The Lake County times., 1906-11-22

FALL OF MAYOR sCHMITz.


The fall of Mayor Schmitz of San
Francisco. who has been indicted by
the grand jury for extorting money
from certain class of questionable
French restaurants is one of the TRACE
dies of politics but it points to a valu-
able lesson that should be taken to
heart by the class of citizens who de-
light in pointing to the practices of
rich politicians and compare them with
the honesty of poor man.
Viewed in the proper perspective
there IS very little difference between
the rich man and the poor man, the
educated man and the uneducated.
There is a great equalizer that prevents
one from rising too high above the
other. Evil is found in the best of men
and good in the worst of them as is
proven by the fall of a Depew or the
rise of a Hearst and when an attempt
is made to condemn particular class
the frailties of humanity as a whole
are left out of the consideration.
Some time ago eugene Schmitz be-
came the nominee of the Union Labor
party of San Francisco There had
been a great labor disturbance in the
city at the Golden Gate and Schmitz as
the representative Of the Labor Unions
was elected mayor of San Francisco
under circumstances that made him a
figure OF national Importance. His
campaign and his career were watched
by union laborers all over the United
States as he was the embodiment of
their political hopes and ambitions.
During his first term Of office he
proved himself a worthy and capable
administrator of municipal affairs and
his reelection by large majority fol-
lowed Even the Employers Associa-
tion which had so bitterly opposed his
election, rallied to his standard and
supported him because of his uncom-
promising attitude towards all forms
OF graft.
He was even prominently mentioned
as a candidate for governor when his
head was turned by his success and his
unqueachable thirst for power lead him
TO form an alliance with A. Ruef, who
was regarded as a politician whose
methods were questionable.
After the first false step Eugene
Schmitz's fall was rapid and soon
stories of his questionable acts were the
common talk Of the town. Although he
had been unequivocal in his declara-
tion against overhead trolleys. he final
IL yielded to corrupt corporations and
although the concession was known TO
be worth over $40 oOo. 900 the trolley
company was permitted to put in its
wires without paying anything for the
privilege. 1t is said that the mayor
ana his gang cleared 100000 on the
deal and this is one of the charges un-
der which he is indicted.
A man in whom there were possi-
blilties for much good proved that "a
chain is no stronger than its weakest
link" and has fallen from a position
high in the estimation OF his fellow
workers to that of a discredited and
disgraeed leader Of great cause.
When the socialistic party claims ir
the literature that it is sending about
the country that on account of the
great element of graft that has beer
uncovered in this country il is the pur-
pose Of this party to get control of ths
government by overthrowing the rult
of the rich and abolish the capitalistit
class, its promises Of an honest gov
ernment in the light Of Schmitz' ca
reer do not seem to be very near being
realized.
The only remedy. for stamping out OF