Fergus County Democrat., 1907-05-28
Reformers Are Accused of Being in
Control of Corporation of Golden
Gate City.
GRAFT SCANDALS MULTIPLY
Leaders of Reform Movement Say
Only Hope Is in Entire Change
of Administration.

gan iuAiSioNOs ~'Aoy ANN0OAPAA
Spreckels, who occupies prominent
place in the prosecution of municipal
corruption in this city, today defined
his position in the peculiar condition
of affairs arising from the graft
investigation and the reasons for his
stand against the committee of seven.
Asked by the Associated Press
whether editorial statements, publish
ed locally, to the effect that the COM
mittee of seven was endeavoring, by
its interference in municipal affairs, to
snatch the fruits Of victory from
Rudolph Spreckels. representing his
sentiments, he replied:
81 do not need anybody to blow
my horn, nor do thank anyone for
irving to do it. These editorial ar
ticles, despite opinion to the con-
tlary, were made without my know
ledge; consequently they must have
been without my consent. AS far as
the committee of seven is concerned,
have this to say: The committee
is composed Of men of fine standing
in the community No one will i'm
pugn their motives. but it is perfect
ly apparent that they, without their
knowledge, were selected by corpor>
ate interests, and they were approved
Of by Mayor Schmitz.
"Now, l and my assistants have
our hands full in prosecuting bribers
end grafters. That is enough for any
set Of men to undertake. We are not
concerned, at the present time, with
the duties that the committee of sew
en- felt itself called upon to under
take. We would not ask the COM
mittee of seven to confer with us.
But when the committee called upon
Mr. Heney and me, told them
| frankly that I did not see why they,
representing body of men who had
made no effort to hold ur our hands
in other graft cases, shorld, at this
time, butt in.
"The resignation at this time, OF
the supervisors. 10 of them self-con-
fessed bribe takers. would mean the
appointment of Mayor Schmitz Of a
new board, which would be, of course,
in accord with any plans he might
| desire to- carry out. | need not sug-
gost what such plans might be.
'It was the intention Of the COM
mittee of seven, as announced to us
when the conference I speak of was
sought, to secure the consent of the
prosecution to the removal of the
board of public works, the police
commission and the board Of super
visors, whether by resignst ton or 9TH
erwise | made it very plain to the
committee that it was our belief that
the committee was created, through
the mayor, by the Unit:d Railroad.
and Mr. Herrin, and that we could
have no dealings with it.
''It is certainly true that the situa-
ton now existing in San Francisco
demands relief through change OF
r'uncipal officers But I myself am
| AoiiA olilS Will the carrying Out
OF the investigation of the prosecution
of graft and bribery. The charge
that / seek to control the politics OF
the city, or to administer municipal
affairs, is absolutely false.
"My sole endeavor and my sole
purpose is to clean out the corrup.
ton that has infested all forms oi
municipal life and thereafter to for.
rulate and put into effect system oi
municipal espionage and control
which shall make at least improbable
the resumption of those vices which
we are now trying to stamp out.
at is true that we are keeping the
board Of supervisors, the majority OF
them self confessed bribc takers, in
office. We are doing this not by
way of political control. but for the
purpose of preventing the mayor from
naming new board. which would
carry out his orders and rullify to a
great extent our efforts for perma,
nent reform"