The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-05
CHURCH ORGAN FOR BREWERS

The opposition press is showing a
malignant depravity in the matter Of
the enforcement of the reform liquor
ordinance in this city, that is sure to
put the opposition 10 the American
party under the condemnation Of the
moral sense of this community. In
April last, (the 7th of that month";
the City Council passed the liquor
ordinance which is now in effect. Most
of the liquor licenses for the then
current quarter had been issued, under
the old conditions But very import
ant changes were made by the new
ordinances, among these changes being
the one to fix a just primary response
bility upon the one licensed to sell
liquor To obtain this, it was required
that the applicant for license to sell
liquor must, among other things. show
that he is the owner of the premises,
or else of the fixtures used in his
saloon.
This requirement having been in eff
feet nearly ninety days on the eXplra-
ton. of the quarter. there had been by
that time ample notice TO all to con
form to the requirements of the ordl-
nance. If they cannot conform i'll
that time, they are not likely 10 con
form at all, especially jf they are al
conforming. But when the new quar-"
ter was about to begin, a lot of the
saloon applicants had not conformed 10
the requirements of the ordinance IN
the particular specified. They had
had ample time 10 conform, but simply
had not done so. To allow them to go
on selling without complying with the
ordinance, would have been repre-
hensible trihing with public admins
tration, and also an injustice to the
large majority, who had fully met the
requirements of the ordinance. Such
looseness would have given to the city
two classes Of saloon keepers, one class
that obeys the ordinance, and another
that does not Such a condition would
have been intoerablc and indefensiblc;
standing reproaeh TO the administra-
ton.
OF course the Council could not pos
sibly stand for that sort of thing
1t would have been justified, in view
Of the long notice gwen to all con
cerned, in percmptorily refusing tc
grant licenses to those who have not
done what the ordinance requires, anc
shutting up their saloons. But the
Council was not in the least disposed
to he peremptory,. nor to even seem tc
take an arbitrary course. 1t set al
immediate time for hearing all wht
desired TO be heard in support of thei
applications. 1t heard them, STATED
plainly that all that was required o,
them, as of others, was that the term!
Of the ordinance must be met. Th'
result will be, no doubt. that thos,
found to be acting in good faith, an'
in fact conforming to the ordinance
Will be granted'hcenses,
The Council acted in all this in pur
suance Of It's plain duty. The ordi
nance is fair, and 1t is just TO all, ant
to the public. Ii is the duty of all wh
wish to sell liquor to do what the ordi
nance calls on them TO do in that busi
ness. 1t is the province of the Counci
to honor its own ordinance, and no
dishonor it, The Council can in fair
ness to all concerned and in goo
faith to the public, do nothing els
than what il has done. And TO fin
fault with the Council ou this groun
is to take the side of the ontlaw.
And yet, on Saturday evening tn
Deseret News, the organ Of a larg
church, took It's stand decidedly wit
t the saloon keepers who want to Sc
: liquor without complying with Tn
ordinance. 1t sneered at the holdin
5 of all applicants TO the terms of tn
ordinance as ga plot" to "punish tn
brewers who would not swear a
le9iaura 70 the Anc--;co-s nrt~. =: an