The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-14
HOW TO PROTECT
OUR PUBLIC MEN
Continued from Page One.

the only person we are authorized to
protect is the president of the United
States, but it seems to me that the
mayor should be guarded whether he
wants it Or not. Anyway, his back
should never be left unprotected If
President Taft had been sailing instead
of Mayor GaYnor. there would have
been a secret service man behind him
and he would not have permitted Gal
lagher, n stranger. to come near him.
When a stranger gets anyway near a
hands up and down his clothes and if
he feels blg lump that might be a
revolver he is taken care of then and
there. A man with revolver or any
weapon has no business near the presi-
dent.
"When Theodore Roosevelt was
president he was always carefully
would have been more than q match
for any assassin if he had been given
half n chance. but, of course, he was
never in such position that an assas-
sin could have come upon him from the
rear President Taft is of n different
temperament. He has such faith in. his
fellow countrymen that if he ever were
it would fall entirely upon
his guards to protect him,
Danger FROM CTankS
HHow can public officials be pro
tected from assassination
"Well, as | said before, they can be
guarded so that no one can attack them
from close quarters. OF course a crack
shot with rifle, if he is determined to
kill certain man, is beyond the power
of human agencies to prevent him from
carrying out his work. But the great
est danger is from the crank and insane
man aud they invariably try TO get too
close to carry out their work,
f'I think if the several states passed
laws making it capital offense to
make any kind of an assault on gov.
crncr, mayor or high official, it would
tend to make such crimes much less
numerous.
''Then. too, every sale of fire arms
should be registered. Every store that
sells a revolver or rifle should be COM
PEELED to file a report with some Off
cial stating to whom the firearm was
sold and for what purpose it was to be
used,
"This would have a beneficial effect
in this way: If a public official would
receive a threatening letter, he could
ascertain if the writer had purchased
a revolver or if he owned one. All fire
arms should be numbered.
Enforce the Law Better.
HAnother thing I would suggest is
strict enforcement of the law which
prohibits the carrying of concealed
More care should be exercised
IN the issuance of permits to carry fire.
arms. 1t is impossible to prevent in
sane men from attempting to carry out
their purposes. However, these sugges.
ions, if followed out. will lessen tho dan.
ger. If Mayor Gaynor had only taken
.he precaution and had two guards near
him last Tuesday, he would now be en-.
joying his vacation. -
Al Drummond, former chief of the
United States secret service, said:
''From the experience / gained while |
with tho secret service, I |
zane to believe years ago in the ad- |
of having protection for
svery executive officer, whether he be |
If the United States, or of the indi- |
vidunl states. There are in every COM
nunity men of the type represented by
Tho cowardly assailant Of our mayor !
who, through their association with |
'ther loose thinking and looser talking
individuals, finally come to believe in |
he justice of retaliation for every real
,r imaginary wrong.
HDeeds such as his require no great |
courage. They are rather the act of a |
illogically foolhardy man.
"And to protect our public officials
s by no means a simple task. Detectives
Ire more or less helpless against them
because the assassin is the creature of |
1 moment. He comes to life, lives and |
lies all within few hours.
Guard Must Take Risk.
"To guard against these men there
should be at the elbow Of every official |
l big, strong. nervy man, ready to take
| chance with anyone and on the alert
The man who is on the guard should |
DC one willing to take the risk Of max
ng mistake and who is not afraid to
be in the wrong nine times out of ten
Such man can do more to protect the
ives Of our officials than can whole
force.
"such personal protectors, and the
very speedy execution of justice, with
severe penalties, will do more than any
hing else to avert such crimes as that |
IF the attempt on the life of Mayor
Saynor."