The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-26
PROGRESS AND POLITICS.


priestly domination in her political and
civil affairs was the great local event
of 1905. The winning of the municipal
election by the American party that
year brought this city so favorably
and so strongly 10 the attention of the
American people that thousands were
attracted hither. And while thousands
of new settlers came, other thousands,
cautious of their money and their fu-
ture, waited to see if the good news
that Salt Lake City had been freed
from ecclesiastical despotism, were
really true.
I Then came the overwhelming Ameri-
caan victory in our municipal election
! last year. The cautious and conserva-
| tive doubted no longer; it was truly
the fact that Salt Lake is a free city.
the shackles of bigotry, fanaticism, and
priestcraft being absolutely stricken
Off And then the migration to this
city began. And whereas, under the
last Of the church-controlled city adj
ministratiops, inhabitants were leaving
| the city by the hundreds, so that 1t
is doubtful whether. at the date OF
the election in 1905, there had been
any net increase in the city's popula-
tion over the figures of the census
taken FIVE years before; magical
change at once set in, and tho growth
of the city has been by leaps and
bounds ever since that glorious
American victory of 1905. And that
growth proceeds with ever.increasing
force.
In accord with the splendid growth
in population and wealth that has fol
lowed the American control here, the
administrations of the American party
have nobly met the requirements of
the growing metropolis by inauguratlng
system Of progressive public i'm.
provements that have changed, and are
moro and moro changing, the rural vii
lagc aspect of the city TO that of
magnificent modern metropolis.
All the time that the American ad-
miuistrations have been engaged in this
public. spirited work for the city and its
people, the mouth-pieces of tho old
regime and of its priestcraft have been
furious in denunciations and efforts at
obstruction. They have made the most
frantic charges of abuse and corrup
tion, but have not been able to show |
either abuse or corruption; the work |
has all been done fairly, openly, and
in strict accord with law and bust |
ness principles, The priestly opposition |
used its official control Of the county |
to put up n conspiracy
against the city, to descredit especially |
its police department; and now stands |
pledged by the principal church (the
so-cnlled Republican, party to steal
from the people Of Salt Lake City |
their control over two Of their principal
municipal departments; it would rob
the people of their local self-govern-
mcnt as to these, and would despoil the
taxpayers of their property that Is
TO those departments,
That these taxpayers have bought and
paid for 1t is scheme of etfrontery
in despoiling the people of their
rights of self-government worthy only
of the Toryism of Revolutionary DAYS,
and property robbery unparalleled In
politics. And this the people Of Salt
Lake City are asked TO approve By
their votes-this wrestling from them
Of their rights, this spoliation of their
property II is the most impudent, out
proposition ever put before
body of voters, that they should vote
themselves out OF control OF their local
affairs, and of the control of their
own property, which is theirs by right
of purchase