The San Francisco call., 1903-09-20
ATTITUDE
Of A. RUFF
IS QUEER
Declares That He Must
Support Schmitz for
Mayor.
Fears He Would Be Called
Ingrate If He Fay ored
Another Nom nee.
Asked to Define Position, He Says
he Will Do So Before Mayor
atty Candidate Is Sc
lected.

! A Ruef. in a conversation at the Pal
| ace Hotel yesterday with Thomas P
Woodward, president of the Board of Ed
ucation, declared himself in favor of Eu-
gene e. Schmitz for Mayor and remarked
that his obligations to the Mayor were
such tat should he forsake him mis- man
! hood would be involved. In regard to the
conversation Mr. Woodward says:
"Ruef and l had a conversation in which
| he predicted a vote of at least $4,000 for
| Schmitz. When asked his position in the
! fight he said that 1t was his duty to stand
! by his friend and that II was personal
matter with him now. He said he had
| been Republican and he expects always
! to be such, but that at this election he
| is between two fires and surrounded by
| peculiar circumstances. Ruef declared
that he thought his manhood would be
sullied should he turn against Schmitz
and that 1t was his obligation to stand
by him"
Last evening Mr.. Ruef was questioned
on behalf Of The Call with a view of as
certaining whether he intends to Loyalty
support the Republican ticket or to be-
tray his party at the eleventh hour. .uef
was somewhat reluctant and evasive last
night but he cannot define his position
in the campaign too soon to suit the Re-
publican voters, the Republican press
and his Republican associates in the
United League There is no longer any
middle course for him. He is one of the
organizers of the league. He Is free to
participate in the councils of the organ
ization, to frame it's policies and princi-
pies and to pass upon the merits of pro-
posed candidates. For nearly year he
has held a prominent place in the inner
councils of the organization. Beyond that
he went on the Republican ticket at the
August primary and was elected dele
gate to the Republican municipal con-
vention
AS a delegate and as chairman of the
Forty-fifth District delegation he partici
pated In the organization of the Repub-
lican convention.a- Now he declares that
he must support Mayor Schmitz or place
himself in the light OF an migrate There
Is no honorable course for A. Ruef other
than that of coming forward and pledg
ing to his fellow delegates in the Repub-
lican municipal convention and to his as
sociates in the United Republican League
that he will support without reserve or
qualification the nominees of the Repub-
lican party in this local campaign. He
knew of his personal obligations to May
or Schmitz when he entered upon his du-
ties as an organizer of the league. His
withdrawal would have been all right at
ItidL IlIile. Dul lUS SlbudllOu iON iS 1ilO-
gether different
LOOKS LIKE CRoCKER.
1t is common gossip in political circles
that Henry ]. Crocker has developed suf-
ficient strength TO win the Republican
nomination for Mayor. There were sew
eraI conferences of prominent delegates
and party leaders yesterday. The aspira-
tions of Mr.. Crocker were considered and
the judgment was expressed that he
would rally the voting strength of the
party at the polls and be elected Mayor
of San Francisco.
At headquarters of the United Repub-
lican League last evening there was con-
siderable gossip touching the reported
settlement of the contest in Mr.. Crockers S
favor Hon. a. p. Williams. DR.. McNutt,
Thomas d. Riordan, David Rich, A. Ruef,
John c. Lynch. Henry Ach and other or
ganizers OF the league exchanged views
relating to campaign prospects. The Call,
desiring to ascertain If Mr. Crocker's
nomination would enlist the active and
unqualified support of the active pro-
moters of the league, asked Senator VIII
liams and his associates of the organiza-
tfon to reply to this question:
RUFF ON-COMMITTAL.
should Henry j. Crocker be nominated
for Mayor by the Republican convention
would you give him your unreserved and
unqualified support?'
Senator Williams. Henry Ach, Thomas
D. Riordan. John G. Lynch, David Rich
and DIR. McNutt replied readily and di-
rectly in the affirmative.
A. Ruef was the only one of the active
promoters of the league that gave indirect
response. He replied MY position is a
peculiar one and 1 cannot at this time de-
Gr,a = I 4 lxr1rx
Crocker is to be the Republican nominee
for Mayor"
The question was then addressed to Mr..
Ruef in this form:
I'm the event of Henry Crocker's nom
ination by the Republican convention
would you support him in preference to
Eugene E. Schmitz, the nominee of the
Labor party?''
Mr.. Ruef replied: II will make my posi-
tion in this respect clear before the nom
ination is made. / will not bolt. the nom
ination. If 1 take part in the convention
j will support the ticket from top to bot
tom. The attitude which. shall take NAV
be acceptable to Mr.. Crocker Yes. 7
know that the time has arrived for me TO
fish or cut bait"
MAY SATISFY CROKER.
Mr.. Ruef was asked to consider this
query:
"As one of the leading promoters of the
United Republican League, do you not
consider yourself in honor bound to stand
by Senator Williams John Lynch, David
Rich Thomas d. Riordan, DIR. McNutt
Henry Ach and others who have given
you their confidence and support from,
day to day and month to month in the
work of organizing the Republican forces
for this campaign? Do you hold your per-
sonal friendships and obligations above
your allegiance to the Republican party?,
Mr.. Ruef replied:
There are obligations, personal and DO
litical, which ] am bound to regard If 7
disregarded them 1 would be an migrate
In due time and before any nomination Is
made by the Republican convention Will
explain my attitude. When all the facts