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Show MAYOR BASKIN ENDORSED At the Mass-Meeting of Ministers and Church People. RINCING RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED. Speeches Made by L, K. Hall, Dr. IHfT, Dr. McXIece, Rev. Clay and Others A Spectator Propounds a Question. The ministers and church people had a hot time last night. After considering the matter for several days, they decided to take a hand in the fight brought on through the efforts of Mayor Baskin to keep the saloons closed oa Sunday, and a mass meeting was held at the old Federal Court room in the Wasatch building it night. I The attendance was not large, the crowd numbering less than 300 people, but the enthusiasm en-thusiasm was tremendous. Ex-Councilman L. E. Hall called the meeting to order and nominated Hon. W. F. Colten as chairman. That gentleman was duly elected and on taking the chair remarked that he was in full sympathy with the spirit of the meeting and did not see how any person with children chil-dren growing up here could feel otherwise. Tho object of the meeting, he said, was not to enact new laws, but to see that those already al-ready in the books were enforced. A. I. Groves was elected secretary, and he proceeded to read the following call for the meeting: The undersigned, citizens of Salt Lake city, and heartily in favor of the vigorous enforcement of our municipal laws, hereby invite their fellow-citizens who are legal voters vo-ters and who are in sympathy with tin: law-ejiforcing law-ejiforcing policy of our worthy mayor and chief of police, to join in a citizens' meeting meet-ing on Monday evening, August 1, &t 8 o'clock, in Wasatch hall, (formerly federal court room,) to take such steps as patriotism and duty may require in backing up our city governinenS in the work of enforcing the laws aarainst gambling and the illegal liquor traffic. L. E. Hall was the first speaker, and he said that he had a family here, and when he weut abroad, he wanted to feel a pride in the fact that he came from Salt Lake. .Mr. Hall then said that pressure had been bro'ught against the mayor to break him down, and the purpose of this meeting was to held up his bauds. He cared not what party his listeners belonged to. They were ail equal before the law. Heretofore it eemed that prior to elections, alliances had been formed by which the laws were not to be enforced. Men who went into office with strings attached to tbem were the worst eu-emies eu-emies of the city. "As for me," said the ex-councilman. ex-councilman. "I cherish the institutions of our the city council that it is just in proportion that as they are active and united in enforcing enforc-ing the laws they can secure the confidence and support of law abiding citizens. Jtcsolved, That we hereby appeal to the city council to revoke the license of any saloon keeper who violates the statutes by selling liquor to those of illegal age and by keeping open on Sunday. liesohvd. That we call upon the members of the city council as our representatives to be prompt in using the resources of the city in the defense of any municipal officer who is involved in litigation as the result of performing per-forming his sworn duty to the government and the people. Robert Short, the proprietor of a Main street saloon, and who introduced himself as an itinerant vender of distilled damnations arose and 6aid that he would be with his brothers. As to the saloon men, he said: "We are first-class citizens and fort-most in the observance of the law. All that I say is that, as a tirst-class rum-seller, we ask pro- tection; that, if one closes his place, all shall close theirs. I have been here for five years, aud when they say close I close. I am one of those vile venders of distilled damnation. I am one of those men who pay a day to sell looze that is the news-papers' news-papers' way of calling it. All I want is a square deal. If you close all, I am with you." Rev. Mr. Earl took occasion to assure the gentleman that his chances for closinsr were excellent. lie then went 01 to tell of the desolation wrought by rum. "Now we want the city council to abide by their oaths they have taken, and we ask the police judge that he fill his office without fear or favor, and he will go down to his grave with the best feelings and well wishes of this community, com-munity, whether he is appointed for a second term or not." Rev. B. F. Clay, of the Central Christian church, was the next to place himself in record. He called upon those present to say that they would stand by the officers in their efforts to enforce the law. "So help me God," said the speaker, "I will never help a man back to office who has betrayed his trust, for I cannot do so without becoming becom-ing partner of his crime. Applause.) Even the calling of this meeting has had its good effects. We cannot afford for the good reputation rep-utation and character of this city, to allow anything of this kind. All we ask is the enforcement of law and these men will come to see that it is better for their reputation to obey the law." A man in the bak part of the hall here aroe and submitted a question which simply stunned the assembled reverends. It was: "What are you going to do with the