajolery, by party lean.
ings, by straight-out bribery, by trick.
cry and by many other methods there
had been smooth work" done. with
out a doubt. But that day had passed.
In my official existence the council
had an honest majority. OF course
when | say honest. | do not mean to
accuse each individual alderman Of be.
ing honest. But one thing can be said
for every individual of them, they
We're as honest as their constituents
They suited their wards. and II an al
derman would not hesitate TO take
his bit" whenever he got chance, you
may rest assured that his "constits"
Wsre OF the same caliber.
1t was intensely interesting to watch
the different methods they employed
to gain a favor II they wanted one;
and they usually did. Sometimes It
was the ail-fellow-well-met salutatiot
of Hello, 3D." or GLOW are you, pal?"
from the free and easy kind, or the
pouter-pigeon assumption OF impor
lance Of others MS they stated their
wishes. Occasionally cigar was
handed out. but when they found
did not smoke, this avenue of approach
was abandoned.
The,e was a leaven in the council Of
aldermen of genuine ability, lawyers,
business men, politicians, who really
made up the backbone OF the body.
They were usually the heads OF the
most important committees. and were
not only good takers, but men OF af-
fairs, executive ability. thinkers and
workers. But these men could be
numbered within score OF the 40
members.
II spoke well for the frankness of
the predatory class among the alder.
men that they thoroughly respected
ability, steadfastness and honesty. You
could hear one alderman who was sup
posed to be mo better than he should
be-" break out into praise OF some 9th.
er alderman whose reputation was
flawless. | remember my amusement
on one OF these occasions One OF
the aldermen, giving vent to his feel
ings about honesty, remarked: "Yes
sir | like an honest man. Give me
an honest man. Give me one that will
stay honest. | don't mean merely mon
ey honesty, but outside and inside hon
esty." Then he added rather irrelevant
ly: There's so and so, referring ia
a certain well.known and justly hon
ored alderman he's the only honest
man In the council"
The business men we're not at all
above getting all the favors they could
from their respective aldermen. even
when they knew these favors violated
some ordinance. Many of these bust
ness men belonged to organizations
whose business II was, self-constituted
to weed out the bad" aldermen and
put In good ones. Yet the inconsis
tency of getting Illegal favors never
seemed to strike these pillars OF com
merce and society. II makes a differ
ence, you know, as to whose OK is
gored Men want what they wan
when they want It, and most men are
rather Indifferent as to the methods
employed TO gain their ends.
Aldermen we're very dissimilar a!
to calling and station in life. A de
scendant OF the signers Of the Dec
laration of Independence might be
sitting next to a colleague who wa!
over a few years from Russia or Italy
The first man who arrived at the may
or's office in the morning might NEE
you with the glad hand and the ever
ready cigar, anxious and happy Il
know the secretary. The next mar
might be some leader OF the ger
man" in what is cynically termed "po
lite society" and this party might b.
as ofiish as a strange bird dog. Ant
then there would be the ward lead
ers," the regulation politicians, Away
smiling. successful, happy, radiant
| The business men Of the council CANT
and went In a businesslike way, anC
wasted no compliments nor time II
their matters.
Very ignorant and generally newly
| elected members OF the council hat
an idea that everything was graft
and that hvecent cigar was thu
open sesame of the city hall, and tina
the mayors secretary was a person
! age Of secretly great power-which h
-wT---TrTr--- N --l-- u
4 expected any time 10 drag in a wild
eyed looking "constlt" ask for me, shove
a cheap black cigar into my hand, in
troduce the "constit' as a most par
ticular friend. and then ask to have |
city ordinance violated, or stat
law abrogated. or the constitution o
the United States set aside for thu
/ benefit OF the said "constlt' As FOL
the mayor these fellows did not be
/ lieve there was anything on earth h
could not do If he wanted TO-
In the council you could hear NOR
varieties OF oratory than Demosthene
ever dreamed Of Some Of the alder
men were ~wlndjammers," making
believing, frotbing harangue such a
they were in the habit Of making Il
their campaigns, but outside Of thei
admirers in the gallery, they neve
amounted TO anything. This body o
20 men, mind you, was shrewd as tn
very devil. They knew hot air. whel
they heard it, and the bunk" th'
"eon," the speclous argument wa
/ 4Hr,s Intnntad InafauflN