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Show The City Government. "For four months- senseless wrangle between be-tween the mayor ancl a part of the city council on the one' hand and the late chief of police and another part of the council on the. other, kept the city in a ferment. " ' Through the demoralization of the police departmentCt-be lives and property of the city.were pl&ced in constant jeopardy, the .business of the city officers was in many ways out of line. The most discouraging feature of it all was the making clear of the fact that notwithstanding all the professions and promises of the past, the old stolid, rigid rule of twenty years ago was, consciously or unconsciously, still in force, that certain members of the council could not shake off the old terror; they still construed their oath of office to mean that the old mental reservation res-ervation was still in force, the reservation which, set to words, reads: "subject of course to instructions from those who have a right to think for us and to direct us so that there will be no mistake." It is said the matter has, been finally and happily settled, and we hope it has been. Certainly the selection of Captain Paul for chief of police is a most happy one. He is a thoroughly upright man and competent officer. It is said that Senator Kearns used his influence in-fluence to bring about harmony. If he did if he bent his personal and official influence in-fluence to quiet things that was most praiseworthy, but there are other features of the matter which are disquieting. There is a look about it as though added to the assumption and bluff of a rule by Almighty God, there is added the assumption of rule by the almighty, parvenue, bulldozing dollar, and a disposition todegrade the city council to a level with the Utah Legislature. The too eager resignation of Chief Hilton, the prompt and solid voting of the recalcitrant recal-citrant councilmen who for four months had disregarded party ties and by every act had given away the fact that they were following the dictation of some power which to them was more commanding than even their oath of office; the presence and participation par-ticipation of an apostle in the meeting, an apostle whose influence was due solely to his place in the church; all these things are disquieting to those who believe in government govern-ment on the American plan. The people who are really interested are glad of the settlement,- but they will keep watch. If councilmen continue to follow their spites and in voting disregard both their party fealty and their oath of office, the people will note the fact; if the different offices of officials are converted into caucus chambers, if the symptoms continue that whatever is done will be at the behest of either a church or a political machine, the people will note the fact and will remember it -on election day. The people want Salt Lake to be an American city and will try to have it so, even though things at present may look a little discouraging. |