The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-17

| diuiCu lF4olSClplll4SQ llSlli bue AAo44
the principle invoked and announced
by the vagabonds who lead them.
Let us take the case as we have i
right at home as an example. Some
weeks ago, one of the number calling
themselves laboring men, summoned
all of the unemployed to meet ant
with him go to Washington to there
present a living petition to Congress
| That these men had perfect right tc
meet and petition Congress, no one
questions. That they had or have the
right to present a living petition, as
! they call 1t, that is in mass meeting al
the doors of Congress, might admit OF
discussion, even if done peaceably. But
when it is borne in mind that they
publicly announced that they intended
to demand certain legislation and in
default of it being granted, they would
enforce it; then such a pretended right
might be denied.
Let us, however, pass this by and
admit that even all this is right, or if
not right, at least the harmless threats
of unknowing and unthinking men.
They leave this city on foot, four or
| five hundred strong, and after eight or
ten days they have arrived at a point
about thirty miles south. Feeling en-
ragged that they are not furnished free
or nearly free transportation and food
| for their projected trip, they seize a
steam locomotive belonging to whom
they care not, attach 1t to some rail
road cars, force an engineer to work
the machinery, and by conducting the
train onto another company's road
proceed on their now unlawful jour
ney. On arriving at Provo, about f1f-
teen miles from the place they forcibly
obtained the engine and cars, they get
warnings to stop the train but they
ordered the engineer to proceed, and
there being no other way to restrain
their movements, the switch at Provo
was opened and into it they went and
/ ditched or rather derailed the train.
This much might have been, nay, was,
by all thinking people, expected. But
that which followed was not antici-
pated by any but two classes of our
people, namely, those engaged or de-
string to be engaged in these mis-
guided gatherings. and those in sym
pathy with them by reason of inca
pacity to rise to an understanding OF
this dangerous condition of things.
No one expected, however but that
the better class of people would not
only denounce all such unlawful acts
as those above described, but that al
most to man they would respond to
call by the proper officers to suppress
any such nefarious acts. To the as
constituent of the people of Salt Lake
city, yes of the territory, the sheriff OF
Utah county, despairing of help from
those who had placed him in power
! for just such emergencies, telegraphed
for the governor to furnish the terri,
torial militia to quell the riot and put
down the impending danger. Nor was
this shame, this humiliation sufficient
| If report speaks truly the municipal
officers of Provo City stood mutely by
while the unlawful act of forcibly tax
! ing the train was being proceeded
with, and capped the infamy by TAX
ling up a collection in aid of the rioters
There is only one charitable view to
be taken of this act of the mayor of
Provo, and that is that he is an igno-
rant man and is utterly incapable of
understanding the laws and ordinances
he is sworn to enforce.
If the men that took forcible posses
of hof
the place of such act, taken the flag
of our country, dragged it in the dust,
trampled upon it, spat on it, and then
had they taken the written con-
stitution of the United States and
divided it and torn it in shreds before
bowling mob, and then had an ad-
niring municipal government stood by
and aided in this disgraceful spectacle,
taken UP subscription to further aid
them in this reasonable conduct, the
faction of this supposed law-abiding
body would have been no more a sur
prise to truly loyal men, nor disgrace
full to the city they represent. Indeed,
the acts of indecently besmearing our
flag or rending the constitution would
not be as dangerous to our institutions
as were and are the acts of those mic
named commonwealers on the occasion
named.
Such supposed acts as above might
be and would be an insult to our gov
eminent and every man that respects
those emblems and that bulwark OF
our nations liberty, and they would
merit the Just resentment that should
descend. But the other is a blow al
the very framework of human liberty
not named in the constitution of oul
country, but the common heritage OF
all men, a principle that rises fal
above all constitutions and all mum,
| dane things-the sacred right to hold
own and enjoy property, Constitu
tons do not give these rights, they are
| inherent, and when any man strikes
at this, he lays the AK at the root OF
our institutions, at the very root OF
| civil liberty itself; and any man oil
body of men in the exercise of power
that will stand idly by and see the
rights of an individual taken from hin
by mob violence, is not fit to hold any
office under municipality that as
| sumes to be governed by law.