The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-25
LAw-DEFIERs FOR THE LAW

LAW-DEFIERS FOR THE LAW.
Recent events in this city call at
tcntion anew to the absurdity Of the
position of the church organ and GER
tain of those who are breakers and
defers Of the law, with respect 10 the
enforcement Of the law. These law
breakers have n favorite vice very
much akin. so far as the male propa-
ganda of that vice is concerned to
the vice Of the stockade, and yet they
are the ones that are most loud
mouthed in denouncing the stockade
and all its works. Il is noticeable
| however, that whenever they under
take TO make any argument on the
ethics of this vice, they inevitably and
surely connect their favorite vice with
that of the "red light district We
have called attention 10 this frequent
ly, noticing it repeatedly and almost
universally in the pleas made for the
polygamous vice, and have noted the
| proneness of the defenders of polyga-
my to connect the two forms Of that
vice whenever they have occasion TO
speak OF either.
But ethically and consistently it
would seem that these persons ought
to be the very last ones in the com
munity to make any special complaint
about the sister vice Of that to which
they are so prone. Both are under the
sevcrcst condemnation of the law
Those who uphold and practice one
have certainly no logical grounds upon
which to condemn tho other, and yet
the polygsmist priesthood and its de
Tenders appear to be the most red
mouthed in the condemnation of their
kindred vice.
or course both of these forms of de
grading vice are immoral, unlawful,
and under the complete ban of civiliza-
tiou. both should be eradicated; both
arc subject to The process Of the court
and to eradication by vigilant, hon
est. and competent administration.
They are, from the mans standpoint,
simply kindred forms Of the same vice.
There is no excuse for either, from any
civilized or enlightened standard. 1t
is absolutely a reversion to barbarism
from our Christian civilization to con
tend for, to practice, or to excuse
either form Of that vice, Both should |
possible. and where it is not possible |
both should he under the severest rep
rehcnsion. not only of the law but of /
decent society. There is not the faint |
est argument or excuse for either No |
one can possibly, with any sort Of con
sistency or dccency, defend the one |
and condemn the other. In fact, no |
ono with any sort OF candid, evil
lied mind can speak oven one word in
favor of either But to have the man
vice come out i'm hot-mouthed repre-
hcnsion of the other, is a spectacle so
SO depraved so blgoted
and low, that ii IS surely marvel to
SEE il,
These kindred vices arc alike under
the condemnation Of the law and of
civic officialdom That civic officaldom
should be lust as busy in one case ms
in the other, There Is no reason in
law, equity, or Justice for refrainlng
in either case The kindred vice is
under tho condemnation of the crimi
nal statutes, most cmphatically. The
stockadc is under the condemna
lion OF the court, primarily, by
virtue Of the injunction ii has
issued. IT is under the condemna-
ton of The law by virtue Of the stat
ntcs against the vice which therein
prevails, II is under tho condemnation
Of civilized society by reason Of the
the disease, and the de-
of humanity that are con
somitants of the dreadful vice aud the
moral and physical destruction attend
ant thereon. There is nothing TO do
with the stockade except to abolish it.
There is nothing TO do with the twin
vice except TO suppress IT. Condona-
lion in the one case is Just as indie
fensIble as condonatiou in the other.
nd the one who argues for polvgamy II
md against the stockade condemns his
own utterance as he makes it.
s'TAFT so FAR