the boss and the machine-第16章

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cronies：　they　bartered　the　votes　of　their　followers。　For　some
years　crime　ran　its　repulsive　course：　brawlers；　thieves；
cutthroats　escaped　conviction　through　the　defensive　influence　of
the　lawyer…boss。　In　1880；　Cox；　who　had　served　an　apprenticeship
in　his　brother…in…law's　gambling　house；　was　elected　to　the　city
council。　Thence　he　was　promoted　to　the　decennial　board　of
equalization　which　appraised　all　real　estate　every　ten　years。
There　followed　a　great　decrease　in　the　valuation　of　some　of　the
choicest　holdings　in　the　city。　In　1884　there　were　riots　in
Cincinnati。　After　the　acquittal　of　two　brutes　who　had　murdered　a
man　for　a　trifling　sum　of　money；　exasperated　citizens　burned　the
criminal　court　house。　The　barter　in　justice　stopped；　but　the
barter　in　offices　and　in　votes　continued。　The　Blaine　campaign
then　in　progress　was　in　great　danger。　Cox；　already　a　master　of
the　political　game；　promised　the　Republican　leaders　that　if　they
would　give　him　a　campaign　fund　he　would　turn　in　a　Republican
majority　from　Cincinnati。　He　did；　and　for　many　years　thereafter
the　returns　from　Hamilton　County；　in　which　Cincinnati　is
situated；　brought　cheer　to　Republican　State　headquarters　on
election　night。

Cox　was　an　unostentatious；　silent　man；　giving　one　the　impression
of　sullenness；　and　almost　entirely　lacking　in　those　qualities　of
comradeship　which　one　usually　seeks　in　the　〃Boss〃　type。　From　a
barren　little　room　over　the　〃Mecca〃　saloon；　with　the　help　of　a
telephone；　he　managed　his　machine。　He　never　obtruded　himself　upon
the　public。　He　always　remained　in　the　background。　Nor　did　he　ever
take　vast　sums。　Moderation　was　the　rule　of　his　loot。

By　1905　a　movement　set　in　to　rid　the　city　of　machine　rule。　Cox
saw　this　movement　growing　in　strength。　So　he　imported　boatloads
of　floaters　from　Kentucky。　These　floaters　registered　〃from　dives；
and　doggeries；　from　coal　bins　and　water　closet；　no　space　was　too
small　to　harbor　a　man。〃　For　once　he　threw　prudence　to　the　winds。
Exposure　followed；　over　2800　illegal　voters　were　found。　The
newspapers；　so　long　docile；　now　provided　the　necessary　publicity。
A　little　paper；　the　Citizen's　Bulletin；　which　had　started　as　a
handbill　of　reform；　when　all　the　dailies　seemed　closed　to　the
facts；　now　grew　into　a　sturdy　weekly。　And；　to　add　the　capstone　to
Cox's　undoing；　William　H。　Taft；　the　most　distinguished　son　of
Cincinnati；　then　Secretary　of　War　in　President　Roosevelt's
cabinet；　in　a　campaign　speech　in　Akron；　Ohio；　advised　the
Republicans　to　repudiate　him。　This　confounded　the　〃regulars；〃　and
Cox　was　partially　beaten。　The　reformers　elected　their　candidate
for　mayor；　but　the　boss　retained　his　hold　on　the　county　and　the
city　council。　And；　in　spite　of　all　that　was　done；　Cox　remained　an
influence　in　politics　until　his　death；　May　20；　1916。

San　Francisco　has　had　a　varied　and　impressive　political
experience。　The　first　legislature　of　California　incorporated　the
mining　town　into　the　city　of　San　Francisco；　April　15；　1850。　Its
government　from　the　outset　was　corrupt　and　inefficient。
Lawlessness　culminated　in　the　murder　of　the　editor　of　the
Bulletin；　J。　King　of　William；　on　May　14；　1856；　and　a　vigilance
committee　was　organized　to　clean　up　the　city；　and　watch　the
ballot…box　on　election　day。

Soon　the　legislature　was　petitioned　to　change　the　charter。　The
petition　recites：　〃Without　a　change　in　the　city　government　which
shall　diminish　the　weight　of　taxation；　the　city　will　neither　be
able　to　discharge　the　interest　on　debts　already　contracted；　nor
to　meet　the　demands　for　current　disbursements　。　。　。　。　The　present
condition　of　the　streets　and　public　improvements　of　the　city
abundantly　attest　the　total　inefficiency　of　the　present　system。〃

