The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-12-13

Langdon, district attorney for San Fran
cisco. who with Heney has directed prose
cution in municipal corruption In that
city addressed Civic Forum last night
upon struggle Between Graft and Demo
cracy,' He said among other things;
mo moral issue can be supported by
leaders alone, No cause can be trusted
to just the talented few, Great principles
must be independent of the coming and
the going OF particular men. They must
become part and parcel OF the mass, Of
the race, OF the nation. Let the strong
and devoted Of earth 20 about their
chivalric business of public service. They
will make their own supporting public
opinion as they 60 along, however they
are misunderstood at first by common
men. The majority OF men are honest,
and they will respond to every uplift in
the long run.
The need is that the men who reform
shall SO conduct themselves as TO be all
that their cause il, The over .worshipo the
bauble OF personal reputation. the con
slant presence OF overweening egotism.
the personal prosecution OF men in the
impersonal prosecution OF offenders, the
lack OF conservatism in tearing down the
regulations OF the once great, the main
tenance of mere secrecy in the public
business than is required for efficiency
all these tend to ALLEVIATE. as they rightly
should. the public opinion upon which any
great work must rest The general char
acter OF a movement is as well revealed
by its small acts as the general character
OF an individual. II can create public
confidence or il can wreck H.
"The public press next TO the actual
conduct OF the prosecution itself. is the
best asset In the establishment OF a sup.
porting psblic opinion. Against the pen
ny-liner in the weekly press, and the
petty correspondents OF the outside
press. too.frequently purchased outright
BY the grafters. the daily press Of San
Francisco, giving information to the peo.
pie twice a day, supported the graft
prosecution loyalty. and made II possible
for the people and the leaders to work
together. In the moral upbnilding OF q
nation decent press system Is an es'
sential in carrying truth and ideas from
the sources Of supply to the remotest
centers OF distribution, as is system OF
railroads in the industrial development
OF a country
"But there is another need Willing
leaders and faithful public are funda.
mental, but the government work Of to.
day also requires expert service. No one
man elected to public Office can be expert
enough these days to meet every task
which comes within his domain Partic.
ularly true Is this at time OF crisis.
The work of the modern public officer Is
mainly executive. He should know his
duty. know how to get 1t done, and then
see that it gets done. The notion that
a man has betrayed his office into private
hands because he has dared to seek and
accept expert service other than those
normally at his command, is false
notion, which must be banished If demo.
cracy is to be efficient
"In the city Of San Francisco we were
confronted with some of the worst Grim
inal conditions of the century. Behind
those conditions were the shrewdest
minds Of the business world, the most
unscrupulous manipulators in the field
of politics and limitless wealth, which
purchased the best legal talent Of the
nation, and horde Of private detectives
and professional jury fxers. They went
about the city spreading false reports
and innuendo, prejudicing the minds of
men. They refused to vote expense funds,
and cut down the salary appropriations
of the District Attorneys office. They
shadowed the movements Of each member
Of the prosecutions staff. They stalked
into the courts OF justice with their re.
tinues of legal talent, and used every
technicality to DEFY the law. They tried
the prosecution, the judges, the juries,
every one in fact but the criminal Of the
case in question. They tried to fix the
juries. They poured moneys into the
political campaign to defeat officers who
were trying TO enforce the law.
"But we were not faced down. We had
stood up in the popular assemblies and
pledged ourselves solemnly to the law.J
And we were resolved to stand by our