The San Francisco call., 1899-09-09

A battle rOyal is on IN san Mdleo
County. Decent citizens of every class
merchants, professional men, artisans
men of families and of homes, are ar
raved against the horde of blacklegs'
thieves. scoundrels and gamblers VINO
are preparing to cross from TINS CITY
seize the little town Of Colma, moor
porate it and conduct it as a city Oh
vice and gambling.
The agitation which this craftlly
planned scheme has aroused is without
parallel in San Mateo County. From
one end of the county to the other We
hement protests are being made san
Nateo's people do not wish the VISTA
ton of evil that came to San Fran
cisco during the raid Of the lngleslue
gamblers. The record of crime ana
dishonor. Of violence and death, Oh
shameful scenes and riotous living, IS
TOO fresh for the people of San Mateo
10 have one of their own. They nave
united. therefore. to aid the people OF
Colma in fighting the rascals who are
seeking literally to buy town. anu
under laws of their own making, do as
their vicious purposes dictate
The struggle has now reached crit
ical stage. The thieves and social out
casts who ply their trade under the
mask of gambling have been driven
out of san Francisco, leaving behind
them a trail that sweeps through the
1aiIs and into the Morgue. They have
been sent from pillar to post and Will
soon have to leave Sausalito. In des-
peration they have turned toward San
J., in, 90
vicious men and depraved women The
town Of Colma is to be made the dump
ing ground for this human refuse, even
if it must be bought in the votes OF Su-
pervisOTs.
The people Of Colma are loud in their
protests. There is not a reputable Of
representative man in the town who Is
not in indignant opposition to the pro
posed Incorporation. Time after time
these protests have been voiced, but
they have been to no purpose. Ihe
gamblers bring with them a mob
Of heelers and ruffiaEs. who call meet
ings. overpower the rightful citizens IN
numbers and voice sentiments which
are in direct opposition 10 those in Col
ma that value their homes, their fami-
lies and their property.
These interlopers have called meet
ings ostensibly to obtain the sentiment
of the people of the town on incOrpora-
ton. The citizens Of the town have not
attended because they knew that they
would have no voice in the matter.
They have tried in other quarters for
relief and that is why all San Mateo
intends to help them. The gamblers
Will hold another meeting tonight and
repeat their former outrage. They
wish simply TO cheat the Supervisors
into a belief that COlma wants in
CORPORATION, but they Will fail in their
scheme.
The people of Colma do not want in
corporation With the rights OF in
corporation, under the conditions pre-
seuted, they would bring moral pollu-
ton to their very doors. They would
place their children in daily danger Of
disgrace and shame. They would be
ruled by gamblers and parasites OF
gamblers. They would have added to
their county tax a town tax and would
reap nothing Of good in return. They
know all this and they intend to fight
bitterly against it. If the gamblers
carry out their plan they will draft to-
night resolutions asking the Super
visors of San Mateo to call a special
election to permit the people of Colma
TO vote on the question Of incorporation.
Unless the Supervisors meet in spe-
cial session they viii not vote on this
proposition until the third Monday of
this month When they do vote upon
it they will know absolutely that ii
is a shameful scheme of gamb-
ling blacklegs and thieves and
not an honest request of the
people Of Colma They will know
that citizens of Colma are emphatically
opposed TO the scheme and are fighting
desperately against it. With this
knowledge the Supervisors Of San Ma
teo can have but one course.
The history of the outrageous scheme
TO make a gambling hell out Of this lit
tie town begins with the San Fran
cisco legislation against the evil OF
gambling When the gamblers were
driven out Of this city some of them
under the protecting wing of Chris
Buckley, went to Sausalito and created
q little monopoly Of their own. shuttins
out several Of their own disagreeablt
tribe The defeated ones went to Sa1
Mateo County and erected a gamblini
pavilion. but Buckley had sufficient in.