Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-10-13
The Present and the Future.

A new era is dawning in the history
Of Los Angeles = an era which
may date her first step toward
the assumption of her tplace as
the second city of the Pacific Coast, or
leave her 90 trameled with the er-
rors of feeble government and the
bonds of selfish interest that she can
only go forward in that slow and un-
steady gait that has marked her pro-
gress to her present position. At this
time Los Angeles lies bound hand and
foot, the captive of private specula-
tion. She is the slave of individual
monopoly-the victim Of exclusive
franchise-and the day Is near at
hand when she will either emanci-
pate herself and stand erect, the proud,
free city of an independent, enterpris-
ing people, or tighten about her more
closely the chains that are now fester-
ing in her flesh and strangling an ex-
istence that should just begin to ap-
preciate the beauty and happiness of
being. There is bright future for
Los Angeles and to secure it she must
fight and win the battle of the pres
ent. Incidence and sloth, lethargy
and supineness must be shaken off.
If she would be free she must strike
the blow for freedom. No city need
hope for prosperity if without those
laws and regulations which
when enforced and obeyed Sc
cure order, health and the
encouragement of trade and COM
merce. The officers of city, no mat
ter how sincere in the right and ener-
getic in the discharge of their duties,
cannot make her an object of pleasure
to visitors and pride to her citizens,
unless sustained and supported in every
measure designed to secure the great
est good to the greatest number, by
the whole people. No city will in
crease rapidly in population and
wealth with one or morre of her most
important elements of prosperity
bound up and controlled by few citi-
zens for their individual agrandize-
ment. The right to supply an inferior
article of gas or an impure and inade-
quate quality of water should not be
perpetually invested in corporation
or company to the exclusion of others
who stand ready to furnish a better and
purer article in abundance and at less
cost. The common veal should be
the common object and no scheme
should be permitted or maintained
that has for its purpose the enrich
ing of the few at the expense of the
many. Los Angeles has suffered and
is now suffering in wealth, name and
fame through the inconvenience
which she has entailed upon herself
by unwise and, as the Courts decide,
unlawful contracts, which promised
advantages that have never been re-
allied. How long these blights to her
prosperity and advancement - these
exorbitant expenses to her citizens
and checks to immigration-will be
endured, rests with the people. They
have it in their power to free them
selves from the incubus now weighing
them down, and if they do not exer-
else that power, the consequences re-
sulting from right so to do will rest
upon themselves. 1t is the duty of
the citizens of Los Angeles to elect
municipal officers who will recognize
themselves the servants of the people
and not the instruments of private in
terests-officers who will legislate for
the city, and not for half-a-dozen citi-
zens. If the municipal government
Is placed in the hands of representa-
tive men-men Of integrity and enter
prise-who will act as a unit for the
public good and as unit apainst pri-
vate speculation, Los Angeles will
soon become city of which visitors
will speak in terms of praise and a
city whose prosperity will be in pro-
portion to the many natural advan-
tages with which she is surrounded.
Proposed New Road to Panamint.