The San Francisco call., 1906-11-11

furore of a general election was in
sufficient to distract even momentarily
the general interest in every preiim-
mary STEP leading through a maze Of
the most brazen plots to defeat the
organization OF a free Grand Jury,
down to the moment OF its formal OBJ
legation. Now that the most import
ant inquisitorial body ever summoned
by the courts of San Francisco is at
the beginning OF its great work. pub
lie interest amounts to suspense. Oh
viousiy, since the foreman OF Grand
Jury smust WELD more or less influence
over Ii, must in some degree control
and give character to its work. the
people. good and bad, have deep i'm
terest in B. P. Oliver.
IMPRESSED WITH DUTIES.
Oliver. either from the standpoint. of
the hysterical reformer or the CRATER,
is not promising inquisitor From
the viewpoint of the conservative. hon
est citizen, who wants only justice for
himself and every other man. and that
justice secured in a seenlly. orderly.
lawful manner. oliver may be consid-
cred an ideal inquisitor. He is rather
oppressively. but in no sense Offensive
ly, Impressed with the extreme import
af1ce of the post he has been called to,
and sense OF the duty he owes San
Francisco and her people. That sense
of duty has softened the sting of re-
gret over a frustrated trip to Europe.
with the large family in which be
takes a justinable pride. That sense
of great duty and of the obligation
he has taken makes easier the un-
avoidable publicity that is distasteful
to one who through all of busy life
has stood and prefers to stand outside
the glare OF the limelight
Oliver is essentially the American
business man. And he looks It, He is
So years old and his appearance does
not bear out the family records by at
least half-dozen years. IL is only
when he Is seen surrounded by HIS
family and when he modestiy speaks
of having his business so arranged
after years OF hard work that he may
efijoy a two years vacation in Europe.
that the badness Of wsli-she ped
head takes on it's true significance.
There Is nothing in the outward Oil
yer, from his CHEEKY laugh to we'll
chosen garh. to indicate the radical.
His every utterance is pregnant with
latent disavowai OF any intention TO
depart in the slightest degree from
the paths of conservatism. The we'll
nodded figure OF medium height. fitting
easily into repose; the good face. free
from ageing lines; the prominent,
light-colored eyes, speak eleauentIy
of a life untorn by passions. a. life
regulated by the light OF cold reason
ing.
EXPERIENCE NEW TO HIM.
There is nothing ostentatiods about
oliver. When he says. Il mean to do
this work to the best OF my ability:
to do my whole duty as I find IT, he
carries conviction and the listener is
prepared, rather expects. the corrol-
and feathers"
They are the uHimpassioned utter
ances of a business man, made as he
would make promiseSpureiy CONNER
cial and accepted quite as readily and
with as little question as a purely COM
mercial promise would be accepted by
his business associates. The same is
true of his refusals to discuss the plans
of the Grand Jury or Its work. its
policies. or it's relations to the citizens
of San Francisco. With the same dis-
eliminating but unconditional exactness
that he might be expected to discuss
the probabilities OF the weather, Oliver
tells one:
Grand juries are new experience
for me. | have no views on the sub.
ject matters the present Grand Jury
viii be called upon to investigate. 1
have~no policy. have taken an oath
not % discuss or divulge the work OF
the Grand Jury. OF course, / am
bound by that OATH
There is slight deprecatory note of
anticipated invasion of a forbidden
field. 1t is slight, but it is there, and
there is cool. business-Iike finality in II.
There is the business mans acceptance
of conditions as one finds them in Oil
ver's unvarnished recital of plans
spoiled by Grand Jury service which
he evidently expects to extend over a
period OF three or four months lie was
recalled from Europe. where he had
gone with his family to spend two
years among the art treasures Of the