The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-16
THE IDEAL CITY,
IS OWE OF MORALS
Pastor Advocates General
Observance of Sabbath as
Sacred to Rest.

While not bringing spccia accusation
A. Belts al the First Methodist Episcopa
church last night contcnded that thcr
should be here greater faithfulness In en
forcement OF moral ordinances and par
ticularly more strict and widespread 90
seryance OF the Sabbath as sacred da!
of rest. Upon these things depends "th
ideal CITY," said Mr.. Belts. whose addres
was in part As follows;
One Of the most conspicuous and
vital problems that confront us In
this generate is the problem OF me
city The growth of the cities OF this
ma ation during the past century has
been unparalleled. FiguratlVcly
speaking. IL was but yesterday that
We crossed the broad, expansive
prairics of the middle west, scaled The
granite vertcbra of the continent and
blazed Il pathway through Saseorush
and barren desert OF the western
slope, and all wc saw WAS devasta-
ton and ruin, but today that same
pathway Is adorned with blooming or
chards. splendid farms, together with
many beautiful and thriving cities
that pulsate with energy and life
Our people have shown such prefer
encc for city life that the exodus from
the country has assumed such propor-
tlons that during the past century
America has given birth to more than
500 cities.
1t Is in the great city that you hnd
humanity at It's best and at It's worst
Our ideals regarding the city seem
to have been circumscribcd by the
largeness Of it's population and the
volume OF Its income. and herein lies
the source from which arises the most
veXing problems OF our city life.
Broad. well paved streets, beautiful
parks. elegant shade trees, commod-
ious hotels. massive business blocks.
handsome boulevards, palatial homes.
creditablc public buildings and vast
commercial resources do not make
a city. A city Is made by the peo-
pie who comprise its citizenship. A
river cannot rise above its source and
the city cannot rise above the moral
standards OF those who represent Its
official life.
One stepping stone toward an ideal
city is that among It's citizenship
there exists spirit of brotherhood.
The besetting sin of the city is sell
fshncss, II is here more than else
where that we hear the question, 'Am
l my brothers. Keeper
This sefiShnesS Is represented by
the word competition. Do not misun-
derstand me-I most heartily believe
in a fair, honest competition in all
lines OF business and professional life
but / fear that in these days the law
of competition has been translated
into the law Of selflshness and in the
struggle for commercial supremacy
IT would seem that success is meas
ured by our ability to push the other
man aside and make our triumph out
of his failure. If our Lord were to
come 10 this city tomorrow and COM
menCe to preach the Golden Rule,
would he be heard or would his mes
sage he lost amidst the din Of clang-
ing bells and the incessant roar OF
traffic?
Another stepping stone toward an
ideal city is that its government
shall guard Its moral standards and
enforce its laws.
We hear q great deal in these days
about the liberal Interpretation OF law
and q widc-opcn policy in city life
being essential 10 its success. This
theory is ali right. except that II is
The wideopen theory dates back TO
the beginning when Cain built city
and ran IT on tho wideoDen policy.
and from that hour the curse of God
has rested upon the policy. and any
city that has followed II has paid the
price in the purity, virtue and lives
of its sons and daughters
The whole theory of q wide open
policy is TO disregard law and de-
ceDcy, officials Of such a municipal
jty put themselves In collusIon with
lawbreakers and if protest be made
they calmly ask, what are you going
to do about il?
bring no railing accusat ton against
Zion, but the fact remains that no
thouShttul person can he blind to the
common violations OF law that are in
evidence every day.
Have we any law regarding sa-
cred day OF rest? Then why are men
permitted to prosecute the city's work
on the Sabbath and places of amuse-
ment to run full blast in open viola
tjon to law?
Have We law regarding the NOR
ality Of the municipality? Then why
are places OF unsavory reputation and
iniquitous practices not suppressed?
I do not attempt to place the per-
sonal responsibility for these viola
tions OF law. but I do undertake to
say that every lover OF decency should
move in solid phalanX to close every
disreputable dive and to have such a
municipal houseceaning that q fail
ure To enforce law Will mean retire
ment from office and viola ton OF
law will mean n swift visitation OF
Its penalty.