Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

r.
ifornia Theater and occupied similar posi-
ton in the Columbia Theater of San Fran
cisco when elected to the mayoralty the
first time.
They say 1 play the bassoon," said
Mayor Schmitz. Il deny it, but don't I'M
derstand me as being ashamed of it. 1t is
a fine occupation. 1t strengthens the lungs
and sweetens the BREATH
Schmitz Genealogy.
He, however, was a fiddler, and it is said
not particularly good one. But to go
California. His father was a German.
His mother was from County Glare. Ire
land Schmitz himself looks like a Span
lard. The elder Schmitz was forty
Francisco. Mayor Schmitz was educated
in the public schools and obtained his musi-
cal education from his father, an orchestra
leader before him. Schmitz occupies the
union mayor San Francisco ever had and
of also being the first mayor of San Fran
cisco ever indicted for malfeas~nce in
office. Schmitzs career throughout has
been spectacular.
In the fall of 1901 he sprang into the
midst of local politics by becoming the
candidate for mayor of San Francisco on
the newly born union labor ticket. The
politicians of the od-line parties laughed
at HIM at first, then as his strengt" be-
came Apparent they began fierce war
against him. but all the time the power of
his party grew and he was carried into
office on the crest of one of the most bitter
fights between union labor and capital that
any city has ever experienced, and San
francisco awoke the morning after the
election to find that the fiddler was their
mayor. Schmitz, during the campaign,
talked like an old campaigner. He made
grammatical errors, it is true; he split his
inf1nitives and got mixed in his metaphors,
but he talked right from the shoulder and
In way that pleased the masses. hen
he was established in the city hall he got
right down to business and surprised every
body by his clear understanding of his
dutles and the sagacity of his rule;
People began to say: THE fiddler is
making good and then the name of Abe
Ruef was whispered around in connection
with the administration. Abe Ruef? ALI
Abe Ruef has his single out as a lawyer
1t is said he is rich that he has made
lots of money in San Francisco. 1t is also
said that he can pull off trick-in court
or out-that no other lawyer can pull off
1t soon seemed that the fiddler was mayor
but that Abe Ruef made the fiddler fiddle
No sooner Schmitz we'll seated in his
chair than Abe Ruef began to build up a
schmitz machine, and he built it up good
and strong. Abe Ruef organized the
Schmitz club, and all the city officer holders
from the president of the board of educa-
ton down to the man who fed the ducks in
the ponds at Golden Gate Park, became
members. And when the club was well
under way Abe Ruef was appointed attor-
ney for it at an annual salary of $4,000.
Then people began TO say: IF you want to
pull anything through, see Abe Ruef."
Mayor Schmtz was always in his office.
handsome, dignified, pleasant. He acted
the part Of mayor well. But Abe Ruef was
also in his office, and the wise ones saw
Abe Ruef-not Mayor Schmitz. But for
two years all went well.
Scandals Began to Crop Out.
Then Schmtz ran again and was re-
elected. Not long after his reelection
scandals began to crop out. The start of
the scandals was a hue and cry made in
San Francisco paper about the dsap-
pearance of a black colt from the fire de-
partment. Then came graver charges of
police graft in the Chinese gambling dens.
The police commissioners made an investi-
cation and whitewashed the police. The
board Of election commissioners was said
to be corrupt and to have permitted irregu-
larities at the primaries. The fire commits
siQners were charged with peddling out
questions to applicants seeking eXamina-
tons for positions. But the SchmitZ ma
chine stood firm. and Schmitz was nailed
down right to the mayoralty chair.
All the time the condition In San Fran
cisco was growing worse. The Tender
loin' was wide open. Down In Turk and
Eddy streets you could hear the bedlam
raised by drunken men and drunken Wom-
en- until the gray streaks of dayl ght ap-
peared. Above the French restaurants
innocent enough on the ground floors
you could see the lights streaming. The
ten-cent theaters did a land Office business
Prize fights were pulled off, law or no law.
The red flag fiuttered the city. You
can get everything in Frisco that you can
find in Paris, only you can get it cheaper
was the motto of the Tenderloin.
The tales get closer to Schmitz. There
was smudge on his name. police COM
missioner who became too Jealous in his
Investigations, was removed from Office.
He peached. He charged the mayor with
women. Another police commissioner be-
gan to talk. He was dismissed from Of
fice He charged Ruef and Schmitz with
getting rake offs" on the liquor licenses:
of her folly and her disgrace the earth
quake and the fire overcame the city.
Schmitz arose to the occasion. He sent
automobiles to all parts of the city while
the flames were eating up the buildings as
if they were finder, calling upon the most
prominent men-men who had fought him
bitterly, men who were his f1ercest enemies
to serve upon an emergency committee for
the preservation of law and order In the
face of the common peril political differ
ences AMI hatred were forgotten, a meeting
was called.
An Emphatic Proclamation.
And in the meantime Mayor Schmitz is
sued proclamation, which was printed on
a hand press far removed from the scene
of the conf1agration. This proclamation,
printed in heavy type. stated in no uncer-
tain words that any person found footing
or discovered in the commission of other
crimes would be Immediately shot without
trial or jury. Then the citizens met in the
basement of the partially ruined hall of
Justice and the committee of fifty was
organized, of which Mayor Schmitz was the
backbone. He was foremost in the line Of
succor and 1t was his strong hand that re-
organized the police and brought order out
of the chaos. All factionai differences
were forgotten. all charges of graft were
forgotten. Foes and friends united in the
cause for the common good. Ex-Mayor
James d. Phelan. who had been one Of
Schmitz's bitterest foes, was, during this