Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-07
THE NEW CHARTER.
Is the City Gerryma ndered
BY 1t?
POLITICIANS
THINK.
A Batch of Emphatic Views Dug
Up By a Herald Reporter
Yesterday.

As interviews on the new Charter are
made the order of the day, yesterday 8
HERALD reporter went out for an houl
to see what public opinion might be or
the question. And in order to arrive al
fair expression of opinion on the part
of the people. he avoided all who were
likely to have any bias or prejudice one
way or other. In order, moreover, to gel
intelligent opinion, he interviewed only
such citizens as are, to some extent, ex.
perts on the question. No man who does
net take pretty lively interest in poll
tics is capable of forming an opinion in
this respect which is worth baubee
With this canon in view, the HERALD
man hunted up people whose business it
has been TO watch with more or less
anxiety the majorities usually polled for
one party or the other in the several
wardsstof the city. The names which
will ,ow here are such as will entitle
the views attached to them much re-
n s2ect.
Then in order to get an honest express
sion of opinion Republican politicians
were studiously avoided. People who
are supposed to benefit largely by any
programme do not usually "give the
game away" Lastly for the purpose of
avoiding natural bias and prejudice
the reporter did not seek for
the opinion OF such gentlemen as had a
hand in the framing of the Charter. 1t
is to be supposed that they would not be
particularly severe in their judgment
upon the offspring of their own brain.
Besides, Republican paper which pro-
fesses to think the Charter all right in
this respect has given the naturally partial
judgment of many of these gentlemen.
is IT A GERRYMANDER.
The reporter was going p the street
and near the corner of Spring and Court
streets he met Councilmen Ben Cohn
and James Hanley. Said he:
''Mr. Cohn have you studied the re-
districting of the city as provided for in
the new Charter, and if you have what
do you think OF it with reference to the
fairness of the division on party vote ?"
The statesman from the Fourth Ward
is always on deck when anyone seeks a
square.toed expression of opinion from
him. With his usual promptitude and
point he replied:
eyes, 1 have studied the matter
pretty carefully. There is no doubt in
the world as to the effect such districting
must have on the vote OF the two par
ties. You are exactly right about in the
HERALD. Any one who understands
how the vote goes in the several pre-
cincts, will see that it is the worst sort
of gerrymander. 1t makes first, as the
HERALD says, six wards hopelessly Re-
publican, one solidly Democratic, and
two dubious. That is a great injustice
to our party"
Mr.. Hanley heard all Mr.. Cohn said,
and acquiesced in the opinions here set
forth. He said:
"I am of the opinion that the appor-
tionment is unfair. know the ward in
which live as it now stands is Repub-
lican by very heavy majority. l am
opposed to the Charter for other reasons,
too. I will vote against it,"
WHAT AN EDITOR SAYS.
While finishing his talk to the two
statesmen who serve the city, the re-
porter's eve caught sight Of Conrad
Jacoby, the capable editor Of the Sud
California Post, the journal of the
large and intelligent German population
of Los Angeles. Mr.. Jacoby stopped
in front of the undertaking parlors of
Orr & Such, to talk to Jim Meredith,
the Coroner. Jim had sad expression
of face, as if he was deep in an attempt
to figure out by low many votes John l..
Mccoy will beat him next November.
So the reporter drew Jacoby aside to let
Mr.. Meredith work out the problem OF
surplus Democratic votes in the county.
Making known what he was in search of
to Mr.. Jacoby, the German editor at once
replied to the reporter:
''Oh! I shall go against the Charter.
There is nodoubt you are correct in the
way The HERALD has estimated it's effect
of the districting OF the city. 1t is most
notorious attempt to deprive the party Of
it's political rights for all time to come"
ANOTHER COUNCILMAN.
While the reporter was talking to Mr..
Jacoby M. T. Collins, Councilman for the
Second Ward, drove along and stopped
to speak to the HERALD man about other
matters. When the reporter ques.
toned him on the Charter he expressed
good deal Of regret that
anything should come up to jeopardize
the adoption of the new organic law for
the government of the city. He said:
"But must acknowledge that as the
matter now stands the apportionment
gives the city to the Republicans"
Mr.. Collins seemed to think that the
complexion of the work might change
hereafter. He probably did not fully
realize the fact that We ought to move or
lines of certainty rather than those ol
uncertainty as far as possible; nor yei
did he seem to see the point that if the
city is once put in the hands OF the Re
publican party they can do many things
to keep it 30. When the Second Ward
statesman has reflected on the matter in
all its aspects, it may be put down as Ger
tainty that he will vote and work to pre-
vent his party being deprived of itl
political rights.
The reporter next happened to meet G.
w. Arbuckle and R. A. Ling He statet
what he was out for. Major Arbucklt
remarked:
"No one who is much acquainted with
the political complexion of the wards car
for a moment doubt that the apportion
ment is a gerrymander. l am opposed
to the Charter because of this districtint
of the city. shall do all can agains
it,"
HAD NOT STUDIED IT.
Judge Ling said:
"No. have not paid any particula