Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-06
WEDNESDAY. MARCH 8, 1885
How we Are Lied about.

Our attention has been called to
special, dated Los Angeles, February
oath, that has been copied very extern
sively into Eastern papers, and which
bristles with barefaced lies about our
city, section and State. The wretched
slander first appeared, as near as we can
discover, in the Chicago Ne'CS. 1t starts
out by saying thatther are six thousand
willing workers out OF employment in
this city, and that there were from three
to four thousand unemployed people at
the Fehneman Sunday labor meetings
held in front of the Court House.
These gross exaggerations are OF piece
with those sent to the San Francisco
Examiner by it's telegraphic correspon-
dent here. While it is fact that num-
bers of men were thrown out of employ
ment here on account of the stringency
following upon the great activity OF the
boom, it is not anywhere near the truth
that there were ever six thousand will
ling workers lying idle in this city.
There may have been at the time
of the greatest depression from
eight hundred to one thousand working
people out OF employment here. The
labor market here, as elsewhere,
regulates itself. When labor is plentiful,
the demand is met by an influx of
workers. When it slacks of, the greater
part of the surplus goes elsewhere. 1t
was so here when the demand partly
ceased for a line of workingmen who had
been drawn to our city by the extra
ordinary activity in building. The
highest number attending the la
Dor meetings, We are assured,
would not exceed one thousand
people. Los Angeles is no exception to
other large cities. They are the focus Of
all kinds of people, and there is always
q large percentage of unemployed in
them who are always unemployed,
whether the times are good or bad. These
we have, and have always had. In dull
times they go to swell the ranks
of the really enforced idle, and
magnify in appearance the number Of
the unwillingly unemployed.
For over year the people of this city
have agitated and tried to commence
very extensive public works. A sewer
system, with its outlet to the sea, and
rne improvement of our streets in every
direction, are among the works we have
tried to get under way. A great deal of
street work has been done, and there is
great deal to do. But in anticipation of
these public works, we have no doubt
that many people have come here seek
ing chance to labor who would other
wise not have come. Yet we will ven
ture the assertion that there has been no
time in the past year in which a new
those willing to labor, would have left
corporal's guard of unemployed in the
city, outside of the constitutional idlers.
The "boss" liar whose Especial" we
are discussing, not satisfied with grossly
and enormously exaggerating the num-
Der of idle people here, places the cap
sheaf on his column of slander by saying
that it would be putting it mildly to say
that our city was dead. "Mummified,"
says this shameless traducer, "would
perhaps sound better" Whether this
fellow is paid by interested parties for
running down our city, we know not.
But there is an animus in that ex-
preston which sounds very much
like the stock ISLANDERS of our
place emanating from the Northern
Citrus Belt boomers. The venom of
some of the Sacramento and Oakland
papers is squirted at our section in season
and out of season. 1t has inoculated
many otherwise liberal people, and the
ordinary greeting which Los Angeefio
receives in the capital of the State or
the lodging quarters of San Francisco, is
to welcome him from the land Of
"bursted BOOM" This is, of course,
smart and witty. But whenever any
candid denizen of those places pays us a
visit, he readily Acknowledges the fact,
which has been subscribed to by people |
from all parts of the Union, that Los
Angeles, Notwithstanding its "bursted
boom," is the busiest city not only in
the State but outside of it.
Our section will flourish and grow in
population and wealth in spite OF all the
lying it may be subjecte to by gangrened
scribblers, wherever they may be. 1t
will do so because it possesses the ele-
ments of growth and wealth in its soil,
climate and situation. The imperial
county OF Los Angeles has homes and
possibilities of subsistence for million
and half of people. To say that one
tenth of that number is q surfeit, is to
say that American push and energy do
not belong to US in common with the
rest Of the people Of this country.