The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-14
HONEST GEORGE"

The Mormon church organ of CON
spiracy thinks it is having lots of fun
with the expression, ''Honest George, 4"
as applied to the chief of police of this
city, George Sheets.
The conspirators' own goes into an
ecstasy of satire in linking "Honest
George" with the ruling of Judge
Whitaker, under which the chief Of
| police was hound over for trial before
the District Court on a charge Of fcl.
ony.
That organ of lust aud treason seems
TO think that because George Sheets
has been known for years as stHonest
George necessarily he is guilty when
self-confcssed thief says ne is guilty.
Just little plain common sense rea-
soning by the people of Salt Lake may
be worth while at this moment How
did George Sheets win that compliment
tary designation of "'Honest Georgc9''
BY long and faithful service in behalf
of the public, Such title is not
usually bestowed upon a man whose acts
are under the imelight, unless through
years Of approved integrity ne has dem
onstrated his merit. In all his career
up TO the time Of this charge, George
Sheets has evinced his right to the rec
ognition. So well known was his repu-
tation that, when he was designated
for chief of police little more than a
year ago-hundrcds of grafters, tin
horns, bunk omen, burglars and murder
ers fled this community; and the proof
that they absented themselves is found
in the comparative freedom from crime
which the city has enjoyed under
George Sheets.
But not all his former honesty; not
all the good deeds of an efficient ca
reer can save George Sheets, if he en-
tered into a conspiracy such as is
charged. However, the public of Salt
Lake have right to ask for something
more IN the destruction Of a reputa-
tion like that enjoyed by George Sheets,
than the word OF a confessed profes.
sional criminal-evolved from palpa-
BILE and black conspiracy for the definite
purpose of robbing George Sheets of the
title, Honest -
From the beginning of this conspir-
acy against Sheets-for the conspiracy
exists and has been proved-thcre has
been the assumption that all the intep.
rity of his life weighed nothing against
the word Of a confidence man. The or
gan of the conspirators and their allies
have pronounced the verdict of guilty
and have sought TO make the public be.
heve, upon testimony which would not
be accepted for the value of postage
stamp anywhere else in the country,
that George Sheets drove out the Grim
lnals and has maintained the rule of
comparative dccency and safety in this |
community solely to 90 into partner /
ship with little band of crooks to re.
celve petty rake.of-, The crime of .
tins community, previous to the advent
OF George Sheets, was paying hundreds
OF thousands of dollars every year di
rectly or Indirectly for protection.
George Sheets broke up the iufamy.
And yet the people arc asked 10 believe
that when the chief stopped the crime
which paid at wholesale, he engaged
IN the protection of crime which paid
al retail.
How would any citizen in Salt Lake
like to be Judged by his friends and
neighbors on the testimony which has
been adduccd IN the Sheets case! If
such rule were TO prevail among
any business man against
whom any thief had a grudge could be
DESTROYED. his enterprise ruined. his
family ostracised, his name for integ
rity buried under load of oblomy
There is not a banker who would dis.
MISS his cashier or teller or Office bow
previous Of approved good charecter-
upon the evidence which has been ad
iuced against ''Houest George There
IS not grocer who would discharge the
iriver of his delivery wagon-if pre-.
'lously an honest lad--on anv such tes.
.inony as has been delivered against
Honest George Sheets. And vet on
such testlmoDy-upon its face tho most