The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-28
A REACTIoNARY SCHEME.

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The movement for change began
when the Federal bunch failed to carry
the last city election. 1t became de-
termination when the advice of the
"bunch' was ignored in the selection
of a chief of police. Threats were car
ried to the commissioners in the employ
of the machine that they were inviting
trouble if Grant received that appoint
ment.
The commissioners used their own
Judgment, and trouble has been brew.
| ing ever since. II the machine organ
has failed TO malign or misrepresent
the city administration in a single is
sue since the present officials took Office
there is every reason to believe that
this omission was an oversight. The
grossest work ever done by disgruntled
bosses has been done by the "bunch"
and its organ in this connection. In
all the earnest work accomplished by
the police department. the organ of
the Ebunch'' has never made one IA
vorable comment or expressed the least
sympathy with any effort to suppress
vice and crime. It has discredited every
reform, has interviewed criminals who
resented police activity, insinuated
charges against the honesty OF patrol
men, held ont inducements to crooks
and confidence men to come to the city,
aud has hampered the work Of the de-
partmeut in way that would be toll
! Grated in no other American metropolis.
And all the while it was believed to
have the Endorsement of the Senatorial
Apostle aud the financial backing of
the church leaders.
The Tribune was not IN favor Of
change in the system two years ago; it
opposed the candidates who won the
election; but when the change came and
the men were elected who now fill the
positions, The Tribune stated that il
hoped the administration would be sue
cessful, and rendered its aid and en-.
couragement TO that end. because the
welfare and prosperity of the city is
more to us and to every loyal citizen
than is the success of any political
plan or party.
Nor has the anti-police organ CON
fined its misrepresentation to the de-
partment of public safety; it tortures
every financial statement given out by
the auditor or treasurer into false
array Of figures for its own base uses;
it employs men who send these mis-.
statements out TO other cities. TO the
injury OF every taxpayer and property
holder, in order TO crafty its spite
against the present city commission.
ere-
It is understood that this machine is
backing the substitute bill as q so.
But it presents some OF the most vi
cious, reactionary, aud impractical fea-
lures that crafty malevolence ever
grouped together under one heading and
threatened to inlict upon an unsuspect-
ing people.
In the first place, each precinct is
required to elect a commissioner The
Democrats might be successful under
the proposed plan in the Third the So,
cialists in the Second, the Progressives
in the First, the Republicans in the
Fourth and the Americans in the Fifth
wards. These five commissioners,
answerable only TO the voters of their
respective wards, would meet with
mayor chosen from the city at large.
Each commissioner would be required TO
take a department, as, for example,
that Of public safety might fall TO the
Second, finance TO the First, water TO
the Third, parks to the Fourth, and
streets to the Fifth. In such case il is
ward would suffer in police and fire pro
tection that the First would suffer in
the distribution Of public moneys; that
the Third would have n scarcity of wa
ter in case any water could be had, no
matter what might become of the other
four wards; that the Fourth would lack
parks and beauty spots; or that the
Fifth would fail to have all its streets
paved in every direction.
Any three of the five municipal ward
sectional alliance against the others,
and would be answerablc for their con.
duct only to the voters of three wards
Of the city, from which every en-
ployee Of those particular departments
could be chosen. These three could also
cut down appropriations for the two
outcast sections and prevent the en-
ployment of citizens from those wards
in any department of city work.
There never was A more infamou.
plan TO plunder a people and promote
discord devised by Grass malevolence
or viudietive partisansbip.
That it could obtain single vote in
the Legislature after the object and cf
feet arc understood would furnish the
strongest argument in favor of the in.
itiative, referendum, and recall that
bo ponp11 ns fbo