The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-24

ANoble Interview.
The decision in the Donovan case
was received by the general public as
q compromise, and all things consld-
cred the sympathizers with the cap
tain. who form an overwhelming ma
1ority of the people, are not greatly
displeased with the result. 1t is gem
orally believed that if the members OF
the board had been allowed to IND
their verdict without the interference
of outsiders the captain would nave
been reinstated al once, with back pay.
The people generally are very much
incensed at the nefarious interference
with the course of justice and there Is
little doubt that the manner in which
this decision was brought about is the
5eath-knell to the act which created
the board OF poll ,e and fire colnmis-
Sioners.
Public Scandal and Reproach'
Commenting on the finding, Attorney
c. S. Varian gave utterance to the
following:
The decision is disastrous in one
particular. The fact that outside in
fiuences have been permitted TO sway
and move the judgment of the com
qnissioners in a matter of this kind is
agoublic scandal and reproach. 1t is
lSAa-and SO far as l am advised 1t IS
AL idered to be tlue-that MI +.
II. Lannan and others have interposed
their personal influence as against the
accused officer in the endeaVor to con-
.,F4 1,.a aar11 NlT Of
the board.
I recognize no difference between a
case of this kind entrusted to COM
mission exercising judicial functions in
part and a case at law, committed to
a regular judge for decision. If The
result in the present case is to be
taken as a fair example of the ad-
ministration of Justice by the board
OF police and fire commissioners, the
sooner we do away with the existing
system the better.
1T is not the Judgment against
Donovan that is particularly objec-
tionable, but the methods employed,
private and publicly, to coerce mem
bers OF the board in their action are
to be condemned. As a lawyer l pro-
test publicly against any citizen,
however influential or powerful.
Undertaking to thrust himself
into judicial CONTROVERSIES be-
tween the pubic <a1d the citizen
for the purpose QE,accomplishing pri-
Vate and personal ends. That is just
what L think has been done in this
case
IF these methods are to be counte-
nanced by public officials upon whom
deVolve the administration of the law
concerning the police and fire depart
ments, no member thereof is secure for
a single day in his employment"
Low All Right, Board All Wrong,
Judge Powers, who was the author
of the present law obtaining in the
police and fire departments, expressed
himself as follows:
The members of the board evidently
sought to try and make themselves, if
possible, a little more unpopular than
they were before the trial of Dono-
van. They have proven that trials be-
fole them are farcical. They have pub
licsy shown what appreciation we
should have for them by permitting
their judgment to be formulated, in
part, at least, by Intermediates. If 1
had ever supposed that the execution
Of the law would have become such a
scandal, never would have introduced
itNFto the legislature. The law is all
rissnt. The board is all wrong.
Everything possible has been done
70 make the law unpopular. The mayor
was opposed TO it and he appointed on
the board men who fought it in the
committee rooms of the legislature. The
city attorney fought its provisions
through all the courts. The chief of
police and the chief of the fire depart
inent considered it an encroachment
upon their prerogatives. Finally has
come the Donovan decision scandal.
Upon the political tombstone of the
eminent commissioners should be writ
ten: Here politically dead are the men
who once formed the fire and police
board
q presume that the law will be re-
pealed, but some day its principles will
be re-enacted. Let us trust that when
that day comes the execution of the
law will be placed in the charge of a
boarG that has some conception of
Justice and of its duties. Under all
the circumstances Donovan won a
great victory.
Commissioner Noble should not be
Included in what I have said. He has
been uniformly fair and just.
VIII Not Have Pubic support.
Judge Mckay said: 'The findings
and Judgment of the commission will
not have the support of the general
puhuc and ought not to have it. if
public rumor be correct, that such
findings and judgment were in any
degree 1nhuenced by any person out
side the board OF course we were not
surprised that Mr.. Lannan should do
all he could in the interest of Chief
Pratt: that was expected, but we We're
somewhat surprised that some others
who are accused should stop long
enough to attend to any business that
did not especially concern them"
The Noble Interview.
In reference to the card of Mr. Noble,
which appeared in The Herald of yes
terday morning, the reporter who in
terviewed Mr.. Noble will say that the
conversation occurred in the crush and
hustle incident to leaving the Grand
Opera house at the end of the per-
formance. Mr.. Noble may not have
TeAd the reporter mention the names
of MIR. Lannan and Mr.. Salisbury in
his inquiry as to whether these gen.
Gemen had attempted to influence the