The San Francisco call., 1898-12-11
0 6 co GO ooo GO 900 6 6 oooo 6 PLAIN WORDS BY RIVAL
 CHEFS IN CONTROVERSY
MAYOR HARRISON SAYS FRANCHISE
 CANNOT BE PASSED

view late this evening Mayor Harrison said: ''I doubt if the
 traction companies ever intend
 to press the ordinance now pending to passage. It was intro duced as a feeler, to test the popular mind. They are playing for delay. They know that while they have majority in the Council which could pass the ordinance they have not the requisite two-thirds necessary to pass it over my veto. I hope my friends will not expend all their energy in this first battle and then become pacsive. This is what the traction people hope for and are waiting to take advantage of it. The people must not be beguiled, but re- main ready at any time for a great outburst of disapproval.
 The hottest fight now centers about the twenty-eight Aldermen who are with us. We are bending all our energies toward Keeping them in line, and the opposition is concentrating its attention on them in order to break into our ranks. Not one of these members of the minority can appear on the street without being met by agents of the traction companies. If he enters a bank he is drawn into the sanctum, and buttonholed on the franchise question, and if he has business in a mercantile house he is seized upon by men who are working for an ex- Af f,,a, aI,;r sure is brought to bear to influence his vote.
 We in turn are doing everything possible to keep our lines intact and to break those of the opposition. Aside from the numerous mass meetings held throughout the city we are doing a great deal of mission ary work. The fight is being carried right into the homes of the Alder men, and their wives and children are being informed as to the true state of affairs, and they are being enlisted to influence their husbands and fathers to vote right, to uphold the city's honor and to stand for the peoples rights.
 T wish to say right here that all this talk of riot and of appeals to the people to resist violently are ab- surd. There will be no violence. The greatest victory and the only one we can win will be by peaceful methods, by persuasion and argu- ment. Rioting would avail nothing, and our opponents are too rugged and courageous to be frightened by threats. I never said 1 would re- fuse to issue a riot call to disperse a mob which was engaged in pro- miscuous lynching. An over-zealous reporter who did not appreciate the ? meaning of what he wrote was re- sponsible for the statement.
 Why am opposed to the passage of the extension ordinance? Be- cause I do not wish to see the pro- visions of the law which was passed by debauched Legislature become operative in Chicago, and because I am unalterably opposed to fifty-year fran hises. I would only consent to the franchise extension on three conditions:
 "First-That no attempt De made to secure an ordinance until the Allen law is repealed.
 "Second-That the franchise be extended for not more than. twenty years.
 "Third-That the compensation to the city be not less than 10 per. cent of the gross receipts of the traction companies.
 ''It will be a desperate fight, but we will never quit. I repeat, be- lieve we will win.'