1. Elusive Eden: A New History of California, fourth edition
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: PROGRESSIVE CALIFORNIA

2. Abraham Ruef and the Union Labor Party
8.3 earthquake northern California April 18, 1906
--Extensive damage in San Francisco
--Fire April 18-21, 1906
Municipal government dominated by party organizations

3. Abraham Ruef attorney, Republican party boss
--Tutored by Bill Higgins, Martin Kelly, Phil Crimmins
--Ran for office 1901, failed
--Labor dispute brought second chance

4. 1901 San Francisco Employers' Association took on Teamsters, City Front Federation, Labor Council
--Unions struck, shut down port
--Association locked out workers, hired strikebreakers
--Democratic mayor James Duval Phelan, police sided with Association
--Alienated workers organized Union Labor Party

5. Ruef aligned with ULP
--Engineered Eugene Schmitz nomination for 1901 mayor's race
--President of musician's union
--Appealed to Irish, German working class
Schmitz elected mayor 1901
--Reelected 1903
--Reelected 1905, w 18 ULP supervisors

6. Schmitz and Ruef engaged in numerous illegal operations
--Ruef accepted "fees" to present proposals to mayor
--Police protection for "French restaurants"
--Franchises for public utilities, streetcar company
--public funds to establish a brothel
New supervisors expected share in proceeds

7. Indictment and Trial
1901 Fremont Older publicized misdeeds in Bulletin
1905 Older appealed to Rudolph Spreckels, SF DA, Theodore Roosevelt
--Roosevelt loaned investigator and William J. Burns and attorney Francis J. Heney
--Earthquake intervened
--October convened grand jury to review evidence

8. November 1906 grand jury indicted Ruef, Schmitz
--Most counts involved French restaurants
--Burns, Heney aiming for bribe givers
1907 Burns trapped two bribing supervisors
--Offered immunity for testimony
--16 other supes agreed to testify

9. March 1907 grand jury added 65 indictments for Ruef, Schmitz
--Indicted bribe givers
April 1907 Ruef agreed to testify in exchange for immunity
Grand jury added indictments for mayor, United Railway Company president Patrick Calhoun, chief counsel Tirey L. Ford

10. Jury selection dramatic
--Near-fatal result replaced Heney with Hiram W. Johnson
Jury refused to convict majority of bribe takers, givers
Prosecution reneged on Ruef immunity
Ruef convicted of bribery
--sentenced to 14 years at San Quentin

11. Hung jury on Schmitz charges
--retried, convicted
--sentence reversed
By 1909 San Franciscans sick of graft trials
--Business leaders unsupportive
elected mayor on promise to end trials

12. The Lincoln-Roosevelt League
William Randolph Hearst sabotaged Democratic candidates for governor
--Franklin K. Lane lost narrowly 1902
--Theodore Bell " " 1906
--Helped Republicans
1902 George C. Pardee elected with railroad help
1906 James N. Gillett “ “

13. Southern Pacific favored candidates sympathetic to rr interests
--SF papers, Sacramento Bee, Fresno Republican, Los Angeles Times, critical of rr interference
Frank Norris's 1901 The Octopus increased pressure for regulation
1907 Chester Rowell, Edward A. Dickson investigated Southern Pacific influence over legislature, governor's office

14. Organized reform party: "Lincoln Republicans"
--August 1907 held convention in Oakland
--Formed Lincoln-Roosevelt League for 1908 elections
--Campaigned for direct primary elections, woman suffrage, popular election of U.S. Senators

15. 1908 Lincoln-Roosevelt League candidates elected to legislature
--Capitalized on anti-railroad sentiment, SF graft trials
--Association with "trust-buster" president Theodore Roosevelt

16. 1909 legislature passed key reforms
--Passed direct primary law
--Eliminated statewide nominating conventions
--Reduced party control over selection of candidates
--Made 1910 successes possible

