The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-11
POLICE AND
FIRE BILL.
Continued from Page -

for it and let the murder be commit
ted by the officers of the law, but he
wanted no man to feel that he had to
murder under any conditions.
Mr.. Gibson desired to add a few
words to the discussion and the pre-
vious question was waived in his in
terest.
He said he had lived a rough life and
had experienced the time when he was
justified in taking life but God had
nerved his arm and permitted him the
strength to lower it when about to
strike, for which he. thanked God. He
thought Utah did not want a repetition
within her borders of the recent terri
BILE tragedy enacted at Paris, Texas.
He thought Utah did not want any
burning bees and was in favor of any
thing that tended to prevent murder.
CRITCHLoW'S CLOSING ARGU-
MENT.
Mr.. Critchlow then closed the debate
for the bill
The bill has been termed his, he said,
but 1t was not It belonged to the
house, the members of which were I'M
der oath to do their full duty. 1t would
be, he held, just as much failure to
perform that duty if existing laws
which were faulty were not properly
amended as though they failed to pass
any measure urgently needed.
He referred to references made to
him by Messrs Mansfield and Howard
during the previous debate. The for
mer had. he said, accused him of wish
ing to influence case now pending. He
deprecated the remark and could not
believe the gentleman had been in ear
nest. Mr.. Towards remark that it
looked as though he (Critchlow) had
some personal friend whom he wished
to protect, he knew could not have
been made seriously. He pardoned the
gentlemen without their asking it as
he felt sure they would do if they sup
posed he had taken their remarks Sc
riously.
Mr.. Critchlew reviewed the bill and
then said that the whole matter sum
med itself UP in one proposition, should
the law say TO e man who commits
murder under any of the circumstances
made justifiable, you may go scot free,
or should it say there is but one hui
man agency which may take human
life and that the law.
He referred to Mr.. Shoots state
ment that reputable attorneys had
said the present law was just and
proper and said that since he had made
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too had learned of one lawyer whose
ability could not be questioned who
thought the law was all right but he
had learned it with a feeling of shame
for he felt the profession to which he
belonged had been disgraced. He re-
ferred to Judge Judd, who had express
ed himself against the bill. Continuing
he said that the gentleman might have
all the chivalrous blood Of the south
erner in his veins, but even in all the
south there was not such law on the
statute book.
Mr.. Critchlow then said he under
stood there was theological principle
involved and argued that laws are not
enacted on theological principles. The
people of Utah had. he said. once main
tanned a practice which they had done
away with without departing one whit
from the principle of their theology
This law had been enacted in those
days when the people held different
views than now. They should now de
part from the theological principle Of
this law as they had with that Drac-
tice which action had put them IL
touch with all the rest of the union.