Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-05-19

NDlnefS anu NlSttTS anu uHukIlleFS-
would be able to walk out at any time
anu hc held rs sacred ns they are by
our own fircsidcs
But the quick cessation of robbery
and theft In San Francisco was not the
only lesson of good government to be
learned amid those smoking ruins. The
new laws or the martial laws not only
declared. Thou shalt not steal" but
they also affirmed, Thou shalt not be
nm cXtortioncr." and Thou shalt not
take an unfair advantage Of the weak
ucsses Of thy neighbours" for just as
the murdcrcrs and the thieves were
ready to loot their victims at the point
Of the pistol the extortioners were
ready TO squeeze the lifeblood out Of
their victims II they could do so In
legal way
How" you ask. Well. let VS. for a
moment picture ourselves In this burn
al city The flames In the business
portion seem Ia he everywhere The
winter pipes and the gas pipes and the
electric wires are broken. The escap-
Ail- -stH mus U'fn tEtiiA'fA w biC NV
wires The fire engines are helpless.
for the water supply Is gone. The
flames are creeping nearer and nearer
10 your house. You rush forth fran
tlcally 10 hunt up an expressman.
How much:" you ask. "Will you
carry my trunks out OF the reach OF
dangerf" Give me fifty or IA hundred
dollars" is the answer. Cant you
do IL for lcssf" NO" he says: there
nre only n few wagons. and we can get
any price We ask" Or the flames have
burned themselves out and there are
enter one aud ask for bread. How
much Is loaf" zone dollar" says
the baker. can't you sell the bread
for less mo. | can raise my price.
ami instead OF getting > cents Il loaf
am going 10 get dollar" This was
the condition confronting the people OF
san Francisco during and Immediately
attcr the conllagration Now what
happened Why. General Funston sent
forth orders something like this: IF
any man who has Il horse and wagon
Is found ovcrcharglng conilscate his
wagon and horse. II any man who
owns bakery store Is found over
charging take away his store and drive
him ont from behind the counter"
Thus we find that in the darkest days
of the San Francisco horror the baker
was not allowed To charge more than
an honest fair price for his bread nor
the cXprcssman Ia ovcrcharge for his
vehicles. The cXtOrtl0nist was not then
permitted Ia fatten upon the lifeblood
of his neghbors
But there was still another fact
which wonderfully impressed me amid
those ruins. Though there We're some
mean and contemplate people living
In san Francisco. as there are mean
and contemplate people living In all
cities. yet the vast majority were no
bic in heart ana deed and We're ready
to 20 forth and help those who could
not help themselves. No man could
appreciate this self sacrifice so much
as the outsiders who came to San
Francisco during the first few days
after the city had been burned out.
went from feeding station TO feeding
station. There found men and wom-
On standing In line awaiting their turn.
They were there 10y the scores, by the
hundreds and the thousands. Some Of
these men ana women were dressed In
the garments Of wealth. Some had on
Tafui.tn l.,Ftl, cn0l.
skin sacks Bchind them We're those
who were dressed In the clothes of the
humble lahnrcr They all We're equals
now. Their money was gone In many
eases. They had lost their all and
could lose no more. but who are
these people who are distributing the
food and the clothing:" | asked again
and again. who are these men who
are running the automobiles and car
ryng the sick to the hospitals and
looking after the city, They are the
men who, like ourselves. have lost all,
would come back the answer Like US.
when they want food. they take their
places In line TO get II. but as soon as
they are fed they 20 on the relief COM
mlttecs. II they have houses still
standing they open them to take In the
homeless II was the grandest sight
ever saw. Having lost their all. there
were thousands upon thousands who
not only suffered in silence. but at the
same time gave their substance and
energy Ia care for others. This help
was not given by people OF only one
social station. hut Of all stations. The
arlstorrat was there working side by
side with the plebeian. the college grad
uate with the illiterate man. There
they were all working side 10y side to
help each other.
But | cannot close without one other
word Of congratulation as well as OF
warning. No sooner did the cry of help
come from the burning city than at
once clothing and brcadstuffs came
pouring in. Within n few hours Sacra-
mento sent her donations Then came
Los Angeles with her carloads. Then
the Portland and the Denver trains
filed with food supplies came rolling
IN. while OF In the distance we could
hear the revolving wheels OF trains
coming from cities of the far east