The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-30
1T RESTS WITH THE PEOPLE.

One feature of the mayors report is
rather a severe reflection on the moral
sentiment of Salt Lake City 1t is that
part which deals with prostitution
More than five hundred arrests for
sexual offenses.' says the mayor,
were made by the police department
last year, in which the defendants
were never brought before the court.
They were arrested in the night time
and simply required to deposit with
the desk sergeant sums ranging from
$3.50 to $50, ostensibly as bail, and then
turned loose again to ply their voca-
ton and earn sufficient money to re-
new these deposits the next month.
No attempt has been made to put
stop to this evil, but simply to compel
the payment Of a monthly license"
This is rather a bad record for a
city with our population; and especially
for a city ambitious Of attracting to it
people from abroad to make their
homes here. The best class of citizens,
moral, upright people, consider moral
conditions in selecting their homes.
People with families will have an eye
to the moral as well as to the climatic
atmosphere of the city where they are
to rear their children; and when moral
conditions are not favorable they will
set aside the salubrious climate, medic
inal waters, beautiful location, cloud
go where the chances for bring
ing their sons and daughters to
a pure manhood and womanhood
are somewhat better. So that
even the increase in our popula-
ton of the right kind of people as well
as the good and self-respect of those
who are now on the ground, demand a
change in our method of dealing with
this evil.
We said in the commencement that
this part of the mayors report was
a serious reflection on the moral senti-
ment of Salt Lake City. Some may be
inclined to take exceptions to that and
insist that the structure should be con-
fined to the police officers. We want
to see those officers bear their portion
of the shame and responsibility, but
there is also both shame and response
biIity with the people of this city in
this matter. Daily, or at least as often
as offenders have been brought before
the police courts, given their bail
which custom has come to regard as
the price OF their license-and then
gone their way TO sin again. the pa
pers have published the facts, the peo-
pie of this city have known full well
the course the city police were pur-
suing; and yet here has been no pro-
test from the people, no sign of disap-
prevail We must remember that a
government will be no better than the
people creating and controlling it; it
can be, and generally is, as good. We
live where the people rule. and there
fore where public sentiment may cor
rect improper administration Of affairs.
The people can have a better moral at
nrosphere in Salt Lake City if they will
it so. The officers who are but the
servants Of the people will not dare
disobey the public sentiment of the
city. Let but the people say that they
want the saloons closed on Sunday
gambling dens broken up, and houses
df prostitution banished. and it will be
done. 1t is not impossible. 1t is non
sense to think of it as an irridescent
dream. Only let the public sentiment
of this city rise to the height where it
will tolerate no tenporizing with these
evils, and they will disappear from
our midst Let but the people speak
and their servants, the officers. will
obey; and if those now in power will
not. they can select those who will.
The matter rests primarily with the
people.