The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-02-09
to the school fund, and such laws
had been declared valid.

pIOpCScU amendment ala not suit
either him or the gentleman max
ing it as compromise. It looked
to him as dernier resort to carry
the measure. The proposed amend
ment to put the funds in each
county treasury was the best meas
ure proposed, but as that PROPOSE
ton was lost, the citizens Of Salt
Lake City ought to be released Of
the one-fifth proposed by Councillor
Game as a matter of justice.
1t was just that the revenue
arising from the sale of liquors in
various towns should be expended
in the vicinity where the money is
collected. The statement was not
true that other cities have so large
proportion of expenses to bear as
Salt Lake City when compared with
the revenue. This is the rendezvous
of every scapegrace, law-breaker
and desperate; here we have houses
of i'll fame, gambling bells, and
haunts of crime, which cost SO much
means and so much difficulty to
control. The burden rests in I'm.
equal proportions to other towns,
except perhaps Ogden. We have
also camp of soldiers not amen
able to the law of the city; they
must often be watched to protect
citizens, and it is necessary some
times to employ a large force of
special policemen. If we are COM
PEELED to give twO-6fths of our rev.
enue it ought to be spent in this
county where drunkenness and
crime abound more than in any of
the counties. There is no parallel
between Salt Lake and other cities !;
she already pays large
proportion of school fund used
in distant counties, apparently un-
justly. as in no place is the property
assessed at so high value. Some
widows even pay more taxes than
the rich farmers in some other
counties, and this will compulsorily
be aggravated if the revenue is
diverted from its proper use. 1t
ought to be spent in Salt Lake
County. Let Ogden, Provo, Logan
and Beaver, pay the revenue from
their licenses, ETC., into their county
treasures. If this cannot be done
relieve US of the one-hfth asked for.
Councillor Thatcher said there are
other questions arising dropping out
of this measure. Some cities pro-
hibit the sale of liquor and they
have sought for that power. If
Salt Lake and Ogden have acharter
under which they cannot prohibit,
they are not the exclusive sufferers.
The community in the north and in
the south suffer from this blood
poisoning also. The records would
bear him out that for many years
Salt Lake made no effort to obtain
a prohibition law, in fact, there was
a law passed to protect saloon run
by the city. The evils of liquor
centre here doubtless, so does the
wealth of the entire territory centre
here, and the revenue is proportions
ately great.
Councillor Jos. T. Smith stated that
Salt Lake City had applied time and
again to obtain a prohibition law
but it had been as often vetoed by
the Governor. We have been de-
prived by judicial interference of
the power to restrain drunkenness
and regulate the hours of closing of
saloons. He desired to restrain the
traffic and cleanse the whole system
of this blood poisoning. Now the
Legislature seeks to trammel us
even more by divertipg from us our
revenue to accomplish this end.
Salt Lake City shOnld be favored
more by the Legislature and the
Governor than hampered in her
efforts to control this miserable
traffic. The Councillors from other
parts Of the Territory do not feel
the effects of this drunkenness,
whoredom and gambling with which
we have to contend continually.
The Legislature ought to act liber-
ally towards us, and not seek to tie
our hands. There is an evident dis.
position 20 tie up Salt Lake City
We ought to have incre aSed facili-
ties for controlling the evils that
centre here. and which are continu.
ally surging upon and against us.
Councillor Murdoch said that Salt
Lake City had grown populous and
wealthy by the business that cen,
tered here, and thought that the
children.of the outer counties should
be benefited by the revenue from
this traffic He was opposed to
concentrating the means in Salt
Lake City, and he hoped there
would be no exception to the rule
Did not want to see the selishness
Of special legislation prevail
Councillor E. Snow said there are
sometimes seemingly reasons fo1
special legislation but it opens 4
door for the smartest and strongest
to obtain advantages over the weak
and evils occur. The present bill is
not a question of finance; it is tC
promote the public good and pro.
tect the public morals. He was not
in favor of fostering the liqur traffic
by licensing for revenue. Would
favor the taking from cities the
power to impose heavy licenses, ex.
cept for restraint. Was almost con.
WINGED that the motives of the per
sons manipulating the business OF
the cities and counties was
simply for income. 1t some.
times thus affects the act:
and decisions of city councils
and county courts. The cities Ger
foipl1y cuffar from those aVilS anC