The　legislature　passed　the　〃Consolidation　Act；〃　and　from　1856　to
1900　county　and　city　were　governed　as　a　political　unit。　At　first
the　hopes　for　more　frugal　government　seemed　to　be　fulfilled。　But
all　encouraging　symptoms　soon　vanished。　Partizan　rule　followed；
encouraged　by　the　tinkering　of　the　legislature；　which　imposed　on
the　charter　layer　upon　layer　of　amendments；　dictated　by　partizan
craft；　not　by　local　needs。　The　administrative　departments　were
managed　by　Boards　of　Commissioners；　under　the　dictation　of　〃Blind
Boss　Buckley；〃　who　governed　his　kingdom　for　many　years　with　the
despotic　benevolence　characteristic　of　his　kind。　The　citizens　saw
their　money　squandered　and　their　public　improvements　lagging。　It
took　twenty…five　years　to　complete　the　City　Hall；　at　a　cost　of
5；500；000。　An　official　of　the　Citizens'　Non…partizan　party；　in
1895；　said：　〃There　is　no　city　in　the　Union　with　a　quarter　of　a
million　people；　which　would　not　be　the　better　for　a　little
judicious　hanging。〃

The　repeated　attempts　made　by　citizens　of　San　Francisco　to　get　a
new　charter　finally　succeeded；　and　in　1900　the　city　hopefully
entered　a　new　epoch　under　a　charter　of　its　own　making　which
contained　several　radical　changes。　Executive　responsibility　was
centered　in　the　mayor；　fortified　by　a　comprehensive　civil
service。　The　foundations　were　laid　for　municipal　ownership　of
public　utilities；　and　the　initiative　and　referendum　were　adopted
for　all　public　franchises。　The　legislative　power　was　vested　in　a
board　of　eighteen　supervisors　elected　at　large。

No　other　American　city　so　dramatically　represents　the　futility　of
basing　political　optimism　on　a　mere　plan。　It　was　only　a　step　from
the　mediocrity　enthroned　by　the　first　election　under　the　new
charter　to　the　gross　inefficiency　and　corruption　of　a　new　ring；
under　a　new　boss。　A　Grand　Jury　（called　the　〃Andrews　Jury〃）　made　a
report　indicating　that　the　administration　was　trafficking　in
favors　sold　to　gamblers；　prize…fighters；　criminals；　and　the　whole
gamut　of　the　underworld；　that　illegal　profits　were　being　reaped
from　illegal　contracts；　and　that　every　branch　of　the　executive
department　was　honeycombed　with　corruption。　The　Grand　Jury
believed　and　said　all　this；　but　it　lacked　the　legal　proof　upon
which　Mayor　Schmitz　and　his　accomplices　could　be　indicted。　In
spite　of　this　report；　Schmitz　was　reelected　in　1905　as　the
candidate　of　the　Labor…Union　party。

Now　graft　in　San　Francisco　became　simply　universal。　George
Kennan；　summarizing　the　practices　of　the　looters；　says　they　〃took
toll　everywhere　from　everybody　and　in　almost　every　imaginable
way：　they　went　into　partnership　with　dishonest　contractors；　sold
privileges　and　permits　to　business　men；　extorted　money　from
restaurants　and　saloons；　levied　assessments　on　municipal
employees；　shared　the　profits　of　houses　of　prostitution；　forced
beer；　whiskey；　champagne；　and　cigars　on　restaurants　and　saloons
on　commission；　blackmailed　gamblers；　pool…sellers；　and　promoters
of　prize…fights；　sold　franchises　to　wealthy　corporations；　created
such　municipal　bureaus　as　the　commissary　department　and　the　city
commercial　company　in　order　to　make　robbery　of　the　city　more
easy；　leased　rooms　and　buildings　for　municipal　offices　at
exorbitant　rates；　and　compelled　the　lessees　to　share　profits；
held　up　milkmen；　kite…advertisers；　junk…dealers；　and　even
street…sweepers；　and　took　bribes　from　everybody　who　wanted　an
illegal　privilege　and　was　willing　to　pay　for　it。　The　motto　of　the
administration　seemed　to　be　'Encourage　dishonesty；　and　then　let
no　dishonest　dollar　escape。'〃

The　machinery　through　which　this　was　effected　was　simple：　the
mayor　had　vast　appointing　powers　and　by　this　means　directly
controlled　all　the　city　departments。　But　the　mayor　was　only　an
automaton。　Back　of　him　was　Abe　Ruef；　the　Boss；　an　unscrupulous
lawyer　who　had　wormed　his　way　into　the　labor　party；　and
manipulated　the　〃leaders〃　like　puppets。　Ruef's　game　also　was
elementary。　He　sold　his　omnipotence　for　cash；　either　under　the
respectable　cloak　of　〃retainer〃　or　under　the　more　common　device
of　commissions　and　dividends；　so　that　thugs　retained　him　for
their　freedom；　contractors　for　the　favors　they　expected；　and
public　service　corporations　for　their　franchises。

Finally；　through　the　persistence　of　a　few　private　citizens；　a
Grand　Jury　was　summoned。　Under　the　foremanship　of　B。　P。　Oliver　it
made　a　thorough　investigation。　Francis　J。　Heney　was　employed　as
special　prosecutor　and　William　J。　Burns　as　detective。　Heney　and
Burns　formed