| Show THE MOVEMENT FOR LAW ORDER AND MORALITY THE citizens meeting hold held in the first M E church on monday dec 29 was a significant occasion its object was laudable from every standpoint A large larae body of reputable people assembled to express warm alarm at the appalling rate at which crime immorality and corruption have increased in salt lake during the last few months the citizens met to express their detestation of the situation and to formulate a demand upon the city government that thai its officers shall enforce the laws lava in order to produce a social rectification the speeches as a rule we were telling and spirited and the statements in reference to the shortcomings of the officials were refreshingly frank some gome of the remarks were not in unison with the general character of f the call for the gathering neither were the resolutions when first presented but the pro bounced sentiment of the great bulk of the assemblage was unmistakably generous and broad this was manifested at once by the alaa alacrity rity with which the resolutions were by amendment almost entirely cleared of their originally sectional or contracted aspect the meeting was mostly composed corn posed of citizens belonging to the ellb liberal party the reason for this was that the committee only sent the can call for the meeting to one newspaper the chief liberal organ and it was published only on the morning of the day on which the citizens were invited to meet and again the same evening in this journal A special invitation was received at this office from the committee the people who gathered were a fine audience the occasion drew together a goodly representation of the respectable and moral element of the community the turbulent depraved and vicious could have no inducement to participate in such a movement or to be present except to obstruct its laudable object the purpose of that gathering was such that in furthering ite its attainment all good men and women of every class and every shade of opinion could afford to be brothers and slaters sisters the intent embodies a common cause the suppression of vice and the elevation af pf mori morality lity one of the speakers mr gregg expressing himself from the standpoint of a liberal and not from that of simply a citizen asserted that al in calling this meeting his party could not possibly have placed in the hands bands of their political opponents a heavier club this is doubtless true but he is not a magnanimous nani nant antagonist who would use such a weapon indiscriminately it might be properly used for purposes of defense but only extraordinary circumstances would I 1 justify its ite application for purposes of attack and in any case it would not be used against the class who were were participants in and in sympathy with the proceedings of monday nights gathering but there should be no objection to its use I 1 in a the demolition of existing corrupt corruptions ions in the city government and against the crimes upon society now so prevalent as to cause the most serious alarm to every good citizen we wish it distinctly understood that the object of that meeting is not one that cau oe ne treated from a sectional or part partisan izan standpoint any more than its interest can be narrowed down to any class of respectable people it is this narrow sectional hate which some unfortunate people permit themselves to be imbued with which spoils everything and Is one of the causes of encouragement given to the very condition of lawlessness that is deplored the decree of that small sentiment exhibited at the gathering of monday night was the only element that marred the beauty and consistency of the occasion we emphatically assert that what there was of it was opposed to the genius of the assembly as a whole this fact was made perfectly clear on monday night especially toward the close of the proceedings of the meeting one of the leading points to be considered now is the responsibility for the numerous dens of vice the lawlessness and enforcement non of the laws which now disgrace our beautiful city and expose its good people to danger attempts have been made to fasten it upon some particular branch of the government we believe that this is improper and that the whole machinery to is out of gear it requires cleaning oiling and setting in shape it will won roon be discovered that an expression of popular sentiment will not alone suffice to produce a reformation because the government has already set at de defiance flance in reference to the financial burdens it has imposed on the people this fact is on record and we can res it if required judge wampler was right when he favored dennite action on the part of the people indeed in order to show the contempt iu in which a healthy popular sentiment is held bold by the city council it is only necess eary to point to last nights proceedings ot of that body the resolutions adopted at monday nights meeting of citizens were presented and read they make special mention of the application of the variety theatre concern for a liquor liec license neep and request that in the interest of morality it be not granted in the face of this popular and pointed expression the council were equally divided on the question of the application for this license and it would have been granted but for the mayor who cast a deciding vote on the other side those who thus insulted the good citizens of salt lake were pembroke colin cohn pickard noble anderson karrick and lynn these officials three of them are only alleged officials have probably thus in the opinion of thousands of good people placed themselves on record as the support ers erg of loose morals and as in of those who made a respectful request in the interest of f sound government ern ment we hope that the protest of monday night will effect its object but we have grave apprehensions to the contrary if we are correct and the alarming situation continues til lues and even increases then the protest should be renewed and made still more sweeping and emphatic in making it lot let all narrowness bigotry and sectionalism be discarded for the purposes of a purification of the moral atmosphere and the suppression of crime for the time being at least throw politics I 1 es to the dogs and let the law abiding ding order loving virtuous citizens of salt bait lake arise in their strength and insist upon an enforcement of the laws that will effect the much desired result that failing let expression of sentiment bs ba b a s succeeded by popular action that action must be pacific but determined every bigot who would confine participation in such a movement to do one class of the comma community antty or divide good citizens in storming the strongholds strong holds of vie vice is a foe to the commonwealth |
