The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-27
OPEN THE COUNTY BOOKS.

HOW tue cGOIcp pOilllClauS 90 Q-C6Q
the opening of the county books and
the exposure of the f-auds, the graft,
the Incompetence, and the jobberies
which that opening will disclose! Those
church politicians are frantic this year
at the idea of the American candidates
Tor county OFFICES being elected. Those
church politicians know that tho dis
closures TO be made in the turning over
of the County books 10 the America u
officials will be such as TO sjarJle this
whole community, and very likely 10
send number OF grating criminals to
the penitentiary.
But clearly it is to the interests Of
the taxpayers 10 have those books in
the hands OF officials who are not in
| terested il suppressiug The evils that
undoubtedly exist. 1t would be no relief
TO the taxpayers TO turn over the books
Of the county Go another set Of officials
IN the same ring with those who have
committed the offenses. Those new
ringsters would simply enrich them.
selves at the public expcnee, as the old
ringsters have done.
The Tribune has shown the tremeu.
dous increase in the cost of the sheT-
if IS office, especially, and has pointed
out the gratis of county commissioners.
the stealiDee AT the inhrmary, the job
whereby new infirulary site was pur-
chased by commissioner, partly from
his own daughtor; and has shown that
tho .oad money has been applied to
private and personal advantage rather
than in the public interest, 1t has
shown also that in the handling of the
county bonds the commissioners we're so
incompetent that they accepted a bid
which will cost the Taxpayers $1,000
above what was really the lowest bid;
but the commissioners were not conpe-
len, that was involved IN reckoning up
the value of those bonds.
To turn over the county books to
those who would be Just as much inter.
ested in covering up and hiding the ir.
regularities, the incompetence, the graft, |
the stealings, and the misappropriations
of public money, as those who are now
in Office are, would be the grossest un-
wisdom on the part of the public and Of !
the taxpayers. What is wanted is !
light on what has been going on. Let |
us fnd out what these incompetents |
and graftcrs have bedn doing. SO that |
the public will understand how 1t has |
been robbed and how its money has
been used to personal and private ad- !
rather than for the public bene.
III.
But this Light TO which the public
titled is precisely what the church pol
iticians are trying TO keep shut OF.
They don I want the light TO be turned
op. They don't want the public to
know what has been doue with the
public money. They don't want the
real facts known.
Those in charge OF the church cam.
paign are precisely tho same order Of
church servitors as those who Join to-
2ethcT in secretipg the expenditures
from the tithe fund and refuse to give
,he tithe payers an account Of what is
iOnb Will Ih'li
That is. these smooth church politi-
,ians are cpdeavoring to impose upon
;he county the same secretivcness, the
,ame lack OF accounting, the same graft
ne and misrepresentation Of money.
hat thoy succeed in working through
he conferences as to the tiShe fund. 1t
) their nature 10 10 this. and they
ret their lesson from the church prac-
ice in order TO apply it TO civic and po.
iticsl affairs.
But the people gre entitled 10 know
he facts; they are entitled TO know
low much grating has been going on,
md who has done it. They are entitled
o know whether nearly all of the large
nm expended on roads has been ex-
,cnded in some particular. small local.
annot be much doubt that this is the
act, but yet it should be officially
hown, and the people are entitled to
now the fnil particulars.
And so in AL the public Offices, ia
commissioners accounts, iu the matter
. io<'"1 INV o-iuS'"' IL tN0 p"uPeI DC ! ,
cunt, in the statement OF accounts
With the various county officers The
beriG, as shown, has tremendously in-
reasel his expenditures without any
csson other than the r!ost shocking
olitical jobbery, There cannot be the
east doubt but that large portion of
his increase is unlawful aud uniusti,
able. But with ring closely sticking
ogethcr and all shielding every member
4 it. there is no opportunity TO get az
he Facts. The only way 10 DO is to ;
urn the rascals out aud let Us have 4 ,
lean sheet and new deaf.