And yet, Mr. McGowan, the Union Labor party candidate, definitely pledged himself to continue the prosecution, but he promised that the prosecution which he would carry on should not “disturb business,” that Heney[336] should no longer be retained as special prosecutor, that the Supervisors who had confessed to bribe-giving should be prosecuted[337] as well as those who had given bribes.
This last was one of the chief arguments advanced in support of Mr. McGowan’s candidacy. On the ground that a mistake had been made, if a wrong had not been done, when the Supervisors were granted immunity,[338] it was urged that Mr. Langdon should not be continued in the District Attorney’s office.
The election returns[339] were conclusive of San Francisco’s attitude on the several issues raised. Taylor was elected Mayor, with a clear majority of 415 over all his competitors. Langdon’s majority over all competitors, including the Socialist candidate, was 13,510, his plurality over McGowan being 14,808. And with the election of Taylor and Langdon[340] were elected all the Good Government League candidates for Supervisors.
The Graft Prosecution had successfully passed another crisis. It had, too, received overwhelming endorsement of The People at the polls.
CHAPTER XXII.
Higher Courts Free Schmitz and Ruef.
On January 8, 1908, the municipal officials elected with Mayor Taylor assumed the duties of their office. That day, Ruef was taken from the custody of the elisor and locked up in the county jail. In the jail with him were Schmitz, convicted of the extortion charge to which Ruef had pleaded guilty, and Glass, who had been convicted of bribery.
The following day, January 9, the Appellate Court, for the First District, handed down a decision in the Schmitz extortion case, which, later sustained by the Supreme Court, unlocked the prison doors not only for Schmitz, but for Ruef also.[341]
The decision was the first serious setback in the graft cases that District Attorney Langdon’s office had received.