The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-01-03
HE Me- ! | ALNS
bEF ORE CIT !
CLUB
Scores Grafters, Says Harri=
man Is Responsible for
SanfranciSco Graft.

troll of the Southern Pacific railroad,
was responsible for the graft and cor
ruption that has been found in the
Golden Gate city. With Abe Reuf and
Hartman was linked the head OF the
Francisco, by Mr. Heney, but the real
boss. he said sits in New York, and
has as one OF mis- agents in California.
w. F. Herrin, general counsel OF the
Southern Pacific railroad.
San Francisco Is no worse and no
better than the average American
city" Mr. Heney said. with the
single exception, of course, of Phila-
delphia. and even here you have moth
ing like We unearthed in my city. But
the causes of corruption are the same
In all cities. In San Francisco we
found two elements at work Coming
from one source was the public service
| corporations and from another was the
saloons and dives, while behind our
back these forces Joined hands.
In this unholy alliance the boss was
the connecting line, but he was simply
the agent of the real boss. the big busi-
ness man who wanted to exploit the
public service corporation. The politi-
cal boss was really the small duck in
the pond Behind him was the public
service corporation and the Southern
| Pacific railroad.
According to my deduction, the
head of the legal department Of the
Southern Pacific railroad. w. E. Her
rim, was the boss behind the apparent.
boss. But am convinced that Herrin
was. after all, the tool OF the actual
boss-Harrlman"
Great applause followed Mr.. Heney's
charge. I'VE must reason from cause
TO effect" Heney went on. the cor.
ruption of the city life in San Francis
CO was not wholly made by Reuf, but
was duo to the fact that Hartman
wanted to use certain men. Our real
boss sits In New York and reaches
across the country In working out his
schemes.
They say when these things are
discussed that they must employ such
means. They argue from the same
premises that Jimmy" Logue did
when he planned TO rob a bank, that
he was In need Of money. The public
service corporation and the railroad
wanted something for which they were
not willing to pay the public, which
owned the franchises they wanted to
get under their control. 1t was easier
to purchase the political boss and tho
councilmen, so the respectable bust
ness man sends his agents into the
public market to get the goods.
"Other cities have had similar ex.
,artE M
said that something of the sort has
been attempted in Philadelphia.
u would like to talk with YOU abou.
the San Francisco fire, but 1t would
take me an nour or more and my ply
sician says | must not make any
speeches. But what is the remedy for
this corruption In municipal life? The
American people who have tried popu
lar government for much more than Il
century have been slow to work out
their problems. Why Is this?
I'VE have voted ballots that the
bosses could see all these years We
could not give any time TO think out
our problems, but we went away down
in the corner of the Pacific ocean tC
Australia to find a method of the bal
lot Why we did not htink this out
Simply because the brains OF the coun
try are engaged in making money anC
, some of the abIest Of our men applyine
their powers in corruptinG public life
: How shall we get people TO exercise
their rights
Never by the convention plan
Tnen WHY not try the remedy of thu
; uniform primary ballot and wipe on
the boss. A man is bad public scr
want because he has bad master auC
, responds 10 him. Enter the primar!
, | and you would Hght the battle, let tn