Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-12
THE CITY MORALS.
Ovanisns Of Those who Know what
They Are.

question, els Los Angeles an especially
wicked city ?" 1t will be noticed that
he was resolved to ask only those whose
opinions were rendered valuable by
actual knowledge of facts. 1t often
happens in matter of this sort that
those are most anxious to give their
views who are least likely to know any
thing about the subject under discussion,
people who read some sensational news
paper and believe all it says, and whose
experience in life has been limited to
their own particular class in society.
The first man buttonholed by the re-
porter was an ex-city official, a man Of
means, influence and what was more to
the point of extensive experience in this
and other cities. The question was pro-
pounded together with little commen,
tary to the effect that it was rendered
especially pertinent just now by the
amoral, "anti-saloon," and other meet
ings at which the sentiment had fre-
quently found utterance that this was
one of the wickedest cities on the conli'
nent.
"My emphatic opinion is" he an
swered, .that this is not wicked city,
and find it hard sometimes to restrain
my indignation when hear it called 80:
1 don't want to speak disrespectfully OF
thoee who are engaged in this move
ment. Many of them are very worthy
people, and the work they have in hand
will certainly in the long run be Of value
to the city. But the statement that Los
Angeles is exceptionally wicked is GER
tainly false, and it Injuries their cause.
The city is young. Its politics are re-
markably free from corruption. Neither
one party nor the other has been
in power for any length of time by Sc
strong a majority that they have been
able to run things in the interest of any
particular ring. In the history of the
city there have been no such marked in
stances of malfeasance in Office to justify
the claim that it is politically corrupt.
1t is not only in the big cities like New
York, Chicago and Philadelphia that
rings and nests of jobbery are to be
found, but plenty no larger than Los An
geles are carrying burdens of taxation
the direct result of open and unhindered
stealing. Has there ever been any of
that in Los Angeles? A citizens move
ment for purity in politics is an ex-
cellent thing, and often mas a good
effect on the heelers and bummers
that at times get possession of both
parties; but any such movement at the
present time in Los Angeles based on
the theory that this city is especially
wicked is most unfortunately out of
place."
sis this very bad city ?" repeated a
lawyer. 81 cannot see any satisfactory
grounds for claiming that it is. There
was time last winter, while the fierce
ness of the boom was diverting public
attention from the matter, when, for five
months, Los Angeles was in rather a bad
condition. The crowds that were flock
ing into the city made it very easy for
the criminal classes to elude police con-
troll and although great deal of wicked
ness was brought to light, great deal
more remained hidden and served to give
the impression that the authorities were
unable to cope with the difficulties of
the situation. The newcomers who
were trying experiments with the police
soon found that they had gotten into the
wrong place and moved on. What are
the facts? Since the first of January
there has been informations filed in the
Superior Court for forty cases of burg
larry; probably not more than half Of
these are to be allotted to the city. Only
twenty cases of burglary in ten
months is a very small proportion
for a city of this size. Five
cases Of robbery have been sent
up to the Superior Court and twenty.
two cases of assault to murder. These
figures include the whole county of l50,-
900 people. OF grand larceny there are
nineteen cases and of assault with
deadly weapon there are eighteen. OF
murder there are ten cases and of rape
four. Considering the length of time
involved, the extent of territory and the
number Of population these mum bers are
not high. On the contrary, comparison
with other sections will show them to
be, with the exception of the murder
schedule perhaps, very moderate. am
not saying that the city is exceptionally
good. but only that the wholesale
charges about its wickedness are silly
and unjust"
"What do you think about it ?" was
asked of one of the oldest members of
the police force. "Do you think that
Los Angeles is very naughty? ?"
II do, indeed" he answered. "Every
city is naughty, and the bigger it gets
and the faster it grows the naughtier it
becomes"
"But is this city, taking into consider
alton its size and other extenuating cir.
cumstsnces, exceptionally bad?''
"From an experience in two other
places and pretty fair acquaintance
with the condition OF things here now,
believe that it is not. For the past five
or six months there has been Just about
no crime to speak of. / notice some Of
the papers come out occasionally with ter
rife stories in which the quarrels of boozy
tramps are exaggerated to riots and a
petty larceny is made to look like first
class burglary but when follow these
things up through the courts I usually
find that they melt away into nothing.
know that we have an efficient police
and detective force, and have had it for
q number OF months. There is good evil
dence Of that, l think, in the small pro-
portion of crime that goes undecided,
and in the large proportion of crime that
is prevented by active vigilance"
'H this is an exceptionally wicked
CITY," said a merchant, II do not see the
evidence of it. believe in morality, but
but do not see the necessity of taking
liberties with facts to secure it. On re-
cent trip through the East l was much
disguised to find the idea had become
quite general that Los Angeles was little
better than den of thieves and toughs.
The story was started, imagine, by enc