Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-29
LET THE GOOD WORK GO ON.

The City authorities deserve credit
for the efforts they are making to clean
the Augeau stable of the moral filth
that was accommodating durinV the time
the gang had charge of the affairs of
the municipality 1t is Herculean
task. but gre deal OF good can he
accomplished. II there is integrity Of
purpose Social evils can be regulated
II not entirely suppressed and the law
can be maintained in the case Of
saloons and Sunday amusements.
Some time ago we suggested the
desirabillty Of Kidding. as far as posi-
BILE. the business districts OF the City
Of the dens OF iniquity that disgrace
it. That is another matter for con-
sideration. The citizens of San Fran
cisco have taken this question up, as
regards their city. and 1t seems TO us
that our reformers could profitably fol-
low their example The new police
commissioners of San Francisco are
now considering plan for the redemp-
ton of the business and residence por-
tion of the city. After the plan has
been decided upon,a thorough sweeping
of the residence portion of the city VIII
begin. The Grand Jury has signiiled
its intention Of aiding in every way in
the work. "rhis city must be cleaned
up." said a member of the Grand Jury
with emphasis. we will not consider
our work entirely completed II we re-
tire from the held with gambling dens,
houses of in fame, and their hangers
on Haunting their vices in the respec-
table portions of the city We will
not rest until every one Of these places
is driven to the district where it be-
longs"
We believe that the impression of
strangers who come here and notice
the chief business portion of the city
studded with saloons and other nlaces
OF iniquity, will necessarily be that the
city is not desirable as home for
decent citizens. The relegation OF all
objectionable places Of business to the
rear. would remove temptation some-
what from the path of those who are
weak and give the STRANGER within
our gates b-,ter opinion of the citi-
zens here.
There can be no lasting reform in
municipal affairs, as long as the ele~
ment that makes "a living of the weak
nesses ana vices of their fellow men.
is counted upon for victory in political
struggles.
This is quite generally admitted to
be true. The Indianapolis News some
time ago made the following pertinent
remarks.
.As things are today the saloon men
constitute privileged class. They as
sumo to make our laws, and to say
what laws they VIII obey, and how far
they will obey them. Bad as the saloon
Is IN itself. the worst feature VI IL ls
the influence which 1t eSerts in politics.
But the reaction Is certain to come.
Business men know that they suffer
much from the unrestrained and law
less liquor traffic And we all know
that drunkenness and crime and cor
rupt and base politics are the natural
and necessary consequences. The peo-
pie are not bameless in this matter.
They divide themselves into parties,
and thus make II easy for the men who
know no "arty 10 control elections by
making deals now with one side and
now with the other Honest and good
men iight One another when there is
not one thing that ought to divide
them, and dishonest and bad men
carry off the prize,
THE greatest question In local
politics is the saloon Yet it Is not so
considered. We vote, not for or against
the saloon, but for or against protect
ton, imperialism. the national admin
istration, while the saloon men vote
solely for the saloon They alone
win. All the rest of US lose. But a
change is coming. We shall have q
campaign some day In which the peo-
pie viii vote on the real issue. and
then we shall see how weak the whisky
influence is We do not suppose that
our present rulers appreciate the situa-
ton Their only idea = to get all
they can and To maintain their present
privileged state. But even they win
one day get their lesson"