The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-22
sAN TRANcIsco REvELATIoNs.
No Sympathy Need Be Felt for a Con-
 fesSed Rascal.

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 were very greedy and wholly interruptions 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 maintain "the or ganization," will be accepted by no one who is familiar with the shameful story of graft inS San Francisco. Ruef is very able man, strong personali- ty, a shreWd lawyer and college graduate. He knew what was right and what was wrong, and he deliber- ately chose the wrong. That he was acquainted with all that was going on, with the bribery of suervisors and with the whole system of graft, is notorious. The whole combination centered about him. He was the brains of the con- spiracy. The testimony taken before the grand jury, which is printed in the San Francisco Call, shows that Ruef was deeply involved in the conspiracy of loot. But now the whole foul con- spiracy has gone to pieces. The su- peryisors 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 con scienceless gang of scoundrels who, un- til 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 punished. No one else had any such idea till very recently. The organization of the thieves seemed to be above the law. Controlling the city administration, in partnership with the powerful corporations, sup orted by tributes levied on the corpor- ations and on the vice of the city, and controlling the lower courts, it seemed almost hopeless to look for relief The whole local government was nothing but an agency for the collection of toll for the benefit of those on ''the inside '
 But now the right has triumphe6, and there will be a large addition to the penitentiary population. AS for Ruef himself, it is to be said that his conduct is still being investigated along other lines. The Call informs us that the federal government is looking into | the part which he had-if any-in the importation and sale of Chinese girls for immoral purposes. MT Henry, the leading figure in the prosecution, has publicly declared that he can prove that Ruef was indicated in this infam- ous business. That the traffic has been carried on is known, and it is known that some men made large profits out of it. So the investigation Is going for ward, and the government, through it's secret service, is lending every possi- ble aid. We think that now that the combination is broken, there will be much evidence unearthed involving many men, and involving more deeply those that have already been caught. In our opinion the sympathies of hon. est men ought to be, not with Ruef or Schmitz or any other members of the gang, but with the robbed and op- pressed people. with the disgraced city, with the innocent victims of the vice trust which undoubtedly existed.
 We congratulate the people of San Francisco on the certainty of the revo- lution that is now in progress. They { owe much to the brave men who have 1, fought their battle. Only few days ago the intrenched thieves were tsneer- ing at their enemies, and threatening to kill them. The rogues could not be- lieve that they were in the slightest danger. The power was in their hands
 the people were with them, the city