The San Francisco call., 1906-08-08
SUFFERS REFUSED
AID BY PARDEE.
Action of Governor Calls
Down the Ire of the
Ruef-Maestretti Gang
WAR TO A FINISH

All the poWerful polltlcal mdcHlhery
that Abe Ruef Frank Maestretti and
other primary election experts could
bring to bear has not availed to in
duce Governor Pnrdee to pardon
Charles Wyman, Adolph Steffens and
Joseph Rebstock. the ballotbox stuff
ers convicted a year ago. Nothing was
left undone TO bring pressure on the
chief executive. Petitions by the truck
load were prepared. but the hopes of
/ the prisoners and their loyal friends
have gone glimmering. 1t is two
months and more since the Governor
was asked to set the convicts free, and
his attitude OF silence is accepted as
refusal.
The campaign of political vengeance
against Pardee is already in progress.
Ruef and Maestretti have announced
that he shall not have one delegate
out of San Francisco for the Repub-
liean nomination for Governor
The ultimatum ran thus: Pardon
these three men and we will agree not
to hurt you In San Francisco"
Had the Governor turned loose the
ballot-box suffers, 1t is explained, he
could not have counted on the full sup
port of the administration crowd. Ruef
and Maestretti were not free to give
least have refrained from an aggres-
sive campaign and have given Pardee
and Charlie Spear a fair show in the
fight for delegates
But now the unpliable chief execu-
tive is not to have a 'look-in," declare
the self acclaimed political powers of
the town.
"Pardee made the mistake of his
life, for he was given the one oppor-
tunity to fix himself right for the
nomination" was the way a Ruef
leader put it yesterday
OTHER HELP ENLISTED.
The friends of the prisoners began to
move Immediately after the great fire
1t was admitted that the pardons
would bring down severe criticism on
the Governor In the chaotic conditions
when disaster, insurance and relief
work absorbed the public mind, the
time was deemed opportune for the
Governor to act without fear of pop
ular outcry NJ. H. de Young was ap-
pealed to and agreed that his paper
should not engage IA any roasting.
An evening paper which had also been
bitter in it's attacks on administration
men is said to have acquiesced In
similar arrangement.
The way was thus paved for the
Governor to set the trio of election law
offenders free at minimum cost or
censure. Such were the methods of the
| contingent to let Pardee glide easily
! into their favor. They proceeded on
! false assumption, however, when they
| figured that Governor Pardee was to be
moved by the threat of being "hurt."
Much effort had been expended dur
/ ing March and April in circulating
petitions on the streets of the city ask
ing for the pardon of Wyman, Steffens
and Rebstock. About 10000 names
/ had been obtained, it is claimed, but
what proportion of signers appended
| their names merely to get rid of the
hired solicitor could not be designated,
although it is known to have been
large. These petitions were destroyed
in the fire.
Those containing the names OF the
! jurors-six in the Steffens case, nine
! in that of Rebstock, and all of the
! twelve in the case of Wyman-were
saved. During the extraordinary ses-
sion of the Legislature Speaker Tom
Atkinson circulated a petition in the
Assembly and Senator George B. Keane
did likewise in the upper house, both
obtaining many signatures.
Il didn't like the job" remarked
Keane yesterday, but it was up to me
! to do 1t. and 1 asked all my fellow
! Senators to help us out. goodly num-
| Der complying with my request"
GOVERNOR REMAINS FIRM.
The jury and legislative petitions
were quickly presented TO the Gov
ernor. Personal appeal was made to
him repeatedly The points of the
argument presented to him were that
| all three prisoners were young, were
without vicious motive in their crimes
and had been led into the misdeeds
through foolhardiness The three men
had been punished enough, 1t was con-
tended, and their families were in need
of them for support in the trying times
following the disaster.
San Francisco needs all the men she
! can get to rebuild the homes of the
populace and TO help to rear the edi-
fees of steel and stone tat go to
make up a metropolis" was the elo-
! quent argument one lawyer made to
| the Governor, and we ask you to let
our stricken city have the services of
! Rebstock, Steffens and Wyman in the
rebuilding of our beloved city. Let us
have their help, for San Francisco
sorely needs every man she can get"
! The Governors eyes cleaned, and he
refused to entertain the force of the
argument that San Quentin and Folsom
should he emptied that San Francisco
might have workmen for rebuilding.
But all the efforts to obtain the pardon
have apparently gone for naught.
! Rebstock has in the meantime been
released on bail pending appeal to the
Supreme Court. Wyman and Steff ems
have given up hope of pardons and are
now urging Rpef and Maestretti to OBJ
tain paroles for them. Maestretti re-
fuses to entertain this proposal. for
il would not restore to the prisoners
the right to vote. He wants them
pardoned so they can again be avail
able in the district. He pins his hope
on a new Governor.
AS to Superior Judge John A. Hos
mer, who prosecuted the suffers, there
is difference of attitude in the Ruef-
Maestretti camp. Some say that when
he seeks nomination for the place to
which he was appointed the vengeance
knife Will be applied to him. In the
event of his nomination the score
would be settled at the polls. Others
of the crowd are inclined to deal more
literally with him, holding him blame
less inasmuch as he was but the hired
attorney OF the Merchants Association
when he so successfully assisted In the
prosecution of the trio of ballot-box
suffers.
NAME PRIMARY TVCJyETG