The San Francisco call., 1908-10-03
GRAFT PROSECUTION
HEARTILY INDORSFD
Farewell Banquet Given Rudolph
Spreckels, Who Goes East
to Meet Noted Men

To make deeper the deep interest al
ready taken in the San Francisco graft
prosecution by President Roosevelt,
Senator Robert M. La Toilette of Wis
consin, Governor Joseph Folk of Mis-
souri, and other prominent eastern re-
form leaders of public opinion, Rudolph
SpreckelS VIII leave today for the east.
President Roosevelt, Senator La Fol-
lette, Governor Folk and other promi-
nent eastern good government advo-
Gates have taken the most intense in
terest in the fight to clean up San
Francisco, the success of which they
regard as vital to the cause of good
government throughout the nation.
These men are of the unqualified opin-
ion that If the people of San Francisco
fail to punish crime and refuse to elect
honest men to public office the cause
for which they themselves are fighting
Will be seriously affected San Fran
cisco is the center of interest for the
friends of clean government through
out the country and it is expected that
Spreckels will confer with these and
other leaders touching both local and
national good government problems.
At a farewell luncheon given Spreck-
els by James D. Phelan at the Fairmont
yesterday speeches full of encourage
ment and promises of loyal support in
the fight for good government were
made by James d. Phelan, Mayor L. r.
Taylor, Warren Olney Jr. and Prof.
George Boke of the University of Cali
fornia and head of the civic league of
justice.
Phelan reviewed the fights for clean
illness in municipal and state govern
ment that had been waged in San
Francisco for years, eliminating in the
graft prosecution. He told how enter
90 -. q@1
the quagmire of municipal corruption
In the struggle for special favors and
how the work of a few men had been
for the most part unavailing until the
graft prosecution struck at the men in
high places
Mayor Taylor said that the graft
prosecution and the work of the men
behind it had redeemed San Francisco
and that If this work were persevered
in by such men as those around him
and others enlisted in the cause 1t would
bring the citizenry of San Francisco
and of the nation to a realization of
the fact that material greatness was
not the most desirable thing in a great
city. He said that the splendid spirit
manifested by and for the graft prose-
cution proved that San Francisco was
in open rebellion against the out
rageous conditions that had been forced
upon her and that she was determined
to stand up among the cities of the
nation, a leader by example in the
cause of good government.
Warren Olney Jr pledged himself to
stand for the things that had endeared
the memory of his father to the friends
of good government. He declared that
as a citizen he would perseyere in the
cause of good government no matter
what befel1 him. and that he felt that
neither browbeating nor attempted in
timidation could swerve the men who
were engaged in the great work of re-
deeming San Francisco.
Prof. George Boke told of the work
of the civic league of justice, which, he
said, had met with instant and hearty
support. He said that it was the pur-
pose Of the league to form an army
of right minded people fighting contin-
uaily and persistently for good govern
ment. He decried spasmodic move
ments, and said that the league of
justice idea Of enlistment for the en-
tire war had resulted in sufficient con-
tributions to make all its projected
work possible.
Spreckels in responding thanked
speakers and guests for their assur-
ances of good will and assistance. He
cited many instances of support and
encouragement that came from the peo-
pie and said that he felt that the great
majority of the people wanted to CO.
operate with the movement for new
and clean San Francisco.
Spreckels will be accompanied by Mrs.
Spreckels, and it is expected that his
eastern trip will consume about three
weeks The men at the farewell
luncheon yesterday were Rudolph
Spcrekels, James D. Phelan, Mayor E.
r. Taylor. Warren Olney Jr., Prof.
George Boke, Thomas Magee. William
Denman, J. Downey Harvey, William E.
Magee, Francis J. Heney, Joseph S.
Tobin, Peter Donahue Martin, Rolla v
Watt j. c. McKinstry, James K. Mof-
fitt. Barclay Henley and Oscar Cushing.