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Nelvs and Vieivs From All Around
San Francisco Boss Pleads Guilty.
Abraham Rues, who for several years
was known as the real political ruler
of San Francisco and who for several
months has been under close guard
awaiting trial on the charge of extort
ing protection money from Delmonico’s
French restaurant, has changed his
plea from not guilty to guilty. He did
this in a most impressive manner, read
ing in court from a prepared statement
and showing great emotion. He said
the trial had become a threatening
danger to his health and to the health
of his parents and sister, and, although
he protested that he was guiltless of
Abraham Rues.
and to do this he would work as the
humblest citizen, promising that his
future career would be one of integrity.
He preferred to face a prison sentence
if necessary rather than go through the
ordeal of a trial with the suffering it
would entail upon those nearest and
dearest to him.
When he had finished, District Attor
ney Langdon took him by the hand
and said, “You did a manly thing,” as
suring him that the prosecution would
do all it properly could for him. Ruef’s
change of front brought consternation
into the camp of Mayor Schmitz, as it
meant that the day of immunity was
past Rues had agreed to go on the
stand, and with his testimony it was
certain that the mayor could be con
victed. Also it made probable the con
viction of the rich corporation bribers
who had corrupted the city officials.
Pierce Must Face Trial.
In the federal court, St. Louis, Judge
Adams denied the application of H.
Clay Pierce, head of the Waters-Pierce
Oil company, for a writ of habeas cor
pus and ordered that he be remanded
to the custody of the chief of police to
be delivered to Sheriff Matthews of
Travis county, Tex., for extradition.
Pierce is wanted there to answer an
Indictment charging perjury in an af
fidavit made in May, 1900, to the effect
that the Waters-Pierce company was
not a party to any pool, trust, confed
eration or combination in restraint of
trade. In his decision Judge Adams
said the conclusion was irresistible
that the indictment contained the sub
stance of an offense and that techni
calities should not stand in the way of
justice. Pierce, who was in court at
the time of the deoislon, showed that
he was laboring under great mental
stress, while his attorney, Priest, was
visibly disconcerted, as shown by the
trembling of his hands. Priest gave
notice of two appeals that would be
taken, one to the circuit court of ap
peals and one to the United States su
preme court, and Pierce was admitted
to bond in the sum of $20,000.
JUST FOR FUN.
(The New York Herald.)
George Bernard Shaw says “people
get funny Ideas when they go to
America.’’ Well, then, why don’t the
authors of English comic opera visit
us?
the particular
charge of ex
tortion, he ad
mitted he had
connived at cor
ruption and
graft in order
to keep his po
litical machine
together. He
proposed now to
do all that he
could to over
throw the sys
tem which had
made possible
the terrible cor
ruption of the
city’s officials,
WATSON’S WEEKLY JEEEERSONIAN.
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ISAAC STEPHENSON
ISAAC STEPHENSON, whose contest for the Wisconsin seuatorship has
attracted so mi eh attention, is a wealthy retired lumberman who has
been one of Senator La Follette’s backers in his reform campaigns.
EX-SENATOR LINDSAY, OF KY.
(The Washington Herald.)
Senator Lindsay still proclaims that
he is an old-fashioned Democrat, and
that instead of leaving the party, it
left him to run after false gods.
“The Republicans were laughing at
the Democrats a little while ago,” said
the ex-senator, "and deriding them
for being under the domination of
one man, William J. Bryan. Well,
what is their present situation? If
Bryan does dominate the Democracy,
does not Theodore Roosevelt occupy
the same relation to his party? Nay.
has he not swallowed it as completely
as the whale did Jonah? Who is there
among Republicans that dare oppose
him? To use an expressive bit of
slang, he is the ‘whole works.’
