The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-05
ITS VAIN DENIALS.

On Tuesday evening the Deseret
News filed its objections to certain
general statements made recently in
The Tribune, these relating TO The
propositions that the law should be
equally enforced, the News denying
that the church has been intrudinp in
business and in politics, to charge
which, it says, ''is a slur on the
church, and its claim that American.
Ism has been detrlment TO the State.
In support of its first proposition,
| that The Tribune is not in favor of
the equal enforcement of the law, it
cites the "redlight DISTRICT and
claims that The Tribune has not called
for the enforcement of the law against
that district. 1t alleges as evidence of
that charge that the redlight district
has the Endorsement of American party
leaders; some say that prominent Off.
cials are even financially interested
in it. Here, however, the News misses
The point of its own statement; for
even granting its truth respecting
means do). that does not show that
The Tribune is opposed to the enforce
ment of the law against the redlight
district On the contrary, The Tribune
is absolutely and unqualhedly in
favor of the enforcement Of the law
there as elsewhere. The question of
he redligbt district was taken into the
District Court, and put into the hands
of the sheriff of this county. This
officer proceeded to tear down a portion
of the construction, and announced
that he would never more permit any
opening Of that district The Tribune
would be glad TO see that proclamation
of the sheriff maintained. IL would be
glad TO see the officers of every degree
do their duty with respect to he red
h~'t district, as with respect TO every
offender against the law. What the
News cndeavors to do in all this busi.
ness, rs To mako capital against The
American party, rather than to ad
vance the cause of morality; but it
must necessarily fail in its political
dodge, since The Americans were the
first 30 make declaration against the
redlight district. The matter having
been put by the court in charge of the
sheriff, aud the sheriff having assumed
charging any evil conditions that may
exist there now against the American
party.
The News bases its editorial argely
upon the assumption that the American
party or The Tribune is making war
on the church. This, rs we have con
stanty stated. is absolutely untrue
The last American platform made this
very clear, and every platform Of the
American party has disc laimed any at
tempt TO interfere with anyone IS
religion or with the religious ac
tiyities OF any church. The con
staut attempt OF the News to faSten
upon the American party tho stigma
OF religious persecution must absolute
~ fail. because there is nothing what
ever upon which 10 base the charge.
As 10 It's being "a sIur on the church.
10 charge it with intrusion upon busi
ness aud politics, the fact remains. and
The trutb should be no slur. But even
so. The Tribune is by no means alone
in that The fact Of such intrusion is
so evident, il has been so widely
recocnized, it is so thoroughly demon
strated that the church does iuirude
in business and politics, that it is n
waste OF time and space TO discuss the
matter. The eloquent speech of Elder
Brigham II Roberts, first president Of
the seventies, delivered in the Thcater