Nevertheless, Calhoun’s second trial was begun. But before a jury could be secured, Francis J. Heney had been defeated for election as District Attorney. This meant the breaking down of the graft prosecution. The District Attorney consented to continuance of the case until the new administration should take charge. The case was not pressed by Mr. Langdon’s successor, and finally, with the other graft charges, was dismissed.
CHAPTER XXVII.
The San Francisco Election of 1909.
Scarcely had the disagreeing jury in the Calhoun case been discharged than the Graft Prosecution was again called upon to meet the graft defense at the polls. Langdon’s second term was to expire the following January. His successor was to be elected in November.
Mr. Langdon refused positively to be a candidate to succeed himself. The supporters of the prosecution turned to Heney as the most available candidate to oppose the elements united against them.
Heney did not want to be a candidate. The grueling contest of the Calhoun trial, coupled with the nerve-shattering effects of the wound in his head, had brought him to the point of physical and nervous breakdown. But it was demonstrated to him that he had the largest personal following in San Francisco; that the public had confidence in him; that he must make the fight.
And Heney, doubtful of his physical ability to continue to the end of the primary and final campaigns, consented to become a candidate.
There followed the most astonishing campaign for municipal office ever held in San Francisco, or probably in any other American city.
California was at the time groping her way from the clutch of the Southern Pacific “machine.” The California Legislature of 1909 had adjourned after a session which had ended largely in disappointing failure for the anti-machine element. The anti-machine element had been in slight majority, but it had blunderingly permitted the machine minority to organize both houses. As a result, the “machine” had been able to defeat the passage of many anti-machine—now known as progressive—measures. In other instances progressive measures were before their passage,[443] in the face of the earnest but unavailable protest of the well-intentioned but unorganized anti-machine majority, loaded with hampering amendments.