The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-03
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ATTENTION. REFoRMERs..:..

There iswork at hand for those refer1ners
of San Francisco who were So eager for it
last winter. There is good occasion right
here and right now for the Grand Jury for
Indignation meetings, for civic declarations,
for committees on political purificati ion and
for Lexow commissions, =: -. =:- .;
The subject for Investigation is the Board
of Supervisors, and the occasion: is the pas
sage, by a vote Of eight to. four, of an ordi+
nance which, if not vetoed, will practically
give the: Southern Pacific a. monopoly al
the street paving business IN this G,frl.
With the prospective veto, the ;reforrners
have, nothing to do: The. job will be none
the less vicious if.:the. Mayor. and four
ineorruptible Supervisors. should prevent
its consumm alton The evil is disclosed in
the very nature of the. lob itself, aIfd:the
fact that eight perpisors voted for it is
I sufficient to set in motion all the machinery
of reform and animate the Grand Jury, The
Civic Federation and all other reforIners
with q determination to probe THE iob:fo
the bottom and expose it's authors !
x. live are to have an honest municipal
administration in. San Francisco, we may
as we'll begin. right now. I'm this. street
paving job there are plain evidences of
something very mich. like Off eorrupS
ton. Eyensthe most oolisIrof Si perry is0rs
would hardly vote to deprfYeth the City of:the
advantages. OF a. compet ftiiye tnarket.ifl pro.
curing bituminens rock, unless: he were
offered some very private and hidden rea-
sons for doingso. The work Of searching
: out those reasons is much more inp ortant
than that of going through the slums of the
City to find out If there may beza gambler
or a :oourtesan there. Here is a. possible
Chance of discovering violations Of Law in
high. places: a species of prostitution pprae::
ticed openly in the very ..goYernIne emit itself.
/: The Jealous reformers of last winter
should not: be backward: in taking up this
work The Grand Jury has: here a. chance
to show If it has any usefulness to the:coin-
munity.s :. Indignation meetings have an
opportunity to denounce a specific wrong,
and to hold up. to- public: inflammation the
individuals who are actual guilty Of
offenses against pull bic welfare. There will
be. no necessity. IN: this case for .inEectige
and Indignation. to waste their energies
IN vague wanderi1gs through the ::: In
definite. Here is the concrete case plainly
before us and fully exposed for the knock
out blow. :. " =: ~ -, s:
/: This: street paving job is no.fittle hing.
There is much money ih it in sight and a.
great deal more in prospect.:@;San Fran.
cisco has many streets. to. be paved and the.
combinationthat is seeking to get a mono
poly of furnishing. the ;, III aterial. knows
what such "a. bonanza would be worth
Great as:are the interests directly engaged
in the Job: however, there. are create r still
indirectly involved, Jobs Of this kind are
q species of lice on the. body polite and
bfeed,rapidly..; Other: jobs will soon follow
this one Tilt is not killed. The duty: of
refotniers and reform. Organizations. is
therefore plain. They must purify the
City and. Kill the yermin which prey
upon it,. ~. :: !.