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

rites rs they are today in the Pacific
metropolis our streets would not only
h.. safe, but the women our wives and
mothers and sisters aud daughters
would he able to walk out at any time
and be held rs sacred as they are by
our own frcsioes.
But the quick cessation of robbery
md 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
nn eXtortiuncr," and Thou shalt not
take an unfair advantage Of the weak
ucsscs Of thy ncighbors." for just as
tie murdcrcrs and the thieves were
ready to loot their victims at the point
of the pistol the extortioners we're
ready TO squeeze the lfeblood out Of
their victims If they could do so In a
legal way.
How" you ask. Well, let us for
moment picture ourselves In this burn
al city The flames In the business
portion seem Ia lie everywhere. The
water pipes and the gas pipes and the
electric wires are broken. The escap-
ing gas has been lgnited by the live
wires The fire engines are helpless,
for the water supply ls gone. The
flames are creeping nearer and nearer
10 your house You rush forth fran.
tically Ia hunt up an expressman.
How much:" you ask. "Will you
carry my trunks out Of the reach OF
dnngcrf" Give me fifty or IA hundred
dollars is the answer Cant you
do 1t for lcssf' NO" he says; there
are only II few wagons. and we can get
any price We ask" or the flames have
burned themselves out and there are
only Il few bakery stores left. You
enter one aud ask for bread. How
much is loaf" "Onc dollar" says
the baker. cant you sell the bread
| for less mo. can raise my price
ami instead Of getting , cents loaf
| nm going 20 get n dollar" This was
the condition confronting the people or
san Francisco during and immediately
~ vi wv 'NillftA sNbN Nhat
happened: Why. General Funston sent
forth orders something like this: IF
any man who has Il horse and wagon
Is found ovcrcharging coniiscate his
wagon ana horse If 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 overcharge for his
vehicles The eXtOrtionist was not then
permitted To fatten upon the lifeblood
of his ucighhors.
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. vet the vast majority were no.
bic in heart ana deed and We're ready
10 20 forth and help those who could
not help themselves. No man could
appreciate this self sacrifice so much
ms 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 and women were dressed In
the garments Of wealth. Some had on
Persian lamb coats Some wore seal
skin sacks Behind them were those
who were dressed In the clothes of the
humble laborcr. They all were equals
now. Their money was gone IN many
cases They had lost their all and
could lose no more. but who are
these people who are distributing the
food and the clothng:' | asked again
and again. "N'ho are these men who
are running the automobiles and car
rying the sick 10 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 rs soon as
they are fed they 20 on the relief COM
mlttces 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 10 care for others. This help
was not given by people OF only one
social station. but of all stations The
arstorrat was there working side by
side with the plebeian. the college grad
uate with the illiterate man. There
they were all working side by 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 brcadstulfs came
pouring in. Within few hours Sacra-
mento sent her donations. Then came
| Los Angeles with her carloads. Then
IN. nnrtlnn1 and tho DnuVar trains