Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-05-23
SAN FRANCISCO
REVELATIONS
NO SYMPATHY NEED BE FELT
FOR a CONFESSED RAS-
CAL.

Undoubtedly Mayor Schmitz is a
very bad man, and we suppose Abe
Ruef is right when he says that the
labor union buns" who surrounded
Schmitz We're very greedy and who'll
ly INSCRIPTIONS. But the theory
that Ruef was poor. weak victim
who was driven to crime, or tempted
beyond his strength TO resist or
forced TO do wrong in order TO main
tain "the organization, will be ac-
cepted by no one who is familiar
with the shameful story OF graft i'm
San Francisco. Ruef is a very able
man. strong personality, n shrewd
lawyer and a college graduate. He
knew what was right and what was
wrong, and he deliberately chose
the wrong. That he was acquainted
with all that was going on. with the
bribery of the supervisors and with
the whole system of graft is no
torious. The whole combination cen
tered about him. He was the brains
of the conspiracy The testimony
taken before the grand fury. which
is printed in the San Francisco Call.
shows that Ruef was deeply invoIv-
ed in the conspiracy of loot But
now the whole foul conspiracy has
gone to pieces The supervisors have.
practically all confessed. And
Schmitz himself is on the run.
We do not see that there is in this
case anything that should appeal to
the sympathy of the court or OF the
people. The city Of San Francisco
has for years been robbed by this
constituencies gang Of scoundrels
who, until Justice overlook them.
showed the most cynical and brazen
disregard of the laws Of both God
and man. They never had any idea
that they could be caught and pen
ished No one else had any such
idea TIL very recently The organi-
zation of the thieves seemed to be
above the law. Controlling the city
administration, in partnership with
the powerful corporations. supported
by tributes levied on corporations
and on the vice Of the city. and con
trolling the lower courts, it seemed
almost hopeless to look for relief
The whole local government was
nothing but an agency for the col
lection of toll for the benefit OF
those on "the inside"
But now the right has triumphed.
and there will be a large addition
to the penitentiary population. AsI
for Ruef himself it is to be said
that his conduct Is still being in
vesTgated along other lines. The
Coll informs us that the federal gov
ernment is looking into the part
which he had-if any-in the i'm
pOrtatiOn and sale OF Chinese girls
for immoral purposes Mr. Hency.
the leading figure I'm the prosecu-
tion, has publicly declared that he
can prove that Ruef was implicated
In this Infamous business. That the
traffic has been carried on is known
and it is known that some men made
large profits out OF &c. So the in
vestigation is going forward. and the
government through its secret SER
vice, is lending every possible aid
We think now that tho combination
Is broken, there will be much evil
dence unearthed involving many
men, and involving more deeply
those that have already been caught
Call informs us that the federal gov
honest men ought TO be. not with
Ruef or schmtz or any other mem
bers of the gang. but with the dis
graced city with the innocent vic
Tins of the vice trust which undoubt-
edly existed
We congratulate the people Of San
Francisco ON the certainty of the
revolution that is now I'm progress.
They owe much TO the brave mon