The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-24
FIDDLER VINO BECAME MAYOR.
schmitZ known ss "the Man VINO Made
Good When Disaster Came to the City.

FfDDLER VINO BECAME MAY OK.
sehmItz known a. "the Man Who Made
Good when Disaster Came TO the City.
Eugene E.. Schmitz, the fiddler Mayor
OF San Francisco, -the man who made good"
when San Francisco was shaken and partly
burned 10 the ground, occupies a unique
distinction in the municipal history OF that
city. He is the first labor union Mayor that
San Francisco has ever had. He is the
first Mayor of San Francisco that has ever
been indicted for malfeasance in Office.
The career OF Schmltz has been a spec
tacular one. and many elements OF the
bizarre in the record Of his Office holding
have served to raise him beyond a purely
local fame. Since April IS last there are
men all over the country who have heard
of the work that Schmitz did in the dark
days after the fire and who hope that the
one who proved himself such a big man in
disaster is not guilty Of robbing the city
that he worked so hard TO save from
anarchy.
Schmitz was BORN in San Francisco of
German parents. His father had come
across the plains in the early days TO find a
fortune. He did not find it. Instead he
became the father OF a large family Of boys
and was hard put to il to give e a
common school education. Gene Schmftz,
as he is aif~ectionately called by his parti-
sans and patronage beneficiaries in San
Francisco, set himself to become a doctor.
Ill health forced him 10 give that up. and
he followed a bent for music.
When in the fall of 1901 Schnlitz became
a local figure in politics by appearing as the
candidate for Mayor of the city on the
newly bern labor union ticket he was first
violin and leader Of an orchestra in the
Columbia Theatre. lie was not a good
musician. but he was \ cool union labor
man.
The theatre orchestra leader rode into
power on the froth Of one OF the most bitter
fights between union labor andits employers
that San Francisco had ever experienced.
In the fall Of 1901 the Employers Association
was formed-a combination aimed at the
Increasing power and impudent demands
of the unions. A strike Of the Waterfront
Federation of longshoremen, truck drivers
and freight handlers followed. The con-
teet was bitter. Many men were killed
and the employers lost heavily, but they
won out in the end.
Nevertheless tho union labor forces felt
themselves strong enough to go into politics.
The Union Labor party was formed. Eugene
Schmitz, then president OF the Musicians
Union. was picked to head the ticket.
COOL CAMPAIGN.
Schmitz had never made n speech in his
life. He kne little more than how to play
the Rddle. Rut he started out to make a
hot campaign among the union labor forces.
r. z,,-L ho aauoafnaaa arlf HE tnEnitt"..
and he often got mixed in his metaphors.
Schmitz proved to be lust the man To
become the darling OF the union labor CO.
horts. He is a big man physically; he is
handsome as men go; he Possesses to a
marked degree the magnetism that wins
with the crowd.
Against the opposition Of all the news
papers save Hearst's Examiner. and 10 the
great confusion OF the iron welded Repub-
lican and Democratic machines. this big
fiddler from the Columbia Theatre orchestra
won hands down and took of1oe before the
amazed politicians had recovered their
breath.
Once established at the City Hall Schmitz
began to surprise people by the sanity and
sagacity Of his rule. He rave many union
labor men good jobs, but he did nothing
radical or subversive. He was good to
his brothers. among others. One Of them
became a member OF the city's electrical
department. and another was later put on
the city almshouse board.
ENTER ABE RUEF
The new Mayor had not been long in Office
when the name OF Abe Ruef began to be
whispered about, and the hand OF Abe Ruef
--z- g. A-..s-- go.
behind the Mayors chair. Ruef was a
lawyer who had the wisdom never to run
for municipal Office. He had the reputation
OF being a shady lawyer-people said he
could pull of a trick in the courts that no
other man could. He was credited with
making lots Of money through the handling
of other peoples estates,
Before Sohmitz had been long in Office
the wise ones around the City Hall learne'
that it was not Gene who was Mayor, but
Abe and Gene; and Abe's name wa always
spoken first. ABB ret out to establish a
Schmitz machine which should be strong
enough to insure his reelection to Office.
All Of the oficeholders who owed their
Jobs to Schmitz. from the president Of the
Board Of Education down 70 the tender OF
the municipal ducks in Goldcn Gate Park,
were herded together into the Schmitz
Club. Membership was practically COM
pulsory. Membership entailed a. its sole
uuty OOOtNAAk " hAh ANuVis ~ WhH
learned later, was retained as the permanent
attorney of the Schmitz Club at SIS 900 a
year. IL was never said why the club
needed an attorney, but Abe persuaded the
organization that II did.
The Mayors Office was not sought up at
the CITY Hall by the wise ones. but on the
fourth floor of the building do wn at the corner
OF Kearney and California streets, where the
sign abraham Ruef, Attorney was en-
biazoned on the windows. From morning
until foggy eve there was daily a line OF
hangers-on, political touts and small Office
holders waiting in the outside Office for a
consultation with the curly boss" in the
inner sanctum.
Gene sat in his Office at the City Hall
and looked the part. Abe sat in the inner
sanctum on Kearney street and did the
work. But even as a bossed Mayor Sohmitz
did not at first do anything TO cast a stigma
on his name or bring his administration
into discredit. All went well n honorably
for about two years.
SCANDALS ROT OUT.
Al the expiration Of his first term Schmitz
was reelected. Then scandals began TO be
unea rthed in the ofices filled by Schmits.
WI. aM. aHME E ". wHHUM a"NN "a