The Minneapolis journal., 1906-11-21
What Other People Think
San Francisco Sinners.

To the Editor Of The Journal.
Will you allow subscriber to correct
some false and misleading statements
made by one Rev. George Shaw, now in
our city, in reference to San Francisco
and it's moral condition?
Mr.. Shaw is reported to have said that
the city of San Francisco was thoroly
destroyed before the fire began. This
statement is utterly false. I lived with
in two blocks of the heart of the city,
and had occasion to go thru the principal
parts Of the business portion in Jess than
twenty minutes after the shock. And I
aver that, looking at more than two
thirds Of the buildings you could not tell
there had been much of a shake-up. But
in less than fifteen minutes fires were
breaking out In every direction, the re-
suit of broken electrical and gas
connections, and everything that
was combustible took fire. These
numerous fires, together with the
breaking Of the large water mains,
rendered the fire. department powerless,
hence the destruction of the city. The
earthquake was doubtless the primary
cause Of the disaster. 7 am disposed to
believe that had it not been for the fires
in two years you would not have known
there had been an earthquake in the city.
The reverend gentleman further i'm
plies by his statements that San Fran
cisco sinners were deeper In sin than any
other sinners on the face Of the earth.
He states that the city gloried in her
wickedness. This statement is utterly
absurd and without foundation, a gross
prevarication. Possibly the gentleman
might have heard some single individual
express this sentiment, but a whole COM
munity of citizens should not be branded
as holding the sentiments of the one, and
guilty Of the same sin. 5-
Another statement by Mr.. Shaw In ref
erence to gambling lacks the first shadow
of truth. It Is true there were places of
gambling In the city, as in all large cit
les, but it existed in a very modified form
compared with the gambling that pre-
vailed eight or ten years ago in that city.
In this matter the wheels of reform were
moving steadily forward.
The morals of San Francisco were no
worse, comparatively, than the morals Of
any large city. I have seen more drunk
enness on the Sabbath during the pres
ent summer in Omaha and Kansas City,
Mo-, with it's closed saloons, than ever
saw on any Sabbath in ten years in San
Francisco with its open saloon.
Mr.. Shaw holds up the idea that the
Frisco calamity was divine visitation
because Of her great wickedness. This
view Is so superficial and unreasonable
that it will not commend itself to the
Judgment Of rational and intelligent men.
1t is very questionable whether the San
Francisco calamity was any more a visi-
tation from God than the Kansas flood a
few years ago, the present Washington
flood, the cyclone or the furious storm
and terrible blizzard that leaves death
and ruin in its track I have no plea for
the immortality, the graft or political
corruption as they prevailed in San Fran
cisco or any other great city, but fail
to see the possible good that can come
from such gross prevarication and STIR
ring up Of prejudice In one city against
another by the pulpit or the press. I
trust the day is. not far distant when
higher motives will be presented from
the pulpit to induce men to live better
lives than by making use of threats and
warnings of such dire disasters as the
San Francisco earthquake and the speedy
destruction Of Minneapolis. &C.