Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-09-14
POLITICAL TRICK
TURNED on THEM
Effort Of American" Club TO
Make State Responsible for
"Red Light Fails.
CRITICIZED.
Gov. Cutler Points Out Rank Hypoc-
risy ofIts Sponsors in Trying 10
Dodge Odium OF Condition.

IjOunc8JIiuIIi VI
10 the communication recently adj
dressed to him by the trustees of the
American" club, Gov. John G. Cutler
has sent reply in which the present
criticised aud its sponsors are accused
Of being guilty OF rank hypocrisy. The
attitude of the american" club Is that
the state should take action to prevent
q removal of the red light district" 10
the west side, but the executive makes
plain that such duty devolves entirely
upon the municipal authorities, and
that they are but endeavoring to shift
responsibility when they ask the state
to prevent such removal. Gov. cut
lcr's letter follows:
Sept l., 1908.
Trustees of American" Gluh Oh Clah,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Cientlemen--I am In receipt OF your
communication of Sept. u. addressed 10
me and to Atty.-Gen. Breeder, stating
that a resolution was unanimously
adopted by your club at It's annual
meeting, held Sept. s, 1908, at SAT- Lake
CITY, condeinning the proposed estab-
.lishnent of n so-called red light dis
#trict" in Salt Lake City, and asking
the state officials to take steps to dis
solve the corporation which It IS sup
posed intends5to establish the said dis
ftricr. The communication has been
given careful consideration, and ! have
the honoi, to say in reply:
The action OF your club and the send
Ia. IN n "
gernor and the attorney general Is the
rankest piece of hypocrisy that has
come to my attention for long time.
You state that you have reason to be-
lieve that Dora B. Topham and her as
sociates iii this corporation intend
to acquire, use, own. rent, let, lease
and devise property for Illicit and II
legal purposes; to-wit, for the uses and
purposes of prostitution and you be
leve that said Dora b. Topham should
not be permitted to do under the gutsc
of a corporation that which she could
not lawfully do as an individual"
RANK HYPOCRISY.
And yet your own party. which has
been in power in Salt Lake City for
nearly three years. Is permitting indi-
very things you think this corpora
ton "intends'. to do, for which "inten-
tom you ask the state officials to dis
solve the corporation You are we'll
aware that the business you suspect
this corporation of intending to carry
on is being tlagrantly conducted by a
large number of individuals in Salt
Lake City; that houses are being rent
| ed and used for this Illicit traffic,
| against the plain provisions of the or
! dinances Of the city; and that If it is
| not done by the sanction 1T is done with
| the sufferance of your own party, as
represented by the city council and the
police department. And ! have every
| reason to believe that the city receives
a considerable revenue from this same
''illict and illegal" business. And
| vet you ask the state officials to dis
solve a corporation for intending" to
| carry on this business. instead of de-
| manding that the city officials do their
duty by suppressing the same business,
now carried on by individuals.
RESPONSIBILITY UPON CITY.
am convinced that if the incorpora-
tors of this company contemplate es-
tablishing such a district they are do
ing so because they feel secure in max
ing large investments for this purpose
on account of the protection now af-
forded the business where 1t is now be-
ing conducted by individuals. which
protection they are doubtless assured
the city administration will give to the
business when conducted by corpora
ton And it seems to me that instead
of condemning certain of your city Of
ficials for favoring the proposed estab-
lishment OF this district, you should
condemn the entire city administration
for not suppressing the traffic where 1t
is already being openly and VIGOROUSLY
conducted. And instead of calling on
the state officials to dissolve: a. corpora
ton you think contamplates breaking
the law, you should unequivocally de-
mand that the city officials suppress
and destroy the same traffic as it now
exists under the management Of indi-
viduals.
And l believe I can safely pledge to
the city officials the undivided support
OF the Sheriff's office in their warfare
on this business, and ] know that all
the power of the state will be given in
support of their efforts to suppress it..
And IL it shall become an undoubted
fact that Dora B. Topham and her as
sociates are conducting this business
under the guise Of a corporation it
will then be time for the governor and
THE Encouragement to take steps to
dissolve the corporation. and there will
then be sufficient reasons for the disso-
luton.
ENFORCE THE ORDINANCES,
i am bitterly and unqualifedly OPP
posed to this traffic. 1t should be
stopped. The officials OF Salt L-aEe
City should Immediately institute pro-
ceedinss TO drive all prostitutes and
their parasites out of the city. The
nest of iniquity infesting Commercial
street and other places in the city
should be Immediately broken up and
its inmates driven from the town But
the proper way to do this is for the
city officials strictly to enforce The or
dinances against this form of law
breaking, If 1t should develop that they
are either unable or unwilling to do
so. then the aid OF the county or even
OF the state may be invoked for this
iaudabie purpose. Yours very truly,
JOHN c. CUTLER.
Governor