Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-04-21
LIMIT OF OFFICIAL POWER,

Some OF the very best people of this
city, interested IN lts moral tone and
anxious for the public welfare, want the
Mayor and the Chief Of Police TO order
out Of town number Of undesirable
persons, including pugiists and others
! who give boxing entertainments The
idea Is that a place like Salt Lake city
should not tolerate the classes referred
to. With all due respect to their good
Intentions we invite them to pay re-
gard to the law the powers Of city
officials and the rights Of the persons
complained OF. az the undesirable as
well as the most desirable citizens are
protected by the law to the same ex-
tent; that Is their compliance Herewith
Now, what right is vested In the
Mayor, or the police, to force anybody
to leave this city? What provision OF
any statute or ordinance confers such
authority? II there is anything Of the
kind we have failed to find 1t. suspl'
cious or criminal characters may be
notified that II they remain here they
will be arrested for yagrancy, or under
some other charge, but even then they
cannot lawfully be driven away They
may be taken IN by the police for cause,
but the law win give them It's protection
until they are convicted Of It's infrac-
ton. IL vagrancy Is the charge pre-.
fcrred, like all other accusations 1t must
be supported by evidence, What Is d
vagrant? The statute says
Every person except an Indian, with
out visible means Of living, who has the
physical ability to work, and who does
moi for the period OF ten days seek EN-
ployment, nor labor when employment IL
offered him; every healthy beggar who
solicts aims as business every per-
son who roams about from place 10
place without any lawful business;
every idle or dlssoute person, or asso-
clate Of known thieves, who wanders
about the streets at late or unusual
hours OF the night or who lodges In any
barn. shed, shop, Clubhouse vessel, or
place other than such as Is kept for
lodging purposes, without the permits
sion OF the owner or party entitled to
the possession thereof; every ewd and
dissolute person. who lives In and about
houses OF il-fame, and every common
prostitute and common drunkArd, is a
vagrant and punishable by imprison.
ment IN the county Jail not exceeding
ninety daya,--Revsed Statutes, sec,
4ll2."
The city ordinance IL repetition Of
that section. The question Is, can a
man who has visible means OF sup.
port" who has money in pocket or IN
bank sufficient for his needs We casscd
az a vagrant even though he has no
other occupation than appearing IN a
boxing contest? Is It likely that he
could be convicted Of yagrancy In any
court OF city or state?
As TO this boxing business per se This
paper IL against prize lighting and
everything that Is in IT'S nature opposed
20 morality, peace and good order As
10 a mere boxing exhibition people dit.
fer IN opinion Much surprise would be
felt II the names Of respectable and
worthy citizens who favor such displays
" what they call "the manly art" were
made public Not that they would care,
perhaps, but there are more of them
than may be supposed We are not au.
thorlzcd to speak for the Mayor, but We
understand his position TO be In firm OF.
position TO brutal pri2ehghts and also
to swndling or Taking" Of every kind,
but not to mere exhibitions, athletic
or otherwise, that are within the law.
There are q very numerous class here
MS elsewhere, who deyour with ayidity
every line Of news about hsllc en-.
counter in which noted boxers are or
have been engaged liza paper excludes
such particulars they do not want II
but rush for another even though sub.
sequently some OF them deprecatc In
words that which they want TO know
all abor' In deeds. A general ncwspa.
per aims to give the news, but does not
necessarily endorse all II publishes nor
recommend It to the public. It has ar.
ferent departments Tor different tastes.
aud no one Is compelled to peruso those
details that are not to him commend
able. II Is better not TO be fanatlcal
about anything, than to run to OK.
tremes and try to guagc everything by
our standard federation is one sign
Of culture ana civilization.