The San Francisco call., 1906-11-03
State Press Applauds Efforts to
Land Looters in Prison.

"HE movement to prosecute the
San Francisco grafters and cor
ruptionists is a popular one that
has universal approval. 1t is
response to demand from the best
elements of San Francisco's popula-
tion and every well-wisher of San
Francisco, every Californian who has
and every good citizen everywhere
hopes that 1t may be successful. When
such a man as Rudolph Spreckels
pledges money enough to cover the ex-
pense of collecting evidence, others
will follow the example and aid the
prosecution until every guilty man
is landed behind pententiary
walls The popular cry of
graft against public officials of
San Francisco does 1t almost as
much damage as did the great fire
and is retarding its recovery as much.
as any other agency. When public Of
ficers are under the suspicion of shar
ing the profits of plunder or protecting
plunderers, people will not go there TO
live or invest their means there. That
is one reason why men having great
interests in San Francisco are back
ing the movement with their money
and lending 1t moral support.-Stock-
ton Independent.
From present appearances San Fran
cisco is on the eve Of the biggest house
cleaning in her municipal history. The
famous lawyer Frank j. Heney and
that big thief catcher, William j.
Burns, of the Government service, have
been retained by private citizens to
assist the District Attorneys office in
running to earth San Francisco's worst
enemies-her civil criminals and bood-
lers.-Watsonville Pajaronian.
Francis J. Heney, the able and suo-
cessful prosecutor of land thieves, has
been appointed an Assistant District
Attorney of San Francisco for the ex-
press purpose of investigating and act
ing on the charges of graft against
certain municipal officials that have
been current and notorious for a con-
siderable time. Associated with Mr..
Heney is W. j. Burns, the successful
secret service operator, who has been
detached for a time from the Govern
ment service in order to engage in this
work. The prosecutor will
work at a great disadvantage
The condition of affairs in the city is
such that victory by Mr.. Heney must
be won under severe handicaps. How
ever, the young lawyer is resourceful
and in the past he has made state
ments that indicate that he will enter
on the fight with personal as well as
professional zeal.-Stockton Record.
There are many lively suspicious cir
cling around the two-story head of the
absent Mayor of San Francisco.-Colu-
sa Sun.
District Attorney Langdon of San
Francisco has declared that he intends
to stir things up In that city, now suf
fering a reign of crime He has ap-
pointed as a deputy Francis j. Heney,
the well known prosecutor for the
Government in the land fraud cases.
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Heney
once on a time asserted in a speech
delivered in San Francisco that IL he
were given the opportunity he could
place Abe Ruef behind the bars. He
now has that opportunity and If Mr..
Ruef has been guilty of crimes against
the public of such fragrant nature as
charged it is to be hoped that Mr..
Heney will make good his word.-Tu-
lare Register
The whole State will rejoice that at
last District Attorney Langdon has
broken away from his wild goose po-
litical chase long enough to start
movement for the prosecution of the
men who are humiliating San Fran
cisco in the eyes of the world by their
unconscionable and dishonorable mis-
government. In the hands of Francis
j. Heney the cause of the law abiding
citizens will not languish. He has am
ply proven himself to be the terror of
evil-doers of high degree in the land
fraud prosecutions. He should have
the moral support of the whole. State
in cleansing San Francisco of the Of
fetal cancer which is preyIng upon its
vitals.-Pasadena Star.
1t begins to look as though the
grafters who have been grating on
San Francisco for so long a time are
about to receive their reward. but
different kind from that which they
have been receiving in the past. Some