Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-13
THE MASK OF ANONYMITY.

A socalled Committee of Public Safety
nine of the Supervisors of San Francisco.
1t proceeds to recte that 1.-The nine" consti-
tute airing; that as such they do not legislate
for the best interest of the city, but criminally
against it; that their policy deliberately
robs the community, imposes upon ic I'M
necessarily heavy burdens, and is a DELHI
crate plan for picking and stealing" 1t
then proceeds to threaten them with Grim
inal process through the Courts unless they
reform their ways. Now, all that is charged
may be true. 1t is domestic issue con-
fined to the locality of San Francisco. and
does not much concern people beyond the
limits of the metropolis. But the anony-
nous threat does concern everyone For
anonymity in such matters, though the
purpose may be of the best, is cowardly .
it is the resort of the assassin; it is blow
from behind mask; in nine cases out of
ten it is ineffective, and this is true though
it is prompted by the purest motives. The
citizens who know of the alleged crooked
ness of the officials of San Francisco owe
themselves better things than this sort of
attack. If they have the knowledge they
claim to possess of the crimes of the Su-
pervisors, they become particeps crimi,,is if
they fail to lay the facts before the grand
inquest of the city. or neglect to present
officials by impeachment. If it is responded
that thesa peonle who yacort 70 a,r~,,
nous threats may be so situated that
they cannot speak out without taking
punishment, then the conditions are
simply unfortunate. and ought TO be
endured until some one sufficiently free
from business or other embarrassment to
stand forward as complainant does so. The
press as a rule does not fear to do this 1t
invites punishment by exposure of official
delinquency all over the Union, and no one
seems to think that it is doing especially
courageous work, But the citizens who
are not possessed of types, press and paper,
appear to entertain Ia great deal more OF
fear of vicious officials than those who are
related TO the press. 1t is very true that
Vigilance Committees nearly always operate
from behind anonymity. But it is also true
that they are not enduring organizations.
nor do they pretend to operate by legal
methods. Here, however, is a body OF
men-if indeed it is body-that proposes
lawful procedure to impeach derelict of.
ficials, and claiming to have proof positive
of the guilt charged, yet has not the cour-
age to give the vigor of personality to the
indictment. The plain signature of John
Smith or Peter Brown in the place Of that
of Committee of Public Safety would
give vitality and importance 10 the charge
preferred against the Supervisors of san
Francisco, that it cannot otherwise have.
The strangest thing about this whole San
Francisco business is, that the reporters OF
the local press have no difficulty whatever
in finding great number of citizens who
indorse the charges anonymously made,
and who express themselves boldly tina,
there is corruption in the Board. But
why no one can be found courageous
enough to sign such a complaint as the
unknown committee prefers is passing
strange"