"The System," As Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft ProsecutionHichborn, Franklin
History
"The System," As Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft Prosecution
Hichborn, Franklin
Political corruption -- California -- San Francisco; San Francisco (Calif.) -- Politics and government
Citizens who stood for enforcement of the law hastily formed a
non-partisan organization to uphold the hands of the prosecution.[326]
They called their organization the Good Government League. Taking for
their motto "CITIZENSHIP ABOVE PARTISANSHIP," they boldly announced
their support of Langdon for District Attorney, and of Taylor for Mayor.
The attitude of San Francisco toward the Graft Prosecution was shown by
the reception given the new organization. Citizens by the thousands sent
in their application for membership. Funds for the purposes of the
campaign were forwarded by men in all walks of life.
The Democratic leaders were the first to appreciate the significance of
the reception given the new movement. What was practically a combination
between the two forces resulted. This insured the nomination of Langdon
and Taylor by the Democrats. It also assured the nomination of Langdon
by the Republicans, for after the stand taken by the Good Government
League, for either Republican or Democratic party to have rejected
Langdon would have been an exhibition of "poor politics." But Ryan still
controlled the Republican convention. The Republican convention
nominated Mr. Ryan for Mayor.
Mr. Ryan's nomination was not accomplished without protest. The citizens
who attended the convention as spectators were overwhelmingly for
Taylor. Taylor received 53 out of the 148 convention votes, 95 being
cast for Mr. Ryan. The minority charged that in the nomination of Mr.
Ryan, the Republicans of San Francisco had been betrayed, and that they
would not be bound by the nomination nor support the nominee.[327]
The Union Labor party, following out its policy of opposition to the
prosecution, nominated P. H. McCarthy[328] for Mayor, and Frank McGowan
for District Attorney.
The planks of the several parties dealing with the prosecution were
characteristic of the conventions from which they issued.
The Union Labor plank definitely pledged its candidate for District
Attorney to prosecution of the Supervisors who had confessed to
bribe-taking although it had been clearly pointed out that such
prosecution would bar effective prosecution of those responsible for the
bribe-giving.[329]
The Republican plank left the reader in doubt as to whether or not the
delinquent Supervisors were to be prosecuted. The Democratic plank alone
pledged unqualified support to the prosecution "in any effort it may
make to convict any guilty person."[330]
The new alignment which followed the clearing of the atmosphere by the
nomination of candidates, and the adoption of platforms, involved some
astonishing changes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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