The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-14


 champion of the unions.
 Ruef belonged to none of the unions,
 and was not in sympathy with them.
 Schmitz, too. was in no sense recognized
 by the unions as a leader. nor was his
 union of musicians politically influential,
 but in the midst of the excitement over
 the strike anybody who would work for
 the union cause was gladly welcomed.
 and so Ruef and schmitz soon found
 themselves in the forefront of the fight.
 Schmitz. thanks to his engaging per- sonal appearance and thanks to Ruefs
 adriot wire pulling, got the nomination
 for mayor on the union labor ticket.
 When the election returns were counted
 Schmitz was found to have been elected,
 but the balance of the county officials
 were elected by Schmitz's opponents. For
 this reason neither Schmitz nor Ruef
 were able to assert themselves with
 strength. nor were they able to do any
 grating.
 At the end of Sehmitz's first term he
 was again put forward as a candidate on
 the ground that he had been given no op-
 portunity to prove his worth, handicapped
 as he was by antagonistic county off
 cials and supervisors. Ruef managed his
 campaign for him. casting aside all form
 CT republican pretentions. Schnitz was
 elected a straight labor union ticket , an1 with him a cabinet of labor union officials. Then Ruef came forward in his
 true colors as the power behind the
 throne, and ever since that time San
 Francisco has known him as its "Curly boss.''
 Mayor- -Schmitz, on the day that he took office, came out in a public letter in which he rendered thanks to Ruef for
 everything while at the same time prom
 ised to refer all matters of public mo-
 ment to Ruef as his trusted legal coun- Anv ar lxrin to
 for appointment a franchise, or a per init was referred to Ruef. The 1id' was taken off San Francisco and dives and bawdy houses were allowed to fiaunt ! their vice all over town. When clergy
 men and other citizens protested Mayor Schmitz soemnly proclaimed that a sea port, like San Francisco, must necessarily be of loose moral tone. Nothing was said, however, of the profits accruing to
 the mayor and his satellites from the hush money paid for such license. Mean while the sheep were sent to the master shearer. Ruef and the shearer silently
 gathered his wool.
 No graft was too mean or too petty for Ruef. Every saloonkeeper, every bar | tender, policeman, street walker, and even the Chinamen had to pay tithes for their illegitimate earnings. "Schmitz Central club" was organized and all mu-
 nicipal employees, from the presidents of commissions to the humblest street sweeper, were compelled to join and to pay dues of dollar a month. No meet ings were ever held, no club rooms were opened, but the dollar a month was al- ways collected. If man did not pay he 1, lost his job
 Restaurant keepers found themselves compelled to employ an attorney to rep l resent them on applications for renewal of liquor licenses. Only one attorney was ever employed He was Abe Ruef. His fees were from one hundred to five hundred dollars. But that was not | enough. The Hilbert Mercantile company was formed to sell liquors. The presi- dent Of this firm was the man who after | ward travelled about Europe with 1 Schmitz, boasting everywhere of his ill- gotten gains. On the letter heads of the | Hilbert Mercantile company the name of | "A Ruef Attorney" appeared in bold l type. The saloon keepers were quick to
 take the hint If they did not trouble 1 befel them
 1 The Hilbert Mercantile company
 branched out in other directions Thus, when the army officers of the Presidio | complained about the low dives that had l opened up at the entrance of the mlli- 1 tary reservation after the abolition of l the army canteen, Mayor Schmitz, in ap- | parent1y righteous indignation. ordered i the places to be closed and revoked their l licenses. Thirty men were driven out of l business. Then the Hilbert Mercantile | company leased two vacant store rooms l where the saloons had formerly done bus iness The stores were equipped with | bars, and were offered for rent at eXor- | bitant prices on condition that all liquors | must always be purchased from the Hil- bert Mercantile company. The places l were rented and "A. Ruef. Attorney" l promptly obtained licenses for his clients | tenants at so much per. In other words | thirty liquor dealers were suppressed to | create a monopoly for one.
 | By such means and otherwise Ruef and | Schmtz accumulated rapid fortunes | Ruef who a few years before had been I unable to pay stenographer or office | boy, could afford automobiles country | houses and became a stockhoder in i, banks and trust companies. Schmitz. who | as an orchestra fiddler. barely earned his 1 twenty or twenty-five dollars a week, on l his modest salary as mayor succeeded in accommodating several choice pieces of real | estate in the most valuable resident dis 1 tricts in San Francisco and likewise ac quired the automobile habit.
 Election time came around again and | Ruef again announced Schmitzs candida l cy for third term. Once more SchmitZ l ran on a straight labor union platform against the old political parties. He was | elected. With him was the rag-tag and | bob-tail of the balance of the labor union | ticket whom Ruef never expected to elect. | They were saloonkeepers, bartenders. jan | itors, .teamsters. hod-earriers. and other l honest men. At least at that time they ] were reputed to be honest. The voters
 lack of familiarity with the new-fangled