Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-03-03
AN UGLY PROSPECT.

city SO long and seriously. Our CORE
spondent does not believe that the leaders
Of the mob movement really contemplate
a resort to violence, but he is satisfied that
their purpose IS to keep up an agitation
and state of alarm and uncertainty in
the community, to the end that they may
be enabled to make capital out of it, They
arc encouraged by the results of their labers
in this direction SO far. They have OBJ
tanned large share in the spoila of the city
government. And they now aspire to the
control not only OF the city but of the
State, and look forward with no little
confidence TO the time when they viii be
in q position to frame the laws
for the State, and when they can
put as much Wat Tylerism as they
please upon the statute books. In
fact these astute rascals have struck
what they not unnaturally regard as a
"soft thing" They have found it much
easier than they coull have expected, to
bully the community. They have encoun-
tered so much suppleness and pusillanlmity
among the politicians on al sides that they
have had no difficulty in enforcing their
demands. The timidity which has charac-
terizad the behavior of the law-abiding
classes in San Francisco has been another
support to the mob leaders. Decent men
have submitted to insult and menace such
as never was heard Of before in civilized
society, with patience and tolerance en-
inently calculated to encourage the scoun-
drels who have been undermining the
prosperity OF the city. San Francisco
has suffered herself to be ruled
by the Sand Lots, and now she
ought not to be surprised that her
new masters are so well satisfied
with their past success that they propose
to continue the same programme indefi-
nitely. Yet it is undeniably very ugly
prospect that is held out to the people of
San Francisco. They are to be kept in
state of chronic apprehension, in order
that the sand-lot organization may not col
lapse for want of excitement. Riot and
anarchy are to be held like whips over the
public head, and a political party, aiming
at the control of the entire State, is to be
subsisted on sedition and buster. If this
is the programme of the sand-lotters-and
We have no doubt that it is-the fact must
be admitted that it means ruin to San
Francisco. Whether the policy of rufian-
ism continues to be confined to threats, or
takes a still more serious shape in overt
acts of violence, it is plain that its main.
tenaRce under any form means ruin to San
Francisco.
1t is full time that the people of that
city shook off their lethargy and united
all the law-abiding elements i'll an organ
lied and resolute effort to put down these
pestilent demagogues, and to wrest the
control of affairs from their hands, and
teach them that civilization will not brook
the barbarous methods they have sought to
import to it. 1t is time the calamitous
blunder of permitting sedition to be openly
advocated under the false pretense that the
right of free speech included measureless
license, was retraced Since it is clear
that nothing in the way of reform is to be
hoped from the intelligence or respect for
law and order Of those who are responsible
for the prevalent disturbances, the men
whose property is being imperiled,
the men who represent the re-
public as it was before it became
polluted with this alien anarchy, must
come forward and take measures for the
redemption of the community The con
scienceless rogues who are playing upon
the chords of sordid ignorance and lawless
greed, in defiance Of every requirement of
civilized life, and to the continued menace
of the whole social fabric, must be faced
boldlyan without further mealy-mouthed-
ness, and must be fought as enemies Of the
State, until peace and order are restored.
We see no other hope than this. Further
supineness can only lead to further out
rage. San Francisco will be seourged the
more pitilessly, the less resistance she Of
fers. It is a worse conspiracy than Tweed's
that threatens her, and the mastery of the
Sand Lots once established, we should
have to bid long farewell to the
prosperity of the city. Her people have
had experience enough of the vile crew
now plaguing them to know that rothing
can be expected from their forbearance or
decency or public spirit. They viii take
all they can get. They viii bully all who
will submit to bullying. They will trample
upon those who solicit their favor. They
muss therefore, be resisted with all
the energy and determination the prospect
of impending ruin can inspire men with,
and if they are to be fought successfully no
further time should be lost In organizing
for the campaign. In such contest it
would be a mistake to let the old party
lines interfere. The issue is between Civ.
ilization and Barbarlsm, and as such it
must sooner or later be fought out to the
bitter end.