Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-23
POLITICS AND Police.

one Of the worst features Of corrupt
municipal administration In the large
cities Of this country IL the control OF
police affairs by a dominant political
faction. Politics and police ought to
be entirely separate. Policemen ought
not to be chosen because Of work they
have done for party, moi should
political bosses be permitted TO dictate
their appointment or suffered to inter
fere with their duties.
We porsume thore will be no oblcc-
ton to this, In theory, by any party or
faction. But how IL II In practicc9
We need 20 no farther than this city
~ see illustrations Of the evils
Of the union Of party and police. The
reign Of terfor-not yet over, from
which this city has been suffering, the
nightly hold.ups and diurnal burglar
les, the iagunt violations Of the laws
against gambling, Sunday liquor
selling and prostitution, and the In
efficiency Of the police power In the
suppression or even restriction Of these
evils, arc well known 10 the public.
/, Is also understood that they arc the
results OF the capture of the city by
the "Liboral" faction aud lts influence
Ia municipal affairs.
The "Libcrsl" boss openly an-
nounced that hs didn't want the city
10 be "too good," (which was recognized
universally, o. an utterance In en-
couragement NJ the vices which were
complained of when II WIS made. And
the vcnomous assault ON the United
States Mar.hal aud his deputies for
their efforts TO enforce the laws, are all
pointers Ia the same direction. The
public aro well assured tina, whatever
evidence certain parties might have
thought they had against the Marshal,
the attack upon him would not have
been attempted II It had not been for
his action la reference TO the saloons
aud gambling dcns.
And now We have further illustra-
ton OF tho Interference OF the "Liber.
nj" faction with official affairs. The
account Of tho rescue OF an incbrlated
"Liherap by the chairman u the
"Liberal" committee after he had been
arrested aud taken 20 the CITY Hall,
win he found Ia another part u this
paper II shows how tho ordinary
policeman regards the authority OF the
"Llbeml" boss. What need Is there
Of Chief OF Captain OF Police, II
the Boss eau regulate police affairs In
the fashion Of last night2
"Here, I'll attend to this" from the
supreme Dictator OF tho faction, IL
sufficient to parnlyzo the common
policeman and cause him TO drop his
official authority In AFFECT subaervi.
ence to the command OF the party
chief. What the City Marshal
or the Captain would have done under
such circumstances We have no means
OF determining. They were not present
during this display Of arrogant assump.
ton ON tho one hand and shameful
abnegatlon ON the other. But that the
patrolmen recognize their party rulci
"a oviient, and the fact raises the pre-.
sumption that their mac tlyity In other
directions IL attributable 10 the SAME
cause.
OF course an altsmp! viii be made "a
belittle the whole affair, aud to patch II
up ga to give Il some appearance OF
legality. But that Il was no less than
pcremptory exercise VI unlawful
authority aud an Illegal surrender Of q
prisoner into unofficial hn mis-, il clear
and positive from the stat ement OF eye
witnesses.
II the "LibeTap boss 10 TO have con-
troll OF the city ami lts police, 1t ought
to be known without delay. We can
ITO without a Mayor, Il Captain OF
Police, and some other expensive
hgure.hoads u the manipu lator OF city
elections for the "Libcrpl" faction can
run things according to h is own sweet
will. It's for the voting citizens, how.
ever, 10 say whether this IL the kind o.
municipal government that they wish
to maintain. Aud the time Is at hand
when they will have 10 decide.