“As far as I can see into the future,
the nomination of Bryan appears a
foregone conclusion. Nobody is es
pecially enamored of him. The south,
indeed, is cold toward him, but what
difference does that make? We are in
an era where the drift Is toward
socialistic theories of government, and
where such beautiful doctrines as the
initiative and referendum and gov
ernment ownership of utilities are in
high favor. It is meet that the leading
exponent of such ideas should lead
his party, and so I do not expect to
see any effective opposition to Bry-
an in the coming convention.
“There are a few of the old-timers
left who still cherish the obsolete
principles otlocal self-government and
opposition to centralization, if they
be not Democrats, then there are
none, but they will not count in the
convention. Socialism must yet run
its rampant course, and whether we
shall ever recover from the spell of
the siren is a matter of doubt.”
REAL DEMENTIA AMERICANA.
(The Washington Star.)
In “financial insanity” •we have a
definition of a particular class of
spend-thrift. He is not responsible,
according to the Boston court. He
must be regarded charitably and dealt
with gently. He cannot help squan
dering his funds or those of other
people. It would be interesting to
learn the symptoms of this form of
insanity, differentiating it from plain
prodigality. Is the man who goes to
the track and persistently bets on the
wrong horses afflicted with financial
insanity? Is it a monetary brainstorm
when a man takes a plunge in Wall
street and loses his last dollar? Is
it anemia of the conscience or a kink
in the convulutions of the brain when
a man lives twice as fast as his in
come allows and leaves his creditors
waiting with fading hope?
Kuroki Reaches New York.
After having been lionized all the
way across the continent, received
with exceptional honors by the presi
dent at Washington and having taken
part in the great naval and military
review at the Jamestown exposition
X Xs
General Kuroki.
enthusiastically by the Japanese resi
dents of the metropolis, and the visi
tors were much impressed with the
lofty sky line of masonry and steel.
Baron Ozawa, one of the party, dec
orated Dr. Louis Klopsch, editor of the
Christian Herald, with the order of the
Rising Sun for his efforts in raising
funds for the Japanese famine suffer
ers, by order of the mikado. Two of
the Japanese warships followed Kuro
ki’s party to New York.
Head of Dartmouth Resigns.
President William Jewett Tucker of
Dartmouth college has tendered his
si
W. J. Tucker.
hopes to continue in the service of
Dartmouth as a lecturer on the sub
ject, “The Formation and Expression
of Public Opinion In a Democracy.”
Equal Pay Bill Vetoed.
Mayor McClellan of New York has
vetoed the bill recently passed by the
state legislature equalizing the salaries
of men and women teachers in the
higher grades of the schools of the
metropolis. He justified his veto on
four grounds: First, violation of the
home rule principle; second, local au
thorities already have the power to do
the same; third, discrimination in fa
vor of a certain class of teachers;
fourth, that it would destroy the elas
ticity of the present school system.
The bill was promptly passed over the
mayor’s veto by the senate and assem
bly, and the matter now goes to Gov
ernor Hughes for final action.
BRYAN’S CHIEF GIFT.
(The New York Sun.)
Mr. Bryan is essentally a talker —
a phonograph full of records of the
universal and common thought—and
not a solver of problems; a facile
promiser of reforms which other men
attempt to carry out in travail. His
administrative capacity must be doubt
ed gravely by those who recognize
his personal charm and want to do
him justice, because he talks too
much to think deeply.
OMINOUS SILENCE.
(The Washington Star.)
A remarkably long time has elaps
ed without anybody trying to start
a controversy about Panama canal
conditions.
PAGE THREE
to celebrate the
landing of Cap
tain John Smith,
General Baron
Kuroki, the hero
of the Yalu and
Liaoyaug bat
tles and one of
Japan’s most fa
mous warriors,
arrived at New
York May 15
and next day
w a s inspecting
West Point mili
tary academy.
He and his par
ty were greeted
resignation to the
trustees, giving as
his reason heart
trouble, which
made it imperative
for him to retire.
He will return to
Hanover next fall,
however, and con
tinue his duties un
til a successor ha<
been appointed. He