The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-13
THEIR CRIMINAL POLITICS.

malignant and disreputable political us,
that 1T is making of the Dewey murder
case. Dewey shot Sergeant Johnston OF
the police force, and after Johnston Z
death the arraignment of Dewey pro
ceeded. The Smoot paper originated
the claim that the police refused to bt
responsible for Dewey's safety if he
could only be voiced by the Chief OF
! Police, Mr.. Barlow, and he emphati
cally denies that he has ever said any
thing of the kind. or entertained any
such idea. The Deseret News, true tc
its keen scent for malignant false
hood, took up the Smoot papers state
ment, and made an editorial of it, go
ing further, even suggesting the idea
that there might be danger of Dewey
being lynched.
All this Misrepresentation and ira
ducing of the city grew out Of au alb
solutely false statement, malicious
imputation against the police that had
no foundation whatever in fact Chief
Barlow has no idea that there IS to be
q lynching of Dewey; he has no fear
but that the police can fully safeguard
their prisoner; nor does he believe for
| one moment that tie people of this
city are so savage that they would get
| up mob to kill Dewey.
The suggestions made, first by the
Smoot paper and emphasized and en-
larged upon by the Deseret News, are
simply indictments to riot and lynch
ing; they come utterly unprovoked.
There is no feeling in favor of lynching
In this city; no one is suggesting 1T, no
one but would do whatever is possible
to suppress the mob or the lynch spirit
1t is indeed amazing that the oppo
sition press, apparently for nothing
but dirty political effect, would get
up a scare of this kind, direct insult
to the good name of the city, and a
warning to the Nation that Salt Lake
City is in a dangerous state of commo-
ton, which is liable to break forth in
mob violence. There is absolutely
nothing of the kind here, there is no
such feeling, there is no one contem-
plating any such breach of the law,
and there will not be unless
the opposition press, for political pur
poses, raises the feeling. There is no
danger but that the courts here will be
able, fully and fairly, to deal with
Dewey's case. There is no imputation
that the courts are liable to favor
Dewey, or that jury cannot be found
here of sufficient regard for the law
and for civilization to render a just
verdict in his case.
An old saying is, that cit is an Ill
bird that fouls its own nest And
yet the opposition press is apparently
willing TO give Salt Lake the blackest
kind of black name, simply that it
may stir up feeling against the police
of Salt Lake City as being, not only
inefficient, but unable TO perform the
plainest part of its plain duty. That
press has succeeded in flooding this
city with toughs and outlaws by a
long-continued series of articles direct
ly calculated to invite that class of
criminals to this city. The Smoot or
gan and the chief church organ have
been insistent for years that the Salt
Lake police force is not only ineffi-
cieut, but corrupt They have both
persisted in representing Salt Lake
City as a paradise for thugs, thieves,
and murderers. where the lawless cap
pursue their evil ways practically un
molested, and where such police vigi-
lance as is in evidence at all is only in
evidence for the purpose of being
bought off. That has been for many
years the tone and the active repre-.
sentations of both those papers with
respect to Salt Lake IS police force 1t
is inevitable that that sort of thing
must have its effect in time, and un-
doubtedly because Of it Salt Lake City
has been an attraction TO large num-
bers of lawless characters.
1t is true that the police force has
been effective in sending large num-
Der Of desperadoes to jail, and has
made it so hot for the most of them
the city. But the evil lesson incuIcated
by the organs indicated is still being
inculcated by them, and still the in
vitation through their columns con
stantly is for thieves, toughs and mur.
derers to come to Salt Lake, where
they can ply their criminal activities
without molestation further than pay
ing some money for immunity. The
deep disgrace and disreputable charac.
ter Of all this sort of teaching is, Of
course, evident. Salt Lake City has
suffered from it in the past, and is |
suffering from it now. Those who do
this evil service to Salt Lake are enc
mics to the city, despoilers of its fair
name, and should be held in detestation
by every good citizen here. Their work
is evil, their purpose is destructive, if
not criminal. and their work is ma.
hcious and false throughout.