The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-19
Commissioners Minutes Now
Aver That Salt Lake Is Dan
gcrOus Place TO Live.
LEGAL. ADVICE IGNORED
TO OBEY FEDERAL BUNCH
Public Opinion So Strong That
Sheriff May Not Fill Quota
of Deputies.

The county commissioners Tuesday
drafted and spread upon the board s
minutes the resolution authorizing the
appointment by Sheriff Sharp of fifty
special deputies '.to help the police to
suppress crime in the city
The resolution, like the governor s
letter, upon which the sheriff based his
request for the special deputies, was
undoubtedly drafted at Republican cam
pa'gn headquarters. Although Commits
sloncrs Burton and Murdoch gave out
Monday afternoon that they had
adopted such a resolution, no draft of
1t was in evidence Monday. and none
appeared until Tuesday.
Hard Knock on City.
The resolution attempts to Justify the
board S action on the grounds of the
prevalence of crime IN the city 1t
follows.
Whereas. The fact that Salt L.ako City
IS suffering from a condition OF law]ess-
ness with which the authorities OF said
CITY seem unable 10 cope; and.
Whereas. Life and property are no
longer safe within its boundaries and
condition OF serious nature .confronts its
people. the county commissioners. In
view OF communication on this sub
ject from his cXcelency, the governor of
the state OF Utah. deem il their duty TO
tender their assistance TO overcome this
rapidly growing evil; and.
Whereas. Under ordinary conditions, il
Is not the policy OF the county commits
siorers OF Salt Lake county 10 furnish
police protection to tho citizens OF any
city within the county. Yet. under the
extreme conditions existing In Salt Lake
CITY at the present time. the board Of
county commissioners feel it their duty
TO lend all aid possible To the common
cause now, therefore. be 1t
Resolved. That the board Of county
by proffers lis aid through the sheriff
OF Salt Lake county by adding extra
help 10 his present force 10 cope with
the situation and to correct tho evils
tho end. and that vice and crime be
abetcd and tho citizens protected from
murder and rapine.
ignore Legal Adviser.
In giving the sheriff the authority TO
name the special deputies, the commits
sioDers again went against the advice
of the county attorney S Office, but this
is nothing new; witness, the commits
sioners' bare faced raid on the county
trca sury to make the tottering Smoot
Mouth New Years present in
1909 Of almost $4,000 for the printing Of
the delinquent tax list, which prior to
that time had cost only about $1,000.
Now the commissioners arc being sued
10 recover the money thus illegally paid
out.
But the church G. o. p. had spoken
through Governor Spry ancnt the spe-
cial deputy sherfTs. aud the commits
much as they are a part-and a big
psrt, at that-of the Smoot machine.
The commissioners. before spreading
the resolution on the minutes, formally
inquired if they had the power to grant
the appointment of special deputy
sberiffs TO police the city. The county
attorney 's office replied that they had IL
an emergency existed, but the commits !
siopers were advised that it is not the
county's business to police the city
under normal conditions Then Mr..
Burton said that the public might con-
slider it political play If the com
missioners granted the sheriff's re-
quest for fifty special deputies.
''Well. isn't that just what it is?'
was the retort.
There were "shricks of silence -
Revises Ideas About Governor
Even rabidly partisan church Repub. ,
Leans disappTovc Of the movement 1
from its inception to- its present status. 1
Said one prominent Republican worker
Tuesday:
E "It S about the cheapest political
play I've ever seen. For rank. dirty, |
Cheap politics il takes the cake Ad- |
mitting that Spry's motives were all
nobody admits. with I
almost everybody else, thought he had
more sense.
The reaction has been so great that /
it is doubtful if Sheriff Sharp names !
the fifty special deputies granted un-
der the cQpmissloners action Some
Of the mem already named are sick OF |
their Job, and Sheriff Sharp said Tues.
day that he had named no more spe- !
cials. and did not know when he ever /
would name any more.