The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-08-13
IT'S DEGRADATION COMPLETE.


The Srnoot organ through its habit
of consorting with and depending
upon crooks. toughs, felons. and Grim
inals Of every degree, has again fal
len into the Shiny pit Of degrade
ton, and has reached a lower depth
of discontinue than ever before. Ever
since the escape of Parry from the
penitentiary il has been blatant IN
assailing Warden Pratt this, as it
now turns ont, upon the unsupported
word of guard whom the State
Board Of Correction has found 60 be
guilty Of conspiring with and aiding
the escape of the convict fclon
whose offense is so gross and SO
revolving that even the hardened sen
sibilities of the Smoot organ rails at
him.
And vet it was willing for political
purposes. through it's malignant ami
mosities, TO assail the character, Off
cial standing, and competence of
Warden Pratt, a man born IN Utah,
whose life is an open book to all of
the residents of this city, and who has
conducted himself with singular good
Judgment and propriety, as well as
official success, in record Of dealing
with criminals for some forty years.
This long and successful record counted
for nothing with the Smoot organ,
when it concluded to open the vials
Of lis political wrath upon Warden
Pratt TO crafty its partisan animosi-
ties No more signal example of
perverted partisanship could be cited
than that vile campaign against War
den Pratt
But any effort of the criminal ele-
ment, guided by information from
that element. is welcomed and its cam
paigr is carried in the columns of the
Smoot organ. For years that organ
has made itself the mouthpiece Of the
criminal element, Crooks, tougbs,
and criminals of every degree, have
been made aware that by applying
10 that organ they .could have their
defense put before the public and
their animosities aired against the
officers Of the peace and Of the law.
II has constantly filed its columns
with vitupcratiou against the police,
against the lawful guardians Of the
public peace and order. 1t has,
wherever it could do so, discredited
the personalities, the acts and the mo.
tIves Of the peace officers. It has
distinctly aligned itself with the Grim
inal classes against the guardians Of
public morals, and in opposition to the
allotted means for public protection
and stability. No depths have been SO
low that the Smoot organ was not
willing TO descend TO those depths
whenever it thought it could make
point against the officers Of the law
1t has not only taken the false state
mcnts Of criminals Of every degree
and urged them against the pro
teetors Of the public peace, but it has
invented malicious aud false state
mcuts OF its own TO support william
Gus accusations by the criminal classes
of which il made itself the mouth
piece
II has been covered with confusion
tune after time by the exposure OF
fabricatioBs which it has made cur
rent by publicity and yet seems
never TO he able 10 sense the degraded
position in which it places itself by
this malicious and dcpravcd course
No sooner does it dig itself out from
the slime of the pit into which it has
fallen than it eagerly scizes upon any
fresh sensation in villainy whereby
il hopes 10 find ground upon which
it can assail the management Of the
penitcntiarv or the police Of this city
1t has n reservoir of malignant abus,
and meDdacity which it taps on every
possible occasion, and makes itself the
| sewer through which the filth of tha
| reservoir is let loose upon the com
muuity. II has no respect for public
propriety. no consideration for per
sonal feelings, no regard for Ions
efficiency and honorable service. Non,
of these things will stay the viciou.
course Of that organ, in thus floodiu!
the community with its accumulation
of vicious corruption and malignant
mendacity-
The present case, however. where it
special agent, the guard Merrill, i
found by the State Board of Correc
tion to be the chief culprit in thc
escape OF Parry is the most con
spicuous of the offenses against ordel
and deceney and public welfare OF
which even that malignant organ ha:
been convicted. It's overthrow is
| complete, and it has so far committed
itself in the cause of injustice, Grim
inality- malice, and malignant false
| hood, that it would be impossible fol