Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-14
SHOULD NOT DEMAND IMPOssI.
BiLITIEs.l

opinion, working on mistaken base.
The protest against the present official
-lsckness In enforcing the laws and
the encouragement given 10 the worst
forms Of vice cannot be too pronounced.
Extreme aud impracticablc suggestions
as to the appropriate remedial means,
will, however, do Injury TO the cause
Of morality. This IA ne time TO
agitate the total oblitefatlon Of the
saloon howevermuch such aconsumma.
ton might be devoutlywished. Hence,
prohibition speeches are not consistent
With the present movement in favor
law and morality.
10 prove this It Is only needful 10
direct attention to the fact that the
object Of the agitation "a % Induce, by
popular pressure and other proper
means, the city officials 70 enforce the
laws, not with q View 10 the extinction
Of vice and crime, that icing an impo..
sible feat, but 10 reduce these deplor.
able conditions to the smallest practic.
able proportions.
AZ there Ia no prohlbltory law Ia this
Territory, which applies to salt Lake
city, TO ask for prohibition IL worse
than unvlse. To request Of the OIL.
cials anything which they have not the
legal power 70 enforce 3, inconsistent.
The point Of attack for prohlbitionlsts
IL not officials who have no power TO
cnao, prohibltory ordinance aud have
no authority to enforce that which
has no existence. Tho legislature
Ia the body which oan alone
net In the promises. The gentlemen
who believe In prohibition should await
thonext scsslon Of the Territorial law
maketsand make their assault on them.
Until then they would do we'll 70 con.
fms their operations TO seeking 10
mould plbllc opinion In the direction
Of their Views. They viii do no good
10 the present movement by acting and
speaking rs II they expected a practi.
cal application Of their prohibltory
opinions TO the present. era OF highway.
manship, whisky drinking aud other
tiebaslng Vices.
There has, In tho past, been ono Of
the most dote rmihed struggles against
the reign NJ the saloon and IT, con-
comltanta In Utah that has over boon
fought Hut the odds = no, in
numbers, hut official authority.
have been against those who struggled
on the side ofm1nlity. Asan instance,
In the cltyot Logan, which was a model
city 10, soorle,y aud good order, there
existed On ordinance iorbldi,ng the
ipulnc/of liquor licenses. For many
years the Council stood by II and re-.
flcd 10 pass au~sf OF an opposite
quality. Bal nieu sold liquor In de.
fiancc OF municipal law, and W. think
also Ia opposition, at that time, accord,
Ing 10 thu Logan city cha rter, Of Terri
torlL enactment. A popular voi,
was taken on thp question Ia order
10 fairly tes, public sentiment.
The result was that the people pro.
nounccd overwhelmingly In favor OF
no saloon. A United States Court,
however, gave Judgment In favor Of
whisky, aud the Council passed u
liquor ordlna nee. The ground has
throughout becn stoutly contested, hut
those who should haze sustained a
healthy sentiment and good morals,
oprri IT In tho wrong direction.
QI,to recently, there has been no I'M.
pedimcnt whato yer In the way Of food.
Ing this city with dram shops aud
other deus Of vice. Advantage has
boon taken Of this easy regime, and
drinking, gamhlln y burglarles and
the lowest Vices are rampant. Now
the only thing that can 10
done practically Is 10 have
tho saloon curtailed to the closest limit
Of the law, aud 10 onio rec the statutes
against all who are engaged In crimi.
nAl practices. To talk prohibition In
connection with the present movement
win do no good, bat harm, US It will
stamp the asitators with the genius OF
ultra.lsm.
We say this with all respect to the
gentlemen referred 10. Intrinsieally
their Views are good, but they are not
applicable to the present situation. We
are not opposed To prohibition, rs there
can be no doubt that II the manufac.
turo OF lntoxicants was wiped out OF
existence, II would DO sunny day for
moor, suffering humanity,