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

yesterday morning at Tiff NJ. Z. church
was Municipal Reform The text was
taken from James iv: rs:
"Sumbit yourselves, therefore, to God.
Resist the devil, and he will fly from you.
Draw nigh to God. and he will drawn nigh
to you. Cleanse your hearts, We sinners
and purify your hearts, We double
minded"
A minister of the gospel has not dis
charged his entire duty when he has led
a soul from darkness into liSht-from a
life of sin to a life of righteousness. He
is under obligation TO use his influence
10 the utmost to provide for those under
ms care pure and spiritual environment.
, His function is moral; and it is demanded
OF him, not only as "A preacher, but as
| loyal and faithful citizen, that he exert
| correct gross evils, whether municipal,
state or national. l agree with DR.. Park
hurst of New York, that it savors of
! moral coWardice for Il minister to stand
IN his pulpit today and hurl anathemas
1T the Ahabs, Jezebels and Herods who
| wrought iniquity thousands of years ago,
while he fails to launch a single shaft
at weak, crafty and criminal men and
women who outrage law and diShonor
! the public trusts committed to them to-
| da-'- 1t is my purpose, then this morn
! ms TO speak freely and fearleSSly about
! Vice and crime in our city: How it is
! tolerated and how il may be suppressed.
In order that L may al the very begin
nlng Setsat ease the minds of some who
| will Immediately take 1t for granted that,
| because of my youth, and my brief resi-
| dence in this city, my remarks upon this
| theme will be hasty and ill-advised,
! deem 1t best to say that it is not likely
| that one who has for a number of years
! been i'll close contact with the municipal
! life and fragrant iniquity of the most
corrupt and cosmopolitan city upon the
| continent and who has been close
/ student of The civic llnhPaV1lS in n bar
great cities in this country during the
past few years will attack so great
problem without due thought and prepar-
alton. This city is not so colossal as to
stagger the intellectual faculties of one
who has visited and known somewhat in
ttmatelv score of cities of equal or
greater Importance. Cities are wonderfully
alike in their anatomy. and il has re-
CURED no Herculean effort to diagnose
the situation. Then. too. from the first
week of my arrival in this city the ,ques-
ton has constantly been brought home
to my attention by consecrated workers
who have spent many years in the work
OF rescuing and caring for the human
wrecks that inevitably strew the path
way of such iniquities as are legalized or
tolerated in our midst.
Do not imagine, either, that I come be-
fore you this morning to fire at random
or to explode blank cartridges. l come
fortified with facts, and every charge
that make l stand ready to defend if
necessary. in a court of justice with
THE SITUATION AS IT EXISTS.
1t is impossible for lis to shut. our eyes
to the fact that vice and crime are in the
ascendant in this city, Corruption is at
the very heart of our social and civic
life. Beginning at. the top, the Christian
conscience is dull and apathetic; passing
trade lower, it is evident that in the
purely worldly circles of society if there
IS any moral standard at all. il is a very
low and loose one; while in the lower re-
glons-in the realm where the city gov
eminent clasps hands in good fellowship
with its criminals and divides blood
money with its prostitutes-ust and dis
honor hold high carnival.
1t is not TO our credit that upon the
Sabbath day. many of the wealthy and
prominent men of the city habitualIy re-
sort to saloons that are supposed in ac-
corcence with the city ordinance, to be
closed fast OH the first day of the week
it is not to our credit that on Christmas
day keg of beer, the gift of one of the
leading liquor dealers in the city was
on tap at police headquarters. 1t is not
to our credit that the retiring sheriff of
this county should, upon leaving his Of
nce, have treated each one of the prison
ers under his charge to a liberal supply
of punch. boaSting at the same time of
the good fellowship existing between
himself and his prisoners. 1t is not to our
credit that when humane and Christian
women. bent upon the work of rescue,
nave visited Our city Jail Notwithstanding
tho fact that the city pays for the serV-
ices of a female attendant they have in
Variably found female criminals in the
custody OF men, and have frequently wit
messed scenes so improper and fragrant
that they would disgrace Il village in the
heart of Africa. And. finally. the leas-
IL OF houses and rooms by or for the
benefit of officers connected with the
police and other departments of the CITY
government to parties VIGOROUSLY en-
gagged in the business of prostitution and
gambling is a thing that is not calcu-
lated TO do US much credit Yet all of
these things have recently outraged and
some of them are now outraging the de-
cency of the community; and most of
these abuses l find freely made public in
newspaper locals or in the mayors an
nual message.
1t is even more serious. perhaps,
though not more vicious and shameless.
that the city ordinances pertaining to
the suppression of vice are nearly all
broken with impunity and with the full
knowledge of the officers. of the law II
years of age. to visit frequent or remain
in any place where intoxicating liquors
are sold; and yet, in single saloon, a
few nights ago more than 40 bows were
congregated, drinking and PLAYING pool:
and there is scarcely a Well-known saloon
in the city that is not regularly frequent
ed by boys under is. 1t is contrary to an
ordinance OF the city for a saloon either
To sell or give away liquor between the
hours of Il o'clock Saturday night and 10
o'clock Sunday night yet the city Off
habtually violated. 1t is Illegal for any
person to keep or visit an opium den: and
yet no observant citizen will denv that
this law like wise is constantly being viO-
lated and that white boys and girls
even. are being lured to their utter ruin
in these odious dens. There is q direct
and explicit ordinance forbiddiner evil :
women to engage in their traffic within
the limits of this city; and yet. both the
city attorney and the chief of notice told I
me that. much to their regret. there was
no effort made. whatever, to enforce this !
Ian: but that it as the policy of the
city simply to divide with these women
their revenue, this division OF spells tax
ing place about once month. The MAYOR /
himself. in his last annual message to the !
city council. refers to this inioI1itv in I
these words: No attempt has been made :
to put stop to this evil but simply TO /
compel the payment of monthly license
This city cannot afford and no decent (
person in the community will approve the ]
raising of revenue in this way We oue-ht /
not to demand a share in the wa-es of |
sin
Finally, it is well known by every citi- /
zen who has taken any pains to investi- /
gate the matter or who has not closed |
his eyes and ears to the whole situation. |
is that this vice is openy practiced in the |
city. nearly all the saloons having gam !
bling facilities.
Ii is my purpose this morning simply to (
call your attention to the odious vices
and crimes that are eating like cancers at /
as they have painfully, and contrary to /
my desire or preference been borne home /
to me by consecrated workers or repentant ]
victims who have told their woes
USELESS TO EXPECT ANY RADICAL
ATE- CI-To A r.EJEy II AN-TOc1 az,