The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-11

unfaithfulness or incompetency- l am
! simply the voice of one CRYING in the
wilderness: Make straight the way OF
| the Lord. Ny brightest hope is that
| may be = forerunner of a kingdom OF
social and civic righteousness that snail
| ere long, trust. dawn upon this city, ana
| from this center send its light out upon
| this commonwealth. While | have nc
excuses TO make for our city officers. who
are manifestly derelict in their duty and
recreant to their trust. the fact is that
l these servants of the people are not much
more to blame than the Christian citizens
who recognize the infamous state OF
affairs that exists. and yet tolerate II
with perfect equinimity. and permit the
servants whom they have chosen to exc
cute for them the laws of the city. 10
shirk their duty with perfect lmpunlty
II is evident, therefore. that the diff
culties which we have to face are deep
seated and radical. and that the very
| first step that must be taken IN the task
or regenerating this city is to create
pure and wholesome public sentiment
Ii is certainly evident also TO every
thoughtful person that whatever progress
is made in the effort to eXtermlnate wee
and crime must be slow and painful.
THE ULTIMATE REMEDY FOR EX-
ISTING EVILS.
To any person who is interested in good
government It is quite plain that as q
general thing it is not the enactment OF
better laws that we need so much as the
better enforcement of the laws that al
L +
be an almost ideal municipal government
if the city ordinances to which l nave
already maze reference were strictly ell
forced? Law is nothing more nor less
than crystallized public sentiment ana
its effectiveness or non-effectlVeness VIII
depend entirely upon the state OF pubic
opinion at any given time. The response
bility for the present deplorable moral
condition that exists in this city rests
back upon us citizens. and we snail
know little of purity and honor untii
brave and upright citizens arouse tnem-
selves and take the reinS OF government
into their hands. Therefore. agltatlon Is
plainly the first demand of the hour
agitation that is the irrepress1ble outguSn
of conviction and intelligence. we ought
to agitate the question in our common
cOnVarsa ton: the press ought TO be fear
less in its denunciation of vice, weakness
ana crime; and the public ought not 10
hesitate, at the proper time and in the
proper manner, to cry aloud and spare
not.
1t will not be sufficient simply to arouse
the public conscience to such pitch as
that 1t shall imDel to correct action. The
next all-essential demand is that the
forces of righteousness be organized and
skilfully directed. AS Christian people we
most frequently fail because we do not
wisely focus and control the forces at
our disposal. What this city sorely needs
is what almost every great city has come
to look upon as a necessity and to Il
great extent a solution to its most trying
citizens league. wholly non-partiSan in
its organization. We can scarcely hope
for any amelioration of the evils that
exist in our great municipality until
politics and city government have been
divorced. Rings and gangs are inevitable
as long as professional politicians manip-
ulate the business of the city; and this
means incompetency and dishonesty
While these evils are not so alarming IN
city the size of our own, the danger
constantly increases. and as the city
growth enables the vultures who fatten
at the public expense more firmly to en-
trench themselves. so that. at last. when
ii is evident that they must be dislodged
the tasl. is found to be one which can
be accomplished only with throeS of
agony and at fearful cost. The crying
demand of the hour, in this city, is the
organiZa ton of sue a good citizens
league as | have indicated. and in my opin-
ion the upright honorable business and
professional men of this city uare not
shirk the responsibility that faces them.
Lastly when a movement for the sup
preston of vice and the enforcement of
law has been inaugurated the battle
must be fought to the bitter end: Spas
modic and detached efforts will prove
unavailing Organized righteousness,
stubbornly persistent in the face of dis
couragement and danger will beyond
doubt be crowned with success at last
1t IS useless to take a single step until
there is produced in a few brave hearts
the determination never to yield the bat
tie until victory is achieved. 1t is also
we'll to recognize the fact. that when
one enters upon the task of dethrOninS
evil and exalting law and Righteousness
that he takes his life and comfort into
his own hands. He may have to sacrince
either or both. The fight for law and
order that is being waged in nearly all
of our great cities now, is one that re-
quires the highest type OF courage ana
patriotism. 1t demands sleepless nights
and weary days of effort. 1t inSures the
hatred of evil men. and the scathing criti-
cism of the luke-warm and the cowardly.
1t gives no promise of financial returns
times. that ones very life must be placed
in jeopardy-the more so as lawless men
begin to feel the strength of his person
ality. The destiny of our mighty nation
is being fought out today in our great
cities Unless they are purified and re-
deemed the future of the nation looks
dark indeed. AS for myself. / come to
feel more and more. as the years speed
bv. that my life would not be too great a
sacrifice to OUer upon the altar OF my
or my oppressed and despalrns
brother. if that sacrifice would in any
way react against the awful evils that
af1ict humanity and eat at the very
vitals of our proud civilization.
NOT YOUR CITY BUT YOUR INIQUITY
THAT DENOUNCE.
No doubt many viii condemn me for
exposing so ruthlessly the crime and cor
ruption that disgraces your city life.
You will doubtless make the angry charge
that | come out here to traduce and de-
fame the honor of your fair city: that
this is inimicable to the best interests
of the city. and that, therefore. ] am a
common enemy. For what purpose do
YOU bring us here. let me ask. II not 10
tell YOU the truth and to point you TO
the way of God? Do you bring us out
here to pet and fiatter. and feast US,
that we may in turn pronounce smooth
eulogies over dead men who have never
known to perform an unselfish act While
they lived and delight your intellectS py
setting forth the finely wrought theoloS-
ical philosophical systems OF men who
lived centuries ago. and weave for your
delectation fragrant garlandS of poetry
and radiant bocuets of rhetoric. You
have had too much of this already. and 1t
has had too little effect in reaching the
citadel of your heart and conscience. 1t
were vain for us TO Cry Peace. peace.
when there is no peace. or to lure you 10
vour ruin with siren strains of elo-
1uence. I should be recreant to the call
of conscience. recreant to your highest
moods and recreant in the sight of God if
7 failed to denounce your civic as Well
YOUR personal sins. | would to God that
in dealing with the iniquity that is about
ms not only I but my brethren in the
volcanic eloouence of a SaVonarola. and
the resplendent heroism of a Luther, for
Salt Lake needs such preaching as much
as any city in America
Far be II from me to say one word
against this queenly city that sits here
among the mountains thing
of iov and beauty forever. God has done
his mart to make this city unrivalled for
wealth and Hveliness. He has circled ii
with magnificent mountains that are-l
filled with silver and gold: he has domed
Il over with a sky of blue. and has made