The morning call., 1895-01-17
c. c. TBRRIBL'S PROPHECY.
The Work Has Not Begun Yet, but It Must
Succeed,


Succeed.
c. c. Terrill, who was one of the first to
agitate for reform, appeared on the scene
again Yesterday. He had been quite sick
for several days and could not leave home,
or otherwise his voice would have been
raised daily against the monstrous evils of
municipal corruption and political rotten
ness. Mr. Terrill is president of the Union
for Practical Progress and also president
Of the Builders Exchange, which latter
office shows how highly he is respected by
the building contractors of San Francisco.
81 was prevented for some days past
from participating in the great work that
ought to be regarded as a duty by every
decent man in the community" said he
yesterday. "But now that I'm out again
l shall pitch right in and fight. I don't
care whether it be c.. P. Huntington, the
Spring Valley Water Company, the South
ern Pacific, or any other powerful indi-
vidual or monopoly.
"Our society is one of agitation, organ
lied for the purpose of discussing social
and political questions, but we are only
too glad to havean opportunity of meeting
societies with such laudable ends in view
as social or political reform.
"My idea regarding the whole matter now
srsitating the decent element of society here
is that our work has not commenced yet
We must keep at work persistently and
ardently until the whole community is
purified. There is much to be done
Gas for Mr.. Gunst, well, think he is
only the outcome of greater corruption
than what he could possibly amount to
the corruption of corporate monopolies of
the State of California. These bodies are
banded together for mutual protection and
to gain their individual respective ends by
all manner of corrupt practices. They
help one another whenever the occasion
arises for battle against any movement
tending to benefit the public. They pull q
man down, not the poor man or the rascal
who is willing to be bribed, but the man of
wealth and position. How is this accom-
pIished? Well, they send their emissaries
out and invariably get what they want
Suppose a merchant is fighting them.
Some other merchant is sent to him with
influence sufficient to brighten him.
cit may be business connections which
appeal most eloquently in such cases, or it
may be political, or it may be bribery;
but no matter what, ten chances to one it
has the desired effect They tried to pull
every man out of this fight except myself
by using influential friends. The trouble
is the whole community is so connected in
commercial, political and mercantile az
fairs there is often great difficulty in keep
ing a body of men together to battle
against corporate monopolies and corrup-
ton in the body polite.
"Our society shall stand in with other
societies to put an end to this corruption
and bring about social reform. In this
unity we all shall find strength that may
be singularly victorious in the end.
"Look at the history of the past thirty
years. Fully eight men on every grand
jury of this city have been selected and
actually placed there by corporations to
protect corporate interests, and you
couldn't touch the big men of the COM
munity with an Indictment. You could
not get an indictment against a big man .
it was the poor fellows who were indicted
because they had no power, no influence.
The courts, too, are reached by the big
men and corporations by some peculiar
means with which the public is only too
familiar. [ don't say that the courts are
corrupt-not all of them-but they are
reached through iuries. The system is
wrong, and believe the day has come
when the decent element must arise and
bring about its reform.
GAS to the best method of proceeding
toward accomplishing this result there are,
of course, some differences OF opinion; but
it can't be done in a day. nor in a month
We have begun the good work and we are
here to stay. If we get good organiza-
ton next Friday for the public good the
movemen must succeed. If the members,
representing the best element Of this city,
go into the work honestly and conscienti-
ously, and will not shield monopolies and
money ed influences, the work now begin
ming will amount 10 q great deal y