two biggest gambling houses and whisky shops in this cit3" the Alta and Union clubs V' io one could answer the question, and it was passed in silence. Scot' Anderson, a well-known temperance speaker, then delivered a stirring address, in which he paid tribute to Mayor Scott's backbone, back-bone, and criticised the council. He wanted forefathers. Which is the poor man's day? For us who must go to our work before our 1 wives and children are up, I thank the forefathers fore-fathers who placed on the statue book of this city an ordinance which should keep this day inviolate. So long as the city gives these men a license on six days we hold our peace, even though so many poor men spend their earnings aud rob their Ifamilies. We hold our peace; but when these men say that six days are not enough, and in violation viola-tion of w hat we say is best for society, we say that they should be viewed as criminals and treated as such. Not as they are at ' present treated, lightly ; but as if their crime was a henious one, and that the penalty be made adequate to the suppression of the evil. "We have votes too, as well as the saloon I keepers, and propose to be vigilant in the assertion as-sertion of our rights. I feel that we have placed sentinals along the laws to see that they are not broken. Let it be known that Salt Lake City is a place where gambling can be conducted up stairs or on the street, and how soon it will be before the city wiil be thronged with gamblers? 1 wish that there was not a gambling den in town. I fear that one of these houses on Franklin avenue ave-nue may undo for life all that my w ife has done for our children. The only way to suppress crime is to keep after it. I know that the mayor and chief of police are doing their duty, but it is easier to do your duty when you know that good men sanction your action." At the conclusion of Mr. Hall's address, Dr. McNiece arose and moved that a committee com-mittee on resolutions be appointed. The motion was carried and the chair named L. C. Crossman, Dr. Iliff and W. C. Lyue, w ho reported the following resolutions: Whereas, The. present city government was placed in powerlby a party which was organized for the expressed purpose of the enforcement of law and order. Whereas, There is a strong tendency to 6et at defiance at this present time some of our most important municipal laws, we join in the adoption of the following resolutions: Rsolved, That we hereby express our hearty approval and appreciation of the brave and faithful efforts of Mayor Baskia and Captain Samuel Paul and such members mem-bers of the city council with them in securing secur-ing the enforcement of the laws atrainst gambling, social immorality and the illegal traffic in liquor; that we pledge for them our warmest support in their noble work of securing for us a well governed city in whose reputation we can take great pride. Bisvhfil, That we hereby call upon members mem-bers of the city council to do their duty, by so doing using the power lodged in their possession to strengthen the hands of tho mayor and the chief of police in the work of enforcing the laws and to this end we call upon the council to remove from the important impor-tant position of police justice, a man who virtually offers a premium to law breakers through the imposition of such trifling fines as to make his administration of justice a public farce. Jirxolved, That we remind the members of to see 6aloon men who violated the law wear stripes. Dr. McNiece coincided with Mr. Anderson. The liberals had no excuse for not standing by Paul and Baskin. "We have men in the mayor's office and at the head of the police force who are antagonized antag-onized by members of the city council. When a member of the saloon power comes here and says he is in favor of closing the saloons on Sunday, I think the members of the city council should be ashamed of themselves. them-selves. What a farce it is to have men arrested ar-rested and have a petty little puny tine of S5 I will not take my words back because I see the police justice here," exclaimed the doctor. '1 want to say here that I will endeavor to bury any party beyond the pale of resurrection resurrec-tion if it tries to perpetuate itself in power by allying itself with the liquor element." It was decided to present the resolutions previously reported to the city council tonight. to-night. Dr. Iliff was the last speaker and he took occasion to remind his hearers that he was an American citizen before he was a minister, minis-ter, "and." he continued, "so far as convictions convic-tions go I feel that it is my duty to break with the party I was aligned with. I will be slow to believe that this party in its leadership leader-ship wants to go in with the worst interests of this city. Only two years ago we said that the liberal party can render odious those who live by the violation of the law; to uphold virtue aud charity. That is the doctrine that I was willing to stand by, aud I cannot any longer as a Christian citizen be held by it unless it holds by its origiual de-claraiions. de-claraiions. The tight is on. And it looks as if every citizen of Salt Lake should stand by God and home and country forever." The meeting then adjourned. |