Show WHO ARE responsible IT is notorious that since ogden city has haa passed into so tailed clib liberal control gambling and prost prostitution have been permitted to flourish there unchecked and that even anthe on the sabbath day places where the laws were openly violated violate d have been free to all comers without dan her of punishment this be became came such a public scandal and the failure of the municipal authorities to oven attempt the enforcement of the ordinances provided in such cases was so palpable that judge henderson deemed it necessary to charge the grand jury of the first district specially in rela relation tiou to these pu public we evils but it seems that the grand jury were not more strongly disposed than the civic officials to proceed against these offenses on may 13 the court was informed by the assistant prosecuting attorney that with the exception of a few cases where witnesses had not dot been found and they wished instructions as to adjournment the following colloquy then ensued as reported in the ogden standard court has the jury investigated the matters I 1 called especial attention to mr evans avani in one case they have but not in the other as they have been unable to obtain any testimony the judge then stated that if they could receive no assistance from the public they could not do it alone assistance from the public was absolutely ne necessary m he e desired to know if thre the p public ab ral c had been made sufficiently acquainted with the fact that they were ready to investigate vesti gate these matters mr evans stated that he thought so though the grand jury had not been in session very long the work at this session had been lighter than that of any previous jury the judge thought it best to discharge the ju jury subject to call of the foreman dihe the day for calling them together again could be determined and subpoenas if there were any returned on that day if at that time further complaint had been made and a willingness was manifested by the public to come be bowin fore the jury ury showing they were interested in the punishment of crime the matter would again be called to the attention of the jury it would not be dropped but the court had to depend on the public tor for assistance they could do nothing unless evidence was forthcoming on the subject after some further talk the jury was discharged until june 11 this appears to us a very shallow attempt to shift the responsibility for the enforcement non of the laws against gambling and prostitution from the shoulders of the officers to those of the public Is it to be expected that there will be a general rush of private citizens to appear before the grand jury and volunteer information on these important matters does judge henderson mean to say that the fault for this negligence lies iles with the people who are under no special obligation in regard to the matter and that officers chosen paid and sworn to execute the laws are faultless what are the police for what the officers of the court what is the duty of 04 the prosecuting attorney and his assistants what about the marshal and his staff of deputies does judge henderson mean to say that private citizens are to be censured be because musette the grand jury have not pushed this matter and because the officers appointed to attend to such things have not brought cases before the attention of that body why blame the pub lie and utter no word of reproof to the dilatory officials suppose there were no cases of infraction of the edmunds law by I 1 mormons cormons Mor mons presented to the grand jury whom would the court blame then does the judge wish attorneys mars marshals bals grand juries spies informers and court attaches generally we are only sy for the purpose of hunting out and punishing mormons cormons Mor mons who have contracted or who maintain marriage relations which are condemned by statute are they to be the sole prey of the fee a grabbers the only objects of official espionage the sine qua non of forensic eloquence and punitive zeal if the desire to suppress the gross and notorious crimes that are now flaunted in the junction city is genuine why are not the responsible of officers been of the law instead of the irresponsible public censured f for or the negligence which Is painfully apparent when have the federal courts of utah been earnest in the enforcement of the laws against the social evil Is it not a fact that but for them in earlier times that curse of so called civilization would J never have been permitted to ob 1 tain a foothold in this territory it is but a little while since the same officers and court that pur sued illegally with multiplied indictments and penalties men who were doing their best to comply with a law which was almost impossible to obey in the spirit in which it was construed and administered turned loose without penalty of reproof a crowd of vile lechers lechars who ji j w q were caught in ila thelt their filthiness anu and s were so certainly guilty that the proofs of their crimes were ab solute and undeniable tt the courts have since been purged of those unjust revengeful and crime condoning officials and W wi may reasonably look for better things but it is not an encouraging A I 1 sign when neglect to enforce stat utes and ordinances against known g infractions of law and decency to s judicially charged upon private is in divi duals instead of those public officials whose positive duty it to is to j see that the laws are enforced nevertheless those citizens who can give such information alth either er y to the grand jury or the executive officers as is necessary to tha tb suppression of the evils complained of should be ready to do their part when called upon that no excuse h may be left for their continuance al 0 yet if the officers of the law in 01 og den are sincere in their endeavors to suppress the crimes spoken of by the court they will be able to procure the needful evidence if they use but a tithe of the diligence ex excised in pursuing suspected mor mons mono f |