The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-12
large building, looking like An Agri-
cultural college and blocking the way
back to Congress.
USE AND MISUSE.

It is common and it has been a very
delightful and helpful custom for one
citizen of q community to give to any
other average citizen Of the same COM
muntty special letter of introduction
or n gonoral letter OF certifcation for
nse In the ordinary affairs Of life. The
practice has been somewhat widespread
md somewhat indiscriminntingly fol
lowed in Western communities The do
sire to aid In the upbuilding Of tho West
by advancing tho projects Of individual
citizens, tho frnternal good feeling
which prompts general aid for the man
who is hustling-those combine to con-
duce to the writing Of letters of intro
| duction or certifcation by people and
| for people who, in older communities
and under less inducement of general
| good feeling, would never come together
upon such a proposition.
Much Of the great progress OF the
West has been due to this freedom. AS
rule such letters have not been abused,
for they have been written by good
mon for good men and have resulted in
good for the community advancement.
Very many of the enterprises which arc
now upon substantial basis in Utah and
surrounding country owe their founda~
tion to introductions which have been
granted to capital in behalf Of men who
otherwise would not have gained
hearing. Similarly, in professional life,
n considerable share Of the high regard
which is entertained throughout the Ma
tion for Western doctors and lawyers Is
duo TO the general letter of social credit
which every man in this community
feels 1t to be his duty to bestow, when
requested by any other man of average
standing, and which every man in this
community feels it incumbent upon him
to ask and carry with him when he goes
East or West.
But there is such thing as the abuse
of the good faith which is shown in the
granting of such a letter; and if such
abuse shall continue and be multiplied
in its instances the helpful and happy
custom may come to be more honored
in the breach than in the observance.
An instance Of this abuse 80 striking, so
shameful as to shock the sensibilities OF
men who have any regard for fairness
and propriety is now before the public !
A distinguished citizen of this commun-
ity was asked by lawyer to give a
oertihcation of that lawyers standing
and reputation. Without any hesitancy
the distinguished citizen did for the |
applicant what has been dono thou !
sand times, ten thousand times-what |
tho distinguished citizen had repeatedly |
done in other cases and what had been |
done for him by other men; and in the |
letter he said that the lawyer was
person of good standing, integrity and |
ability. Judge Of the amazement of |
that distinguished citizen, and Judge of |
the shock to the community when it is
discovered that friends of the lawyer
used that letter as Endorsement of him
for Federal position, his appointment
to which was constantly and positively |
contested by the writer Of the letter;
and judge Of the per6dy of friends Of |
the lawyer who can now quote that gen.
eral letter Of certifcation in a public
effort to cast the odium of double Ideal
ing upon tho distinguished citizen who
yielded TO the lawyers solicitation and
wrote the usual letter Of general intro
duction which is common in and for
this community!
The Tribune is referring, when it says
lawyer, to Hon. Hiram f. Booth, pres
ont District Attorney Of the United
States, whose friends are circulating
letter written of Hiram z. Booth by
Hon. w. NJ. McCarty, Associate Justice
Of the Supreme Court of Utah AS is
we'll known, Judge McCarty opposed
Hiram e. Booth IS appointment as Dis
trict Attorney-opposed 1t upon good
and the answer that Booth and
the Smootites make is to quote previ-
ous letter Of general introduction grant
ed by Judge McCarty to Hiram +.
Booth, lawyer'
Evidently Judge McCarty was not
mistaken when he opposed Booths Sc.
lection as United States District At
Corney; the only mistake that the Judge
made was in not certifying in the be-
ginning that Booth IS friends would mis-
use general letter of introduction,
thus committing one of the grossest of
social offenses and one never perpe.
trated by gentlemen.