The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-10
CHURCH REFUGE FOR LAwLEss

We referred some time back to the
severer tests applied to the American
administration than to the church adj
ministratons here and hereabonts. The
church administrations of Salt Lake
City never even pretended to stop open
robbng gambling games, bur when the
American party came into power those
games were suppressed at ore. There
was never any Just or really restrictive
saloon ordinance passed III this city
until the American council passed it.
And that ordinance has been enforced
and is being enforced with due strict
ness and impartiality; yet complaint Is
made on this very point by the church
organs which never made the least com.
plant against the lax methods of their
own church g civil administration.
Prize fights are habitually held at
Saltair or in other places where the
promoters and principals of them can
agree in this region; but prize fights
are banished from Salt Lake City, and
even the talk of prize fight in Salt
Lake City stirs mp with the utmost
vigor the opposition press, while at the
same time that press is absolutely 81
lent with regard to prize fights within
the civil jurisdictions administered by
the Mormon church.
Recently the council passed an ordi-
nance banishing turf exchanges and
bookmakers on races from this city.
Promptly those exchanges and book
makers transfer their business to a
point in the county outside of the city
limits, and pursue their swIndlng OPP
erations without molestation. There Is
no protest against those concerns when
they do business outside of the limits
Of Salt Lake City and within the Nor
mon civil jurisdiction, but 1T Is dread
full to have them do business in Salt
Lake City. As to this latter point,
The Tribune frankly agrees with those
who object. as it has denounced these
exchanges, bookmakers and pool rooms
heretofore; but if they are essentially
evil and robbing operations. swindllng
people out of their money, they are Just
as bad outside of the city as in 1T, and
should be suppressed by the Mormon
Jurisdictions there precisely as they
have been suppressed by the American
jurisdiction within the city itself
Not long ago, in order to ease off on
the criminal responsibility of prize
fights, a vigorous effort was made by
the Mormon authorities TO have liberty
for prize fighting within this city.
Such liberty exists outside and within
the jurisdiction of the Mormon county
commissioners The Mormon county
attorney seemed rather anxious 10 have
the city agree to countenancc prize
fights within it's limits, and other Nor
mon authorities, well knowing their
culpabiity with respect to prize fights
outside the city limits. were apparently
of this city to join them In their
iniquity IN this respect; but Mayor
Bransford was too wary. he declined
to Join the lawbreaking and lawdefying
class He insisted strenuously and
properly that the law must be obeyed'
and prize fighting be barred from Salt
Lake City, and it is.
All Of which simply reinforces our
proposition stated some time ago and
restated at the beginning of this ar
ticle, that higher standard i expected
and obtained within the American iur
lsdiction than in the civil jurisdictions
of the church officials. This being a
self-evident fact. it would become the
Mormon press, speakers, and writers to
exhibit becoming modesty when as
sailing the American party which has
higher standards and enforces better
observance of the laws than can be
found operative in any of the church
Jurisdictions.