The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-01-23
OFFICIAL WILL
HUNT ALAMEDA
GRAFT[RS DOWN
District Attorney Brown Tells
of Jekylls and Hydes
in Politics
Double Faced Corruptionists
Must Be Eliminated
by Prosecution
Scores Men of influence Who
Make Graft Possible by
C0ndoning 1t

ALAMEDA, Jan. zz.-"I know that
there are honest oficeholders in Ala
media county. There are others who
are not honest It is of these / am
speaking" declared District Attorney
Everett ]. Brown tonight in an ad-
dress on THE DR.. Jekylls and Mr..
Hydes of today" before the Unitarian
club at the First Unitarian church.
Brown vigorously denounced graft
in public Office and plainly declared
that it was his purpose to hunt out
the thieves and grafters in Alameda
county. His remarks were enthusias-
tically applauded by large audience.
At the outset the district attorney
said:
Il am interested heart and soul in
the cleansing of political conditions
There are many things which need
ties my office gives me to do these
things, but TO use that once to talk
about 1t to the newspapers and In
public gatherings is far different from
doing.
L am not going to make mistake
in my audience for you are not the
grand jury. so / will talk not upon
what l am going to do but upon those
matters which affect the public al
large
~
Brown reviewed at some. length the
story OF Dr. Jskyll and ssr. Hyde end
resumed: There are many DR.. Jekyiss
and Mr. Hydes in our public life to-
day. The principal duties of q district
attorneys Office is to deal with these
Jekylls and Hydes. Instead of the old
black flags of piracy and outlaw bands
to contend against we have the JekyIlsl
and Hydes to hunt down and punish
I'VE find such men corruptinz lesis-
latures, but the same men appear in
public as denouncers OF crime We find
them giving friends and relatives en-
ployment in public Office, not because
the Office needs more help but because
the friends and relatives must be
looked after We find public officers
buying materials for three times the
proper price and they say the county
must not be niggardly, it comes out of
the public funds.
They say this is not stealing. The
result is just the same as though they
put their hands in your pocket The
money is gone from the public treas
ury. You see these Dr. Jekylls and
Mr.. Hydes in campaign times shouting
loudest OF their honesty and then. after
the campaign ends, doing these things.
GRATING CoNDONED
Il know personally that there are
honest office holders in this county;
there are others who are not honest
1t is of these l am speaking. When 7
was elected TO Office / was dumfounded
when 1 was sccosted by men of promi-
nence and influence, who said to me:
Brown, you are young and have
lots to learn. We have heard you say
you were going after some of these
people. Go slow on these things, for
men go into politics for what is in it
and are supposed to do little graft
ing
The thieves and grafters in public
office seem TO know that their acts are
condoned to a large extent by public
opinion
The district attorney concluded with
an appeal to his hearers to investigate
carefully the men for whom they
vote and to exercise with the utmost
caution the right of the ballot