The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-22
HOLDING OFFICE
TAKEN AS THEME
Rev. Mr.. Goshen Delivers a
Most Interesting
Address.
RELIEVES LAWS SHOULD
BE R!GIDLY ENFORCED
Officers Should Do Duty and
Receive Support of
the Public.

4 good,si4ed audience assembled at
the Y. NJ. G, a. auditorium Sunday af-
teraoon TO listen to an address by Rev.
J.. |. Goshen, his subject being Tho
Measure ct Public Officer -
The speaker said il part: "Thc sub
iect is oGe not TO be treated lightly
The hope OF our country hes in the
full, free and intelligent discussion OF
our fundamental laws, the principles
upon which our Government IS found
ed The highest aim OF any govern
ment should be 10 make laws IN the
best interests Of and for man s benefit.
Operating under Just laws, which. when
enforced, are ample for the protection
of all the people, it is the duty of tho
citizen TO elect men to Office who will
fearlessly do their duty in administer
ing the affairs of public Office.
We must not forget when we form
our judgment of public officer the
difficulties by which he is surrounded
and the lack Of that support to which
he is entitled. It IS n dangerous thing
to elect good man TO Office He too
often meets with apparent apathy and
indifference. when it is our duty TO
support him. We are as citizens bound
TO support our public officers, but in do
ing so will say to those public officers
bHdI bHS( uluSL tlO lutlI nuhOs w men dh
officer can not OF will not do what is
required of him as an official. then let
him step down and LET another step i'll
wo will. Let strife be accentuated and
the gulf between the extremely rich
and the extremely poor may be filed by
human blood.
Owned BY the People.
The utilities and the machinery 10
operate them are the peoples The most
valuable land III a city is in the middle
OF the street, and when City Council
IS so recreant to its public trust and
the rights of the people as 10 give that
away to corporation, trust or svndi-
cate, 1t Is traitor TO the public good
Public officials must be strong to do
their duty and do it in the interest of
the public, In doing which they are en-
tltled to and should receive the unouali-
ned support of the people The public
othclal should be strong morally. He
ought TO be clean, fearless and lust,
The Nation IS the sum total of the
people. III. the citizens are weak, reck-
less, irresponsible and immoral it will
not last. a government to be lasting
should teach wisdom. protect virtue
and observe good morals. 1t has been
customary to fill 8 municipal Office AZ
q reward for political work done
rather than for fitness to discharge tho
duties of the office. This is not the way
10 get the most efficient service as a
general thing
As an illustration OF efficiency in
once, Mr.. Goshen referred TO an in
stance that happened under the present
CITY administration in Chicago The
Mayor. shortly after his induction into
once, In casting about for an efficient
building inspector, selected a quiet.
apparently easy-going German me-
chanlc. Upon entering upon his duties
the new Inspector found great MANY
clerks holding down their Jobs, about
the only work required OF them being
the eNeruon necessary to draw their
salaries.
Enforced the Law.
be SAID he might not be in Office a
month, but during that time he would
EN- force the law. He taught the clerks
the law and how they must enforce 1t
or lose their Jobs. The result was that
many OF the largest Wholesale estab-
llsnments. restaurants, etc. were closed
up on account of a failure TO observe
sanitary regulations. This officer en-
forced the law irrespective Of party,
He did his duty and the city OF Chi.
eago was the beneficiary
Rev. Mr.. Goshen referred 10 the men
ace 10 TINS country Of the hundreds of
~ VI iuIelSlelS from southern
Europe, who are annually landing npou
our shores, and said that our law max.
ers had done nothing 10 stop or miti~
gate this evil. This class Of foreigners,
he said, were a dangerous, dissatisfied
class, who upon entering upon our
shores should be made to understand
that there is just one free school in
tins country. Not one of our Senators
or Representatives has had the cour-
age g9, 10 advocate such law,
me speaker favored change in the
city government. such rs is now being
by the Civic league
Rev. Mr.. Goshen closed in an eloquent
peroration descriptive of this glorious
tree government, founded upon the
principles embodied in that inspired
document, the Declaration of Indepen-
ience, under which charter we have all
The law we need