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Show Published Every Saturday BY GOODWIN8 WEEKLY PUBLISHING CO., INC. CHAS. W. LAWRENCE, Manager SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: Including postage in the United States Canada and Mexico, $2.50 per year, 1.50 for six months. Subscriptions to all foreign countries, within the Postal Inion, $4.50 per year. SALT LAKE CITY, NOVEMBER 3, 1923. 8ingle copies, 10 cents. Payments should be made by Check, Money Order or Registered Letter, payable to The Citizen. Address all communications to The Citizen. Entered as second-clas-s matter, June 21, 1919, at the postoffice at Salt Lake March 3, 1879. Act of City, Utah, under the Ness Bldg. 8alt Lake City, Utah Phone Wasatch 5409 311-12-- 13 AT THE FORK IN THE ROAD Americans and reactionaries have arrived at the parting of their ways. They are at the fork in the road. Either the unprogressive must part company with the progressive American spirit which will make of this state one of the greatest commonwealths in the union of states, or he must come into the ranks of those who are determined that Utah shall come into her own. There is no further use in compromising with the reactionary who sees nothing for the community at large and whose vision is centered only in his own gain through restriction of the natural growth which belongs to the human family. No church, as such, and no religion, lived and exercised in its proper sphere, is the subject of attack by the American party. The American party has come into existence because of injustices which have been forced upon the public at large by reactionaries of intolerant spirit and unprogressive desire. The growth of the state of Utah has been stunted through church interference in the affairs which belong solely to all of the people, acting outside of the church and independently in behalf of the commonwealth at large. Business men and private citizens have watched these encroachments upon their rights in silent hope that some day a natural tendency toward fairness known to exist in the ordinary human soul would right the wrongs, leaving no necessity for action in opposition. The silent watching has been characterized by a patience and a bravery that would do credit to .any community on earth. But the waiting and watching has been in vain. Q Utah citizens have seen their populations decimated by the outgoing of those who were less disposed to silently bear the impositions which have been thrust upon the community. They have seen the value of their property drop and their taxes mount higher with each year. Those who have had the patience to remain in the hope that some day conditions would grow better have been compelled to suffer loss in true freedom, loss in property values, loss in population, loss in opportunity for advancement, loss in the Americanism which rightfully belongs to American states, and almost loss in their own But the turning point has been reached. There is to be no more compromise with the evil under which the people of this state have snently suffered. The fork in the road has been reached. Either the reactionaries must come into the American army of progress in Utah, or they must take their own path and work out their own destiny. Look at the school houses of Salt Lake City, for example, and note the dates carved on some spot in each of the original structures. It will be found in each instance (speaking of the structures which self-respe- ct. marked the beginning of the modern public school system in this city) that the years are all within the early nineties. Take pains and note that what The Citizen says is true. It will be seen that the year of erection of all of the original buildings embraced in the housing of the citys modern school system are within the time that the old Liberal party held sway here. Previous to 1890 the Territory of Utah, and particularly Salt Lake City, made no material growth or progress. The children went to school in the old meeting houses, where it was hoped by the reactionaries they would always remain. It "was only when the Liberal party swept control of the municipality out of the hands of the church leaders that the city began a real growth. By patient effort, and always with the drawback of opposition, the- Liberal party succeeded in getting Salt Lake City started on its way to the front rank of progress. Having done this, and there having come about a supposed composition of the difficulties which had existed between the two halves of the communitys inhabitants, the Liberal party was disbanded. Its mission was supposedly accomplished, because there seemed at that time to be a disposition to gradually adjust church and public affairs upon the basis obtaining elsewhere in the United States. But then came a recrudescence of the old impositions of church leaders to such an extent that in 1904 the American party was forced into existence to take up the work dropped by the Liberal party. Again victory perched upon the banner of Americanism and again, after a half dozen years of corrective application, the mission of objectors to enslavement of political activities to the will of dominant ecclesiasts were disbanded. In both instances the community has benefited from the change. There has been more and better business, greater freedom for the individual, less truckling to intolerants and the American flag has withgone up a little higher and waved with infinitely greater glory in its folds and upon its broad stripes and bright stars. In both instances, too, when the eternal vigilance which is the - and price of liberty, has been relaxed the old injustices, impositions intolerances have been renewed with intensified arrogance. But we have come to the fork in the road the parting of our ways. It is for each of us individually to decide which road we shall take that which can lead to but one thing, a total lack of political independence, and to a living death of business and industry, or that American always seeks g leading to the goal which every his citv s development of his states resources, enhancement of value as a factor in the progress of his commonwealths people, enn couragement of the virtues following training in personally-choseavocations of usefulness, freedom from domination, and a chance to make his children more free than he could ever have hoped to be right-thinkin- without a hard fight. 'The path can be chosen at the polls next Tuesday. |