The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-01-22
San Francisco
Graft Story
Continued ON Page 3D.


wide OPEN elements of the town
came to the rescue. and he was found
to be peculiarly reinforced by the more
well-to-do residence districts, where
live those interested i'm special privi-
leges and their many friends and re-
tanners. This election proved that il
the labor vote was getting better the
vote not classified as labor vote, was
getting worse
LANGDQN ELECTED, 49,
Along with schmiU, William Il.
Iangdon was nominated for District
Attorney at the behest of Ruef. Lang
don had been up for Office before and
had made a great record as a vote
getter. and Ruef, who feared Schmltz
waning popularity telt the necessity
of fortifying the ticket. He did not
know of the "silk-stocKng7 vote that
schmitz was developing. On assuming
Office. Langdon surprised every one by
starting raids on the professional gam
bling houses, protected under the wings
of Schmitz and Ruef Moreover he re-
fused to quit. This remarkable eHhl-
bition of courage showed that Lang
dons qualities as a vote-getter had as
a basis moral character in addition to
popularity.
As a contrast to Langdon in the mat
ter of gambling a prominent club Oh
san Francisco elected the president Oh
the Emeryville racetrack to its board
of directors, and with kept him on
the board after the iniquities OF race
track gambling had been thoroughly
exposed and after a popular uprising
had abolished the sale of pools on
horse racing in California.
GOES AFTER SLOT MACHINES.
It is also OF interest here 70 note That
Langdons attitude differed strongly
from the position of San Francisco S
financial institutions A majority OF
the leading commercial banks signed
a petition requesting the Supervisors
to postpone the adjustment OF the
slot machines. There was silly plea
made of their not being gambling de-
vices because the wager was tobacco
or alcohol against coin instead OF coin
against coin, and that, therefore, they
were nothing but devices to stimulate
trade, whereas, as everyone knows
they are practically the worst and
most contemplate devices for the ma
nufacture of gamblers, drunkards and
embezzlers known, 1t would be as
luminous to state that the public poker
games are justifiable as stimulating
the trade in pasteboard and celluloid.
Langdon, although refused an appro-
priation with which to secure evidence
against the protected gamblers, man
aged finally to close up two places,
thereby clearly showing his intentions
and his mettle. This action put at
rest the insincere plea that for those
doing business under franchises there
was no redress except in bribing pub
lie servants through the agency OF
Ruef. AS a matter of fact Langdon
proved by his deeds that he would
gladly have come to the assistance Of
any person or corporation threatened
with blackmail and capable of fur
nishing evidence to that effect.
From 1899 to 1906 the supervisors
had been free from scandal although
the administration boards appointed
by Schmitz, and especially the Public
Works department, had proven them
selves inefficient and dishonest and
were the objects of attack by the
fusion newspapers and speakers in
the campaign of 1905.
ORIGIN OF PROSECUTION.
To revert to the beginning of the
movement that led to the prosecution,
Fremont Older, Managing Editor OF
The Bulletin, Francis Heney and Lin
coin Steffens, met in Washington in
December, 1905, and talked over the
San Francisco situation. At this time
Older suggested that SpreckeIs and
Phelan, being men of public spirit
and financially capable of rendering
large assistance, would doubtless be
willing and valuable aids. Heney, on
his part, promised that on his release
from the duty of prosecuting the Ore
gon land fraud cases, and on being
given adequate assistance, he would
personally take hold of the situation.
In January 1906, Heney, Spreckels,
and Phelan met in San Francisco and
plans were laid. Subsequently there
to the land fraud cases delayed mat
ters; then came the earthquake and
fire, and it was not until June, that
the actual investigation began under