Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-07-31
A BrIei History Of the working
mems Party in Los Angeles.


be distinctly understood that l do
not write the following remarks
under the influence of any ill-feel-
ing towards any man or party OF
men, as I deal with principles not
men. But if any one should feel
hurt by what may advance will
not hold myself responsible, as the
truth is a two-edged sword; 1t will
cut both ways.
Now, the first political meeting
in connection with the Working
mems party was convened in Los
Angeles, and the first ticket was
offered to the suffrage of the people
in this county; hence the theory of
Denis Kearney being the originator
of the party falls to the ground.
The above meeting was convened
by Alfred Moore, and was addressed
by Judge Thompson, Judge Wise
man, myself and Others, with Mr..
Moore in the Chair. Our ticket
proved failure. In fact, we did
not expect success. We simply
wanted to try our power and build
up a party for a future campaign.
After the election we reorganized
upon firmer basis and adopted a
code of bylaws aud political plat
form, and thus, from week to week,
we increased in numbers and or
ganized other clubs.
While our party was thus pros
pering aud daily gaining in
strength another movement sprahg
into existence bearing the name of
"Home League" protesting to have
for their object the patronizing of
home industry. These ingenious
schemers pretended to bar out poll
tics from their ranks, but further
developments proved the fact that
they had double object. First,
the breaking up of our party by
promising employment and plenty
to cat for the workingmen, believ-
ing that the only way to their
brains was through their bellies.
The other object they had in view
was to prepare the way for some of
their members into the CoDstitu-
tional Convention. Col. Ayers
took the field to stump while his
EUening Express at home was
groaning under a load of abuses
heaped upon the Workingmen.
Yet in the face of all the Home
League opposition and Evening Er-
press slander we kept up our agita-
tion and became strong enough to
elect two out of the three members
to the Constitutional Convention,
while Col. Ayers had to go out of
his own county to get his nomina-
ton on the ticket at large.
From this time We were looked
upon by the public as q political
power, and many of those who for
merly sneered at us fell into our
ranks and even Colonel Godfrey,
one of the candidates whom we had
defeated, was amongst the number,
feeling his way for a grasp at the
city loaves and fishes. By the time
for the city election in December
the party had grown to its zenith.
We had formidable army in the
field to meet tEe mixed party
whom we had to contend with. But
alas! u few office seekers, like
wolves in sleeps clothing, had
sneaked into their fold aud, by
some strange and sharp engineer
ing, they worked their way into
the city offices. l saw breakers
ahead when these worthless were
nominated and before they were
elected [ wrote the address to the
Workingme which appeared in
your columns, wherein l predicted
the present degraded condition of
the party. The Central Committee
was composed of candidates and a
few of their tools and as a matter of
course / was read out of the
temple without even trial or cer-
emony, because | dared expose the
underhand work of those famous
hybridous reformers. Now, by
your permission, | wish to call the
attention of the Workingmen to
their own work in electing the
members of the city government.
What means all this fighting with
the Council ever since they took
hold of the reins of the city rule?
Why did they expel Beck, who
said, as the President of the Cen.
trail Committee when expelling
me, $50 be it with all traitors"
Why did they expel Perry, Molony
and others? If this is not being
dissatisfied with their own work it
is remarkably like it.
The Workingmen made their first
wrong step in their nominations of
the city officers, and the candidates
whom they elected We're also wrong
in accepting and promising to sup
port q platform which most of
them knew to be revolutionary in
its nature. The platform proposed
to tax the Chinese so as to compel
them to 60 beyond the limits of
the city. Now the idea of men
like the Mayor and the City Attor-
ney engaging to support such a
measure for the sake of getting
into Office, knowing that the GEN.
trail government was treaty bound
to protect the social rights of even
the Chinese, is beneath the con-
tempt of all right thinking men. |
will not trespass upon your space
with dissecting this strange docu-
ment, bat as / believe the refusal
of the Council to comply with the
demand of the fourth section, beg
to insert 1t in full. 1t reads as fol-
lows: "That better system
of sewerage and of pure water
supply shall be furnished for the
city, the same to be done by honest
day labor at eight hours day, and
that henceforth no contracts shall
be given by the ty; and the
Council and the officers of the city
shall be held responsible to the
people for the moneys expended
and the improvements made in the
city, and when nominated shall
agree to resign when majority OF
the Workingmen, assembled in
mass meeting, shall request them