The San Francisco call., 1899-06-04
THE RAILROAD eND THE sANDLoT.

OF them quotation, is there anything to provoke
discussion, but in both there some passages that
invite renlinisCenCe.
The Sandlot is favorte allusion of this turgid
representative of the railroad monopoly, when 1t re-
ers to the resistance of the decent press to railroad
corruption and to railroad exactions. Evidently it
possesses poor memory or its sources OF informa-
ton are detective The sandlot is vvidly recollected
in San Francisco Its temporary home part OF
the natural frontage OF the City Hall facing on
Market street that was stupidity sold and must speed
lily be repurchased. It's chief production heas.
It was long occupied by turbulent crowd, many OF
them honestly misled, but also embracing the most
vicious and the LATEST clements Of our population
These agators called themselves workngmen, but
their only industrial distinction the enormous ga
pacity and t9ughness of their lungs. Their manage
ment trintaran and embraced. talow-taced
English chartist Missourian who had ungracefuly
retired from his native State, and last but not least
hard-faced demagogue from the western coast of one
OF the finest islands in the sea, whose mob government
ceased about the time that John Hayes pushed him
from the stage of Platt's Hall into the orchestra
space beneath The occasion forcibe attempt
to take possession of a public meeting, and when, to
borrow an apt sime OF the day, the ungrammatlcal
leader of the proletarans landed like bullfrog in
Spring Valley reservoir" the collapse OF the sand
lot assured.
But while it lasted it mschievous. 1t produced
much noise. MANY parades and considerable violence
1t reveled in coarseness in profanity, and in denun
ciaon OF law and order 1t greatly reduced the value
of property because for while reputable citizens telt
that they were in danger OF homicide and arson Its
favorite designation OF taxpayer was that he was
thief 1t caused destructive fires in various parts OF
the municipality 1t ceaseessy threatened extensive
confagrations 1t abused merchants and capitalists
I II adyy IyDch lava o.
non-producers At one period it compelled the
eanization of the "PicI Handle Brigade at Horticul
tura Hall as an aid the authorities in eXtnguish-
ing torches and suppressing the fury OF assassns
The sandlot enforced the adage that extremes
meet" Its raids upon property were marked by one
conspicuous exception, Chinese laundries were
burned and Chinese maltreated The solid business
OF the community was endangered Residences were
filled with trembling women and guarded by indignant
husbands and fathers. But after few preliminary
demonstrations Mob Hill was safe, and railroad
tracks, cars, engines and offices untouched. In
fact it became apparent before and when the sandot
closed its boSterouS existence that between 1t and the
railroad monopoly there a reciprocity of protec-
ton The subsequent OF the most aggressive
sandlotters demonstrated the friendly relations that
had been predicted long before they revealed.
The analogy between the objects OF the railroad and
the sandot was striking The difference consisted in
methods and in results. Like the maraudng barons
Of the Middle Ages, the railroad marched upon the
people and appropriated their substance Its descents
ard its collections however, we're noiseless and
accompanied by banners, by artillery and by cankng
armor 1t preferred the gentler processes OF bossng
politics and buying Supervisors and Legislatures, and
CT silencing competition and camor by strategy and
bv fraud sklfully operated through a trained army
OF mercenares. The sandlot merely substituted force
d
the law and both equally despised the restraints OF
order and OF justice. Each aimed at the accumulation
OF unearned increments But the railroad believed in
concentration while the sandotters howled for dis
tributon OF the two institutions, united by COM
mon purpose it difficult to determine which
the worse in principle, while it became easy to award
the palm to railroad success and the cypress to sand
lot failure.
The infeicity OF illusions to the sandlot in rail
road organs is apparent. The comparisons they sug
gest are too odorous Most OF the sandlotters
dead or scattered and many OF them, temporarily de
ceived have reformed and are sturdy workers in
the ranks of genuine industry. The survivors OF the
unhttest however, are still obstreperous and blatant
in those legislative and municipal lobbies which toll
for Mr.. Huntington when Dan Burns runs for Sen
ator or half of city is to be grabbed
The personalities OF the sandlot have ceased, but
the railroad personalities with its ledger accounts and
its balances OF hostility and subserviency, remain
Still the monopoly pursues its ancient methods, and
still it deludes itself with faith in its capacity for uni
versal dominance. But the world has grown larger
than it was in the days OF the sandot San Francisco
has ceased to be overgrown village and enjoys
the se-conscousness OF metropolitan strength
There are capitalists here allied American industry
and who can nfuse vigor into competition. At the
East there are Vanderbilts as we'll as Huntingtons
The young giant OF Western Americanism is inhaling
the strong air OF the Pacific and swelling his power
full muscles as he confronts the shrunken figure of
diseased monopoly. 1t would be safer for Mr. Hun
tingon restrain the yellow plaudes OF his literary
bureau and to pay strict attention his solar peus
!