The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-12
PUBLIC SENTIMENT.

Public sentiment opposed to the i'm
pudent attempt of the Solid Eight in the
Board of Supervisors to defy the people
and evade the statute regulating the grant
of municipal franchises, manlfests itself at
present under many forms. Some of the
people are sanguine and aggressive and
some are sullen and doubtful. To THE
CALL are sent expressions from each of
these classes, and we are thus made
familiar with the processes by which all
varieties of sentiment are shaping them
selves toward unanimity that will result
in action.
An interesting expression of one phase
of public opinion on that subject is found
in letter addressed to THE CALL as fol-
lows:
CITY, July 10, 1895.
To the Editor of The Call-SIR: read your arti-
Gle this morning on page 6, "a Municipal
Crisis" with great pleasure; but what win 1t
amount to? The Californians are as meek
spirited as Dalmatian carriage dogs, and will do
nothing. l am Disguised with them. The only
time there was any manhood in this State was in
the early days, when the people had sand
enough to have a vigilance committee. 1t was
certainly needed then, but not half so much as
now, and If we had them now the Solid Eight
would get their deserts, but, as it is, there will
be little paper talk for few days until it
gets stale, then it will be dropped. Surely you
could get some citizen to bring suit as you sug-
gest, and so / said to a friend, but he said the
papers only went so far in these matters and
knew when to stop.
I don't think that, though, of your paper,
which is the only real newspaper in the State.
The others are flash sheets gotten up for sale
on style between dime novel and the
Police Gazette.
The form OF expression used in the
letter is peculiar to the writer, but there
can be no doubt the feeling expressed in
it is shared by many citizens. The laws
have been evaded or violated so often,
monopoly has gained so many successes,
official iniquity has gone so long unpun-
ished, SO many open frauds have escaped
unwhipped of justice, SO many unblushing
rascals have maintained their hold on
Office; past attempts at reform, at the en-
forcement of law and the protection of the
rights of the people, have been so COM
pletely baffied, that not few good citizens
have lost faith in the possibility of crush
ing the wrong and establishing the right
through legal methods. In their impa-
tience with rascality they would willingly
resort to lynch law, and they sigh for the
good old days of the Vigilantes, when the
people gave rascality no rope but rascals
plenty of it.
1t is bad for community when such
opinions are shared by good citizens. One
reason why the law should be resolutely
enforced is that it may be trusted by the
better element of the people as well as
feared by the worst. No rejecting man
can give any study to this phase of public
sentiment without perceiving another
reason why this particular fight for the
maintenance of the law should be pushed
to an issue and won by the people. We
must convince the doubters of the efficacy
of law and of the ability of Californians to
enforce the laws they make. This we have
every reason to believe will be done. Pop
ular sentiment is rapidly becoming unani-
| nous for action. There needs no lynch
law to deal with the Solid Eight. The ex-
| listing law is good enough to settle them.