The morning call., 1895-02-15
PLAIN QUESTIONS.

aD s=1 We have maintained in
the face of all the clamor
for legislative committee to investigate
the alleged corruption in San Francisco,
that the people of this city, being Ameri-
cans, should regulate their own affairs,
probe into every evil that exists among
them, expose every corruption, crush
every villainy and send every criminal, be
he big or little, rich or poor, to Jail or to the
penitentiary, according to the degree of
their offenses against our laws.
- 80 We do not say this is the
81 right of home rule; we say
it is the duty of home rule. What are our
officials elected for? What are they paid
for? Are we making farce of self-govern-
ment by putting up all those officials and
paying them good salaries to sit on an
oflice-stool, while we go about as helpless
as lot of wooden Indians to carry on a
decent government in the American way !?
E.Sxss1sS- We call upon the officials
of the city TO answer. We
demand an explanation of what they are
doing in their offices. We. insist upon
knowing whether it is true that the law of
this city is inadequate to suppress crime
and the officials of the city incompetent to
convict and punish criminals.
gn~5~S District Attorney Barnes,
81 what have you been doing
to justify your Office of public prose
cutor? Have you indicted every GRIM
inal against whom there has been
any evidence, or have you let any OF
them go? Have you shirked any duty
through fear or favor, or can you show that
you have done your duty fearlessly in all
things? Your office is one of those to
which the people look for the punishment
of criminals. You have heard the charge
that criminals are unpunished. Is it true
or false? If it is true, you had best resign.
If it is not true, why do you not give the
lie to the slanderers who defame you?
gE ~-sss-1s Sheriff Whelan, what are
.ssS you doing to expose all these
crimes or to arrest these criminals? What
are all your deputies doing besides drawing
their salaries? Have the orators of mass
meetings told the truth about criminals
walking the streets unarrested, or were
they lying? If they told the truth, why
have you not arrested somebody? If they
have not told the truth, why do you let
them lie about yourself and your deputies
and leave the lies go unrebuked?
~ FFzD Chief of Police Crowley,
what are you doing in this
emergency? Surely, with all the police
and the detective force of the city under
your control you must know something of
this alleged carmagnole of crime. Why do
YOU not arrest some of the criminals? Are
you inefficient, corrupt or cowardly? Are
your officers worthless Have you no an
swer for the occasion? No way to defend
yourself or to give the lie to your traducers {?
@a,ssSss-S Gentlemen of the Grand
as= Jury, you are charged with
the special duty OF exposing wrong, hunt
ing out secret villainy and indicting Grim
inals. All the powers of secret investiga-
tions are yours. You can gather evidence
from everybody and from anywhere.
Have you found any crime? Have you
punished any? Report at once or resign.
~ Mayor sutro, the people
M expect an answer from you
also. You are the elect of the people, the
Mayor of the city, the chief executive of
our local law. What have you doneP If
you have done nothing, why not? Do you
know anything of all this crime? If you
know OF it, why not suppress it?
kEnsSs-~ Gentlemen reformers, what