The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-11-22
The Persecution Inflicted
Upon the Gazette Editor.
IT'S EFFECTS on THE PEOPLE.
Condition of the Irish Farmer-A Pc
cuIiar Trial for Bigamy-Newsy
Notes from the Old Sod.
RELrAsr. ocrober a, 1Ss5.

! ed bv the revelations OF the I0u MAJ
/ Gazette. giving as they do some idea OF
the virtuous condition of Great Britain,
/ will not be allowed to die out in mo-
ment. The conviction or Indictment OF
/ Mr.. Stead because of his completely IN
the abduction ofthe girl Armstrong has
/ brought the subject of the GGsette ex-
posures into renewed prominence, and
meetings are being held, at present, all
over the United Kingdom in which
sympathy is expressed for Stead, and in
which the conduct of the authorities to
punish man who IS perhaps yiolator
of the law only technically while Grim
nails are unmolested, is being subjected
to the indignant scrutiny and denuncia-
ton which their conduct merits. There
seems little doubt that while Mr.. Stead
carried his iAvestiga tons out too practl-
cally, he has. nevertheless, been made
the victim of police and official, or judi
cial, hatred. And there is as little doubt
that the parents of the girl-the father
especiany-were practically Indifferent
as to the fate of their child. If they
did not really know she was being pur-
chased for immoral purposes, they were
given sufficient evidence to excite sus-
picion had they been interested in her
welfare. The whole affair shows-not-
withstanding the crocodile winnings of
those high-souled individuals who are
now joining in the cry about the cruel
separation of the child and parents
that the parents were not fit TO be
trusted with child, or they would have
manifested a trihing interest as to her
welfare before egged on to it by the
police and press. Neither father nor
mother was aroused until. there was al
most direct references made to the
alleged abduction of their daughter in
the papers and not until there was an
apparent opportunity of making some
thing more out of the girl. The dis
graceful proceedings in the court in the
case brought against Madame Jeffries
who, by the palpable and unmistakable
coumvance of the Judge, was released
with fine because. it is alleged. OF the
interference of influential persons who
themselves were immediately concerned
in the vile matter and the exposure of
the same by Mr.. Stead, undoubtedly
won for him the hatred of the judge
and of the high-born scoundrels who
make pastime of robbing young girls
even babeS-Of their virtue; and this,
especially, as he and others were present
in the court with what he claims 10
nave been incontrovertible proof of the
beastly practices carried on In the
woman's house. His declaration that
the police not only connive at the vile
practices he ennumerateS, but them
selves are guilty of the ruin of many
an innocent girl, has brought upon him
their wrath also. The repeated offers
of Mr.. Stead to furnish proof, and the
public refusal of those high in author
ity to avail themselves of his offers. to-
gether with the svidity with which the
case against him has been taken up and
the venom which has characterized the
prosecution all points to the fact that he
/ is the victim of malicious persecution,
! the effect of which will be, to call re-
neWed attention to the matter and win
/ for Mr.. Stead and his paper grea ter
! popularity than could possibly have
/ been obtained had he been left alone.
! Whatever may have been his object
there is no question as to the truth OF
the revelations he has made. While il
/ is 8 notorious fact that the vile business
is carried on with undated Yigor, there
has yet to be the first prosecution of
any one but Mr.. Stead, and those asso-
ciated with him. His conviction, while
it may satisfy the hatred of those
banded against him will assuredly have
the effect Of increasing the circulation
! OF his paper and of largely increasing
bis popularity. There are those who
viii declare that this was the whole pur-
pose had ia view when the investiga-
tons by the GGzette's secret commission
began and that the public veal was
mereenary motives. It would be diff
cult 10 prove; but whatever the pur-
pose. the result has been to show foul
condition Of morality and TO bring TO
public notice many disgusting facts:
I There are those who will object TO the
revelations for the very reason that they
are disgusting. 1t is bad when such dis
closures can truthfully be made, but it
/ is Infinitely more iamehtable when COM
munitieS have become so effeminate
that it causes indignation to hear their
vices mentioned. though they can con-
! template with unbluShing effrontery the
4 crimes which have made the disclosures
7 possible. Goldsmith has said that ma
ton was in a dangerous condition where
( its prosperity was so great as to allow
that idleness which is the main spring
Of vice; but it is infinitely worse when
/ to the condition mentioned by the poet
/ is added the affection for vice which has
become conspicuous in Great Britain
without respect to classes and when
they are grown so refined they cannot
bear to hear their own ilthiness reveal
ed.
/ There has been, in the. last five years.
a very great declinein the value Of farm
products. and especially in that Of cat
tie, without corresponding decrease in
the prices of merchandise. Five years
ago cattle brought such excellent prices
in Ireland that very many farmers de-
voted large parts of their land to pastur-
age, rather than cereals, as less labor
was involved andabeitsr result obtained.
Many of your older readers, though
perhaps not SO many of the younger
ones, understand that cattle and sheep
raising in this country is not the same
as in Utah, or the Rockies generally
where people rejoice in cattle which
IihaTallV feed hmm q thousand literal