Salt Lake Tribune | 1908-10-14 | Page 4 | Their Robbing Effrontery

THEIR ROBBING EFFRONTERY. Tho brazou effrontery with which tho church politicians sot forth their proposition propo-sition to rob Salt Lako City is ono of tho most amazing things of tho timo. They seem to be as unconscious of tho moral codo against stealing as tho polygamous po-lygamous priesthood is oblivious of tho odium of its udultcrics nnd illegitimacy. What would bo thought in nny normal American community of a proposition prop-osition to step in and tako away from the commuuity tho property which it had accumulated through years of taxation, taxa-tion, and two of tho important departments depart-ments of tho municipal government1? Tho man who proposed it wculd, in a. normal American community, be hissod into ohlivion at once. It is ono of tho striking proofs of tho abnormality of political conditions in Utah that such a larcenous proposition could bo gravely proposed in a political convention aud carried, and be mado one of the planks of that party's platform. And to think that this sort of thing is actually defended publicly and openly open-ly here, and that the threat is held out over tho people of this city that if thoy make any fuss about it, their right of solf -government will bo absolutely taken away! Such political despotism, such civic 'immorality, could not obtain lodgement in the public mind in a normal nor-mal city in tho United States; it would be scouted anywhero olso than in Utah. And we do not believe it will win -here; The peoplo of Salt Lako City are not going to voto to have their property proper-ty and their municipal rights stolen away from them. This is tho great issue is-sue in the legislative campaign here this year, and on this "issue it is necessary to elect tho American candidates for tho Legislature, as a rebuko to tho proposed pro-posed theft of the city's rights and property; the proposed violation of tho commandment, "Thou shalt not steal."