The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-14
BAD COUNTY CONDITIONS.

It seems that the discussions in The
Tribune on evil conditions in Bingham
have stirred mp the county commission
crs to realization that everything is
not we'll morally throughout this county
outside the city. Flagrant violation of
the liquor laws by saloon men outside
of the city limits is sharply charged,
and number of complaints have been
received that saloons outside of the city
are selling liquor on Sunday and that
violations of the law in regard TO the
liquor traffic in the outlying districts
Of the county are so common and fire.
quent that the people have become in
censed at the neglect of the county
officials, and in regard 10 the lax meth
ods that have prevailed. Saloons sell
ing liquor without any license at all
are said TO exist, and generally the
enforcement Of the law is in u seriously
run down condition.
The Tribune directed attention,
through correspondence and editorlaIly,
10 the vile conditions of the Bingham
stockade, this existing right at the
time when the sheriff appeared to be
so tremendously busy in "closing out
the Salt Lake Hred light district - and
posing as great foe of sexual vice,
Under precisely the same statutes, how
ever, he paid no attention to a more
fragrant evil existing in Bingham of eX
actly tho Same character, Even worse
than this. il was claimed that the
sheriff 8 Office was actively interested
in some Of the evil resorts that defed
equally the civilization of tho age. com
mon morality. and statute law
The order Of the county commission
crs to the sheriff was, of course, com
prebcnsive, including Bingham as well
as other places outside of the city. 1t
is to be hoped that the sheriff viii wake
up. throw of any connection that he or
his uudcrlings may have IN any of the
lawless and vicious resorts. and see that
the laws are duly enforced throughout
the county The commissioners have
walked up rather late TO this evil, but
it is a good thing 10 sec them wake
up at all, and take hold when they do
wake up. II will be even better If
they will stick to their resolves and
hold the sheriff up to his duty with
such exactness and eXphcltness of de
tail that il will be impossible for him
any longer 10 evade, shirk, or defy the
law and his duty under the law.
It is high time that other places than
Salt Lake City were given touch OF
the sheriff s quality in his alleged de-
sire to enforce the moral code, as well
as the legal code that goes with 1t.
The work of an official is always good
when il tends to the uplifting of the
and the enforcement of the
law And we would gently remind the
sheriff further, that the ''twin relic
is also burning issue here, and that
there are very many persons who claim
to be living "holy lives IN defiance
of the law and the requirement Of the
enabling act, of the State Constltu-
ton. and of the State statutes. When
he gets his duty thoroughly performed
upon the violators OF the laws against
sexual morality in depraved resorts, 1T
is TO be hoped that he will pick up his
courage and get after these who are
also violators Of the laws of morality,
under the pretense that they are CON
forming to a "holy ordinance Let US
have the law in it's completeness, and
let no one violate it on one side Of the
moral scale while Extensively proclaim
ING his holiness in denouncing others
for violations like his own on the other
side of the same moral scale. Even
handed Justice and special favors to
none under the law. should be the motto
OF the sheriff and of all civic officials.
Let the scale be held even, and ''let no
guilty man escape.