MAYOR BRADLEY'S APPEAL

Here is the text of a televised address that Mayor Tom Bradleydelivered Friday night to Los Angeles residents:

"Good evening. The jury in the Rodney King civil rights trialhas asked to return to the courthouse (Saturday morning). No oneknows exactly what will happen tomorrow.

"In the meantime, we should ignore all rumors and speculation.They only serve to heighten anxiety. Let's all take a deep breath.Let's all keep cool.

"We may all have our own idea of how this trial should turn out.But whatever the outcome, it is now time for Los Angeles, as a city,as a people, to look beyond this trial. We must turn our attentionaway from courtrooms and toward our children, toward our neighborsand toward the challenges we face.

"We must devote every ounce of our being to bridging ourdifferences, creating jobs and seeking fairness and equality. Inthis hour, and over the next days, I know in my heart that theoverwhelming majority of our residents will accept whatever happenswith calmness and reason regardless of their personal feelings. Tothem I say, keep the peace, because without it there can be nojustice. To them I pledge I will do everything in my power tomaintain public order to spare this city the agony we went throughlast year.

"To those who may be itching for an excuse to harm ourneighbors, I have this warning: You will not get away with it, sodon't even try.

"Finally, I want to appeal to the innate goodness of all of ourpeople in all of our neighborhoods, from Chatsworth to Watts, fromBoyle Heights to Pacific Palisades, to sustain one another in onecommon resolve to keep our city whole. Thank you, and good night."