| OCR Text |
Show AN ANGRY REPLY. In the Journal of Aug. 22nd appeared an editorial article in which the Salt Lake Herald was criticised for its general tone and policy in respect to the liquor traffic, and particularly in regard to an article which had, a few days previously, appeared in its columns in reference to the efforts of the city government of Logan to bring to justice violators of our prohibitory ordinance. In the Herald of the 25th inst. appears a two-column editorial, in reply to the Journal's remarks. After referring to this paper as a "bucolic contemporary" and its editor as a "cow county journalist" and a "bucolic tripod-straddler," the Herald continues: What has called forth these remarks now is a shameless, abusive and libelous assault on the Herald in the editorial columns of the Utah Journal, a new publication issued from Logan. It makes a news item in the local columns of the Herald, concerning detectives and liquor selling in Logan, the subject for the editorial, and in a column article the writer displays much ill-manner and bad judgment, worse journalism, and employs several falsehoods, no doubt uttered to injure the Herald. The youth and inexperience of the Journal are our only excuse for referring to its slander. Perhaps if it knew better it would have better manners and a higher regard for the truth. We quote some of the Journal man's libels. Here follows a paragraph from the Journal's article in which the statement is made that, on previous occasions, the Herald has published articles "calculated to afford and or comfort or both to whisky men," and that the disbelief of the Herald "in the policy or practicability of prohibition has often been shown in its editorials." The Herald then continues: Perhaps the Herald's past disregard of assaults in the rural press, has emboldened the Journal to go farther in meanness and slander than its contemporaries, and to add falsehood to its ill-mannered attempts at criticism. Now, the Journal's "we" has not noticed in the Herald articles "calculated to afford aid or comfort or both to whisky men," for no such articles have ever appeared in this paper. No newspaper in Utah has been the warmer friend or more consistent and conscientious advocate of the temperance cause than the Salt Lake Herald. If the Journal's editor is acquainted with this paper, as he assumes to be, and is honest, he will acknowledge the truth of this assertion. From the first issue of the Herald it has stood by the temperance cause, it has been owned and conducted by temperance people, and proposes to continue as in the past, the enemy to intemperance. It goes further, and is in favor of prohibition. It would hail with joy the announcement that no more whisky was to be made or sold in Utah. Disregarding, from motives of self-respect, the low language and abusive epithets employed by our esteemed contemporary, we will briefly proceed to support the charges made by the Journal against it. The first charge is that, on previous occasions the Herald has published articles "calculated to afford aid or comfort or both ?? men." We regret that we have not at hand a file of the Herald from which to quote, but so frequently has the Herald done this, that we are able to prove this charge from one of half-a-dozen copies of that paper picked at random from our waste paper pile. In the issue of that paper dated August 17th, 1882, appears a "local," in which a lunch business, run in connection with a saloon, is spoken of and praised in a manner calculated to induce business men, clerks, etc., to visit it. This article is worth to that saloon keeper, merely as an advertisement, at the usual rates of the Herald, about $8, as an editorial endorsement of his institution, it is worth much more to him. In the columns of the Herald are not rare similar "puffs" of saloons. On August 20th the Herald published an editorial paragraph stating that B. Grantz Brown, a prominent politician of Missouri, had "risen to the surface long enough to propose prohibition in that State," and idea which the Herald proceeds to ridicule. If, from a few late copies of that paper picked at random from a waste paper pile, such evidence as this may be found respecting its record as a prohibition journal, which it claims to be, (save the mark!) what proof could be adduced by an examination of a file reaching back a few months? When the prohibitionists of Kansas succeeded in obtaining the legislation they desired, and when Governor St. John took steps to enforce it, the editorials in the Salt Lake Herald were, to say the least, the opposite of congratulatory or complimentary to the prohibitionists. Coming nearer home, during the fight of the city government of Salt Lake city with the saloon-keepers last winter, the Salt Lake Herald cut a poor figure as a prohibition journal. In one instance, there appeared in its columns, an editorial in which sympathy was shown for the saloon men, who, the Herald protested, "had rights that ought to be respected." The article, as we now remember, was in favor of extending the time at which saloons were required to close at night. But we need not go outside of the article we are now noticing, to show up the Herald's prohibition policy. We quote from it: At the same time, it (the Herald) does not believe in the prohibition that does not prohibit. It does not believe ?? ?? prohibition of Logan, where, not long ago, it was said there were eleven places where whisky could be bought, and drunken men reeling through the streets was no uncommon sight. Here is a simple admission (coupled with a libel on our city) that the Herald is not in sympathy with the "prohibition of Logan." It has no encouraging word for our city government in the task it has undertaken, but is ready to heap abuse and contempt upon the officers employed by the city in detecting law breakers. When the Salt Herald ceases to gratuitously advertise saloons; when instead of articles calculated to lead men into them, it publishes warning to the youth to avoid them; when, instead of ridiculing the efforts of prohibitionists, it advocates the enactment and enforcement of temperance laws; when, instead of imparting to its editorials a tone of sympathy for saloon men, it shows up their detestable traffic in all its repulsiveness, it may successfully pose as a temperance journal. But so long as its future course corresponds with its past, it cannot do this. |
