The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-15
AMERICAN CLUB ACTION.

AMERICAN CLUB ACTION.
The action taken by the American
lClub on Wednesday evening in It's
Idenunciation of the Mayor and other
city officials, raises at once the qucs.
lion TO what extent the American Club
is authorized TO act for the American
lpsrty. On two points the club was
clearly within its rights; first, in re.
affirming the sound basic principles of
the party, and second, in denouncing
action Of the party itself; and it is
perfectly proper. in n partisan or any
sense, for any association of Ameri-
cans, or any American, to follow in
the path which the party has laid out.
But, in arraigning and denouncing
American party officials, if the club IS
within its rights, then the American
party convention and the American
party organization generally with its
might we'll be left out Of
the case. And. in so far as any
attempt might be supposed TO attach
by way OF forestalling the action of
the American party convention which
has been called, the club was clearly
outside Of its rights; for the club is
not the party, neither is it an integral
portion Of the party's organization.
IL is quite true, as the club set forth,
that the American party is not to be
held responsible for tho action of the
Mayor with respect 10 the redlight
district. That action is, as truly stated
absolutely indefcnsiblc III law, in
ethics, and in morals, where the
Mayor undertook to establish lawless
and law w-defying preserve within the
boundaries of the city AS The Trib
une has pointed out heretofore, the
Mayor would have Just as much right
to set apart room or succession of
rooms where gambling might 60 on in
defiance Of law, or another locality in
the city where stolen goods might be
received aud hidden. The whole mat.
ter is 4 defiance of law, and Mayor
Bransford was badly mislcd when he
undertook to establish any such law
less reservation as the redlight dis
trict.
II is our opinion that this whole mat
Ger might better have been left to the
convention to deal with than TO have
this attempt to forcstall the action
of that convention. AS a reply or
defense 10 the attack of the opposition,
it is a weakness, so far as the attack
on municipal officials is concerned,
that simply caters to the objections
and attacks Of the reactionarics. But
it is never good party politics to yield
to the opposition; and, inasmuch AS the
party convention is TO assemble with
in so short n time, VIC think that
candidates., nominations or presenta-
tons Of candidates, and all that sort of
thing, ought 10 be left to the party in
It's coming convention assembled, to
deal with as the party delegates may
see fit If those delegates in conven-
tion nominate a highclass ticket, one
that is irreproachablc in every way,
there would be no occasion TO denounce
any officials personally, while, of
course, 1T is quite right for the party
TO repudlate any wrong policies. The
action which might fairly be called a
determination to have ones way,
whether that way forces a split in the
party or not is certainly not good
party tactics. The party in convention
assembled should deal with party mat
tcrs as An original and authoritative
proposition, and should be able to do
this without the handicap Of a pre-.
determination or preiudgment. If the
convention should fail to measure ur
TO the high standard of American prin'
ciples and American ideals. it will then
he time enough for Americans 10 break
of and refuse their assent to the party
programme, and refuse TO support un
ft nominees.