The San Francisco call., 1908-11-02
PREACHERS PLEA
FOR CLEAN JUDGES
Sermons Warn Voters Against
Supporting Forces of Graft
and Corruption

The coming election supplied the
sexts' for many sermons in the churches
throughout the city yesterday and
many were the warnings against sup
porting the forces of graft and cor
Tuption as represented in some of the
candidates for public office.
Rev. E. H. Ollie speaking from the
text, Some Present Problems in Citi-
zenship," said in part:
Abe Ruef whose conscience is not quite as
tender as the apple Of his eye WIS convicted
In court Of great crime and confessed IL
publicly aud with tears. But the supreme
court Of this state bsde him dry his tears
and pronounced absolution.
1 would Ike 10 ask the businessmen OF
san Francisco II the love Of gold and the love
of ease aud moral cowardice has so henumbed
their Of civic responsibility that they will
continue 70 spend their days in their counting
houses and their evenings By their comfortable
liresioes. and never lift finger for the right
IN this hour when the Law is trial for its
life 10 San Francisco. II so, God help them and
Cod help San Francisco.
All honor 70 those who. undaunted by oppo-
sItion. unswed By threats. undeterTed by the
pleas Of trucking time servers, hold On the
tenor Of their way. remorseless fate.
impartial as justice.
Rev. G. Z. Burlingame at the First
Baptist church, in discussing the issues,
said:
VITA great sum our heroic ancestors Of Ply
mouth rock and Virginia colony and Lexington
and Bunker hill obtained their freedom.
We who have obtained as free gift the joy
and the privilege and the right Of citizenship
iH the American commonwealth owe it to our
rerered Sires 20 use wisely that freedom
Vote the straight ticket and you hsve done
But which straight tiekets There is only one
and il does not appear IN a straight column on
the ballot. The only straight ticket worth rot-
ing fer is a ticket made up Of straight men: q
tellectusl fitness; ticket which. II elected viii
hiring Joy 20 all decent people and terror 20 the
crooks and gamblers ana grafters and bribers: q
ticket which. n elected. viii assure every man
fair treatment before the law and will make
every good woman feel more secure from wrong
and insult
The Moral Issues Of the Campaign
was the theme of Rev. L. J. Sawyer
al the Hamilton square Baptist church.
The first of the issues treated was
the saloon IN it's relation 70 the souls
OF men. AS the source of crime, cor
ruption and poverty, the speaker held
the saloon supreme. He said:
second moral issue Is common honesty. i'm
Perilee By the training IN thierery so generously
given by the racetrack influence in San Fran
cisco. By public suthority, by police protection
hy Widespread advertisement. every youth Of the
city is Invited TO become dishonest.
The third moral issue IS that Of justice which
is endangered by the Presence upon the tickets
Of names which stand and have stood for years
for every evil thing in San Francisco.
The only hope IN the situation is in men who
hold principle shove party and the souls Of men
hlGner tndn personal interest.
Rev. r. Logan, pastor at the Lebanon
Presbyterian church, said in part last
night:
Popular government is a blessing only when
the people vote intelligently, independently and
conscientiousiy Otherwise II Is a curse Why
is Il that San Francisco has become a byworIi
among the other cities Of the eoast2 Because
the people have allowed themselves 70 be ruled
By unprincipled bosses who are IN politics for
the money they can steal and the graft that
is in Il for themselves and their friends.
They tell that among our judges there
are men whose open palm is extended toward
rhe rich criminal. That friendship Influences
judicial opinions and decisions The Judges
en- the bench should be like Caesars wife wife
above suspicion. II they are not who is to
u the booths the electors cast the ballots
that put the judges on the bench. The elector.
therefore il responsible for the administration
of justice. Especially should we be careful
IN the selection Of our judges Great power
Is given them and IL is our duty 70 that
bench.
Rev. John S. Thomas. speaking al
the Howard Presbyterian church on
the subject The Moral Side OF Tues
days election" quoted an article by
Lincoln Steffens, whom he considers a
wonderful man with true grasp on
national affairs and said:
The great sbuses that have come in our local
and national government are the abuses Of men
Who have beer elected By the whole people but
uho after election represent the few. They 70
there 70 represent a great vice or \ great trust.
This iE true Of our local government. The bribery
that bes been done has been ia the interest Of
great vice. such the fight trusts and other
privileges.
This is the sink Of oar national as wen as our
local government. Who is going 10 stand for
the interests Of the whole people and keen tie
trust imposed IN them;
That i the important question 70 decide when
you 80 into the booth on Tuesday.