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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. / / IwW- f®sb • / A PI > i /Mwjgzdr ll .Sil lUt Wit \ Sc- 7 fM IW&Wt wJ'X- - \ a A 'y// 1 \ > ' J \ 1 \ \ 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