Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-02
our Mayer ~ not a Nnssy nird.

Mayor workman said Las, week IN San Fran
cisco that he wnH thorcnehiy dikguAtcd with
s lnegeneg n,as ana acS ns sonr r o e
make things lively when ho came home =
Tribune.
Our enterprising neighbor has not
given the source whence he cleaned the
above precious piece Of information. We
are very loath 10 give il credence. IL can
hardly be that Mr.. Workman, who has
been honored by the people Of Los Ange-
les by being placed at the head Of their
municipal government, could so far
forget the loyalty due from him
to his constituents, as to make such
u statement in 30 wanton q manner. Sup
posing the statement is true, what then
is accomplished by giving publicity to
the fact in this manner? win IL raise
our credit abroad, or remedy the evil al-
legged TO exist at home by making it
known in San Francisco2 win the
knowledge Of the existence OF an inefii-
cient police force deter Objectionable
characters from flocking into Los Ange-
les; or will this knowledge be construed
as a general invitation to all crooks, 2
rogues and blacklegs to hasten here as to a
promising field OF operation? Then,
still presuming that our worthy Mayor
is perfectly correct in this estimate Of
our police force, how are we to get a
better one? II this is true, il is unfor-
tunate that Mr.. Workmans term OF
office has 30 many more months to run.
He does not give place to a successor
until the first Of January, 1889. As nine
tenths OF the present force are under
stood TO be OF the good
Mayors selecting, our case would
be hopeless. Mr.. Workman Is a
positive man, not to say rather obstin-
ate one. He is not she man TO let some
other step into his o6scial shoes and
perform his functions. Hisoilicid ear is
not supposed to be wide opsn to any
irresponsible persons who might 'tlesiu
to make any suggestions as to who ought
to go on the force. In the early days OF
Mr.. Workman's incumbency Of his office,
he was ambitious not only to be
Mayor, but in the exuberance Of
his patriotism he was willing even to
do much Of the duty ordinarily
left to the Chief Of Police. Los Angeles
will not soon forget that ierse, polite
and happy oratorical effort made by our
good Mayor, when he called the whole
police force into his official presence and
lectured them 30 roundly on the details
Of their duty. The Mayor and the Presi-
dent Of the Council kept up lively
racket" for many weeks, until they
badgered the Chief Of Police into letting
them name their men for Captain, for
Sergeant, and for the detective
force. Now, with all this zeal
on the part of the majority Of the Police
Commission, II still the force is in the
lamentable state Of inefiiciency set forth
by the Mayor-a thing we are more than
loath to believe-how, then, are we to
reach any Improvement? Shall we
allow the Chief to select his own men
and manage the force in his wayP The
people might consent to the making OF
such an effort; but will the
Mayor and his colleague, the Presi-
dent of the Council, be content to
relinquish so much of their municipal
power?
But really we do not and cannot think
Mr.. Workman ever said any such thing
as is attributed to him. He knows too
well the duty Of loyalty he owes his
people. He is too honorable to play in
the ungracious, unpopular and dishonor-
able role OF the despised bird that fouls
its own nest. He is, besides, too sensible
a man thus to belittle his own handy
work, thus to put the stigma OF a fiasco
on his own pet schemes. He is too we'll
versed also in municipal affairs. He has
had too wide an experience OF the world
not to know that our police force is
really in q most admirable state of
general efficiency, that our city is we'll
protected, peaceable and safe to an
unwonted degree. MIR. Workman
is certain that in the twenty
five or more years Of his
residence in the good city OF
the Angels it has never been SO well ad-
ministered as under himself, while act
ing in the honorable capacity Of Mayor,
and Of the hardly less honorable and
responsible Office OF Chairman of the
Police Commission, in which capacity he
names nearly all the men who 60 on the
force.
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