The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-18
SMOOT ORGAN FAISITIES.

If it is a source of comfort or is in
the least matter Of satisfaction to the
Smoot organ to be continuing lying
about The Tribune, of course there is
no objection to its pursuing that course
right along as it habitually does AT
the same time, we do not fail TO enter
protest from time 20 time against its
obvious and scandalous misrepresenta,
tions
An instance in point is the leading
editorial in the Smoot paper yester-
day morning, in which it held that the
position of The Tribune as TO the new
liquor bill ought to commend that
measure to the public, and specifically
stated two points in which it claims
The Tribune was in error and repro
baton. First, that we oppose the plac-
ing Of the handling of liquor licenses
in the district courts for the reason
that this would take the saloons out Of
politics. The very reverse is true. Our
objection to that point of the law is,
first that it makes the courts admins
traitors of the law and then pass judic
tally on their own acts, thus mingling
two separate governmental functions;
and second, that it would compel the sa
looms TO extend their activities in
politics to the judicial elections, and
that the inevitable result would be that
Judges would be elected more or less
Eventually more) with reference to
their complaisance toward the saloons
than on any other issue, The saloon
very active in the election of Judges,
in order to get Judges that will be
easy on the saloons. This is such a
self-cvident proposition that any one
who wishes to look at il with unblind
ed eyes can see the point at once; and
in practical proof of this position we
cited the letter Of the Rev. Ward Win
ter Reese, Rector of st. Paul's, who
is Just from Pennsylvania, and who
says that this evil way IS precisely the
manner that the handling of saloon
licenses by the courts Of Pennsylvania
works in that State. The saloons are
especially active i'll the judicial cleo
tions there, seeing to it that candidates
are named by the different parties,
and that judges are elected with refer
ence to their prospective action,
whether liberal or otherwise, towards
the saloon interests. Our objection to
this part of the law, therefore, is not
that it would take the saloon out of
politics, but that it would put it fur
ther and more opprobriously in.
For a second cause of offense the
organ says that The Tribune wished to
deprive the different communities of
the State of the liberty Of deciding
each for itself whether or not liquor
shall be sold in it, But the truth is,
that this has been the precise condi
tion of the law with respect to that
all along, without any further legisIa-
tion; and since The Tribune has CON
tinuously and consistently urged that
there was no need of legislation on this
point, since we already have what it
is proposed to grant, we are impelled to
say with respect to this arraignment
of The Tribune on this point, that it
is such a piece OF pucrility. that it is
astonishing to see it put forth.
Still, since it is evident that the
Smoot organ is determined to persist
emily show its stupid and twisted ma
lignity towards The Tribune, and since
it cannot get any basis upon which that
malignity can be shown, except through
misrepresentation and sheer falsehood,
we may congratulate ourselves that the
hatred of that organ is baffled hate,
and one that we can well afford to see
expended from time to time in the
vicious and mendacious forms in which
it constantly appears.