Abstract
Shortly after the 1906 earthquake and fire, muckraker and native Californian Lincoln Steffens wrote a series of four articles on graft San Francisco and the efforts of leading businessmen to prosecute corrupt officials. In his account, Steffens clearly sided with the businessmen reformers. He celebrated Speckels and James Phelan champions of the public good trying to rescue the from machine mismanagement, corruption, and vice. In one article, Rudolph Spreckels: A Business Man Fighting for His City, Steffens claimed that Spreckels fought in the service of democracy.' Conversely, Steffens portrayed the accused grafters-which included Mayor Eugene Schmitz and city boss Abraham Ruef-as unscrupulous opportunists betraying the interests of the people order to amass personal wealth and power. He concluded that the Schmitz administration was as corrupt any business government this country has ever produced and did real harm to the and its people.2 We should expect such moralizing from a partisan such Steffens.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