17. Hiram Johnson and the Election of 1910
Lincoln-Roosevelt Republicans chose Hiram Johnson
--Native-born Californian
--Father Republican assemblyman
opened law firm in SF
--Represented corporations, unions

18. Campaigned on anti-rr platform
--August 1910 won Republican nomination
--Democrats nominated Theodore Bell
--Bell lost when Southern Pacific gave their support

19. Economic Regulation
1911 legislature focused on corporate regulation
Unanimously passed measure written by railroad commissioner John M. Eshelman, senator John W. Stetson
--Stetson-Eshelman Act expanded railroad commission authority
--Commission allowed to set passenger, freight rates

20. Legislature called special election for October 1911 for dozens of amendments to state constitution
--Most passed
--November 1911 unanimously passed Public Utilities Act
--Created Public Utility Commission (PUC)
--Governor to appoint commissioners
-- PUC oversaw all public utilities, including railroads

21. California government went from most corrupt to most progressive
National measures helped
--Hepburn Act of 1906 created Interstate Commerce Commission
--Set "just and reasonable" rates
--Outlawed secret rates

22. Johnson key figure
--Sought help from national leaders (LaFollette, Roosevelt)
--Drafted bills, lobbied legislature
--Threw weight of state behind progressive reform

23. Political Reform
Progressives convinced political parties the source of all evil
1891 reformers pushed through Australian ballot
--state printed ballots
--all candidates listed
--balloting behind curtain
--public officials collected

24. 1911 legislature proposed mechanisms to reduce party influence
--Initiative
--Referendum
--Recall

25. 1911 legislature limited information on state, county, municipal ballots
--1st name on ballot "incumbent"
--Parties of governor, lieutenant-governor, legislators identified
--Other candidates listed without political affiliations

26. 1913 legislature introduced cross-filing
--candidates could run in all party primaries without stating party
--if candidate won in multiple primaries, could run without opposition
--gave incumbents advantage
special interest groups hired professional lobbyists to take place of professional politicians
--lobbyists most knowledgeable about political process

27. woman suffrage amendment included in October 1911 special elections
progressives welcomed allies
--Katherine Philips Edson an example of women's politics
--Moved to Los Angeles 1899
--Joined Friday Morning Club
club formed Committee on Public Health to study infant mortality

28. --Committee inspected dairies, published findings
--Appointed to Los Angeles County Medical Milk Commission
--Appointed to Los Angeles City Charter Revision Committee
--Appointed to Los Angeles County Board of Health
--convinced California Federation of Women's Clubs to sponsor state regulation of dairies

29. --brought her to Lincoln-Roosevelt League, campaigns for direct democracy, woman suffrage, etc.
--campaigned for Hiram Johnson
Johnson appointed Edson to Bureau of Labor Statistics

30. Federation of Women's Clubs ready for 1913 legislature
--Elected members from Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco as Women’s Legislative Council of California
--Created platform of seventeen items
--health certificate for marriage
--joint guardianship of children
--community property
--mothers' pensions

31. --maternity homes
--parole, treatment for mentally-ill criminals
--state registration of nurses
--state training school for girls
--raising women's age of majority to 21
--ethical, vocational, and hygienic training in public schools

32. --paternal support for illegitimate children
--civil service reform
--red-light abatement
--conservation measures
--minimum wage law for women

33. turnout of women voters small
--1910, 1920 : 2/3 of eligible men registered to vote
--Same years: + 1/3 of eligible women registered
No "woman's vote" emerged

34. Labor in Progressive California
SF labor movement still strong
--Representative Assembly of Trade and Labor Unions
--Coast Seamen's Association
--Federated Iron Trades Council
--City Front Federation

35. 1900 Employers' Association of San Francisco opposed unionism
1901 election of Union Labor Party benefited workers
--Graft trials undermined

36. Southern California anti-union
--Increasing population, industrialization brought unions
--1880s Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association organized employers
--AFL, other unions sent organizers

