Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-07
our city Confronted with n Great
Danger.

Danger
Let us once for all put an end to the
false and misleading assertion OF the
advocates OF the new Charter, that its
defects should not cause the people to
vote against it, because they can be
readily amended after the instrument
has been adopted. We have already
shown the fallacy Of supposing that
any amendment affecting the power
patronage, emoluments or incident
ais" OF the members Of the Council
themselves, or OF the Mayor, under
the new Charter, can ever be
submitted to the people. To pass an
ordinance for that purpose would re-
quire four of the five votes of the
Council and the approval OF
the Mayor. If the Mayor should
then interpose his veto it would
require the whole five votes of
the Council to pass the ordinance
over the veto. 1t is therefore abso-
lutely certain that no amendments of
q material character can ever be sub
mitted to the people. But let us
suppose the desired amendments
have passed the Scylla OF
of the legislative department of
the municipal government, they
will then have to run the gauntlet OF
the Charybdis which the Constitution
sets up to render changes all but
impossible. The Constitution pro-
vides (see Sec. s, Art. XI.,) that
amen dments to the charter can only
be made at intervals Of two years,
Submitted by Legislative authority of
"the city to the qualified voters
"thereof, at general or special cleo
"tion, held at least sixty
"days after the publication of
"such proposals, and ratified by
"at least THREE-FTTHs of The qualified
"electors coting hereot, and approved
"by the Legislature" in the same
manner that it is required the
charter itself shall be approved.
Will any candid man tell us that
material amendments to this proposed
charter can ever be successfully
worked through the chepaur-de.flise
OF barriers set up both by the
charter itself and the constitution of
the State to render changes difficult
Even if it should be found possible TO
securesamendments that affected no
adverse interest, is it not plain as day
to the most opaque understanding
that this charter, once adopted and.
ratified by the Legislature, would
stand as unalterable as the laws OF the
Medes and the Persians as against
any material change that would affect
the places or the interests of either
the Mayor or the Council, or any
member thereof?
Therefore we say to the people of
Los Angeles, look well TO your votes to-
day. If by your ballots you adopt
this charter, you fasten upon your
selves for all time fundamental in
strument which is confessedly, by
friend and foe alike, replete with i'm
perfections; which, in its central
plan of government, is at best
but an experiment of dubious
wisdom; and which, if ra-
pacious officials should once be
entrusted with power under it, will
prove ruiuous to our city. Millions of
dollars are to be spent in public i'm
provements in the next five years.
Here is the prize and the temptation
to dishonest men to get control of the
government. And once in control the
proposed Charter assures them per-
manency in their positions.
VIII the taxpayers Of Los Angeles
hazard the welfare OF their city and
their own property upon the cast of
what we may truly term loaded die :?
Let the result of to-day's election
answer.