The Washington herald., 1909-11-14


Il reforner have so much against him as
did Francis ]. Heney. and never PROB
ably. did a reformer make such hsn',
When. aided by the sensational Work OF
William J. Burns. detective, he got aoso7
lute evidence against Abe Ralef and MS
corrupt gang Of supervisors, the nest
citizens" Of San Francisco were with MN
almost unanimously; he was the ldol OF
the better sort and the coast OF the CLUBS.
put when he announced his intention OF
going after ''the man behind the orloes'
and made an objective OF those VINO con
trolled the transportation, the eleculu
lirbt. and the telephone systems in san
T-Tancisco he antagonized the whole mon
ev-holding class Exceptions there We're.
such as Rudolph sprecloels and James u
Phelan. who financed the prosecution. but
thev, were only exceptions. writes a Cal
ifornlan IN the Boston Transcript,
The people at the head Of affairs. eager
- 10 get the city back" after tho great
disaster OF 1906, stood together TO stop
washing OF dirty linen, which, they ielt'
hindered investment There mas never
been great deal OF enlghteneu clvlo
spIrlt I'm san Francisco. The Californian
Sc dIsDosed TO take all things merrily
and carelessly. and there has always been
n great gulf between the prosperous and
the poor. In no American city, except
perhaps Chicago and Denver. are the TWO
classes less tolerant and more arrogant
How the Newspapers stood.
The newspapers. at first unit for the
prosecution. divided on graft and IAN
ti-rraft' lines. The Examiner. mOstpow-
erful in its community OF any journal
owned by Hearst. sneered at the prose-
cutlon, hampered II, harried it. The
Hearst motive, IN the beginning. was the
fact that IL could not control the prose-
cUtion and get all tho credit therefor.
Ianrdon. the district attorney 70 whom
Heney acted as special assistant was
elected upon a Hearst Independence
League ticket. After Heney came, Lang
don refused TO administer justice in the
interest Of any one CLIQUE; hence the
Hearst change OF front Then, too, Cali
farnians have limited at a later ard deep
ar motive behind the Hearst opposition.
The Chronicle. organ OF the upper class,
the great conservative newspaper OF san
Francisco, followed the sentiments Of its
subscribers and OF NJ II. De Young. its
owner. Deploring graft editorially IN
large. harmless platltudes. it colored the
news in such manner as TO make Heney
appear a meddler and a lunatic. The
Evening Bulletin. which had begun the
night. stood frm for Heuey ali through
The Morning Call is owned by John d.
spreckels, brother OF Rudolph. on the
face OF II, the Cab should have backed
Heney at once
But the Spreckelses are a family Of
sulphites and the two brothers have
been at outs for years. Nevertheless.
when John D. Spreckles, after the fire.
brought Ernest S. Simpson over from
the Chronicle 20 be his managing editor,
he gave Simpson free hand In this mat
ter Of policy. The now editor backed
Heney, and has continued 20 back him.
The little jackal weeklies which have
always infested san Francisco were for
the indicted capitalists TO the last line
OF type. Behind the heavy guns OF the
Examiner and Chronicle they sniped al
personal regulations
The Southern Pncilc.
Most powerful OF all the forces IN o.
position, however, was the Southern Pa
cifc Company. The IS. p" means more
than a railroad IN California c. P
Huntington indicted that railroad into
state politics. and his lieutenan,s built
a wonderfully effective political machine
useful in other interests than those Of
the railroad. Secretly. Ruef had been q
cog in this machine. had used II for hi'
darker purposes; and It supports, nat
urally. those who have most graft 70 give
The Incredibly melodramatlc kidnappings
attempted murders. 7ubornations OF wit
nesses. which marked this fight in I'll
later stages, were mainly conceived Ol
executed by members ana hangors-oa o.
this IS. =. push"
With these forces against him, the dar
ing. magnetic, and spectacular Heney sue
ceeded for three years in keeping IN,
majority Of the citizens IN line. WheEevel
any question touching the prosecution
was submitted 20 the people for vOt
the result always favored Heney-unt.
this month. when Heney. as a candidate
virtually submitted tho question, "Shal
the prosecution go on?''- and received tn
answer, mo"
Stop Knocking.
The forces which have brought TIL
change in puhlic sentiment are complex
the main one. probably, was simple wearI
ness OF weIl-doing. The Indicated capital
fists, fighting desperately for their living
Internationally counted upon this: thei
whole policy has been obstructive I
the trials, they have struggled not g
much for absolute acQirttal as for hun
juries; IN the detective work which pre-
ceded the trials they have tried not S
much 60 obtain evidence for themyelve
as 10 hide Witnesses or TO drive theT
away from the prosecution. And all N
time, privately and publicly, they hay
hammered away at a line OF argumer
humorous in its immortality Withou
registering an opinion on cases still b
fore the courts. II may be said that thns
who argued most hotly for tho prosecr
ton never denieed the virtual guilt {
Calhoun. The best they had 10 ofsor !
Justification was the plea that re 'ya
forced 10 do it, that street car trafic
San Francisco had to be restored. an
that Calhoun acted for the best Interest
OF tho city when he bought with
10000 bride a franchise which a IA
board OF supervisors would not have So
for $5,000O0o. II at oil
Sneers. jibos. insinuRtions, and charg,
against Spreckeis, Phelan, and Heney Ia
effect with those who expect a reform,
70 be q bright, blsmeless angel. Abo,
all, they rang the changes on the restor;
ton OF San Francisco. Why not 'stc
knocking" get together and go ahef
with the rebulldIng2 This mlclS-raI<ir
was hurting the city abroad. Ienorir
the moral aspect OF the case, there W;
reason in that argument II has been n
despair OF the Calhoun faction that tn,
could get very little newspaper or period
cal support abrOad-most even OF that II
tie being bought-while such powerful n
tional organs as the American Magazin
Golfers, and AfcClures were hearti
supporting Heney. As tie prosecute
dragged along, spawning scores OF min
indictments for perjury. forgery and a
duction, these arguments began TO tell
Not the Same Since His Wound.