The San Francisco call., 1907-03-25
ABE RUEF's POLITICAL
MACHINE IS SHATTERED
AND EX BOSS DESERTED
Only a Handful of Members
of His Cabinet" Re
main Loyal
"PuSHs HAS NO CHIEF
Looters' League Wrecked
on the Rocks of Heney's
Investigation

Raefs neiisieai machine has been
shattered Fhe hiah house OF graft has
fallen about the ears OF It's builder. 1t
was erected upea a mefass OF immoral
lsS, and with the fifst strong 'biow IL
has eeaMbiea ts the ground. All the
nsassnent tali of seven years has been
.naaeAe in a moment, II Is public
knowledge. and RAef alone cannot com
preheAd 1'iae ARMY Has deserted. only
the ola guard remains loyal Some
followed Raef ia HE golden days hon.
eStiS believing IN his Integrity others
knew the truth BUT thought that trick
cry could prevail 80 the end over truth.
The little handful that remains loyal
10 R0ef In made Mp or few members
of his ofsieiai tanily-hls cabinet az IL
were. Even the chief member 81 the
cabinet. Supervisor Gallagher. has de-
serted. With Ruef remain only MYRTLE
Cert. George keane. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Beckett and a small number OF tneir
associates. Along Fillmore street old
time adherents look into their glasses
and SAYS We'll. I'm through with ABE.
Even members OF the Assembly but re-
Gently returned from sacramento.
whittier Ruef had sent them. nave ieie
the standard of the former boss.
The Ruef machine was without a
parallel. Its form OF construction was
unique There was no central ciup'
There was no branch organizations.
1t was an organization without con-
stitution rules or charter. There was
only Ruef lie was n dictator, with
absolute power He gave orders anu
his loyal thousands fought to 90 ms
bidding With Ruefs downfaii ms or
sanization dies There was nothlng
by which IL could perpetuate itself.
Were there a central body, Tam
many Hall. a new chief could be chosen
and the fight begun anew
Ruef purposeiy refrained from FORM
ing a regular political society. he oiu
not intend to share his powers Win
board OF directors or an executive COM
mittee. He did not trust his suporoi-
mates. No one was admitted INTO MS
confidence In some matters he reiied
upon Supervisor Gallagher, but there
was never at any time q free inter-
change Of ideas between them. Ruef
was always the master and Gallagher
the obedient subordinate
Next to Gallagher, Ruef relied upon
Supervisor Coleman and State Senator
George Keane TO carry out his orders
in AFFAIRS political. Cert has always
been more of a personal attendant and
has never been trusted with political
errands. IT was his unwillingness TO
absolutely trust any of his subordinates
that made it necessary for Ruef to see
personally some 100 or 200 callers every
day. Often he remained in his office
until or 3 o'clock in the morning.
When asked why he gave an audience
to every caller and personally gave
heed to his requests Ruef would an
swer, Every one has vote" From a
proposition to procure a franchise to a
request for the release of a dog from
the pound it was case of See Ruef."
In the formation OF his Municipal
League, over which Supervisor Coleman
presided. Ruef hoped at the last minute
to prop his falling edifice, but it was
too late, Even the league has been
delivered by its chairman into the
hands of the prosecution. The brief
existence of the Looters' League is one
of the tragic chapters in the story OF
the rise and fall of Abe Ruef