The San Francisco call., 1904-10-10

numbers and under such conditions that NOR
ality becomes an impcssibility. The evil IN
nuence OF these dens Of Nth and vice does
not confde itself to the immediate occupants
OF the tenement such places are nothing
less than cancers. eating their way into the
Upon the one hand we have the young men
and young women Of the excessively rich.
giving their lives to pleasure to a sensualism
which does not even wear a mask.
Upon the other hand have the boys
and girls Of the excessively poor growing up
under conditions which make unbiushinS I'M
crease Of this class is appaiIing What 4. 10
De done about il? Does such problem
list no interest from those who frame laws
and direct the Government? Can there be
any problem more important?
The vast majority OF the human wreckags
which cumbers the cities results from bad
laws bad government As rule. these men
anu women at some time in their lives made
earnest honest efforts to sustain themselves by
Tork- T As a rule they were simply knocked
down and knocked out by stronger men and
stropser women in the fierce battle OF exist
eDce Hard work. small wages, a spell OF
sickneSS-then ruin How often Is that the
life story in the short and simple annals OF the
poor. Tens OF thousands Of these wretches
are the victims OF swindling stock issues.
]. p. Morgan H H. Rogers some other
king Of finance was known to be engineering
weaklings Of some railroad reorganization or
manipulation Of stocks and bonds by the ma
labored for bare subsistence until old aga
came and then were turned out to shift for
themselves. Mans inhumanity to man is at
the bottom of most of the trouble. and the
law itself has wrought much OF this havoc BY
arming favored individuals and corporations
with special powers which become resistless
weapons in their hands against their fellow
man
II was the power OF special privilege. given
to the national bankers by Congress. which
had put them in position to create the panic OF
1898 II history could be written OF the
inception OF that cOnvulsion the base motives
OF those who brought 1t about and the awful
cruelty with which II smote its victims. the
world would shudder at the revelation IL
was a cold-bloOded, premeditated crime; z
life; and it was the legitimate offspring OF
class legislation.
Not long ago entire family destroyed
itself because ir~had money. The parents
put their little ones TO death and died with
them rather than sink into the he'll OF vice
man or woman who can get no work. This
case was but one OF thousand. Does II de-
serve no attention from rulers and lawmakerss
Is II beneath the notice OF the great? God
Forbid 1 will incur all the odium which may
cUrne to from making the statement that
awful tragedies are OF constant occurrence is
profoundly unrighteous, Is Internally wrong.
There Is absolutely no reason why our laws
should not be 50 reformed as to bring about a
more equitable distribution Of the good things
OF life: no reason why the individual man or
woman able to work and willing 70 work
should not always find II at fair wage; no
reason under the sun why the reign OF priv
ile~e may not be brought TO end.
Almost every I'll that now afiicts the body
polite be traced to its source In vicious
legislation. Government instituted for public
purposes. has been prostftuted TO private pur-
poses and that is the true secret OF most OF
our troubles