The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-11-04
CAMPAIGN FOR BAoKsET.

Tho American public is familiar wlti
c,mpaians for progress, for develop
|mont. and for advancement OF many
kinds and degrees But it appears tt
bc reserved for Salt Lake City alone
10 have a campaign openly and hVowed
~ for a backsct. The church here IS
fully in this campaign. and Is III 1t toi
the same old purpose OF stopping prog
rcss and setting back the dial OF hd
vancemcnt. 1t cries out for retrogres
sion and moi for progression, II seeks
a backsct and not an onset.
WHY do we say this! Simply because
we are compelled 10 say it from the re-
suit of experience. We know what the
city has always been under the para
| living rule of the rcactionaries aud the
| dominant church. Public improvement
| is always stopped. advancement Is hob
| bled aud the public money is diverted
| 20 pcrsonal IN place of public uses.
The same influences The same areu'
mcnts the same individuals that have
always dccricd progress in Salt Lake
City arc in the field this year in oppo-
sition to The American ticket. 1t Is not
So much that these influences. indiyid-
uals. and sentiments arc IN favor nj
Park. but they see in him, as they sup
pose, man whom they can control, who
Will be lcthargic. and allow them to
pursue their policy of putting on the
brakes.
The idea of having 4 campaign waged
,on that line bv men claiming 20 be
sane in this day and age. and in Salt
Lake City above all other places, Is
ono of the curious anomalies of thc
time. If il were not so plain 10 bc
seen. if the result of il were not so
inevitably TO be iorcsccn, there might
he some question rs TO the real mean
ing of what The church campaign
means. But. there can be no possible
misapprchcnsion on that poiut. For.
when we see Apostle Pcnrosc jumping
ont into tho iimclight on question o!
municipal administration, we know
from Of old precisely what that means
There has never been au Improvement
was AN open. fierce opponent Of thc
proposition 10 put in u sewer system
here. He declared il ia bc unnecessary
and wastcful spending Of public
money, nm oppression upon the tax
payers. 80 undertake 10 sewer this vast
city at The inevitable cost that IT
would cutail He opposed street paving.
h opposed sidewalks, and the extension
Of the water service He is a typical
rcactIonary. fierce and unrelenting.
When he CONES out as he did in his
address or Sunday last in opposition
10 the American ticket. we know SIM
ply that that means his opposition 10
public Improvements aud to the adj
vanccmcnt of the city. That is the true.
the only Interpretation Of his meaning
and attitude.
And, Apostle PcUrosc is merely typi-
cal of tire influences ut work against
the American party. They are Ill eff
the same order. aud primarily arc sup
American party is the only influence
here that does not bow down 10 the
church and allow il TO control unopposcd
in public affairs The source, mean.
ing, and inevitable effect of the rcac-
tlonary campaign in this city this year
cannot possibly he otherwise than as
stated II is q campaign for reaction,
for stopping the progress and growth of
the city, destroying property values
and robbing the taxpayers 10 no purpose
save evil and personal ends.