The San Francisco call., 1899-02-12

preston of desire that the writer OF
libelous article be compelled to sign It,
This will give Morehouse, when the
mood shall seize him to pick on a Jour-
nalist or two before breakfast, VaIu-
able pointer as to the identity Oh the
wretches, so he may avoid the annoy
ance of potting several innocents IN the
worthy efforts to get the right ones
But Morehouse appears to overlook lhe
fact that writer's of libelous artlcles
seldom believe their work hbelous- IL
they did, they would turn to the de-
scription of the innocuous dog-f1ght ana
let the Legislature alone. The more
house bill is inadequate. 1t should pre-
scribe the adding not alone the name OF
the writer, but his address ana the
hours at which he could be caught
asleep, or even require him to commit
suicide, so that the Warehouses OF the
land would not have to go to the eX-
pense Of ammunition.
Governor Gage will likely have
chance to make a great hit py
vetoing the cartoon bill. 1t is
silly measure. born of the spleen
of Johnson, thrust forward by the gull
libility of Works, and if passed, will be
carried through by the asininity of the
majority in both houses The bill, even
if made law, would have no effect be-
yond bringing ridicule upon everybody
stupid enough to sanction it. The Gov
ernor should spare himself, though in
doing so he would also spare lot OF
fatuous guys who do not deserve the
consideration.
On one occasion of dire emergency
Garfield exclaimed: "God reigns and the
government at Washington still lives.
The impressive mien of the orator and
his sonorous voice brought a sense Of
confidence. Later, when the great and
good Hanna was elected to the Senate
by the untrammeled votes Of unpur-
chasable legislators, he paraphrased the
words of Garfield, and happening to
possess a telegraph frank, put upon the
wires the immortal message: God
reigns and the Republican party still
lives" Now in the new crucial test
through which the country is passing
uprises an editor to soothe and sustain
the soul of the commonwealth. At the
head of one Of his papers recently the
anxious eye fell upon words of comfort,
and 10! care fed afar and apprehension
winged it's flight from things of state
to perch upon the prune crop, for thus
the announcement was:
THE EXAMINER,
'W. r. Hearst.
WHY
SHOULD THERE
BE ALARM?"
Why, indeed? And the careless coun-
try, absorbed in selfish brooding over
the wreck of tradition and the shatter-
ing of policy. had not even noticed the
buffer, standing serene and yet impla-
cable between itself and fate Let us
keep right on expanding, for at the out
| most rim of our protuberant vitality
there Hearst will be, and if we bump
against circumstance, he must bear
the force of the blow, while the rest of
| the United States will hardly be con-
scious of a jar. This is fine, and noble.
| Winkelreid was in the same sort of
business when he gathered ten large
spears into his bosom and went hence,
perforated, but glorious.
For an exhibition of nerve the action
Of certain billposters in suing the city
| is almost equal to that of the late
Board of Education in objecting to 60
ing to Jail. 1t seems that the bill
boarders claim the right to erect their
shoddy slabs to any height, so that the
passer-by on a windy day may receive
plank on the pate coming so far that
he will never know what struck him.
The city, on the other hand, asserts that
fhn no CO hHyI hoe Y-fo 70
in that he ought not to be hit with a
plank falling more than twelve feet. 1
willingly leave the settlement of the
controversy to the courts, commencing
the advertising public in the meantime
to so dispose of its announcements that
the bill board may be abolished alto
gether, as it IS not pretty to look at,
and beyond obstructing the view serves
no possible purpose.
The people of San Francisco are will
ing to support the schools They give
literally for this purpose and never
grumble. But the money which should
have been used for the schools has been
stolen. Such wanton thievery has sell
dom gone unpunished since the DAYS of
Tweed. Yet do not observe any of the
HldJOrlly OIL the late .DOdTQ on the way
to Jail. The Walters, the Ragans and
the rest of the crew walk the streets
unmolested by the police Men who
pick pockets are not more despicably
criminal, and men who break into
houses by night are morally superior.
The teachers of this city have been
robbed. / do not refer to the new teach
ers who were added to the list during
the closing orgies of the putrescent
gang, but faithful and tried instructors,
worthy of their hire. There are teach
ers who go about their duties now,
bravely, but who are face to face with
want. They cannot pay rent nor the
l.ordinary cost of living. They are actu-
ally suffering, because there is limit
to the credit that the tradesman can
extend. The city owes these teachers
months and months of salary. The
condition is shameful and outrageous, a
.reproach to the municipality. / do not
know what can be done about it, but
were ! one of the victims some of the
thieves would go to the morgue and
would rely upon the manhood Of the
Jury to bring in verdict of iustifiable