The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-10

Lh4o bNANASAAAeAAs VIM 10 PUSeSA "a 49,
First Congregational church, said: "Con-
corning the legal points involved in this
question, feel disposed to speak quite
guardedIy, as l am not a lawyer. But as a
citizen have no hesitation in expressing
my full opinion as to the moral and civil
questions at issue. If 1 am correctly In
formed, Deputy Pratt, acting under the
orders of his chief, Marshal Parsons, did
actually find sundry gambling rooms and
houses Of ill-repute in Ogden, exist
ing openly and contrary to law and
public morality, and did cause them to be
closed. If this sentiment is entirely cor
rect, IL contains, in my opinion, an answer
TO all three of your questions.
First-Mr. Pratt is deputy, acting
under orders, and as such did not exceed
his deputed authority. If his action called
for Indignation and protest, such indignant
protest would have been more properly
directed against the marshal, under whose
ordersh acted.
Second-These immoral places did, it
seems, openly exist and all good citizens of
Ogden, who have at heart the morals of its
young men and the fair fame of the town,
must have rejoiced to have these places
closed by whatever authority and through
whatever agency. 1t is not the shutting up
Of such places, but their opened and CON
tinued existence, that Injuries the fair fame
of town.
Third-Admittiug that such places did
openly exist and were not interfered with
by the local authorities, the United States
marshal, if my understanding of the Ed
nunds-Tucker law of 1887 is correct
WAS IN DUTY BOUND
10 proceed against them, and he would
have violated his oath of office had he re-
fused TO Rbate these opeR nuisances, when
once his attention had been called to them
l do not believe that the protest which
has been uttered against his action, IN the
deputy, correctly represents the good sense
and fairness of the great majority of the
citizens of Ogden. No doubt many citi-
zeDs were sensitive, when, by the mar
shal's action, it became generally known
that such state of affairs existed. That
would be only natural. And in that case
their first impulse might be to kick the
obstacle over which they had STUN
bled. Such is human nature in
all of US. But Ogden is toe
strong, vigorous and self -reliant, to be
weakly jealous or unreasonably angry, and
is made up, in the main, of too staid and
sturdy material to be afraid to have those
immoral institutions common to all cities,
especially to western cities in the earlier
stages of their development, driven by the
arm Of the law from the open streets to the
limbo of back stairs and garrets-that
darkness whore all social evil, of whatever
description, should be made to hide its
head. q
OGDEN AND SALT LAKE
bid fair to become the twin metropolis of
great and wealthy mountain region, the
gathering-place of a noble race of noun
taineers. Let them be generous rivals III
material prosperity, enlightenment and
morals, but never jealous of each other.
The prosperity of the one is the prosperity
of the other. The rcproach of the one
will injure the other. Let the skirts of
both be clean, and let each outbid the other,
if possible, as a home for the beautiful, the
true and the good. A city may, of course,
make q mistake and get temporary misrule
under any firm of government-much de-
nends upon the kind of men who are placed
in Office. But as free men, under a free
government we are always free to express
an opinion, and when necessary, to pro-
test, appeal, revolt and overthrow The
privilege of criticism, under
A FREE GOVERNMENT,
is always ours, and the remedy for wrongs
and errors lies in the votes of enlightened
and public-sp spirited freemen.
Ogden is more under free government,
and, If she had made mistake, the remedy
lies in her own hands, and she will doubt
less correct the mistake. And if Ogden
has made mistake, let the frocmen of Salt
Lake heed the lesson when they choose
their own candidate for Office. There is
long list of good men to choose from in
both cities. And as some wise philosopher
has said, THE only excuse for a mistake is
never TO make it twice" -.