Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-08-31
MOTIVES.

The majority OF people in this world
are actuated by motives OF one kind or
another, and if their object is honorable
and worthy so will their motives be. But
If men simulate a noble object behind
which turks the base, lowborn object,
the motives which prompt the simulated
virtue are of the meanest and most con-
ternptible nature. 1t was impossible to
resist such reflections upon picking up
Sundays Tribune this morning and read
ing its long, labored, and hypocritical
article entitled, "What Must Be-" 1t
speaks in terms of ill-concealed contempt
of a number OF leading Democrats here
who have asked, if report speaks truly,
for the appointment of Mr.. John A. Mar
shall as District Attorney for Utah as
''the awkward Democratic squad and the
DeSeret Ners are both working to GUST
District Attorney Dickson. The first
crowd are trying to prove that some one
else might be just as good Prosecuting
tlC. tOllCtA ellO NAAS NSA hA' ~
which this self-styled champion of Amer
lea and American ideas speaks OF gentle
men who were in Utah long years before
the editor OF the Tribune crossed the
Sierras to battle for his country and free
dom after the war was over and peace
reigned. But these gentlemen are too
well known in the community, their
position is too well assured, to heed so
base an insinuation from such a source.
Following this insinuation the Tribune
says
THE DEMOCRAT, the organ of the outs
who want to be ms, after admitting that
Mr.. Dickson is perfect prosecuting attor-
ney, to prove that some one else would be
probably Just as capable, recalls the fact,
which it calls an important fact, that the
law is not party question, while as to the
enforcement of it, it is neither Republican
nor Democratic measure.
After this comes a kind of prophetic
vision of what President Cleveland would
say in view of all the facts, such a pro-
phetic vision as readers of the Tribune
are so familiar with and so sick of, and
then comes this: "Of course this would
not suit, and hence we may put down the
nice words as having been printed merely
for taffy."
Surely our words, which are quoted by
the Tribune, speak for themselves and
are not in want Of any justification by us,
and the only ground upon which the Tri-
bune can term them "taffy" is the fact
that its own praise is always "taffy, !"
and given for sinister motives.
After making the above comment, the
Tribune gives lot more of its inane
verbiage, and then has this:
Take the case of Mr.. Dickson, for in
stance. Speaking of him, the DEMOCRAT
says: This much we can say, that during
Mr.. Dickson's occupancy of the office he has
filled it ably, honestly and honorably, and
has done more to vindicate the laws than all
his predecessors put together. Various of
his predecessors made spasmodlc efforts to
do something towards enforcing the laws,
but usually with the same result of failure,
failure that was either owing to the fact that
they were incompetent or dishonest-which,
We no uOb W Sd1--dliu Ol1C1l 1d1l-
ure was always followed by a low wall for
more legislation, that the Government might
be preserved and the laws enforced. Mr.. Dick
son took the laws as he found them, and en-
forced them, and this is to his credit and the
benefit of the Government. Whoever may
be Mr.. Dickson's successor, We trust that he
may be as able, energetic and successful in
his Efforts to enforce the laws as Mr.. Dick
son has been"
Having given this extract from the
DEMOCRAT, ii was but natural that the
Tribune should follow it with some COM
ment This was the comment:
Now, we believe the DEMOCRAT published
that simply for home use, and that the
author of it had in his soul while he wrote,
the determination to knife Mr.. Dickson, if
possible.
We have no explanations to offer, and
men may attribute to us whatsoever mo-
tives they choose; and though the 1ri-
b,ne has attributed to us the same
insincere, hypocritical, and grovel-
ing motives which ever actuate
it, still we shall not condescend to
deny them. The editor of the Tribune
has discovered our motives and has given
them to the world, but he discovered
them in his own heart. Being incapable
of rising above his own low level, he
deems that all the world is upon that
level; knowing himself to be insincere,
he believes that all are insncere; having
no pure and honest motives, he believes
them wanting in all others. He has re-
versed the order OF nature; where others
have advanced he has retrograded; what
in others has been illuIfhned in him has
been darkened; experience which teach
es most men to avoid errors has in him
but confirmed Them the modesty and
humility which mark the true patriot and
well-wisher of mankind in him are re-
placed by conceit and self-laudation; he
has prayed long and loud for the redemp-
ton OF Utah, but his prayers have been as
those of tn" "hypocrites in the synagogue; )"
his life and character may be summed
up in paraphase of the language of job
he was born in corruption, raised i'm
corruption and will go down in corruption.
But by what gift, what faculty, what
right, what power does the editor OF the
Tribune assume to say by what motives
men are moved, by what hopes their
hearts are guided? Is he so busy divin-
ing the motives which actuate others and
discovering the hopes which fill their
hearts that he never looks inward but al
ways outward? If the motives of men
who are opposed TO him politically are al
ways mean and sinister as the editor of
the Tribune says they are, and of which
he is SO certain, is he quite sure that