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Show II WHY THE DAILIES OPPOSE THE jj' FRANCHISE. ' It' Tho virulent opposition of tho Tri al bunc, Herald and Telegram to tho fi granting of a new franchise to tho 1 Ufah Light and Railway company, I however righteous It may bo In Itself, I Is something extraordinary. That I , those papers would tako any stand or 1 "j advocato anything for tho benefit of 1 the pcoplo is beyond comprehension. I Tho Bhcets in question being owned ! arid controlled by Kearns, Clark and tho rest of tho gang and used solely as a means to further their business ;' enterprises, advance their personal ambitions, political and otherwise, and decolvo and hoodwink tho credulous public, led to tho strong suspicion that there was a "nigger in tho wood pile." Tho fact also that soveral members t. of tho city council whoso reputation as grafters Is well established, unquestioned un-questioned In fact, have also been spectacularly against tho franchlso was further and convincing proof that i . thoro was an ulterior motive. On tho ' surface tho courso of tho papers and .' of tho councllmon opposing tho fran chise was propor. Tho original request of tho light company for a hundred years franchise on tho conditions put , forth was so glaringly absurd that !'. tho public almost unanimously dlsap- ' proved of It. It afterwards developed v beyond a reasonable doubt that tho proposed franchlso was part of the original corrupt deal of tho city admin-' admin-' istratlon for tho Issuance of a million dollars in bonds for tho alleged pur- t . pose of extending tho city's water sys- j, ' tern. All theso things furnished am ple reason why tho peoplo generally ) should be against tho franchise, but ' did not explain why tho syndicate pa- f . pors and certain mombors of tho city i council should oppose It. '. Tho reason for their opposition, ' i however, has now como to tho sur- ' face. Senator Clark .of Montana was ? a bidder for tho Salt Lake City street railroad about tho tlmo that A. V. t ' McCuno sold it to tho Utah Light and Power company. Clark was very much , disappointed that ho did not get the proporty and iio has been soro over f slnco, and by way of retaliation rt brought his nowspapors into play to prevent tho present owners from getting get-ting anything from tho city. The Herald which is Mr. Clark's particular organ hero led tho fight against tho franchlso with as much vigor as that ', senile sheet Is capable of exercising ! In. any cause Tho Tribune ana Tolo- gram of courso followed suit . If Clark should succeed In forcing tho light company to sell to him he would ' doubtless apply for an extension oi franchlso. If ho asked for a out; ycai franchlso tho syndlcato papers would bo as vigorous in advocating it as 5, they aro now In opposing It and somo of tho councllmon who aro now against granting tho concession would bo fall ing over each other in their eagerness eager-ness to voto for It. |