The San Francisco call., 1908-11-16
PASTORS CONDEMN
LOCAL CONDITIONS
Men of Cloth Outspoken in De-
nunciatiOn of Grafters and
Their Press
Congregations Join in Demand
for Stronger Support OF
Prosecution

In speaking of civic duty and the
rights of citizens Rev. Robert Lord
Cave of the First Christian church in
his sermon last night said that between
"the man who. in relation to society
magnifies his duties and minimizes his
rights, and the man WHO reverses this
order, there may be the difference be-
tween a patriot and a parasite. between
| a desirable and an undesirable citizen.
| between Roosevelt and a Ruef
Heney. and a Hearst"
Comparing the attempted assassina-
tion of Francis ]. Heney With the mar
der of President Mckinley. Rev. George
E. Burlingame. pastor of the First Bap-
tist churchi said last night in his ser
mon:
'It was never proved that the murder
of Mckinley was a conspiracy, either
of anarchists or editors; and yet IL
men had not been encouraged here on
the sacred soil of freedom TO abuse
their freedom. and to despise and be-
little and ridicule and hate the presi-
dent Buffalo would never have been
forced to witness the hldeous assassi-
nation of one of Gods noblest sons
1T may never be proved that the
distinguished criminals who have made
our fair city byword the world over
were directly interested in the diabol-
ical attack on the public prosecutor,
but IL the fiddler and mis- astute lawyer
friend had not betrayed their trust as
citizens and officials. and if an oppor-
tunist and trucking press had kept
It's pages clean of denunciation and
vilifcation of honest and fearless pub
lie servants we should not today
be the topic of conversation and the
most popular scandal in every hamlet OF
America and every cafe and court of
Europe. The atmosphere of lawless-
ness produced in each the man spurred
on to do the deed; and the men and in
stitutions which fostered and devel-
oped that atmosphere are the cardinal
transgressors.'
WANTS NO MORE LETHARGY
| Right Rev. Philip Andreen, ID. D..
| pastor of the Swedish church joined
with the other pastors of the city in
/ deploring the fact that the conditions
which existed in San Francisco We're
! such as TO lead 10 the shooting of
Prosecutor Heney.
we pray God that the public con-
science. which has just received such
forceful awakening" said the Rev. Mr..
Andreen. will remain awake and not
return 10 its former state of lethargy.
Il ask you as members of this church
! to stand up for what is right and not
| let business or financial reasons keep
| you from supporting with all your
/ might the struggle that is being waged
| for civic purity and in which Heney
has fallen a martyr to the cause. II
there is any one in this church so base
as to secretly eXult in the deed that
has been committed and whose sympa-
thies are not with the for ward march
of justice, he / say, should not desc
crate this edifice with his presence"
After the sermon Rev. Mr. Andreen's
congregation crowded about him AMI
assured him that to man their sym
pathies were with the man who was
battling for his life in the Lane hos
J pital.
That San Francisco is reaping the
harvest of years of political greed.
tyranny and shameful rottenness was
the contention of Rev Edward X
Strong. pastor of Trinity Presbyterian
church, last night.
Our citizens are reaping the harvest
of moral cowardice and inaction,' said
Rev. Mr. Strong
ALMOST ALONE IN FIGHT
THAT shot which felled Heney has
startled our city and our land and
turned our attention to the bitter fact
that almost single handed this man has
been fighting the battle for liberty and
Justice"
Although referring to Heney as bat
tling against graft almost alone many
of the ministers explained that they
meant no disparagement of Rudolph
Spreckels and the others who had
aided and stood with Heney, but added
that these were few compared to the
great numbers of newspapers and
other interests against the prosecution
resolution pledging the unanimous
support of the congregation of the
Westminster Presbyterian church to
''all lawful efforts to stop crime in the
city. and mete out justice to all Grim
inals. high and low. alike" was adopt