The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-28
San Franciisco's
Consciien
by FREDERIC y. MAsK1N. :

: by FREDERIC Z. ! nA As. !; y:
!, The. majority OF tho people Of San
are still needing the voice Of that civic
conscience WHICH commands the city
stupendous corruption OF the Ruef-
Schlnitz era Of graft. But civic cons
sciences, like human conscicnces, are
ZINES 70 g 81 sa b S aape
Ono OF the blackest crimes in the His.
tory OF governments is now being at
tempted IN the city OF San francisco
get the guilt OF the Orators by false.
" representing the purposes OF the|
prosecution, The story OF the shane.
i f,il prostituItion Of the power. OF office
tion. the story of the wicked boss rule
of Abe Ruef, the story Of the DOWNFALL
Of the Eraftcrs from high Official 20.
sitlom---these things have been told to
every American who reads news
But not even San francisco realizes
TO the fun extent the meaning OF the
present campaign OF inniendo which
inals OF the black era of graft to their
old position OF respectabllIty, and to
destroy ns @ the, the men who have been fight.
ing TO nr,ng the grafters to Justice by
Newspapers, bank presidents. ire.
sp pet citizens, men OF high social
position, and even men OF high church
campaign OF abuse and ridIcuIe which
has for its victim. Francis j. Henev|
ana his associates in the prosecution
OF the criminals who dcbauched the
cItys honor. AT the same time they
apologize for some of these men whose
quit is as we'll established as is the
faG g OF the existence Of the men.
business men who believe Themselves
honest to create a sentiment in favor
OF OF cropping the prosecution OF these
trials in e Pee the reports Of the
the reputation OF the city witt, people people
abroad a., They seem not to remember
b tnat the outside world expects the
bring the criminals to punishment.
They seem to forget that IL these
grafters go scot free other graft
ers are sure to arise and pursue their
protection OF the respectable business
element OF the city.
some ot ihe newspapers in San Fran
CISCO CISCO ridicule every move. made By the
. district attorney and his assistants
spreckles who made the graft prose-
cntion. possible. They gloat over the
a ,nra W. i thrown about the prosecu-
grafters OF the Ruef stripe. They laugh
at the arguments advanced by those
VINO are seeking Justice. They car
toon and lampoon Prosecutor Heney
and Detective Burns.
The first thing one of the self. styIed
respectable business men says to the
stranger within the gates OF the city
Is: :, wei. there are two sides to this
the two sides. he replies; "Of course.
Ruef and that gang OF labor union ON.
Gals were pretty bad. but then there
u, rs gre, graft n every city II Is human
than any other city. There always
will be grating. we can't help that.
YOU know. II pressed to be explicit
Wei; you see this prosecution 6y
Spreckles and Heney and that crowd
has hurt business, and this town has
lost millions OF capital by 1t. 1t ought
! to be stopped
II the auestioner will repeat his In.
curry for the two sides of the case
for hours he VIII never hear anything
spreckles family is very wicked. He
Will hear that Heney Is an outsider.
~, VIII hear tina. Burns peeped through
ep pfs 10 sss preof Of the guilt OF some
upon the prosecution for hours. He
will hear apologies for. the grafters
ana for t,, grating as long as he can
guilty official who takes a bride. or a
corrupt business man who gives one
ought to be punished in accordance
and provided
This campaign is not without system
4 series or dinners was given In the
versation was devoted to the campaign
OF Sitting the voice OF the civic con
science. Every weekly paper in the
\ ception, is either attacking the pros.
/ ecution or remaining silent.
THIS MS, campaign IN the sacred name
pendent from another campaign con,
4 Quoted by other defenders of ths
grafsers. Th1reatsning letters are theil
i prosecution. former Supervisor Gala,
Il Cher. was the intended victim OF al
assassin who endangered the lives o
house where Gallagher lived. Whether
this plot was laid by persons inter
ested in the defense or not has no
been proved but the prosecution say!
i The grafters who turned States evi
dence and were granted immunity II
ORDER to get proof q, Of IT., the crimes com
demned In the roundest terms by TIL,
men who apologize for all the othe
grafters. Boss Rpef confessed, 1t vii
!. be remembered. and was promised i'm
He refused to testify In court to fact
which he swore to in the grand jur.
i room. He. broke the immunity con
i tract himself. Now that he is II,
/. the sympathy OF the very "busIness
!, men who We're lately denouncng hin
as the author of all the evil. Further
!, more, the breaking Of the immunit
!. contract is charged against the pros
ecution.
Mayor Schmitz walks the street
free man. He was sent to the peniten
tiary, but. after waiting until TIL
statute Of Limitations prevented an
: other Indictment. the Supreme Cour
Y of California liberated him becaus
t of a technical flaw In the indictment
J, In defending this decision. a Judge Q
r the Supreme Court. In a signed news
4 paper article, cited the precedent o
: a case in which Chinese who ha
( murdered another Chinese was per
II mitted to go free because the indict
s ment failed to set forth the fact tina
q the murdered Chinese was a huma
e being! In the same article he ad