The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-12-31
soc 1T TU EN-.

1t is clear enough that while tn
Third District Court is operated an
controlled as at present the non-Mol
mons and Federal officials who haV
been detected in the crime of leTd an
lasciYious conduct will not be punished
as provided by law. A grand jury tina
would indict will not be inpaneled, &
trial jury that would convict will not be
permitted to enter the box, the United
States Attorney will not prosecute and
the Judge dismisses the cases as soon as
they are called to his attention. If the
courts are made to stand between the
law and its enforcement, and officials
interpose their authority to protest the
guilty from punishment, there is little
encouragement to detect crime, and
none to attempt to bring criminals to
justice. The city and county police
and constabulary can hardly be ex.
pected to confne their efforts to the de :
lection of the misdeeds of one religious
orpolitical class of the community; thew
cannot consistently be asked to proceed
only against Mormons, letting GentiIes
run riot in their lecheries and misdeeds:
yet it seems they must be thus partisan.
thus discriminating or their labor will
count for naught and might as well not
be performed, SO far as the application
of the law is concerned.
But their efforts may be made eff
fective with the public. The machinery |
Of the law is seemingly being operated |
in the direction Of retaliation. A spirit
of revenge enters largely Into many of |
the criminal prosecutions that are in !
stituted, if it is not the controlling in
huence in them. We believe it was
more revenge than an henest desire to |
uphold the dignity of the law, that |
bounded Mr.. Hampton into the county
jail. He had been instrumental in |
laying bare the fact that some of the
courts officials and many of the |
men who are shouting Ioudest
against the Mormons, were moral
lechers, guilty of gross offenses
against the Law, hence he must be
punished and terror struck to the hearts
of all who were engaged with him in
the scheme. IF the court and its
officers were really DESTROYS of suppress
sing prostitution and Furnishing those
engaged In the business would they not
have proceeded against the conspicuous
courtesans of the town, and against the
we'll known freguenters of the houses of
nl-fame? II there hadbe none Of the
element of revenge IN the. officers.
would they have bothered themselves
about the doings of a couple of com
paratively unknown and insignificant
women of bad repute, before they had
taken action against hoases, which. as
Judge Zane said from the bench, were
better known and more frequented than
the churches? We also believe that
the spirit of retaliation. melted and
largely controlled Mr.. HAMPTON
and those associated with him
in exposing and attempting to punish
tor lechery the men who were so active
IN the effort to enforce another law.
There is retaliation running all through
this nasty affair. 1t is a shame to pro-
per ideas of the rightful administration
of the law that it should be so, but nine
men out of ten, if they will confess the
truth OF their honest belief, will say
that 1t looks as if revenge we're usurp.
ing the place of Impartial justice in our
courts and with many of our officials.
Whether or not this is true; whether
or not revenge entered into the plan for !
catching the violators eff the law against
lasclVious conduct, or has any influence
IN the District Court, it is clear enough
that only In one way can Mr.. Hampton '
and associates accomplish ANYTHING
and that is by retaIiating. They can
convict none of those caught
no matter what may be the
knowledge of the individuals 4
guilt there is a barrier they can
not remove standing between the ac-
cused and their punishment; but the I
guilty can be driven to that barrier
and forced to take refuge behind il :
and there is where everyone of them
should be compelled to go. Let it be
called revenge or retaliation or what it
may, but arrest every man who has
been detected in crime, and the evil
dence or whose crime is uncontrovert-
-ble; be certain that no innocent man is ie
and be careful to cast no -
shadow OF suspicion upon any, proof OF II
whose guilt Is wanting; but arrest every "
nan, whether his position socially or q,
is high or low, who has been i
taught, and throw upon the Chief Jus ~
ice the responsibility of relieving
he guilty frem punishment, and turn