The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-06
VINDICTIVEP

| j. D. Skeen OF Ogden, a citizen and
taxpayer. publicly protested and prl-
vately warned against the illegal ap-
| Preparations which were being made by
members OF the ogden City Council to
| themselves for real or pretended extra
services, His protest only awakened
jeers from the friends OF graft and his
warning was disdaincd by the officials,
| Mr.. Skcen demanded that the appro-
pri2-tions be not drawn, and when they
were drawn he demanded that the Of
| lending Councilmen resign from their
! place Still was he insulted still were
his demands ignored. Then he threat
ened that he would bring accusation in
the District court under statute and
carry forward proceedings to have their
Offices declared vacant And stil the
Councilmen. encouraged by certain
vicious influences. laughed Mr.. Skeen
to scorn. He has fulfilled the prom
ise and the public knows now the sit
uation- The President of the ogden
City Counsel has been removed from
his place by a verdict of a jury OF his
Now, what wrong did Mr.. Skeen do
to the public? Was he not loyal to his
city and loyal to the law? There Is no
indication that he was actuated by any
malice, by any desire for publicity, by
any possibility OF gain for himself.
And yet the Deseret News, the chief
apologist for crime In the United
States. speaks OF the accusations and
prosecutions as being "vindictivc."
The tender care OF the News over Of
tenders Is In marked contradistinCtion
to its regard for public officials Dis
trict Attorney Halverson prosecuted
the accusations made by Mr. Skeen;
and, in retaliation, some OF the friends
Of graft secured the making OF counter
accusations against him. charging him
with neglect of his official duties. Tho
purpose OF these encouragers OF law
breaking was so manifesuy TO hamper
the District Attorney I'm these prosecu-
tions that even the wayfarlng man and
tho fool OF tho Deseret News might
we'll know the purpose. That sheet
however. has been as dumb as an oys-
ter on this point. II has found no vim
dlctiveness and no unfalrness In the
sudden interjection into the case OF nc-
cusations and prosecutions against the
District Attorney for things long passed
by. II is only when the ecclesiastical
favorItes are in danger that the News
finds Its sensitiveness aroused.
1t Is possible that the case against
District Attorney Halvcrson Is good
one, IT is probable that 1t is a bad one
Whatever the doubt as TO which It Is
there can be no question about the mo-
tive which prompted It. 1t was de-
vised in order TO hamper and frighten
the District Attorney I'm the discharge
Of his duty. and 10 enlist public senu-
ment in behalf Of the offenders whom
he was prosecuting. The man who
sweaU TO the complaint against the |
District Attorney may be sincere and |
may feel himself aggrieved, but It seems !
TO be very clear that he did not origi- |
nate the plan for proceeding against |
Mr.. Halverson and that. whatever his |
individual motive, he is merely fulfill |
ing the wishes OF persons who seek 10 |
embarrass the adm sistration Of jus
tice
II the proceedings by ]. y. Skeen. cit
izen and taxpayer, and by George Hal |
verson, District Attorney. against the |
men who appropriate money from the |
public treasury Illegally 10 themselves. |
was 'vindiCtive." as charged by the !
Deseret News, what can be said OF the |
case brought against the District At
torney while he was involved in the |
trials against the accused Councilmcn? |
As whatever facts there are had been |
known for a long time. and as no accu-
sation had ever been made against the |
District Attorney. IT Is fair 10 assume
that the case against him is without
foundation, or else that. II Just cause
of complaint really exist, the friends of
graft have been practicing the maxim
upon which the Deseret News usually
acts; You let us alone and we viii
let you alone"