The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-11-24
THE SENSATION.

Very naturally the town is consider
ably excited over the arrests on tn
charge of ''lewd and lasciYious con
Duct" OF certain well-known gentle
men. Various are the comments anC
opinions that one hears and encounter
regarding this movement, its wisdom
and probable effect. 1t is worthy Of
note that good men, whose lives have
been above suspicion, all say in effect
go ahead, and punish the guilty
as the law demands" while the
eoademnatory re -rks are made by
those who, it is not a wide stretch OF
Imagination to suggest, are probably
guilty. As a matter IF course, these
latter denounce the Mormons for the
trouble aad call it all spite work.
There are two questions involved in
this ugly business, one of law, the other
OF policy as regarding the community.
With this latter the officers should
have nothing to do. Their bust
ness is simply and solely to en-
force the ordinance. Furnishing its
Yiolstors as they may be detected. II
the police have been able to learn that
men have broken the ordinance and
can establish the fact in court of
justice. it is th If sworn duty to do so;
and more than this. they are to be COM
mended fer their skin -aad ability in the
matter. Every pure and honest man
IN the community will hold up the
hands of the officers IN this excellent
work in the interest of true morality.
The police, in these prosecutions have
nothing to do with the-standing OF men;
nor with the position that individuals
have assumed upon another question
that IS prominent here, These are
matters with which the public will
deal, upon which it can comment, and
out of which It will make much or little |
as it pleases. The officers must know,
notthe man OF his positson, but his
'ofense: II he is guilty and the fact
can be established, the police duty
is to arrest and prosecute him. |
Let the ak strike where it may, |
ascending 10 high places OF falling |
among the Iowly, the city officers must
only see THAT it is not directed amiss as
70 individuals. not as to the social posi-
lions, or the official standing of the in
dividuals. The highest official in the
Territory, the wealthiest merchant, the
ablest lawyer, the most learned divine.
the most deEout Christian must none of
them be greater in the eyes of the Off
GERS than the whisky-drinking hummer
whose crime was committed with the
most degraded of her sex. If we have
here moral PeSthouse. let the work OF
purifcation now begun be thorough.
The Eatchword of the officers should
be that which has become historic in
AmeEica.-"Let no guilty man escape"
As a matter etcourse the public takes
! lively interest In the fact that the
accused are smong those whe have been
most active in decrying the Mormons
nd comprising their punishment fori
n oferse which certainly has not
and sexual impuri<y for 3
'asis. The Mormon polygamist may
Hend popular ideas OF mar
iage and TioIase a statute, but
e is sOi lecher. Il is, to say the p
East, astrikine Inconsistency for a man
rant and rave about polygamy when :
e is all the time guilty of lecherous "
onduct or worse. of adultery. These =
len, il they are really guilty as charged, =
lust have peculiar consciences that will :
ernit them TO persecute the Mormons =
hose offense. in its worst aspect, can =
ot be SIS immoral or bad SIS their own =
le conduct. ~ Y.