The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-16
LOOTERS'LEAGUE RUNS TOWN.
GANG or Low BROWS VINO PLUM
DER s4NsFRiNCISCO.
Beard of Supervisors Reckoned 20 he
Worst Eycr-41Nen Ruef and schmi'z
NOt PIeased with Then-An Nominal ri
Because OF Labor Union Affiliations.

Worst Even Huef schtnlfz
NOt Pleased with Then-An Nominal ri
Because OF Labor Union Affiliations.
San Francisco, Nov. l5.-~San Fran
cisco has achieved the impossible" said
a native student of California politics.
she has developed anil placed in full
rover a more corrupt city administration
than the one that fourished in the early
nlneties under the blind boss, Christopher
Buckley" ''
Careful inquiry demonstrates that this
observers statement il most accurate.
Possibly New Ycrk and Philadelphia and
Chicago and ST. Louis have maintained
gangs Of grafteIs whose proceeds have
mounted to more dizzy totals, because
each of these is a larger city than San Fran
CISCO. But none OF them has covered its
ground 40 thoroughly as Ruef's outfit
Of coin combers. Certainly this country
has never seen 4 more accomplished and
unblushing set Of p~lunderers than the
members Of what the local papers call the
looters' League.
But whatever happens to Ruef, there
sre few more diverting spectacles at
present on view on this continent than
the outfit 81 i~lliterate and low browed
Job holders whom "A plurality OF voters in
4, San Francisco, nave elected to rob them.
Mayor Eugene +. Schnitz is himself
decidedly superior to the rest Of the outfit.
He was a good fiddler when he abandoned
the catgut fer the Mayors chair. He
Ia a fine figure of a man. standing 9 feet
? inches, and exhaling the atmosphere
Of personal ma gnetism that produces the
good mixer" in politics. He can make a
rood speech and cut up a good front.
Nor is Acting Mayor Gallagher much
via inferior. He is a lawyer and a pro-
;essional politician of several years stand
ing. As chairman of the Finance Com
mittee of the Board OF Supervisors he was
the natural choine to All Schmitz's shoes
when the Mayor became so rich that he
had to 60 abroad to spend his money.
But the Supervisors are a holy show.
This body is the cty's legislative council,
occupying about uhe same place in San
Francisco g governmental machinery that
the Aldermen do in New York's. They
are elected and there are eighteen OF them.
All of them were chosen on the Union
labor ticket and almost all of them are
members of labor unions. They succeeded
a Board of Supervisors who were OF the
very finest calibre and vino for four years
had stood between the Schmitz-Ruef gang
and the graft bin. When Schmitz n
Ruef nominated them it Was not supposed
that they had a chance. But elected they
were, for all that, and since then every
one OF the city departments has been turned
into a collecting agency
One of the most influential of this bunch
Is the Hon. Mike Ooffey. The Hon. Mike.
previous TO his Eruption into politics, drove
A hack about the streets of San Francisco.
II was a hired hack at that. He rides in
bis own automobile now. Years ago he
was known as a -two bit" man. but there's
nothing cheap about him now. He nno
write or speak a sentence OF English in
which subject and predicate ane not at
swords points.
Supervisor Fred P. Nicholas is a car
penter and president OF b District Council
OF Carpenters. Before his election he was
a hanger-on OF Pat Mccarthy, president
OF the Building Trades Council. He hasn't
done much ~carpentering since he became
a Supervisor and the only tool he uses
now is the gouge.
Then there is Supervisor McGushin.
Before the voters Of San Francisco honored
him with their franchises he ran a small
beer shop in a dingy dive in a narrow,
dirty street. But now he is the proud
proprietor OF a big saloon, with plate glass
windows and mountains Of mi glass and
hanging towels at the bar, IL you please,
located in Van Ness avenue. After the
fire the Supervisors voted that no saloons
should be allowed to open on Van Ness
avenue, but Supervisor McGushin has one
there. His is the only one, too, and its
daily profits are great. sF.
Supervisor Max Mamlock was an cleo
trical worker on a small salary. Now he's
a spender, and there's more where that
came from. ~
Tom Lonergan is one of the finest ex-
hibits among the Supervisors. Before his
elevation to Office Tom drove a bakery
wagon at SIS a week. He was a member
-of what they call the Bakery Goods Sales
mems Union" Tom was uncouth, I'M
washed, untutored, iIliterate, barbarous.
He Is all that still. Whenever he opens
his mouth the Kings English shivers. He
takes an honest pride in his rise to fortune
and will discourse upon it by the hour
70 any one who has the nerve to listen.
\ Says Tom:
me an tn ould woman meaning Mrs.
Lonerganl whit down { San Hosie an
We stayed at tn Hotel Vendam. They
give US tn bridal chamber, dye moind,
tn bridal chamber-twilve dollars tn day
nothin. too good fer usi An we drink
~shampagney wine in buckets"
The Hon. Mike Casey was a tesmster.
getting perhaps SIS a week. and became
tsecretary OF the Teamsters' Union. Mayor
Schmitz appointed him a member Of the
Board OF Public Works. There are all
sorts OF pickings in this body and all its
members are expert pickers. Casey served
n term only at a salary Of $4,000 and
came out well fixed. He is certainly worth
100000 to-day. The Hon. Mike is still
a mem Der OF the Teamsters' Union, but
IL has been many"a day since he did any
work.
Tons Reagan, who has only recently re-
tired, much against his will, from the lucra-
tive berth Of Police Commissioner. was a
payer and Of course a member OF the PAYERS
union. When he wasn't paving he used
to loaf around the shop Of the present Police
Commissioner. Drinkhaus, who despite his
name sold cigars. When he became Police
Commissions he went into the insurance
soliciting business on the side. When one
"a Police Commissioner soliciting insurance
produces immediate and large results.
H h~A..n rY,aw-allaI wufNk Nka -lrng1s.k-.as-