The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-30
THE AMERICAN WAY.

Legislature made its disgraceful rec
ord on the liquor question, it adjourned
with the disgust of tho people of the
whole state at its failure, full,
aroused and expressed Starting in
with wholesale promises as TO what il
would do in tho way of reform in
liquor legislation, it ended with doing
nothing ut ala complete failure all
around. The lower house of the Lcpis.
| allure wanted at first a prohibition
bill; then when it got the tip that the
president of tho church did not want
prohibition, 1t weakened and accepted
foolish bill from the Senate in the
interest Of the political machine. but so
inconsistent and trifling a measure,
that the Governor did not sec how the
machine could use il, and So no vetoed
the bill. What he wanted was n
aightforward machine bill, which
would place the liquor interests of the
state In the grasp of the machine
politicians of Utah so that the hauor
business would be in politics all the
time and would be obliged TO contrib
ute campaign expenses to tho political
party in power. He couldn L get this.
so he vetoed the weakness that was
offered instead
Immediately upon the adiournmc
of the Legislature. tho American City
Council of Salt Lake passed reform.
atory liquor ordinance requiring fun
Sunday observance, closing at midnight,
and embracing such regulations as TO |
provide a thorough supervision over
tho liquor traffic and requiring a di. !
rect responsibility TO the public on the |
part of the saloon keepers, This ordi- !
nance. while fully meeting the fair |
requirements of moral and strict su.
principles, is so fairly Just
u recognition of the property interests
involved, that there has been no rca.
son to find fault with it on business
grounds; for, whereas. the liquor Ii,
,cnsc was much increased and regula.
ions made moro strict, the LIQUOR men
Who were threatened by the Legislature
With being put out of business alto
.ether, were fully contcntcd with The
ordinance as passed.
With respect to the brewers, the
anne reasonable regulations are re-
ulrcd from their branch saloons that
re required Of independent saloons. ]
nd there is no reason, either, for them
0 complain, 1t was a good ordinance.
'ell drawn, is strictly enforced, and s
causing no trouble. while distinctly S
levating the requirements of the i
'ade 5 responsibility to the public II !
as distinctly and cmphaticallY an g
merican ordinance, and as such il WAS ?
elcomed by the best thought and tho I
lghcst moral tone in The city 2
In surprising contrast with this Am. t
'ican party promptitude and energy is 4
lie course of tho church controlled party z
Ogden. which has been long dallying d
ith reformatory liquor ordinance. I
Ut has finally concluded TO do moth. s.
G about IT, and leave precisely the =
me conditions as before. This shows a
c incfficiency of church control in u
ose things Of higher tone affecting c
'ltlcs. The same church control was II
'on tho Legislature and ii did moth. u
z; and now this church control in u
gdcn results in nothing being done II
ere. What Ogdcn needs more than p
'ything else in thc world is a thor II
gh Ieaven of Amcricanism and of the
mercau spirit of effectiveness and D.
ogress. II wants to get out of the P
d rut of church control. conc ont p
the open for individual, vigorous. :,
ID effective action, without any -
urch strings 10 it and without anv -
icstly laying on of hands ~