Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
"CORRUPTED CITY LIFE"
Needed to Use Certain Men, Says
His Accuser.
SAME AS IN OTHER CITIES
Ablest Men Applying Their Powers
to Wrongdoing, Says Prosecutor
Of Boodlers.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, January AT
| the long table luncheon of the City Club
here today Francis ]. Heney OF San
Francisco. who prosecuted the graft
cases In that city. declared that T.. II.
Hartman of New York. through his con-
troll of the Southern Pacific railroad, was
responsible for the graft and corrup-
ton that has been found in the Golden
Gate city.
With Abe Ruef and Hartman was
| linked the head of the United Railways
Corporation of San Francisco by Mr.
| Heney but the real boss he said sits in
New York and has as one of his chief
agents in California. w. F. Herrin, gen.
eral counsel of the Southern Pacific rail-
road.
ter than the average American city" Mr.
Heney said, with the single exception,
of course, Of Philadelphia. Even here
you have nothing like what 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
corporation and from another was the
saloons and dives. while behind our backs
these forces joined hands
Boss Only a Tool.
I'm this unholy alliance the boss was
the connecting link. But he was simply
the agent of the real boss-the big bust
ness man who wanted to exploit the pub
lie service corporation. The political boss
was really the small duck in the pond
Behind him was the public service cor
poration and the Southern Pacific rail-
road.
According to my deduction, the head
OF the legal department of the South
ern Pacific railroad. w. E. Herrin. was
the boss behind the apparent boss. But
l am convinced that Herrin was, after
all. the tool of the actual boss-HarrI-
man.
For moment the auditors sat dazed
by the daring character OF this indict-
ment. then burst into prolonged ap-
plause.
we must reason from cause to eff
feet" Mr.. Heney went on. THE cor
ruption of the city life in San Fran
cisco was not found in the deals made
by Ruef. but was due to the fact that
Our real boss sits in New York city and
| reaches across the country in working
out his schemes.
Logic of Bank Robber.
They say when these things are dis
They argue from the same premis IS
that Jimmy Logue did when he planned
to rob q bank-that he was in need Of
the 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
III Sia 10 choc hn
boss and the councilmen So the re-
spectacle business man sends his agent
into the public market to get the
goods.
Other cities have similar experiences
l have even heard ii said that some
thing OF the sort has been attempted in
Philadelphia.
Il would like to talk to you about the
San Francisco fight. but it would take me
an hour or an hour and a half. and my
physician says l must not make speech
But what is the remedy for this corrup-
ton in municipal life?
The American people, who have tried
popular government for much more than
century have been slow to work out
their problems. Why is this?
Busy With Corruption.
I'VE have voted ballots that the boss
could see all these years. We could not
give any time to think out our problems,
but went away down in the corner of the
Pacific ocean to Australia to find a meth
cd for the ballot.
why did not we think this out? Sim
ply because the brains of the country are
engaged In making money, and some OF
the ablest of our men are applying their
powers In corrupting political life.
How shall we get people to exercise
their rights? Never by the convention
plan. Then why not try the remedy OF
the uniform primary ballot and wipe out
the boss?
"A man is bad public servant because
he has bad master and responds to him
Enter the primaries. Fight the battle
there. Let the people be the master.
And there will always be good public
servants The politician will always re-
spond to his master.
Mr. Heney hurried to the railroad sta
ton Immediately after making his speech,
as he was obliged to return TO New York.
He was loudly cheered as he passed from
the clubhouse.