The San Francisco call., 1898-12-12
CITIZENS OF CHICAGO
 PROTEST AGAINST FRANCHISE EXTENSION.
caption "Be Moderate" has this ed itOrial:
Continued from First Page.

caption "Be Moderate has this ed- itorial:
 These are days of superlative rhetoric. For instance, Mayor Harrison character izes the Allen law as the most daInnaDie crime of the century" This is the cen assassinated and in which the secession of certain States brought on a terribly de- structive civil war. Here in Chicago and Chicago is not yet much more than half a century old--we have seen an an- archist outbreak in Haymarket. we nave seen the assassination of Mayor Carter Harrison father of the young gentleman who now asserts that the poodle measure at Springfield. atrocious though 1t be. was the most damnable crime of the century. The Mayor, when he makes an exagger- ated statement of this kind, is merely beside himself with intensity or feeling, and men in that condition do not speak words of truth and soberness. They run to superatives, and therein they make a serious mistake.
 In another under the caption No Ropes Necessary it says in part:
 The traction company extension ordin- ance is going to be defeated by a suf- ficient number of Aldermen sustaining the Mayors veto. It will not be beaten by wild and reckless talk about ropes and lamp posts, and such talk is very likely to produce results in future that will be extremely unpleasant and undesirable. The sooner we have an end of these threats the better it will be Tor thlS town. Just now we are tremen- dously and righteously indignant at the prospect of corruption and bribery tri- umphing over the rights of the people. They believe themselves ready for any thing; but, brought to the pinch, not one in a thousand would have anything to do with lynching. Their wrath is simply causing them to talk fustian.. They are however-these respectable but ill-bal- anced citizens-furnishing a precedent for
 1. H. ,..Nh 1oxrr hut execute lynch law in future unless the power of real law interposes to prevent them-perhaps at a great cost Of life and certainly with great disturbance or puplc tranquility. If it becomes respectable In this city for men to threaten "boodle' Aldermen with ropes 1t will shortly be- come an accepted doctrine that the rope is the proper means of adjusting all dls- putes involving real or fancied injustices Once let it be admitted that law is to be set aside in favor of mob violence, even in single instance, and we open the door to lawlessness in general. The respecta- ble citizen who is going around to-day with miniature hangmans moose on the lapel of his coat will be debarred from reprehending members of the mob which seeks to lynch a murderer, an unpopular employer of labor, defaulting banker or some other person who has incurred the dsapproval of any considerable sec tion of the community. When it comes to lynch law there can be no distinctions If one man may be lynched any other man may be lynched, provided his enc mics can muster sufficient strength to do the job. Above the Common Council stand the courts, which will de- feat the consummation of any robbery of the people through the combined efforts of interruptions wealth and corrupt pub lie servants. No ropes are necessary.
 The Times Herald, too. editorially pleads with it's readers to be moderate and to do what they can to allay the sDirit of JawlessneSS at work among the people The Tribune alone issues no warning.
 It is said tonight that the proposed plan of having committees of citizens wait upon Aldermen tomorrow at their homes to plead with their wives and children may be abandoned, as it is feared trouble might follow.