Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-01
SOLDIERS AT SAN FRANCISCO.


SOLDIERS AT SAN FRANCISCO.
Tales of severity and wanton killing
on the part of the soldiers especially
the state troops. are furnishing head
lines just now and much discussion
Is being aroused as to the unnecessary
severity Of martial law. Close reading
of the work of the soldiers will develop
a situation probably never eaualled In
the submarines of the punishments
administered wrong doors by the SOL
diers on guard and the reading of 1t
will cause men to shudder at it's sever-
ity but what was the net result?
1t has been a matter of common
knowledge for years that San Francis
co was probably the toughest town In
the civilized world. The dens of vice
In Chinatown and other tough quar-
ters of the city have won a world
wide reputation. The lawlessness OF
the pioneer meets the viciousness OF
the oriental at San Francisco. One
step from the gang plank at the dock
onto the ship in the bay and man
Of questionable past has begun to lose
the United States authorities from his
sight. So when fire RACED the whole
city to the ground, and brought this
vermin of humanity up from it's UNDER
ground habitations and threw 100000
people of all kinds and descriptions
into homelessness and confusion, what
might have been the terrible horrors
perpetrated? When ships are wrecked
at sea and defenseless women are cast
ashore to the mercy Of vicious and
criminal deck hands, unSpeakable re-
suits have followed. But what was
the result in San Francisco?
We have read of the soldiers fore
ing citizens to bury the dead at the
point of bayonets. We have read of
lepers found In underground dens of
Chinatown being shot down so as to
prevent their escape among the people.
We have read of orders to shoot all
found looting. We have read of a
prominent business man being shot be-
cause he refused to halt when chal-
lenged We have read Of men being
shot when they were imprisoned by
fIinuc hnrrfhIa
but we forget the occasion for martial
law. Did we not read also Of hun
dreds Of thousands of women and chill
dren being herded in the public parks
and churches and not one single in
stance of insult or attack upon them?
With 100000 homeless and the city de-
stroyed, did we read OF one who went
hungry? Were we not glad to read
OF a ruffian being shot down by the
soldiers who offered insult to a crowd
of women? If our own babies sought
refuge from cold rain and found the
doors Of nearby house closed to
them, would we not have thanked the
soldiers for kicking down the door and
pointing guns at the human hogs
within? Imagine the conditions. Inn
aEine your own wife and little chill
dren compelled to herd in crowds night
and day with all sorts and conditions
of people. Ride thru one of the tough
streets Of Chicago and imagine your
family herded for time with the class
of people you can see there. Would you
not rejoice In the shots of soldiers
which spread terror among the fiends
who would have taken advantage of
such terrible conditions Of chaos?
When in times Of ship-wreck or
storm at sea the captain takes charge
and with drawn revolver orders the
passengers to obey. he is doing the duty
which is his to do. II anyone shows
the first indication Of disregarding the
captains orders and panic Is about
to ensue is it not mercy as well as
a duty for the captain to shoot down
the first man that order may reign?
Multiply. the captains few hundreds
until we have 100000, and the necessity
for the soldiers to show all ruffians
that their guns are something more
to be feared than poriceman's billy,
becomes greater by a thousand fold.
Witness now the newspaper reports
that the army of looters outnumber
the troops and that articles of value
are being stolen by great droves of
people since the military relaxed the
severity of its rule, and We have an
indication Of what might have hap
pened had the soldiers not been present
with orders to shoot to kill. Suppose
one or two were shot unnecessarily,
were not 100000 protected from harm
and indignity? When the truth is
looked squarely in the face the work
of the soldiers will be considered one of
the heroisms Of the dreadful dis
astef.
Learning the Vernacular.
when l first went to Australia to