Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-14

gone a change, that which, honestly
secured, would cost large, though
equitable, sum of money.
The story of the franchise steal
Is we'll known. Most of the members
of the board of supervisors of the city
and county OF San Francisco have con-
fesed, under oath, that they sold their
votes for the trolley franchise. Abe
Ruef has confessed to specific partici-
patton in the criminal transaction.
When arraigned for his crime he
pleaded guilty-why, no man knows.
Whatever opinions may be entertained
as to the full motives actuating him
to prefer sentence without undergoing
the formality of trial, one thing is
certain: Ruef would not have adj
lnitted his guilt unless he believed it
would be useless to make fight fo-
liberty in the courts.
Abe Ruef received bribes. He re-
ceived and disbursed corruption fund
which was applied in securing for the
United Railroads the franchises they
sought. Who gave him the money?
Is there any man who believes that
the money used for this purpose was
furnished to Ruef by some public
spirited Individual not connected with
this corporation in order that the will
of the people might be overridden?
Somebody gave Ruef this money TO
aid in the consummation of criminal
plans of which the United Railroads
were TO become, and actually did be-
come, the beneficiary. Who gave it
Not only this, but who directed that
somebody give it? Whoever he may
be, the man who made it possible for
Ruef to obtain this money is the chief
He is the first cause" in
the whole iniquitous DEAL Upon his
shoulders should the responsibility rest.
All honest men will regret to see
Ruef go free, after the hideous confess
sion he has made. Immunity in his
case should be the dernier resort. But |
if the man "higher up" the arch Grim |
inal, the head of this whole damnable
the one man who has reck-
oned as nothing the rights of the peo-
pie of San Francisco, who has hooted |
at law, who has derided the best cit
zenship of the splendid metropolis of
The Pacific coast because, forsooth, 1t
has simply asked that these monstrous
crimes be traced to their source and
the chief criminal be punished for lay
ing the cornerstone of the conspiracy
If this man can be reached, we say,
and put into a felon's cell for his in
fanny, let it be done at the woeful ex-
pense of immunity for Abraham Ruef.
San Francisco, not long since hiss
ing and a byword from the Atlantic
to the Pacific; San Francisco. which
in the election of DR.. Taylor as mayor
conferred upon Spreckels and Heney
and Langdon and Burns sacred COM
mission to continue their magnificent
Iabors until the chief criminal has been
found and punished, will stand by
these intrepid foes of graft until the
end. San Francisco's civic conscience1
cannot be at rest until the city has
Gone its whole duty to itself. When
it shall have emerged from this travail
of self-purification it will proudly
stand as a glorious model not only for
other American cities which have suf-
fered from graft, but for the federal |
itselfs which, judging from
late press dispatches, is about to take
what appears to be an unnecessary and
unwise step in granting immunity to
Hartman for his past crimes, provided
he will abandon another criminal pro-
ject he has in hand.