The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-25
MURDOCH THE REACTIONARY.


MIR. James y. Murdoch in his cam.
paign speech in the thcatcr on Sarur.
day night showed his calibcr exactly,
lie is the sort of man who considers
the filings from the bar of iron more
important than The bar itself: who con
siders that the wart on finger is
vastly more to be considered than the
finger, who considers that the whole
work of improving the city should be
stopped because Mr. Moran has made
what Murdoch Claims TO he excessive
charges on the west side sewer and in
conquering the flood in City creek last
juno. With Murdoch IN the Mayor =
chair. there would he nothing Of this,
of course, because there would he no
work done. Murdoch says that he would
give all contractors an equal show; that
is TO say, there would be no contract
work done, and no contracting: the
street work would stop, and Murdoch
would stop it.
Mr., Murdoch by his course in the
Council the past two years has shown
what he would do rs Mayor of this city.
I'm the Council he has been opposed TO
everything in tho way Of public I'M
provcmcnts, and has opposed all CON
tract work and all bcttcrmcuts, whcr-
ever it was possible TO do so. In July.
1908. nc declared his purpose fully
when in connection with Councilman
Hall he signed I rcactIonary address
to tho taxpayers against the issuing
of $500, 900 in bonds to carry on needed
public work. lie undertook 10 show to
the people Of this city that the work
could 90 on without the bopd issue.
He knew that it could not, but that
made no difference; he wanted the
progress to stop and If he could per
suado tho taxpayers mol To vote th"
bonds. ho knew that the work would
stop fhcro because there would hc no
money 10 pav for it, That was Mr
Murdoch ) real purpose IN has opposI-
tor to tho bond issue. He was opposed
TO tho public work being done, lie
knew that il could not be done with
out the issue of bonds, and so over his
own signature he sent out statement
TO the taxpayers Of Salt Lake that 1t
could so be done. IL he could have had
his way, if the taxpayers would have
followed him, the bonds would not have
been voted and the work would ncces-
sarlly have had so Stop, Just as he
wanted il 10 stop; and that is tho kind
of public improver that Mr. Murdoch
is. That is the way that he, as Mayor,
would carry on tho public work, stop
all waste and ovcrcharge. There would
he no work contracted for; there would
he no work done, and Murdoch would
be entirely safe in his proposition that
no contractor would be favored over
another. and therc would be no cX-
ccssive charge for anything. As long
as there were no contracts, no con
tractor would have any advantage over
any other contractor AS long as there
was nothing TO pay, there would be
no overchargc.
All that portion of Mr.. Murdoch 8
address (aud that was the chief por.
lion of it) was addressed against Con
tractor Moran; and yet Mr.. Moran wins
on the merits OF his bids all the time.
Under the Morris administration he
easily cot the contract for the Big Cot
tonwood conduit. When The church
wanted TO pave North Main street, he
tween North and South Temple streets,
Mr.. Moran got the contract. In Og-
den, when they have sizeabIo piece
of work 30 be done Mr.. Moran goes
there and on his bids gets the contract,
and So IL all goes. And yet Mr..
Murdoch is apparently hostile TO Mr.,
Moran. not for anything tangible ;hat
Mr.. Moran has done wrong, but be
cause he has done 50 much good work
in various places and because he is
successful in getting contracts. The
fact is, Jumping all the work aud
all the charges including the alleged
excessive charges, the public work here
has been done better and cheaper than
in any other city.
Mr.. Murdoch is naturally opposed to
! Mr. Moran because he is successful
man, and he grits his teeth in rage
when he sees Salt Lake City going for
ward and prospcrlng. rcacuonary
himself. put in nomination by the moss
back contingent 10 serve the reac'
tionary interests, and by reactionaries
Mr. Murdoch stands before the people
Of this city as a representative OF moss
backism, of nou-progressive policies. tho
typical incarnation Of those who would
check the advance Of Salt Lake by do
ing everything in their power to dis
credit those who are fostering thai
progress, and by calling a halt all along
the line Mr. Murdoch is true to the
type of citizenship which he represents
1t is a type Of citizenship, however
which whom it gets control of this city
stops progress and blocks the way tC
advancement And that is why Mr.