The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-11
A SPECIAL, pLEADER FOE CROOKS

For certain geographical reasons
this city will always have an unfair
proportion Of thieves and confidence
men. They infest every tourist center
of the civilized world, have their or
! ganizations and local affiliations, and
come and go until it is not always an
easy matter to keep track Of them.
The Deseret News has no explanation
to offer as to why there are as many
crimes committed and criminals at
large under a nonpartisan administra-
tion as there were under the American
party administration. Partisan preiu-
dice impelled it to condemn without
reason in one instance aud to condone
without explanation in the other.
But the Smoot organ, with hypocrit-
ical horror, affects to be greatly
grieved over the situation. Yesterday
| il said:
| We do not pretend to know whether
accelerated police activity would go to
| the root OF the matter for expert opin-
| ions concerning that we must look TO
tho experienced sleuths who are manag-
Ing the police department. We do know,
however, that robberies are OF nightly
occurrence In many sections OF the city,
that women are being insulted under the
glarins sun OF midday in prominent city
story workers, bunco steerers and conf
dence men are having a field day in Salt
Lake without apparent interference from
those whose duty II is 10 protect the
lives and property OF citizens.
The same old cry that robbers and
and an invitation TO them to come rob,
and be safe. AS matter of fact, aside
from questions Of travel and geog-
raphy, there are other and potent rea-
sons why Salt Lake is Mecca for
thieves and thugs, for pool room conf
dence men, and crooks of every class.
In all probability this is the only city
in the United States where crooks can
make political issues Of themselves;
where highwaymen can ill party or
gan with columns Of complaints
against representatives of law and or
der; where burglars caught red-handed
can arraign police department and
secure its investigation on vicious and
contradictory charges; where every
criminal who graduates from the city
Jail TO the county Jail finds glad hand
extended for an interview alleging bru-
tality or dishonesty against the police;
where every malcdiction pronounced
on arrcsting officers by arrested thieves
is echoed and rehashed in headlines
and editorials, to the glory and delight
Of the lawbreakers and to the injury
and hindrance Of the police.
20 h.
bird which compares with this noto-
riety7 Where else can he so nearly
get the Government behind him as
when the personal organ Of U. s.
Senator espouses his cause, shares his
animosity, and makes common warfare
with him upon the natural objects Of
his batred9 Where else may such
chance be found to occupy the center
of the stage in the role of martyr,
with the spotlight Of journalistic SYM
pathy turned On, full force! why
shouldn't criminals flock to the only
city in the world where such friendli-
ness and glory await tbem7
Then there is another reason why
confidence men who live on rural race
horse fanciers infest Salt Lake. In no
other county Of the United States con-
tanning a large and prosperous city,
have the county authorities licensed
and legalized an outfit which sells
pools on horse races. The city has
strict ordinance providing severe pen
alties against this form Of swindllng;
but It's effect is ncutrahzcd by the ex
istence Of a pool room operating just
outside OF the city limits, under the
protection Of the county authorities.
The police Of Salt Lake may be the
best available men for such work, or
they may not be. That is a question
for the commissioners to decide. But
the public may be assured that officers
who are hampercd in their work by
peanut politicians, who are subjected
to sneers and insinuatIons when they
fail, and TO slanders and investigation
when they make arrests, cannot pro-
ducc the results expected Of them for
the $s5 per month which they receive,
whether they are acting under par
tisan or bipartisan administration.
It is in the worst taste for news
paper which lionizes crooks, and ma
ligns policemen, to marvel at the au
dacity Of the former. and to gloat over
the difficulties of the latter. If it
were not for their sympathizcrs and
admirers, their aidcrs and abettors,
their political beneGciares and the le
gal harpies who follow the patrol wag
home in Salt Lake City than they do
elsewhere. However, some people seem
to have a natural antipathy TO officers
of the law, and natural leaning to-
ward the crook side.