Judge Not

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Judge Not

To foreigners in San Francisco, greeting.

When you see a labor-leader fiercely beating

The air with all his fingers to betoken

His view of this or that ere yet ’tis spoken⁠—

When you see him, as in dancing, foot it featly

To manifest dissent the more completely⁠—

When you hear him in a tempest of emotion

Deflate himself of some unpeaceful notion,

Don’t prophesy a blazing revolution;

Don’t drag the guillotine from its seclusion;

Don’t whistle up a storm of blood and thunder,

To fill the world with horror, fear and wonder!

He’s dreadful in defining his position,

He’s terrible in threatening sedition⁠—

And a Past Grand Master of Submission.