37. Strikes, lockouts increased after 1900
city passed anti-picketing ordinance
--M&M, Harrison Gray Otis, LA Times usually won
--LA wages 30% lower than rest of state
May 1910, several LA unions went out on strike
--Support from Labor Council, AFL, Socialists, state labor organizations
--Police enforced anti-picketing ordinance

38. October 1 bomb killed 20 employees in Los Angeles Times Building
--Police arrested union leaders John and James McNamara
--McNamaras denied personal or union involvement
--Local, national groups suspected frame
--raised defense funds, hired Clarence Darrow, ACLU
trial McNamaras pled guilty

39. Undermined organized labor
--Members quit unions
--Anti-picketing ordinances passed around state
--Victory for Otis, "open shop" forces

40. 1916 SF Merchants' & Manufacturers' Association launched new anti-union campaign
--SF Chamber of Commerce formed "Law and Order Committee"
--Raised $1 million to break longshoremen's strike
--Broke strike in 1 week

41. July 1916 SF business leaders organized "Preparedness Day" parade
--Anticipating US entry into WWI
--Labor orgs opposed entry, preparedness
--10 killed, 40 injured in bomb blast
--Police arrested union organizers Tom Mooney, Warren K. Billings, others
--January 1917 jury found guilty
--Death for Mooney, life sentence for Billings

42. Case procedurally flawed, evidence exonerated Mooney
--Mooney pardoned 1939
--Hard for labor to overcome

43. Fears of Radicalism
Gov Hiram Johnson's position on labor ambiguous
--Attorney for labor unions
--Labor support crucial to election
--Appointed union leaders to government

44. Like most progressives, preferred legislation to unionization
--E.g., Employer Liability Act for on-the-job injuries
--Industrial Accident Board
--8-hour day, minimum-wage laws for women
--Industrial Welfare Commission for working women, children
--state workers' insurance program

45. anti-union groups also appealed to legislature
--proposed 1911 compulsory arbitration bill (almost passed)
--defeated bill limiting use of injunctions against strikes, forbidding "black lists" and "yellow-dog" contracts, legalizing boycotts, peaceful picketing

46. Progressives like James D. Phelan identified with business
--Phelan attorney for banks, corporations, real estate investor
--linked unions with radical politics, violence
State, SF leaders harassed Emma Goldman
--Visited San Francisco 1908, 1909
--Arrested to prevent lecture

47. Little sympathy for Industrial Workers of the World
--Organized 1905 Chicago
--Accepted women, farm workers
members, 11 locals in Cal in 1910
--Officials in Fresno and San Diego outlawed IWW public appearances
Fresno arrested IWW speakers, jailed
San Diego organized vigilance committee to prevent IWW speeches; 2 beaten to death in jail

48. Gov Johnson ordered investigation of Free Speech Fights
--led by Harris Weinstock, Sacramento merchant
--Weinstock, Older, Rowell investigated, blamed cities, citizens
--State, federal courts overturned laws

49. August 1913 IWW recruited farm workers at Wheatland
--2,800 workers came for harvest at Durst Hop Ranch
--Advertisements promised high wages, bonus
--only wanted 800 harvesters
--bonus a scam
--workers required to rent inadequate housing, buy "lemonade" in fields
--no water in fields, 8 outhouses
--Wobblies offered to represent workers in meeting with Durst
--Durst brought law enforcement, "deputies"
--5 killed: 2 deputies, 2 workers, Yuba Co. DA

50. Authorities arrested IWW organizers Blackie Ford, Herman Suhr
--Charged with second-degree murder
--Convicted, imprisoned
Commission on Immigration and Housing investigated Wheatlands incident
--Blamed Durst
--Durst no worse than most California farm employers

51. Report led to Labor Camp Act of 1915
--Provisions for housing, working conditions
--Recommendations only

52. The Criminal Syndicalism Act, 1919
National events shaped local politics
--Bolshevik revolution
--US entry into WWI
strikes (over 3,000)
--A. Mitchell Palmer "red raids"
--May Day letter bombs to atty gen, John D. Rockefeller, others

