The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-09
THE INDICTMENTS.


in some notable cases. and it is not
improper now for the newspapers to
comment upon tho situation as it has
been uncovered to the public notice.
Primarily, it is fair to say that the
men against whom true bills have been
found are the victims of system. and
that whatever may have been the ille
galitics practiced by them TO carr out
the system, it is inconceivable that any
one Of them, of otherwise good charac-
ter, had any direct and original intcn-
tion to commit crime 1t is not a fine
point I'm morals, however, which is raised
by this matter. The law is definite and
the code of ethics equally definite in
apprehension of fraud, Viewed in the
light of public interest, the wrong done
is all the more grievous because of the
vastness Of the system which directs it
and the cruelties which are its results
If John Doe commits an injury upon the
property of Richard Roe, depriving Roe
thereof, under false pretcnscs, the iudg-
ment of law and of morals is usually
visited upon him with swift effects. But
where a stealthy system of evasion or
violation of law has worked its way
steadily into magnitude. where large on
tcrprises have been established upon the
acquired results of ilegality, where gen
tlemen Of high standing in the commu-
nity-good and charitable men in other
spects-being in responsible relation
TO their corporations, have condoned and
aided the system, it is more difficult to
obtain q public revolt and it is almost
impossible to convince the victims Of
the system, who have become involved
in its tolls, that their acts are as guilty
as would be the act Of man original.
ing a personal fraud in which he vio-
lated law and morals.
This is not to assume that all Of the
persons indicted are necessarily guilty.
The grand jury does not try defendants;
il considers whether there is good rea-
son 10 suppose that an individual has
committed n crime and if such good rea-
SON appears from the testimony adduced,
and true bill is found, the defend
ant still has all his rights in court, and
it will take n jury of his peers to es-
tabish his guilt or innocence. There
fore, it would be premature to assert
that any particular individual among
those indicted has been actually guilty
of crime; but the mass of the testi-
mony demonstrated that crimes had
been committed, and the grand jury is
to be commended for its courage in re-
turning indictments against those men
to whom the testimony pointed as the
responsible directors and agents Of the
offenses against the Government.
The proceedings here in Utah, insti-
tuted by the Department of Justice at
Washington, and carried forward by
special attorneys engaged for that pur-
pose. are part Of the general house
cleaning in the United States. II was
not to be expected that Utah would es-
capo investigation, nor could the men
who represent offending corporations
have any hope that, wherein they had
transgrcssed the law, they would re-
ccivc any more consideration here than
was accorded to- Senator Mitchell and
Congressman Hermann in Oregon, or
than was accorded TO Senator Burton in
the District of Columbia
The Government showed its apprecia-
tion of the gravity of this case by
withholding the custody thereof from
Mr.. Booth, the District Attorney, who
evidently was not deemed sufficient in
the essential respects to conduct the in.
vestigation and make the prosecution.
Tho vIgOr of the Government in this
matter, shown by all this special care to
bring out the facts and secure indict-
ments where such were needed, cannot
fail TO have n tonic effect upon public
life. Grating and bribery by direct
means and the wholesale corruption of
public life by open venality long ago
passed away. But in this generation the
vast combination of interests have
found methods of securing Government
lands and unlawfully controlling com
mercc, by adroit arrangements which
seem ''moral' to the offenders in that
tncy serve corporate interests without
Immediately betraying to the public
notice the violation of the law; and
officials Of Government of high degree,
who would not faint their hands by ac-
ceptance of direct bribc, have Joined
in the system by which the people are
injured and special interests are en-
hanced, 1t Is time for the tonic. To
withhold Justice now because of the
prominence Of individuals, because of
their strength and popularity in com
munity life, would be to perpetratc n
double injury-the original violation of
law and the unequal administration of
law, Therefore, the National Govern
ment has prosecuted, and apparently in
tends to prosecute in these cases, with
out favor hewing exactly To the line, no
matter il Senators and Congressman and
other high officials shall be decapitated
by the AK.
In each individual case in Utah the
friends of the indicted person will hope
that he can show his innoccncy. The
Tribune wishes that il might be so in