The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-01
RATCHET AS FOE
Of RUM DEMON
Salt LakerSDiScuSs Methods
of Mrs. Nation.
-FOUR LOCAL PASTORS
EXPRESS APPROVAL
Others Say Kansas Woman
Takes Wrong Course.

The Ratchet crusade of Mrs. Carrie
Nation against the saloons of Kansas
has been for some days a subject for
thoughtful consideration by church
and temperance-Ioving people of Salt
Lake. Some saIoonkeepers also view
the situation with apprehension. Mrs.
Nations thoroughly unique method of
assailing what is popularity known as
the demon rum" has been threshed
out around many Zion ffreside and
dinner table
I'D to date nobody is known to have
invited Mrs. Nation to check her
Ratchet through 90 Salt Lake and come
on here for a cBusade. It is recognized
that saloon smashing, like charity.
| should begin at the home Of the re
former. IF accounts are true. Mrs. Ma
| ton VIII be kept reasonably busy IN
bleeding Kansas" for a spell yet so
the Salt Lake miXOlogists may rest
easy unless some local prodigy con-
cludes to follow the example OF the
woman from the SundOwer state.
IN order to ascertain the standing
Mrs. Nation has acquired among IocaI
advocates of teetotaiisn, The Herald
yesterday instituted an inquiry OF
those who were seen. DIT. W. NJ. Paden,
Rev. A. H Henry, Rev. w. II. Bagby
and Dean Eddie endorsed Mrs. Nation
with some reservations Practically all
Of the others expressed the opinion
that while Mrs. Nation was all right
I in her desire TO see the liquor traIfic
abolished. she was seeking to accom-
plisn that desire through an improper
channel.
DR.. Paden's View.
DR.. William Paden of the First
PRESBYTERIAN church said he did not
know the conditions in Kansas relative
to the saloons and the law, and could
not judge Mrs. Nation. but in regard to
Such course as hers under general
conditions he said: IF the saloons Op-
crate in violation to the law, and the
| officers. from lack of public sentiment
/ or other cause, refuse to protect the
people. then the people have the right
! TO rise uD and protect themselves. If
a mother finds that the saloon has
ruined her bOY. and she cannot get pro-
/ lection from the proper authorities,
+ then she has a right TO protect herself
! by smashing the saloon if necessary,
and public sentiment should uphold
/ her in self-prOtectiOn. If the saloons
are run in accordance with the laws
I that govern them. then such a course
would not be justified"
/ Rev. w H. sBagby of the First Chris
/ tan church said he was in favor of
/ using every other method before that
of force, but if the latter means became
a necessity, then he thought its use
would be justified IF the saloons Of
Kansas are selling intoxicants in oppo-
sitiOn to the laws of the state said
he, and the courts refuse to enforce
the laws against them, the citizens
have a right to suppress the nuisance
by force. The will of the people is the
/ highest law. If the officers of the law
refuse to enforce the viii of the people
/ as EXPRESSED in those laws. then the
people have right to act for them
selves
Dean Eddie's Opinion.
Dean Eddie of St. Marks: This
crusade of Mrs. Nation and the other
women who are working with her is
due to the fact that the laws on the
statute books are not enforced; the
officers Of Kansas are laWbreakers to
the extent OF not enforcing the laws
that thev have sworn 10 execute. The
law against the saloon in that state
has grown to be a dead letter, and
nothing can be worse for society than
a disregard of law In this case the
women can secure no protection under
the law as il exists on the statute
books. and are compelled to look to
the higher law. Since the laws are not
enforced and the officers wink at the
D y y
city and town in the state. the women
feel justified in the course they are
pursuing. I am not willing to say that
! endorse their course, but / am salts
fed that good viii come from it, if it
is no more than the removal from the
statute books of the laws that are so
openly defed and violated"
Wrong Method, Says Bishop sesnIan.
Bishop Seaman: Il believe these
good women in Kansas are going cut
side of their sphere in acting the way
they are in this crusade against the
saloons No person has right to de-
strOy property. no matter what the
DrovocatiOn. and the state must pro-
teCt peoples property or anarchy
reigns No permanent good to Chris
ti2nitv. temperance or morality can
come from such a course as Mrs. Ma
tons. Reformation must begin in the
family. the source Of al evil and of al
good-the work must begin at the foun-
dation."
Attitude of ". C. t. U.
Mrs. Anna Anglers, president of the
W. G. T. Il. society of this city, said
she could not speak for the society,
and did not know what eXtenuating cir
cumstances might have actuated Mrs.
Nation in her fight against the saloons.
but said she did not think the violent
destruction of property was the right
way to treat the matter. and did not
think that the W. G. r. L. would
lend its support to such a course. My
opinion is said Mrs. Anglers, that if
the officers whose duty il is to enforce
the laws regarding saloons refuse to do
their duty, ard the TeOple cannot OBJ
tain protection at their hands, then
they should rise up and put officers
there who viii enforce the law. The
people are the supreme power, and if
they demand an observance of the
laws they can obtain it in legal and
peaceable way" She said that thetl To-
cal society Of the W. &. T. L. had not
considered the question of Mrs. Ma
tons work. and did not know that it
would.
Evangelist Cordner, who is conduct
ing q revival at the First Methodist
church said: 4 have not studied the
subject enough to give an answer to
the question. IN Kansas the liquor
trade is illegal rs ! understand IL. The
law should. of course, be enforced.
How this should be done / cannot say
now. because I think / would have %
he on the ground in order TO form
correct idea of the condition Of affairs
there. IL seems TO me, however, that
milder means could be had by which
the same result could be obtained. II
mayor Of a certain city refused to
p 71rr he ehn he n