Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-29
uNHlNpERED REIGN OF GRAFT

So far what has been written largely
applies to SChmitz' first term. Accord
ing to the best of my information there
has been this "legalized graft" from the
start; in other words, it has always
been necessary to ''see Ruef' for any
thing that the administration has had
to give or grant
But the active campaign to create
the necessity to see Ruef" If none eX-
listed is of more recent evolution. 1t
came with the second election OF
Schmitz.
One would imagine that Frisco, even,
would rebel at the nauseous dose of
Schmitz for a second time. But Frisco
is peculiar. 1t was enjoying the sensa-
ton of a pretty liberal administration.
in the main, it wasn't closely touched
by the "see Ruef policy and it had
not vet come to a realization of what
was in store for it.
The old parties each named the best
sort of men, and again the union labor
ties and a faction of the Republicans
named Schmitz. AS was the former
case, he won again-a plurality election
ensued and he had more votes than
either of his opponents, though, COM
bined, they would have beaten him we'll
In for Fair
This time Schmitz was in for fair.
And he knew it. He also saw little
chance that he would ever get another
term, and so caution, decency and
everything else We're thrown to the
winds: open and notorious hOld-ups
were the order of the day and night. A
perfect carnival of graft and eXtortion
was inaugurated and the coffers OF the
favorites overflowed
oil npfn INr
enlarged his offices and the rule was
still "see Ruef." But instead of waiting
for persons to seek their own reasons
and necessities as to why they should
"see Ruef' and holding off till necessity
drove them to him, devices, schemes
and plans were worked to create refl-
sons for seeing him-and for seeing
him most literally
81
Many Sources of Graft
There are many sources of graft in
San Francisco. Being a wide open
town, they are more numerous than is
the case anywhere else Frisco toler-
ates affairs that not even New York S
Tenderloin will permit. and these are
all sources of illegal revenue.
Take the saloons There are 5000 of
them. To get license Abe Ruef must
be hired to go before the police board
ana argue lol ll-lOl a lVC' ASNSlS l'''iS
while the screws are turned and those
who do not pay Abe Ruef a retainer for
keeping them clear of trouble find 1t
a-plenty. The deeper in they get the
higher are the fees" that Ruef
charges to get them out.
The French Restaurants
There are the French restaurants.
No other city has places such as these.
They are the idealization of the licen-
tiate's dreams. They are palatal
buildings on the principal downtown
corners Downstairs they are the swell
cafes of the city and any one may
enter without the least feeling of doubt |
or fear-no breath of scandal attaches. |
But take the elevator and go upstairs
"A woman is blasted forever.
Some of these places-the best of
carriage ways into which |
the autos drive. These lead directly to
the elevators. The great iron gates
clang the lift whisks upward-and the |
devil scores one more on his long ac-
count.
Abe Ruef spotted these. All of a |
sudden a great uproar ensued. These
places must be closed. They were awful! |
They represented hundreds of thou
sands of dollars-yes, but what was
that to the moral purity of the city in
Abe Ruefs holy eyes?
"See Abe Ruef"
The proprietors met and demanded |
what must be done? They heard a |
gentle voice whisper:
.tNXTt,,, don'4 ,,o,, 1Sae' Aha Puafop