The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-24
THEFT AS A POLITICAL ASSET.

! The Sn,ootires in this county have this
year offered TO the consideration OF thu
voters OF Salt Lake 3 proposition TO rot
those voters of their local control ol
two or tho chief municipal department:
or the city government, the fire depart
ment and the police department; and
TO steal from the taxpayers OF this city
the property appurtenant TO and used
by those departments 10 the fulfillmeut
of the functions for which they are em,
ployed by the public of this city, this
property bought and paid for by the
Salt Lake tax payers.
The Smootites thus mako theft their
chief Political asset this year, and the
theft is TO be directed against the tax
payers and citizens of Salt Lake. We
say they make 1t the chief issue, be.
cause it is the chief issue, The plat.
form as originally adopted by the
church Republican party in its county.
convention was composed of mild gen.
eralities Of no particular force or con
spicuous point on any subject what.
ever. After She adoption of this plat.
form and after the conveption had pro.
ceeded a good way IN its nomipationa
the question of platform was reopened
and this plank calling for the robbery
of Salt Lake was put in at that late
period in the deliberations of the con.
ventiop.
So it is plain that the scheme of
theft Eas deliberately batcbed delib.
erately injected into the proceedings of
the convention, and made part OF the
church Republican campaign this year
with ulteror purpose and full thieving
intent. II was not Nero matter OF
impulse, il was not a matter that the
trainers Of the platform desired to put
in, but was put in by the crafty mau-
ipulators of the convention after the
convention mad long passed the plat
form period Of its proceedings.
This programme of theft. therefore,
must be considered as the main local
issue that the church Republicans pre-
sent TO the people of Salt Lake City
this year of their own choice. They cay
10 the taxpayers and citizens of this
place; ''We propose 10 rob you of thou
sands of dollars worth of property. We
propose 10 deprive you Of local self.
government 80 far as two OF the most
important departments OF your mum.
cipal affairs are concerned.--We will
AXE away from your control yo0r prop
erty bought and paid for with your
AhAs 49,,
NC think best, through the operation of
an unconstitutional commission pro.
vided for that purpose, This commits.
sion will be Independent OF your city
aud will despol It at its
pleasure, rot only as 20 property al.
ready owned by the city bat win add
to the taxation TO such an extent rs
u may see fit, without any responsible
ty TO the people Of Salt Lake and
without any oversight by the Council
,r any part Of the .ciiy}s administra-
ion as to the amount of money it pro.
poses TO e1peud.'
Salt Lake City, therefore. Will not
,nly be actually robbed OF It's present
property, but will be put AZ the mercy
II usurping, nou'acc6unting State
whose only interest will be
o fleece The city and 10 oppress the peo.
2le. 1t win not be accountable IN any
way or form to the people OF Salt Lake,
,ut will be empowered 10 overtax them
without any restraining band, ard TO
10 this without any reference TO the
lesires OF the people Of Salt Lake or
o The burdens Of taxation under which
hey now labor.
The people can suffer the taxation
which is levied upon them by tue repre-.
OF their own choice But
vhop it comes 10 responding 10 taxation
and excessively imposed
lpou them by power outside Of them
elves usurpir9 the functions that be !
ong 10 tie people in the administration
f their own local affairs, without their |
ousept. the taxation so added Is a
yTanpical oppression such a. caused the !
american Revolution, apd which mas !
,een especially obnoxious 10 American |
and 10 the spirit OF the I
AMERICAN people ever since that day. I
\ this matter the church Republicans /
T Salt Lake occupy precisely the same |
eIaton 10 the patriotic people OF this |
ity that the kipg.loviHg Tories did TO
nc patriots OF the Revolution. And in .
ecordance with the uuvarying princi- |
les and precedcu.s of popular action !
q the United States from Revolution
ny times 70 the present, these present.
ay Tories will receive tbe ssne treat /,
neut from TIE people Of salt Lake tina, !
he Tories OF that time received from
nc petriotic colpiea in the days OF ths
'athcrs of tee Republic. @