53. 20 states passed laws against radicalism
1919 California did too
--Criminal Syndicalism Act forbade "any doctrine or precept advocating unlawful acts of violence as a means of accomplishing a change in industrial ownership or control, or effecting any political change"
--Supporting group, individual favoring political change enough

54. --1919-1924 tried 500 Californians
--1st 52-year-old Oakland philanthropist, social worker Charlotte Anita Whitney
--Joined Socialist party 1914, Communist Labor Party 1919
--Tried in 1920, convicted, sentenced to 14 years

55. --Fremont Older, others appealed conviction to US Supreme Court
court upheld conviction, law
--Gov pardoned to avoid martyrdom
--Remained on books until 1968

56. Race in Progressive California
California ethnically diverse
--1850, ¼ population African American, Native American, Asian, or Latino
--Population 95% white by 1900
--Still diverse
--By 1920, ½ of all white Californians immigrants, children of immigrants
--Majority Irish, German, or British

57. Native Californian population still falling --20,000 in 1900
White reformers interested in Indians
Charles Fletcher Lummis founded Sequoia League
--Lobbied for San Diego's Cupeño
--former California governor John G. Downey won title to Agua Caliente villages in Mexican land grant case, evicted Cupeño  
--May Cupeño removed to Pala, 75 miles away

58. 1919 Indians organized Mission Indian Federation
--75 leaders of so-cal tribes
--State senator Samuel Carey Evans, Stella Atwood
--Slogan "Human Rights and Home Rule"
black population remained tiny
--about 2% of population
--occupational, residential discrimination
--organized Urban League, state chapters of NAACP

59. Mexican population growing, changing
--8% in 1910, 25% in 1930
--Californios outnumbered after Mexican Revolution
--1920s, Mexican-born population doubled
--Minority educated, with white collar professions
--residential, occupational segregation
Barrios grew in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego
Colonies appeared in agricultural regions

60. Western growers convinced Congress to exclude Mexicans from 1917 Immigration Act
--WWI created labor shortages
--Growers competed for experienced laborers
--In 1918 Corona, Chase Plantation offered worker housing
--Ventura's Sespe ranch offered land for housing

61. Some Mexican laborers brought families
--wives might sell prepared foods, operate groceries
--1920s Comercial Mexicana in Placentia catered to citrus workers
--1930s Stockton Dolores Huerta's mother operated lunch counter

62. By 1920, Mexicans largest ethnic group among state farm workers
--After WWI laborers plentiful, working conditions deteriorated
--Imperial Valley workers camped on banks of irrigation canals
--Camping free during season, $2.50/mo after

63. In-migration good and bad for California Mexicans
--Increased competition for jobs
--Drove down wages
--Supported, reinforced Mexican culture
--Churches, mutualistas centers of community life

64. After 1882 growers turned to Japan, Korea, Philippines for labor
White Californians tolerated Mexicans as economic necessity, not Asians
After 1882 growers turned to Japan, Korea, Philippines for labor
,000-7,000 East Indians entered U.S., many from Punjab
--Most young men
--Found seasonal farmwork
--After 1900 Asian workers continued to California from Hawaii
--US annexed Hawaii 1898

65. , Koreans arrived
--45 Korean women, worked as domestics or in fields
--Small % tenant farmers, growers
--1920s Charles and Harry Kim managed 6 farms, 500 acres in San Joaquin Valley

66. Japanese migrants also arrived via Hawaii
--86 Japanese in 1880; 10,000 Japanese 1890
--1890, 410 Japanese women in US
--Recruiters wanted married men
--wives to work in fields, as cooks, laundresses, seamstresses
--formed Japanese societies for social welfare, recreation, education

67. Issei began as field workers, some later bought or leased land
--Japanese truck farmers raised fresh produce for towns
--Raised grapes, fruit in Central Valley, southern California
--Introduced strawberries, rice
--Competition led to jealousy

