The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-24
THE SITUATION CLEARING.


blamed by the Smoot organ as inject,
ling politics into the commission form
of government where politics in no wise
belongs That view OF the case, how,
ever. is utterly dishonest on the part
Of the Smeot organ, since il knows per.
fectly we'll that the law forcing the
commission form of government upon
Utah cities was expressly drawn on
political lines. Everything bipartisan
was cut out Of it. and the partisanship
remained supreme 1t is impossible un-
Ider the form of commission government
provided by the Federal bunch. and ar
bitrarily forced upon the cities of Utah,
to avoid partisanshp; for, everything
| is left open TO pillagc and spoils. There
is no protection for non partisan IN
office, there is every opportunity to
build up a partisan machine, and to
make appointments wholly partisan No
examination is required, no security of
position is provided to any incumbent
of any office or position in the muni-
cipal administration, To talk about
non. partsanship in connection with a
partisan scheme like this is utterly out
of the question
At the same time the organ rccog
i nizes that tho American party proceed
lure. being open and aboveboard, and
resting upon the authority of the citi-
lzenship of the whole party. is prefer
liable TO a dark lantern procedure where
certain selected persons get up ticket
| to suit themselves without having any
authority from the people, or from any
recognized popular organization What
ever might be thought of the selections
made by such Il volunteer committee or
association. il certainly could not be said
that the selections were based upon any
groundwork of popular approval, au
lthority. or power conferred from the
eitizcnship of Salt Lake.
All of this simply illustrates the diff
ficulties which the Federal bunch un.
loaded upon the people of this city
without the consent Of its people.
There is no way TO consolidate the vote
at the primaries upon any candidates,
except by taking party action, which
Will presumably fix a nucleus around
which the party vote can be consoll.
dated. II is manifest that without
some guidance OF this kind the vote
would scatter so as TO make certain the
selection of minority candidates for all
the offices in nomination Let Us sup
pose that 10000 votes were cast in the
oucoming primary elections i'm this
city on an open ballot without any
guide or any nucleus around which to
concentrate that vote. There might be
a dozen candidates for mayor, with no
one of the dozen receiving more than
1000 or 5000 votes. And still, If the
one receiving 1000 votes, being only
one.fifth of the total cast, had more
votes than any other candidate, his
name would 20 on the official ballot
Likewise the candidate receiving the
next highest number of votes, even
though that were not more than 5000.
would be entitled also TO 60 on the bal
lot as a candidate for mayor. This
sort of thing evidently would create
the greatest dissatisfaction. And yet,
that IS inevitable unless the parties take
some means to concentrate the vote on
particular candidates nj the primaries.
The action of the American party
was by no means taken for any sinister
purpose. 1t was recognized by the
American committee, as il must be seen
now by every one who considers the
Question at all. that there has TO be
some way to concentrate the vote on
candidates, or we shall have candidates
named by a small fraction of the total
vote, This is in every way undesirable,
since candidates should have major.
ity of the votes in order 10 get on the
ticket. Without some sort of guidance
lat the primaries, however, it is quite
as to give majority candidates. The
practical dilemma was sensed by the
American party, and action was taken
accordingly 10 present candidates as a
nucleus or offer of candidates that
would be named, il is 10 be hoped. by
Ild.lViilN VI NHc IOlal NOls cast 1t
is An absolute necessity TO do this. un-
less we merely allow matters to drift.
and the whole matter go into chaos
without some guidance for the voters
1t is, 10 be sure. quite possible that
the opposition. by secret manipulation,
could concentrate their votes in such
way as 10 satisfy themselves, but the
secret method of presenting full
fledged candidates TO be voted on at
the primaries without any authority
from any party, or from any action Of
the people. is abhorrent to the sense of
political propriety. and is the usual
boss method Of overriding the popular
will, and fixing things up TO suit the
machine
There is absolutely no other practi-
cal and fair way out of the dilemma
which the Federal bunch has thrown
upon US. than for the American party