The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-25
DISTRICT ATTORNEYSHIP.

1t looks as if President Arthur
were going to give US whole batcf
of federal officers at one time. Pro
vided he makes no removals o.
changes there will be three place.
to fill within a week, and they are
perhaps the three most important
Offices in the Territory, namely
the Governorship, the Chief Justice
ship and the District-Attorneyship
The last named Office has been va.
can't since summer, and for all the
service the last incumbent per.
formed, might as well have been
without an occupant for year past.
When Van Zile failed to receive
enough votes for Congress to make
the election decent compliment
to him, he seemed to lose all interest
in his Office and in Utah, and after
that he did as little as it was pos.
sible for him to do and yet retain the
salary. AS soon as he could cons
veniently close up his business here
he left the Territory, leaving behind
record that was more a failure
than a success. We well remember
with what sounding Of tIumpets
and display of energy that he en-
tered upon the duties OF the Office,
and we will not soon forget how
completely he fattened out before
he retired. There are six or eight
known applicants for the place, res
ident here, but not one whose name
has been publicly mentioned in this
connection, possesses in anything
like a satisfactory degree the quail.
ications for tha office. It Is not a
place to be fooled with by boys,
nor abused by cranks and big.
OTIS. Nor is it position
to be trifed with by amateur law
yers or pettifoggers. The office de-
msnds a lawyer in the broadcast and
fullest sense Of the term; and not
only man skilled in the law with
all its dips, spurs, angles and varia-
tons, but who also ia devoid o. the
petty prejudices and spites which
have characterized so many Of our
district attorneys; and withal an
honest man, who thinks more of the
faithful performance of his duties
than of filling his pockets. We
want an attorney who will prose.
cute crime no matter in whom it
may be found. II brother federal
official is guilty Of breach Of the
peace, we want district attorney
who will not prevent the grand jury
from investigating the case and
indicting the offender; if a citi-
zen is charged with crime,
we want an attorney who will pros.
ecute him, and not accept fees to
stave off the trial indefinitely. We
do not want an officer who is blind
to one class of crime and one class
of criminals, but open-eyed to an
other class. In a word, we don't
want sny more Careys, Towards or
Van Tiles.
An able, conscientious and faith
Nl district attorney can do as much
as any other officer towards adjust
ing unpleasant differences here, and
quieting annoying and injurious
sensations from which the Territory
has suffered 80 much in the past;
while an incompetent and corrupt
man will be a most miscbieyous
factor In the social and political af-
fairs of Utah.
There are resident citizens who
would administer the affairs of the
Important Office admirably; but
there Is no chance for them to be
appointed, hence we hope Mr.. Ar
thur will disregard all of the petit
tons tkat have gone out from here
and send Us stranger. He can.
not be worse than some of the ap-
plicsnts, and he is quite likely to
HsYe better than all of them.