The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-02
IT'S TIME TO CRUSH 1T.

A further step is to be taken in court
today in the suppression of the So
called "red-Iight district 1t is to
be hoped that the proceedings may re-
! suit in tho determination to take the
direct and peremptory method of en-
forcing the court s order, through con-
tempt procedure against those guilty
of violating the injunction, The
sheriff received this court process, and
instead of enforcing it and citing as
for contempt of court all who violate IT,
he has "played politics." endeavoring
to make it tell against the American
party, and TO put his partisan fell
low official, the county attorney, ''in
hole -
The sheriff was even quoted in his
party organ as saying that he knew of
forty cases as clear as the one in which
ono Of the inmates of the "red-light
district was convicted. If so, he is
himself clearly in contempt of court for
allowing such a state of affairs
for not haling the offenders before
The court for contempt in violating
the court S order.
We have heretofore pointed out that
the contempt proceedings are the proper
proceedings 10 take, To undertake com
plants under the statute is n slow
process. beset with many difficulties
But contempt proceedings are direct,
swift, peremptory; and AS the in
functional order is in effect it ought 10
be elfcctual in breaking up that den of
vice.
And the contempt proceedings ought
not to be levelcd at the wretched in
mates alone. The principals are the
ones chiefly responsible for the viola
ton Of the court s order that has
created the odious situation which now
exists. The indignation which would
follow the publication OF the names of
the incorporators of that vicious dis
trct would he followed by such
burst Of indignation that the dread Of
it has caused them to guard the list
with the utmost secrecy. But the court
can get the list. We urge il TO obtain
the names, arraign those whom those
names represent, and demand why they
are not obeying the order of the court
and conforming to its injunction. That
is the simple, ightforward, effective
way TO get at this business; and
when the court gets through with these
principals, il should next inquire of
its officer, the sheriff, in whose
hands the injunction was placed for en-
forcement. why he has not enforced it:
and why it is, If he knows Of scores
of cases Of the violation of that in
junction, that he has not reported them
to the court. That would he business:
ii would be legal; it would be effective
beyond the least question. The princi-
pals would get out of their nasty in
vestmcnt at once, on being so dealt
with by the court; and the sheriff
would sec where his real duty lies, in
stead of allowing himself 10 play
politics. undermining the county at
torney, and trifling with the process of
tho court.
There is intense feeling on this qucs.
ton among the people Of this city,
especially tho ladies'. on this question.
Those who think that temporizinr or
weak, listless, drifting policy will serve.
are badly mistaken. The mothers i'm
this city demand protection for their
sons, and rightfully expect officers of
the law TO do their duty. They proper.
ly condemn with severity nnreleved
by any cxtenuation, those depravcd
enough TO become members of the in
corporation which shamelessly obtruded
that awful den upon the city. and viii
not hold 2uiltIess those who triHe with
this question.
There is not the slightest excuse. in
law or IN morals. for any hesitancy
or tenderness in The rigid enforcement
OF The process Of the court against all
who offend IN this business, IT is an
OCCASION FOR promptness, energy. and
nnrelen'Ing purpose, that purpose being
to yIndicate the law and the integrity
ol the court, so that the infamy of tbc
- stockade' lie lifted from the fair
q ne S..l.