The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-29
chief PITTS ERROR.

Chief OF Police Thomas d. Pitt has
between campaign professions and Off
eial performance in office is as wide as
the difference between homemade linn
bigger and imported Swiss cheese. In
the bovine guilelessness of his nature,
the chief supposed the party Of re
form" was serious in its declared inten-
ton TO enforce the law, so he proceeded
10 do his best 10 enforce il. Still guile
less. he began with the saIoOnkeepers.
the last class in the city which any real
American politician would think OF
troubling particularly so close 70 cam
paign time.
So far. Pitts proceedings appeared
harmless enough as an ordinary step IN
q police way. But-and here came the
eye-opener for the chief-the prosecu-
tiOn- Of the offenders whom he had ar
rested for violation of the city ordi-
nances. lies with the city attorneys
Office In a purely perfunctory way the
assistant city attorney took up the
cases and made an argument up TO the
close. Meanwhile able counsel for the
defendants had discovered what they
thought a vital defect in the proceed
ngs. They ELECTED the startling infor-
nation that the chief had employed un-
known men 10 secure evidence of Sun
day liquor selling. that these men were
paid from a secret service fund and
were not on the regular force.
OF course any chief or police who was
onto his job would have known better
than 10 resort 10 such an irregular pro-
ceeding. In American" party usage,
the only proper way TO detect the il
legal sale OF liquor is to send out pa
trolmen in full uniform, approach the
front door OF the saloon slowly so there
may be no difficulty about being seen
and, after due apology and preliminary
explanation, gently inquire OF the bar
keeper if ne is observing the ordinances
affecting Sunday observance. Unhap-
PLY, Chief Pitt is comparatively new
To the business. and did not understand
the American" party system, or if he
did. he was guilty of gross discourtesy
10 the party's friends who are unaccus-
toned 20 enforcement of the law
When it came TO the closing argu-
ments in the case. a curious thing hap
pened. The attorneys for the defend
ants were on hand. all of them, but the
assistant city attorney who was sup
posed 10 conduct the prosecution was
portant business. In his place appeared
a young and inexperienced lawyer, one
of ability, 10 be sure, but in no way
fitted 10 cop, with the weight Of op-
posing counsel. What the final de-
cisiOn Will be is unknown, as il is under
sdvisement but the public needs no
diagram TO help reach a conclusion as
70 the intentions of the city in its con-
duct of the case. II has made no vio-
lent effort 10 support the chief i'm his
execution OF the law-not that anybody
can discover with a microscope: on the
contrary. it is pretty well understood
that an effort Will be made TO remove
him for 'rernicious activity" against
the Sunday saloons and replace him
with Sheets. who knows more about
combining police administration with
political purpose.
The evident theory Of the "Ameri-
cans is that Pitt is either too innocent
o. else too honest in his views of his
duty 10 Ill the office properly. and that
he is in danger Of alternating the Grim
NAL element from support of the party
al a critical period in its affairs.