Transcriber's Note Footnotes have been gathered at the end of each chapter. There are numerous apparent spelling or typographical errors, including those that appear in the copious quoted material. These have been corrected, and are noted in the detailed notes at the end of this text. Italics are represented here using the underscore character as _italic_. Bold text uses the equal character as =bold=. "THE SYSTEM" AS UNCOVERED BY The San Francisco Graft Prosecution BY FRANKLIN HICHBORN (Author of "The Story of the California Legislature of 1909"; "The Story of the California Legislature of 1911"; and "The Story of the California Legislature of 1913.") "It is well enough, my fellow-citizens, to meet as we do to-night, and to applaud the sentiments of patriotism, and to echo the voice of indignation uttered upon this rostrum. But another and more imperative duty devolves upon every one of us individually, and that is to give his and her moral support to the officers of the law. We must not content ourselves by merely adopting a set of resolutions, and then going home and forgetting about it, placing all responsibility upon the constituted authorities. This is not a case of the constituted authorities. It is the case of the people of San Francisco. And unless the people of San Francisco do their individual duty in supporting the prosecution, the officials of the courts and of the law must fail in their efforts."--_Walter Macarthur at the mass meeting called at the time of the attempted assassination of Heney._ COPYRIGHT, 1915 by FRANKLIN HICHBORN San Francisco Press of The James H. Barry Company 1915 FRANKLIN HICHBORN'S BOOKS ON CALIFORNIA POLITICS Story of the California Legislature of 1909 $1.25 Story of the California Legislature of 1911 1.50 Story of the California Legislature of 1913 1.50 "The System," as Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft Prosecution 1.50 CONTENTS Chapter Page I. The Union Labor Party Movement 11 II. The Ruef Board of Supervisors 22 III. The San Francisco Ruef Ruled 30 IV. San Francisco After the Fire of 1906 49 V. Graft Prosecution Opens 73 VI. Ruef's Fight to Take the District Attorney's Office 87