The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-05
OPPOSED TO THE LIQUOR BILL

| VI \ WILL ~ 1L1o 1iISoSn o1hb
For once we are obliged to give credit
to the Smoot organ for an approxima te
ly fair statement of The Tribune s posi-
ton. Yesterday morning it said that
'tIt is public knowledge that The Tri.
bune opposed by every means in its
power the law which makes this liquor
election possible, and accused the Fed
| eral bunch of jamming it through the
Legislature.
1t is true that The Tribune opposed
the enactment of the Federal bunch
liquor bill. We did that on good grounds
as stated; first OF all, that such legis-
lation was absolutely needless to at
tain the purpose which was pretend
edly sought; for under the laws that
existed before and the Interpretation
of the Supreme Court of the State, the
liquor question was absolutely settled,
aud settled precisely as this liquor law
proposes to settle it, every community
having its choice of liquor or no liquor,
without going through the expense, con-
tention, and bitterness of a special
campaign, After IT is all over. ard the
people have voted on the liquor oues,
tion, the manufacture and sale OF liq~
nor Will doubtless be precisely as be,
fore. So what will have been gained
TO compensate for all the expense, bit.
tcrness of feeling, and uproar through,
out the State9
Another reason why we opposed this
liquor legislation is because it under
takes to make the courts the admin.
istrators of the law, as well as the in
terpreters of it; to make the Judges
the executive force in control and su-
pervision OF the liquor traffic, and at
the same time the judges of any ques.
tion which may arise through the ex,
ercise of their executive functions to-
wards saloons. Since the law inextri
cably entwincs the judicial and exec
utive duties arising out of the saloon
business, confiding them all to the
Judges of the courts, we hold that this
was most unwise, and would probably
be pronounced unconstitutional.
We also oppose the enactment Of this
liquor legislation, because it reopens
the whole question for prolonged Iiti-
cation, which will keep the State
wrought up to pitch of angry feel.
ing, will necessitate the expenditure of
tens of thousands Of dollars in elections
and litigation, and for years we shall
not know the legal status of the liquor
question in this State. Everything will
be unsettled, there will be uncertainty
and turmoil everywhere within the
boundaries Of Utah
For these reasons, which we held at
the time to be sufficient, and hold now
to be ample, we opposed the enactment
OF tins liquor law, 1t was unwise in
every way; it creates disturbance
throughout the State which is wholly
unnecessary, and it causes bitterness of
feeling between neighbors that could
Just as well have been avoided by Ieav-
ms the status as it was, which status
this law absolutely unsettled, while pre-
tending to aim at the exact conditions
that in fact existed
The law having been enacted by the
Federal bunch in spite of all protests,
snd i'll spite of the evils and disad.
vanSages certain to ensue upon its en-
actment, The Tribune blames the Fed.
eral bunch for Its meddlesome and high
handed action in forcing the passage
of this liquor law. We hold that the
Federal bunch showed itself to be an
enemy of the people Of this State in
forcing the passage of this law, and
we are OF the opinion that, before many
months, that bunch will be in sackcloth
and ashes, by reason of its own reck-
less imprudence in throwing fire.
brand into inflammable matter that
was qulescent and easy to handle as
long as IT was not set afire