68. May 1905 SF labor groups organized Asiatic Exclusion League
--Campaigned state, federal govn to bar Japanese, Korean immigration
convinced Board of Education to segregate Japanese schoolchildren
--Japanese minister protested, threatened US interests in Pacific
--Pres Roosevelt invited Japanese officials, ULP to Washington
--Result 1907 "Gentlemen's Agreement"

69. Progressive leaders (James D
Progressive leaders (James D. Phelan, Harrison Gray Otis, Chester Rowell, Katherine Philips Edson) demanded exclusion
--Labor leaders, farmers, political parties supported exclusion
Anthony Caminetti introduced anti-Japanese bills
--restricted Japanese land ownership
--required segregation in schools, housing
--Civic leaders, White House resisted

70. Gentleman's Agreement increased ##s of Japanese women
--1000s came as "picture brides"
--Just in time for opening of immigration station at Angel Island
--increased ##s of Nissei

71. 1910 41,000 Japanese in California
--Issei farmers owned + 17,000 acres
--Leased 80,000 acres
--Sharecropped about 60,000 acres
Californians glad when Roosevelt left White House
US elected Democrat president
--Disappointed when Woodrow Wilson opposed anti-Japanese legislation
--Hiram Johnson now U.S. Senator for California

72. 1913 legislature passed Alien Land Law by wide margin
--Sponsored by state attorney general Ulysses S. Webb, SF lawyer Francis J. Heney
--35 for, 2 against in senate
--72 for, 3 against in assembly
--Forbade "aliens ineligible to citizenship" to purchase California land, lease for more than three years
--Included Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Indian farmers
--Some managed to evade law's intent

73. Water for Cities: Hetch Hetchy and Owens Valley
State, national progressives favored protecting environment, differed on approach
Progressive desire to destroy monopolies conflicted with desire to preserve wilderness

74. SF contracted with Spring Valley Water Company for water
charter allowed city to purchase, control supply
Mayor Phelan, city officials chose Tuolumne River
--Located in Hetch Hetchy Valley within Yosemite National Park
--Applied to Congress for approval

75. Set off 13-year battle with preservationist John Muir, Sierra Club
Pres. Wilson appointed Franklin K. Lane Secretary of Interior
--Former San Francisco city attorney, favored Hetchy Hetchy Dam
--Wrote bill permitting dam with Fresno's John E. Raker
--Raker Act passed 1913
--Created dam, 200-mile aqueduct, hydroelectric power station

76. Los Angeles even worse off
--Population growth outpaced water supplies
--Droughts created genuine water crisis
former mayor, city engineer Fred Eaton proposed to divert Owens River
--Eastern slope of Sierras, 240 miles from LA
--Eaton secretly bought only land available for reservoir, Long Valley
--Recruited city engineer William Mulholland to lobby city

77. --July 1905 local newspapers broke story
--Los Angeles Times favored, Examiner, called a scam to benefit Otis, Henry Huntington
--September 1905 LA voters approved funding bonds
--Mulholland supervised aqueduct construction
--Fed supported: Department of the Interior assigned rights to public lands in Sierra National Forest
--First water reached San Fernando Valley 1913

78. Owens Valley residents bitterly opposed
--Land privately owned, not public land like Yosemite
--Repeatedly blew up pipes
--Eaton asked $1M for Long Valley land, Mulholland lobbied city to refuse
--Aqueduct built without reservoir
--Some years entire Owens River flowed into aqueduct, with none for local farmers

79. The End of an Era
Progressive era began in California with SF earthquake, Ruef graft trials
Ended with US entry into WWI, Hiram Johnson election to U.S. Senate
War broke out in Europe in August 1914
--Great for state farmers, workers
--State economy, corporations expanded through 1920s

80. Progressives disagreed over US entry
--Criticized preparedness, "100% American" campaign
--Blamed Britain for German sinking of Lusitania
--Saw British bankers, munitions makers behind war

81. When US entered, progressives dominated war effort
--Organized bond campaigns
--Ran Training Camp Activities, War Industries Board
--150,000 Californians served in military
armistice created new disagreements

