The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-07
WHERE THE BLAME RESTS.

claliy when those violations take the
form of capital crimes The two shoot
ings in saloons with the murderers yet
unidentified and uncaught are certainly
damaging TO the good fame of Salt
Lake City. Extra efforts should be
made to capture these murderers and
turn them over to tho courts for deal
ing according to Justice and law.
| Unfortunately we have in this com
munity a class of lawbreakers whose
| immunity from punishment for their
crimes has given the state bad name
1t has gone forth throughout the world
that in Utah the laws are not enforced
by the courts. and that there is sen
timent here opposed to ube enforcement
of the law and sustaining lawbreakers
IN their defiance of the statutes and
in lnwless forms of living President
Joseph f. Smith of the Mormon church
testified openly in the Smoot hearing
that he was living and intended to
continue to live in defiance Of the laws
OF God and man; and President Francis
M, Lyman of the Twelve testified to
the same thing. The influence that
supports these men in their lawbreak-
ing also paralyzes the courts so that
they dare not undertake the complete,
equal and impartial enforcement of the
law. This state of affairs has resulted
in a loose way of looking at the law
and in the revival of polygamous i'm
morality, and in fostering the idea that
the laws, as SUCH are not to be en-
forced; and that criminals are immune
from punishment in Utah more than
elsewhere in the Republic.
The church organ last night spoke in
on gambling, horse racing, the white
slave traffic thicving, etc. and de-
clared that this element "has been at
tracted to a large extent by reports
that Salt Lake is a wide open town
where every crime against the code can
be committed with safety as long as
the criminal is a staunch supporter of
the anti-Mormon party Aside from
the fact that there is no "anti Nor
mon party here, the church organ s
story is complete reversal of the true
The condition should be
stated, as the fact is, that the criminal
is immune as long as he is staunch |
supporter of the Mormon leaders and |
their law w-defying practices The Nor
non church is In control of the courts,
The American party is not in control
IF any courts whatever, has not elected |
any Judges. or court officials, not even |
,or this city. 1t is evident, therefore,
IN the face of it, that the News has
n its blind bigotry and prejudice mis-
applied the terms. If Salt Lake City is
vide open and criminals are immune
t is because the church leaders have
made it so through their control of the
courts and lurics, fearing criminal
on account of their law
lefying lives.
1t is in vain that the church organ
will undertake to lay the delinquency in
his against the American party. which
las never elected any Judges and which
las no control over any courts. The
rue liability is against the church Re.
publican party which has the courts, in
luding the justices Of the peace, the
ltY courts, and the district courts, The
hurch also has, and has had all the
inc, the legislature. If therefore. Salt
lake City is, from the criminal stand
'oint, 81 wide open town, there is no
scape from the proposition that the
hurch and the church alone is rcspon-
lble therefor. because it has had the
legislature always, which Is the law
making power, and it has had the Gov
rnor ever since Statehood, who was
eady at any time to sign proper Grim.
nal laws. 1T has the courts because
elected them, and can elect or defeat
judges and prosecutors. 1t has the
ounty attorney and the district at.
orney on the same basis,
Why, therefore, is Salt Lake City a
vide open town2 If IL is so, it is be-
ause the church so desires and DEGREES
hat is the long and short of it, and
hat is all there is TO it. If Salt Lake
'ity is a wide open town, let the blame
re placed precisely where it belongs,
n the Mormon church leaders, whose
xample is defiantly criminal and on
heir courts, whose failure TO prosecute
hese defiant law breakers is the scan !
al Of the age.