The San Francisco call., 1908-11-29

The events of the last few days
which have resulted in such tremen-
dous awakening of the citizenship OF
San Francisco to the need of a stand
on the part Of the citizens for justice
and society's protection to itself have
brought into some prominence the Cit
liens League of Justice. Many inquir-
les have been made as to the history
Of this organization and the manner
the news Of the shooting of Heney
reached the headquarters of the Citi-
zens' League Of Justice in the Pacific
building an immediate call was sent
out 10 a couple of hundred of its lead
ing members who could be reached cas-
lily by telephone, and by evening the
men were in session, planning the
great mass meeting of Saturday
evening and the mass meetings on Sun
day, which were held later under the
auspices of the league.
The league at once struck the note OF
calmness and moderation in the midst
of the crisis and this same note of
abiding by the law and listening to the
calm reason of the best citizens fol-
lowed in all of the mass meetings of
citizens that were held in the days fol-
lowing.
STAND TOGETHER ON ISSUE
These events justified the foresight
Of the founders of the organization by
presenting to the citizens an immedi-
ate opportunity TO stand together upon
an issue that concerned the entire city
and to so direct public expression as to
give it the voice it demanded without
the turbulence of interruption of the
orderly procedure Of the law.
The Citizens League of Justice came
into existence at the close of May, 1908.
following upon the apparent miscar-
riage of justice in the first Ruef trial
and upon the attempted assassination
by dynamiting of the states witness.
Gallagher. Different clubs of citizens
met asking the question, rs there
nothing that can be done to prevent
the forces Of evil prevailing in this
community? Is there no way in which
the campaign of these forces which
seem TO be at work in the interest of
persons accused of public corruption
shall be met by the honest citizenship,
disinterestedly working for the good of
the city?"
Some members of these clubs were
very radical and said it was useless
to exercise peace any longer in regard
to the situation, and demanded action
r
the strong note Of conservatism that is
at all times prevalent in the leagues
deliberations triumphed at this mo-
ment, and some Of the most violent of
the radicals withdrew.
These clubs, which had gathered
spontaneously, came together in a COM
mon organization which constituted a
committee Of so citizens taking in three
groups that had started in separate
movements and had finally come to-
gether. This committee Of so framed
its constitution under the name of the
Citizens League Of Justice. The or
ganization took place without the cog
nizanoe of the members of the prose-
cution, wholly as a movement of citi-
should prevail in this city, and were
service and their money to this cause.
HUNDREDS JOIN
Upon the matter of the organizati ton
becoming known to the public through
the press hundreds Of citizens at once
allied themselves with the movement
so that the committee of 30 rested upon
a basis of several hundred citizens in
its general membership. The committee
of so selected an executive committee,
with NJ L Sullivan as president and
W. H Payson as secretary treasurer
and the following additional members:
William Kent, Barclay Henley, Rev. c.
n Lathrop, Walter Macarthur, John
Sweeney. George H Boke. Headquar-
ters were secured in the Pacific build
ing.
The. policy Of the league was then