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Show POLITICO. PERSON A L So badly mixed has the political situation be- I come in the preliminary struggle to decide upon I a definite plan of action on the part of the dif- I ferent factions of the different parties, and those I who are particularly in favor of non-partisan I selections that it has pretty nearly resolved itself I into a question of whether the deep thinking I business men of the community want those who I want the jobs or whether they prefer only the I men who will represent strong business interests I here with the strict elimination of professional I politicians. And it would seem that with one I or two exceptions in which the candidates can- I not be classed as professional job hunters, that I the plan that will serve the best interests of all I is to elect big business men, if they can be in- I duced to run. Time and again we have reiter- I ated that we are of the opinion that the major- I ity of the citizens do not realize the importance I of the election; that it is really a big turning I point in the affairs of this city, and that if men I are wisely chosen and elected, it will mean more I than anything that has happened to Salt Lake I for a long time. J On the other hand if ringsters and tricksters, not to say downright crooks, are placed in he important positions of commissioners, it will not be long until the city is thoroughly gutted, for there would be such a carnival of graft that Boss Tweed, hearing the echoes, would turn over anl over again in his grave and the envious moans - from Abe Ruef's cell would re-echo with ceaseless cease-less rumblings. The commissioners have so muclr power that even one in asking that his back be scratched -in return for a similar favor could graft to the lim't were he so disposed, and if three knaves of an ilk were elected at the same time, there would hardly be any limit to the extent of their depredations. depre-dations. At the present writing the candidates for mayor are W. S. Bransford and J. E. Darmer, the statement of W. W. Armstrong in regard to his position in reference to the possibility of the mayorality nomination and his friendship for Mayor Bransford, eliminating him from the present pres-ent contest. As between John S. Bransford and J. E, Darmer, it is absurd to think that the latter lat-ter would be considered for a moment by the big men of any party. Of course he has his friends, every one has; but to have him or them imagine that ho would have a chance in the world of defeating de-feating Bransford is absurd, and there are a great many who are of the belief that the movement move-ment started by Mr. Darmer and his cohorts in his behalf Is not a sincere one in the belief that they will elect him, but rather under a spirit of mistaken ego in imagining that they can divert enough American votes to defeat him. If such is the case, and it looks very much as if there were something in it, it is a beautiful spectacle, is it not, to see the disgruntled and petty members mem-bers of a party which has made them all they could ever be politically, assuming the roles o Salvationists in turning against their own? Un questionably there are a number of good and sincere men who have aligned themselves with the movement for Darmer under a mistaken idea either of what can be accomplished in that way or by a misapprehension In regard to political events that have occurred. But it Is expected and sincerely hoped that everyone in the American party will come to their senses within the next fortnight, though it must bo confessed that the members of all parties can bo readily excused for being at sea during the preliminary sparring before the line-up. At the present writing there Is a call for a non-partisan meeting at the Commercial club to be held on Thursday night, September 21st, those H foremost in the movement being members of the H American, Republican and Democratic organiza- H tions. However, federal bunch Republicans seem H to predominate, among others being John El- H dredge, Frank Emery and Carl Badger, while H half a dozen other Republican names would H seem to indicate that the meeting may be one H of the schemes on the part of the federal bunch H to take the city, which was really the plan when H the bill was passed. H It is understood that the plan of their meet-H meet-H ing is to name eleven strong business men, who H will in turn name fifty business men from H among whom the five commissioners to be elected H will be selected. Different factions of all parties H have questioned the sincerity of the non-partisan H movement, suspecting a trick on the part of the M federal bunch owing to the personnel of some of H those foremost in tho meetings. But giving H them the benefit of the doubt, and the devil his H due, it is with the keenest interest that the result B of their operations is being watched. M The fact that W. W, Armstrong was their M choice in the beginning for mayor and that he H has withdrawn owing to his endship for M Mayor Bransford, is an evidence of the sincerity of one of the factions behind the non-partisan M movement, and what may be expected of the oth-H oth-H ers should be known by the time this is printed M There is no gainsaying that there are any M number of big men who have a great interest In M the growth of Salt Lake, and mayhap a selfish H interest in protecting their own business, who H would prefer to see the majority of the commissi commis-si sioners chosen from among those who are not seeking the positions, and for that reason they are not committing themselves on one side or H another until they know just exactly the outline m of tho plans of the different parts of the non-H non-H partisans. Meanwhile every citizen of influence H and every newspaper in town Is "stalling" until H the situation definitely clears, and that is practic-H practic-H ally all that there is for anyone to do, for it will H take another week or ten days to discover just H about where everybody stands. When that time H comes every man having the good of Salt Lake H City at heart should pick the five best and big-H big-H gest in the bunch, proclaim his allegiance, and H fight hard for the good of the city that is to be. |