Show oi ENFORCING LOCAL LAW in the of june 28 appo till a from a cn cs in Ilich mond y li officers there for permit ing a swindling game of chance to ho openly i conducted in the presence of a large crowd gathered around a circus alic ci as by pur correspondent certainly indicated a dereliction of duty on alio llio part of the police officers unless facts of n mitigating ictor can be always willing to give both sides a fair hearing we cheerfully give place to alic following communication aril tan by one officers of richmond Kich mond lo oscr vargos on the circus recently passed ilcia valley I 1 notice that lie alvo ot some 0 the gone with on the outside and it alic acts anre as lie inlet bliem and was more in the saip performers business than diio covered kwas 1 aa ii citizen to anlo a complaint winlas a claf officer 1 have acted oa it to law but us I 1 did notice game anil was not lu ormid ot it until the circus wn out ol 01 hie territory I 1 do not ECO how I 1 could nave acted iu the matter now I 1 do not claim htiu alie ginno virgo 0 did not take place but I 1 do claim titre would be more consistency n to the liaw llian in fault with abe it an officer saw llie and larule at him oo liag at lii eliat was very lucli to lint it the bian had simply a license to sail soap and was a game ut clience cli ince virgo it lie alie sli as a good hinc gone to the city justice and had 1 warrant issued or the arrest but ibis he did not do and it would not be possible to airest the complaint bonx july virgos complaint against alie oali cars was based on the fact as lie understood der stood it that one or more of bliem knew that the swindling game was m progress and yet did not interfere with it we do pot care to pay any further attention to the details or merits of this controversy between mr gooch and virgo but we will make it alie occasion for a few remarks of a general character upon the subject to which it relates a citizen complains that the officers have not their duty in arresting offenders nothing is more common chaa for the officers ceis to retort to the citizen if you knew the law was being violated eliy you enter a coin r f ma off fend the system of local and municipal government iu this territory does rot contemplate that alio llio citizen shall talie abe initiative in bringing to justice violators of the law the of the law arc expected to do that we have sheriffs constables city marshals and policemen not with the understanding that they will remain inactive until some citizen whose rights ha c been violated institutes n prosecution against the offender but the understanding that these officers will act as alie faithful guardians of abe rights and peace ef all citizens and 1 and without any unnecessary delay in bringing offenders to justice if an is not a personal witness of the commission of an and yet has reliable information that au has been committed coupled with good reason for believing that the offender can be caught and punished he should forthwith institute the prosecution himself and nol wait for a citizen to do it in cuili a case he makes affidavit on information and belief charging the ottense otTen sc etc if an officer is ft personal witness of any breach of law or has reason to that a of law has just been committed he may the known or supposed offender the liling of a complaint or the issuing of n warrant in the salt lake police court half the lc ire brought before the court without warrant the amply bolting molting a com plaint oath against them at ilni lime of the hearing the substance of accusation is entered on the docket of course citizens ought to aid and operate cooperate co with alic officers in enforcing the law and give them scicli information as will further tc ends of justice they ought also to remember eliat cannot be present nor know everything that i going on eliat the citizen his a duty to in the maintenance of law as well as h n c the s iset as a rule the wd not alie citizen lake the lead in executing justice |