The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-02-13
LIQUOR DEALERS UNION.

The ssloon-keepers Of this city, Or
at least those among them who have
formed themselves into a society or
union for certain purposes, are
making a mistake; that is, il those
purposes are what the public under
stand them to be. TIE objects of the
combination are said to be resistance
10 the execution OF lhs city ordinance
concerning the sale of liquors, and
protection" against detectives or in
formers, as they are more generally
called, etc. The members of the
society coatrib1te to the common
fund, TO fee lawyers and fight in the
courts the municipal authorities, who
are trying to carry the law into effect.
In palmer language, the saloon men
are not pleased with the municipal
regulations for controlling the whisky
traffic, they propose to violate the
law, fight the community and defeat
justice. They msy call their associs-
ton protective union or any other
name they choose to apply TO il, but
it is simply a combination to resist
the law and the constituted authority
of the public. And thera is where
the mistake comes in. If tie associs.
ton were for protecting dealers
against infractions of the Law, or tol
resist the exercise of unauthorized
functions on the part of the officers,
the combination would be proper,
and no fault couli be found;
but the association being for
unlawful purposes, its members
invite oensure. The ordinance pre-.
scribes that bars must be closed at 10l
O'Clock pm. The saloon men do not
like the hour and propose to keep
their places open later; if the officers
shall be sufficiently vigilant to discover
and obtain evidence of the disregard
of the prescribed hour. the protective
society will contribute to the expense
Of the offender in fighting the city, |
or rather in resisting the law. The
ordinance wisely prohibits the sale of
intoxicating liquor on Sunday. This
provision is Objectionable TO some OF
the saloon keepers, and they violate
it, while the society is TO stand by
them, if detected in the offsnse, and
By the employment of money defeat
justice. II this is not an unlawful
combination then it would be hard
to define one. We do not propose
now to discuss the regulations that
have been adopted for the sale OF
strong drinks; nor to say whether the
license fees are too laIge or not large
enough; whether the hours within
which liquor may be sold are too long
or too short; whether any Of the rules
ere too etrict or not sufficiently
binding; nor whether the infarmer l
system should be abolished or con-
tinued. Those are matters that have !
been arranged and determined by the i
proper authority and in tbs proper d
and 20 long as the regula 6
lions exist they should be obeyed
Or compliance with them enforced.
The ssloon.keeper9 may deny that
hey have banded together for the Fl
purpose of protecting each other in o
violations Of the law, yet such denial '
Jan carry no weight in view Of the ,,
acts. If they do not propose to sell il
.IEer the hour for closing, or on Sun b
sy, OF if they intend to obey the y
equations, then there is no occasion q
Or q protective union. Compliance o.
nth the Law makes unnecessary funds 2
u defending prosecutions for inirac- o.
ous. The liquor dealer who obeyI :,
"a ordinances has no fear Of arrest, W
nd can snap his fingers st informers al