Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-12
THE FIGURES AND THE FACTS

Tn critloising the statements made
by the secretary OF the Y. NJ G, A.
before the Ministerial Association, we
simply desired to correct the mistakes
that were made in reference TO the
alleged numbers OF fallen women In
this city, compared with the number
OF Sunday School teachers and also
the exaggeration as TO the number OF
"legallzed saloons" We did not wish
10 oppose the gentleman or the society
he represents In laudable efforts to
stem the tide Of immortality, or In any
other good, endeayor but we could not
permit the assertions he made to pass
by without correction,
We understand that Mr. Axton spoke
without proper data in regard to the
Latter-day Saints sunday schools, He
had been informed that they were
graded SO that each had four divisions
with one teacher TO each grade, But
he has now learned that there are ut
least elk hundred Sunday School teach
ers in this Stake Of Zion, which, with
the number engaged In the Sunday
Schools Of the other churches, makes
total far IN excess Of the number at
which he placed the inmates OF places
OF lewd resort.
Tie now alleges that there are about
/ two hundred and fifty Of that unfor-
tunate class The police, however
place them at eight-nlne which IS
more than common, as the total ranges
from that number down TO fifty-four,
with an average Of seventy Looking
at the matter dlspasslonately, and tak-
Ing the figures presented on either side,
II Is evident and beyond fair contradict
tlon, that Mr. Axton erred, though we
have no doubt Internationally, In maxi
ing the comparison TO which we object
cd.
AS to the Number OF 'legalized sa-
looms he was also mistaken, by his
own showing as he included CLUBS
where no license Is required, and 'sa-
looms on the edges Of the city where
the license Is paid to the county" The
condition Of affairs as we have hereto
fore stated, Is bad enough without be-
jng highly colored and magnlAed be-
yond correct proportions His first
statement was ns 20 the number Of
'iegalised saloons in the city.
1t should be understood that Mr.. AK
Ions paper was not designed for news
paper publication, but was read at the
meeting Of the Ministerial Association
for the information OF that body, and
had for It's object the correction OF
sagrant evils, the main purpose being
iaudsble, and worthy OF the sup
port of the respectable elements
of society. Mr. Axton expressed
fhe opinion that the morals Of
Salt Lake City We're better than those
pf the average city Of from fifty to six
ty thousand inhabitants, 30 that his ia
tentlon was not TO defame Salt Lake.
nor to make It appear in bad contrast TO
Dther places IN the Union. We desire
10 give him fun credit for this, but it
win be admitted we believe by all inn
partial persons who have paid atten-
tion TO his paper and to the facts, that
fhe figures used, and the comparisons
Drawn really place Salt Lake very low
down In the scale Of morality, and
made 1t appear many degrees worse
ihan II really is
In this connection we repeat the re-
remarks we have frequently made con-
terning those resorts which go by the
name OF 'rooming houses" and which
need thorough and systematic police
surveillance, and many Of which ought
10 be broken up. They are the cause
of very great evils, and are more to be
condemned than the open and notorious
places Of designation and vice, as they
pass under thin veil Of respeotabilty,
and are made the means Of deceivlng in
nooent persons
w hbIN hhaA nhNh Nht AAAlhlN III
The executive department OF the city
and the dispute with the City Council
are unTayeled, some active steps will
be taken in the direction OF possible
restrictions Of oil the social evils that
exist here, AS we have said, they can
not be entirely extirpated, but their
proportions may be considerably re-
duced. and our city placed on a moral
plane which win entitle II 10 the en-
comiums passed upon 1t IN years gone
by
We need thorough cleaning up IN
Salt Lake City, and II the proper au-
rhoritles do not attend to the work,
they cannot reasonably complain II so
cial reformers. connected with the re-
llglous societies and otherwise, take the
matter in hand and cleanse the muni-
cipaity from IFS grosser excresceuces,
While rectifying mistakes made IN fs-
ures and comparisons, we have no de-
sire 70 hinder the accomplishment Of
any good had in view by the Y. NJ. c.
A. or other organizations for the pub
lice welfare. Success to them in their
praiseworthy endeayorsl