82. Gov. Hiram Johnson helped fracture California progressivism
--alienated Lincoln-Roosevelt League supporters
Republicans chose Taft for president over Theodore Roosevelt; Roosevelt formed Progressive Party, picked Johnson as VP
--Fractured Republican unity, helped elect Democratic president
--Annoyed California Republicans
--Johnson organized another new party, California Progressive Party
--Annoyed more California Republicans

83. 1914 Republicans nominated Francis J. Heney for US Senate seat
--Annoyed Johnson
--Heney blamed Johnson when Democrat James Phelan won
Johnson reelected as governor

84. 1916 Johnson cross-filed in Republican, Progressive senate primaries
--Elected, but alienated Republicans and Progressives
--Lt. Gov. John M. Eshelman died suddenly
--Southern Californians forced Johnson to name William D. Stephens as successor
--Took senator's oath of office but refused to step down as governor
--Emergency session in DC forced him to step down

85. End of progressive era in California
--Record mixed
--Some reforms backfired
--Did little to aid workers, ease racism, discrimination

86. Turn-of-the-Century California Culture
Californians rediscovered state's Spanish heritage
--Restored missions
--Marked old mission trail with bells, signs
--Organized Ramona Pageant, Old Spanish Days Fiesta
--Made best-seller of Helen Hunt Jackson's, Ramona (1884)

87. Charles Fletcher Lummis promoted state history, beauty
--Arrived in California in 1885
--Worked for Los Angeles Times
published A Tramp Across the Continent (1892)
published The Spanish Pioneers
--Adopted charro costume, "Don Carlos"
--Led colony of Pasadena artists, writers
--Popularized "mission" furniture
--popularized Mary Austin's Land of Little Rain (1903)

88. in 1900 California architects explored Mission Revival style
--adobe designs, tile roofs
Pasadena residential architects Charles and Henry Greene designed bungalows
--Native materials
--Verandahs
--Open patios
--Became favorite of California builders

89. 1889 Arthur Page Brown arrived in San Francisco
--Merged Classical, Mission Revival styles
--Helped define local style
--Brought Bernard Maybeck from NewYork
--Maybeck taught at University of California
--Developed distinctive style, including SF Palace of Fine Arts
--Maybeck trained Julia Morgan

90. Morgan first woman to receive engineering degree from University of California (1894)
--First to graduate in architecture from École des Beaux Arts (1902)
--First licensed to practice architecture in California (1904)
--Established firm in SF, designed residences, public buildings
--Blended Spanish, Moorish, Tudor, Mission
--Most famous commission William Randolph Hearst's estate at San Simeon
--Helped define distinctive California architectural style

91. General Frederick Funston sent troops from the Presidio to dynamite a firebreak, but their lack of experience contributed to the spread of flames. Photographs Courtesy Special Collections, California State University Library, East Bay.

92. Destruction of the recently completed new city hall revealed shoddy construction with inferior materials. Photographs Courtesy Special Collections, California State University Library, East Bay.

93. Families throughout the city, like this Japanese woman on Geary Street, cooked meals outdoors because of ruptured gas pipes in buildings. Photographs Courtesy Special Collections, California State University Library, East Bay.

94. Refugee camps like this one in Golden Gate Park were home to many San Franciscans for months. Photographs
Courtesy Special Collections, California State University Library, East Bay.

95. “Atonement”
William Randolph Hearst made his opinion of both Abe Ruef and the methods of the graft investigation abundantly clear in the pages of the San Francisco Examiner. Collection of William A. Bullough.

96. Hiram Johnson
Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

97. Votes for Women
A postcard published to promote votes for women included a poem:
They said to him “We’ll get your goat;”
He said “It is the System;”
With weapon of the Woman’s Vote
They shot; and never missed ’im.
Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

98. Jack London and His Dog Rollo, circa 1885
Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

99. The Ultimate Bungalow
Greene and Greene’s Gamble House, completed in Pasadena in Photograph by Richard J. Orsi.