The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-09
Judge Church Implicated 9th
ers When He Confessed
WrOngdoing.
GOV. BRADY STIRRED UP;
WANTS TO CLEAN HOUSE
Not a Question of How Much,
but One Of Moral
Principle.
BY G. E. ARNEY.

appropriate for the people OF ldaho 10
pause and reflect on the moral standards
of her public servants, in their dealings
with the affairs OF the commonwealth.
Judge Church, a man OF education, re-
iinement no bad habits, and holding
membership in the church. openly admit
ted his effort 10 gain money on the side
in addition to his salary paid by the
state. In his statements prior to de-
parting for Spokane; just after his res
lenaton. he implicated some Of his SUI
perior officers 10 whom he was ablisatcd
for his position,
| In his initial statement to the public
affecting the Church Incident, Governor
Brady frowncd down darkly OH his as
soclates on the state land board for
specializing In state lands through inside
| information gained and If he keeps his
word To the public he will either mako
some of these elective officers resign or
see TO It that grand jury purges them
Of the stigma he has voluntarily cast
upon them.
These officers are not alone guilty of
moral turDitude, If the statements OF the
witnesses in the Church case. as report
| cd from the inner chamber of the state
] land board In their secret meeting. is
| TO be believed. There are two criminal
statutes which have been fractured,
| They were pointed out several days ago
| by a Republican lawyer here OF extra
| ordinary ability. Here they arc: Cen
eral Statute 1886. relates 10 cxtortion and
says:
| ANY person who unsucccssfully at
| tempts by means of any verbal threat.
such as specified IN this chapter. 10 eN-
| tort money or other property from an
| other is guilty OF a misdemeanor
Clause of section $3.50 relates 10 con-
| spracy. and says: ITO commit any act
| Ia. tf.lf
ais. or for the perversion or obstruction
| OF Justice or the laws; is punishable by
Imprisonment In the county jail not eX-
Ceeding one year or by nne not exceeding
$1,000. or both"
These laws may or may not be invoked
against the offending state officers and
ably will not. The offences We're so tri-
| vial. so dimlnutlve and so palpably anna
| teurish that the people viii doubtieSs
rush on in haste to ge, rid of the grade
OF individuals who deal crookcdly with
their assets.
1t is not the fact that these elective
technical offenses against statutory or
constitutional law. so much as that these
representatives of this people present
such. a sorry spectacle OF ayaricloGs
degree OF moral tone to which the men
and women OF the state are entitled.
This constitutes 3 greater pity than IN
fractions OF the laws of the state.
Not Question of Acreage.
No one cares what acreage the attor-
ney general. secretary OF state and school
superintendent obtained in Carey act
projects, or in townsites under Carey act
projects. so far as the pecuniary pronCs |
10 their respective eXchequcrs are con-
cerned. That is OF minor concern. II
may be that their vain boastings and
their brazen display of ill-gotten gains |
may be obnoxious but the suspicion, the |
bad taste, the coarseness OF il all Is the |
dangerous element
BY error or by design strip OF land
was eliminated from a Carey act list OF
lands This particular land was gobbled |
by state officials, members or attaches OF
the state land board.
liable lots adjoining a townsite away or |
in the sagebrush soon to have rail-
these attending allurements, find their
way into the hands of members OF the
state land board who have to do with
the price OF water and the dozens ana
scores OF other things pertaining 10 the
system OF irrigation and reclamation OF
these lands under the Carey act
Such connections are abominably low IN
moral tone. degrading to public spirit and
portrays a sorry order of civic righteous
ness foreign TO that degree OF pride, pur-
ity and honor demanded by that part OF
our population which adheres 10 the
tenets OF the golden rule.
During the course of the testimony
brought out by the questioning OF MT
David by the governor as reported from
the secret session of the state land board.
Brady made several attempts 10 get Dao
vid 10 name the attorney which Register
Church had referred TO as his authority
for practicing law before the state board
as a representative OF Irrigation prof.
ects: as the Pratt and the Mcbride lrri-
MIR David asked TO be relieved OF drag
gng the man into the controversy and
evaded the issue. He said he had rea-
soned with MIR. Church at the time as to
tho quality OF morals attending the ad-
vice. He further stated that such reas-
oning was entirely foreign to the system
OF official work as applied In his native
state OF Ohio. But Mr. David evaded
quoting the legal authority cited TO he
and Shaw by Register Church! n
putable persons whose respective names |
are symbols of honor and truthfulness In
the community told me last week that MIR
David had said TO them prior to his ex.
animation. that Mr. Church had quoted |
his superior officer. d. c. McDougall the
attorney general, as his authority for the
statement that he was acting within his |
legal rights, II
1t is manifestly unfair that Idaho should
yield in moral stature an iota TO Ohio
union. There are no principles TOO high. |
no motives too lofty. no deeds too noble.
TO attach to the citizenship OF the splen-
did American manhood and womanhood
which is coming into this new attractive |
field of opportunity TO live. to rear fam
HES. build schools. churches lodges and
model community life.
Brilliancy In public men. wealth, So
cial standing, nativity and such adorn-
ments should and will be cast aside by
Il public Indignant at the quality of morals r
existing here today
This official recklessness Is chargable
TO an unholy alliance OF party with
religious sect. II Is the outgrowth Of a
close union Of church and state. II Is
not Republicanism II the present organ
sm OF the Democracy of Idaho could
make an alliance today with the Nor |
mon leaders OF the southeast. through
their priests and prophets in Salt Lake
City, they would do II with an evident
relish, They design today ro accomplish
such "A result with the same degree OF
'ervor that the Republicans design the
of their present coalition
with the Mormons. Each party organiza-
Ion Is reaching out for the power which
controls this 10000 votes.
This is all wrong. The existence OF
such a low standard Is humiliating TO the