The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-19
THE STREET MEETINGS,

The special session of tho city conn-
ell on Thursday evening devoted n
good deal of attention to the matter Of
free speech IN the public streets and
the action of the police in undertaking
to restrict the use Of the streets for
public meetings OF various kinds by re-
quiring permits for such use. AS City
quirement of such permits has been
declared by the United States Supreme
Court TO be no abridgment OF free
speech; and yet the requirement of such
permits seems arbitrary and irksome
from the standpoint Of usage and from
the general idea that man may speak
as he will provided he observes decency
and decorum in his public utterapces.
The trouble with the requirement. OF
permits IS that it puts n censorship in
the police department which seems to
be obnoxious to the American idea, and
is in way revolving to the American
idea of fair play and personal privilege
But it is evident that there must be
a restriction somewhere, beyond which
it is not lawful for public utterance to
go, and where public authority must be
exercised. 1t is clear that peace and
order must be preserved, and if peace
and order are to be preserved there
must be some standard for n gauge.
The question, therefore, when this sub
iect becomes acute, is whether that stan
dard shall be fixed by the executive
discretion of the police department
or whether it shall be established by
law. AS we are a aw-abiding people,
the public desire universally is to have
matter defined by law rather than
by the dictation of executive authority.
The move. therefore, for the passage
Of an ordinance governing this matter
was 4 perfectly natural one from the
American standpoint, the frictional
clause being that one requiring a per
NIT from the police department In a
good many cases the propriety of such
permit is evident, In other cases it
is not. 1t must be evident that anyone
wishing to peddle a corn plaster, n
remedient agent or medicine that he
has for sale, or to hawk his wares by
street proclamation, should be required
to get permit from the police or from
some authority before occupying the
streets in the pursuit of his sales.
No one will object to the permit for
such a case In other cases a street
preacher inoffensively promulgating his
VI
say should not be molested. The Sal
walton Army, the Volunteers Of Amer
lea, and various religious branches with
peculiar cults or notions habitually oc-
cupy the sire It's in their services of
one kind or another. These are not
molested, nor is it supposed that they
ought to have a permit from anybody.
1t might be supposed naturally to fol-
low that those inculcating various po-
litical doctrines or dogmas should have
like liberty; but here it appears neces
sary to draw a line. Clearly one who
will go out in the public streets and
advocate the bloody doctrines of anar-
chy, who will call for assassination of
the authorities and the disruption of
civil government. ought to be sup
pressed. And in general one indulging
in incendiary talk calculated to stir up
riot. and in fact actually stirring up
riot and inducing bloodshed, should not
be allowed the privilege of the public
streets, whether he has a permit to
speak or not. Whenever there is riot
and disturbance and breach of peace
the meeting ought to be broken up
Where a meeting destroys the free use
of the public street for foot or vehicle
passage it should be broken up as a
disturbance Of order and prevention
Of the right of public use of the side
walks and the streets. Where meet
ings habitually lead to fights and dis
turbance. they should be broken up in
the interest of public order.
And this, we take 1T, ought to be the
rule, and a sound discretion thereon
lodged in the officers of the peace to
see that the peace is not broken. Far
ther than this, we do not believe that
it is iudicious to go. And we believe
LudL bhC "uolO pidttSi ououlu D0 tSSu
lated by ordinance rather than by the
dictum of the police, except in a sud
den emergency where disturbance and
riot occur.
The ordinance as drawn by Mr.. Din
inny we believe to be safe, conserva.
tive and sound one, save only. perhaps.
where it fails to make the discrimina-
tions herein suggested; and in so far as
it fails to make these Determinations |
we believe that it can be easily changed
to get upon the broad ard popular basis
that is usually considered right in Amer
ica. Whatever regulation is made |
should certainly be made by ordinance;
and now that a fair ordinance has been
drawn and reported. we think it should
be put into proper shape, If it is not |
already 80, and should be passed in