Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-25
THAT DECISION

IHHE last anchor cast by the graft
defense toward the supreme court
= is fouled, and the ship bearing the
indicted men Is in pieces on the rocks
Of public and legal condemnation. 1t
| is possible that no case ever up in this
state for judicial decision held so much
in It's results for the people as the case
of the grafters, on appeal to the SUI
preme court, against the action of the
grand jury that found bills of indict-
ment against them, and the decision
marks clearly the dividing line between
the rascality that has been and the
newer order of clean administration
that It is believed will now take its
place.
One Of the most hurtful effects of the
whole graft incident is the lack OF faith
in the people Of San Francisco, evil
denced by eastern and foreign capital,
and 1t is safe to assume that chief
reason for the general backwardness
Of rebuilding in that city is because of
fear that men who would permit such
things as have disgraced San Francisco
in. the past would. in case of lease of
hope to the convicted boodlers by the
supreme court. repeat the suicidal tao
tics which brought them to disgrace,
and under cover Of political expediency
reinstate Ruef and Schmitz, or men
who represented their policies, in office.
Under the ruling of the supreme court
Schmitz. Ruef and Glass must be i'm
prisoned in the penitentiary always
excepting what may happen on appeal
for new trials), and when these men
shall have been clothed in the garb of
criminals the state of California will
stand acquitted before the world.
In the pending political mess in San
Francisco the ruling of the court
may have far-reaching effect, for while
there was hope of new trials and all
that might come from the incidental de-
lays there was hope also of rein
vesting the personalities of Ruef and
Schmitz with old-time power, and
under their lead again to dominate city
politics. Such things now are impos-
sible, and the element, powerful and
constituencies to the extreme, that
hoped so to benefit may be forced to
see that the best thing for it's members
to do is to join hands with the good
citizen movement and assure a tardy
but needed justice to San Francisco.
The balance of power is clearly in the
hands of these men, and they can unite
with either ticket which gives support
to Langdon for district attorney, and
so insure the state against impending
disgrace; for, if present methods are
permitted to bring their natural results, |
next November will witness a sorry day |
for California.
Comment in the press of San Fran |
cisco and Oakland proves the writer's |
are fully alive to the dread possibilities |
in existing political gambling, and that |
there is likelihood of reriviting the |
chains Of doubt and distrust on the |
financial affairs of San Francisco in
particular and contiguous territory in
general is clearly in evidence.
The decision Of the court clears the
way for effective action, and the men
or the party that blocks the road to
victory for the people must answer to
the whole state for such criminal acts,
and no possible reach of the flexible
thing called political expediency can
save them from universal and de-
served condemnation.