The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-17
THE "RIPPER" SANDBAe.

! Reviewing carefully the record of the
! legislature as dictated by the Smoot
machine, Salt Lakers will fail to see
where the machine has overlooked a
single opportunity to cripple the city
/ and dissipate the state funds. of which
it contributes the major part Indeed,
there is no parallel in state legislatures
for this record, except possibly that IA
nous session of the Pennsylvania So
/ Ions which passed the Pittsburg rip
| per" bill and practically disrupted the
! city government of a great city in pun
1 ishment for a revolt of its citizens
against the old Quay machine
I Almost every county in the state has
appropriated to itself state funds, of
! which Salt Lake pays the major por-
ton. The money has gone in the shape
of bridges and roads, of donations to
suffering settlers for experimental
farms and various other guises Out
of this Salt Lake county gets q meas1y
$1,000 for county roads, which was gra-
ciously permitted to go through by the
outside members of the senate.
In return for the city's enormous con-
tribution to the tax revenues of the
state, the Smoot machine has framed a
measure to rob salt Lake of self-gov-
eminent, so far as its police and fire
departments, and it has passed a Des
Moines bill so arranged that the gov
ernor can find an excuse for vetoing it
when it is too late either to amend it
or pass it over his veto.
In principle the ripper bill is the
most obnoxious measure ever proposed
in Utah 1t not only is designed to de-
prive the city Of elf-gOvernment, but
it is passed solely to give the federal
machine power to levy political black
mail and compel the criminal element,
the saloons and their allies, to support
It at elections. IF such a thing were
even suggested in any other western
state, the people of the city attacked
would make it so hot fer the legisla-
ture passing the measure that they
would be glad to adjourn and take to
the hills as an escape from righteous
wrath.
Every argument advanced in behalf
of the Smoot machines ripper bill 10
an argument against the right of city
TO govern itself; if this measure is
sound law then there is nothing to pre-
vent tie Smoot bunch from depriving
Salt Lake of every municipal function
and placing the entire government of
the city in the hands Of Spry and Cali
Smoot for first counselor.
: Bad as the city's government has
been, no one is to blame but the people
of the city themselves. The cost falls
on them, they chose the officials, and
they have borne the burden. They are
honestly anxious to improve conditions,
and to that end asked the legislature
as simple right that they be given
the Des Moines plan of government. In
return they have not only had to see
their petition granted in form and de-
MED in fact, but they contemplate now
the substitution of as bad or worse con-
ditions under q system in which they
have no voice, no means of redress.
nothing but the demand that they shall
pay whatever money the machine
thinks is necessary to run the police |
ard fire departments as it sees fit.
It is inconceivable that such law |
should be upheld by the courts. but it |
is certain to precipitate litigation. con- |
fuse the administration Of the police |
and fire departments. infiict needless !
cost upon the city and aggravate still /
further the political war which has
been the curse Of both city and state
for a long series of years.
What is the object of this ripper
scheme? Nothing at all but the control /
of salt Lake City in defiance Of its
right to control its own affairs. If it /
could be carried out, the people would |
witness the spectacle of the expendi-
tlIre of city revenue by men in no way
representing the city or any of its in
terests: men whose sole purpose Is to
make as much out Of politics as they
can without getting into Jail: men
whose record shows they have no re-
gard for the welfare of the community, /
who are willing to sacrifice the city, the
county or the state, or all three, if need
be. to perpetuate themselves in office
and grow fat on loot.
OF course. the people Of salt Lake
will fight the 1rippeT" bill in the
courts. and if there is such thing as
the right to enlargement in this
state the bill viii be declared invalid.