The San Francisco call., 1906-07-13

Navor Schmitz and his official household have
The floor or more properly speaking, the ring
The Mavor's demand that Police Commissioner
Reagan resign is met by letter OF refusal from
Reagan in which the Mayor is charged with con-
duct ordinarily set down under the head OF graft
ing. Reagan is specific, alleging that the Mayor
wanted the letter-writing Commissioner to sell
whisky to saloon-keepers at $50 barrel "proht,
the profits" to be equally divided between the
Commissioner and the Mayor. According to Rea-
gan, 100 barrels week could have been disposed
OF in this way, whence it will be seen that some
$1,000 week each could have been cleaned up by
the two officials. Reagan also hints at other i'm
proper conduct on the part OF the Mayor, which,
like the alleged whisky proposition, demands full
and immediate answer.
But whatever Mayor Schmitz's future course may
be- whether in the past he grated or attempted to
graft or is merely wrongfully accused, it is
certain that Reagan has shown beyond question
that the Mayor did the proper thing in demanding
Reagans resignation. A Police Commissioner
should above all else be good citizen, and Rea-
gan by his own words, demonstrates conclusively
that he does not meet the elemental requirements
OF good citizenship. To be sure, we have his word
for it that he refused to enter the corrupt deal
which he alleges the Mayor suggested to him, but
we also have his word for it that he knew the
Mayor to be basey corrupt and yet failed resign
and expose him, the only course under the cir
cumstanoes open to good citizen. And more:
he continued to hold office under an official whom
he knew to be corrupt, making no cry until he
was jolted into an act of good citizenship by a
demand for his resignation. Whatever the out
come Of the scandal as far as Mayor Schmitz is
concerned, Reagan has clearly shown himself an
unfit man to sit on the governing board of the
Police Department.
But this does not, of course, dispose of Reagan's
charges. Direct charges OF graft made by a mem
Der OF an important commission against the chief
executive of a city OF che Importance of San Fran
cisco are serious and are not lightly to be set aside
But the circumstances under which they are made
are such as to cause judgment so far as Mayor
Schntz is concerned, to be withheld until all the
evidence is in. Whatever the retiring Commits
soner may say of him, Mayor Schmitz is certainly
ridding the community of some highly undesir-
able officials But the Mayors good work will come
to nothing unless more worthy men be appointed
TO succeed them. He will not be judged so much
by the improved charges of the men whom he
removes from office-athough they be of his own
appointing-as by the character OF those whom
he appoints. What the people of San Francisco
want to know is, Does Mayor Schmitz honestly de-
sire to give San Francisco honest government?
They waiting for sign. So far as he does
desire and strive for that thing his hands will be
upheld by all good citizens regardless of political
Creeds or personal preferences. But the same good
citizens will be the first to decry corruption in
Mayor Schmitz or in anybody else AS has been
said, the people of San Francisco are waiting for
a sign from Mayor Schnlitz He is in a position
where he must give it The character of the men
whom he appoints to the Police Commission in
place of its Poheims, OGradys and Reagans will go
far toward fixing public opinion for against him.