Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-22
FRIDAY. MARCH es, 1859.
The NIunicipal Muddle.

Their was a great deal of discussion
yester day over the incidents connected
with t he day appointed to supplant the
old city administration with the new. A
number of Democratic officials have
made contests, and in every instance
tn ey have been made by appointees OF
the late Council. In every instance,
also, every elective official has turned
over his office without complaint or rei
monstrance, in obedience to the grand
Democratic aphorism that the majority
ought to rule. The Hon. j. Marion
Brooks, lawyer, and gentleman.
consequently, who lives by litigation,
has succeeded in persuading a number
of persons chosen by the late Council to
contest the seats of their successors, with
the result of throwing municipal affairs
into muddle until the Supreme Court
assemblies in Los Angeles early in April
next.
The general attitude of the Democratic
party may be compressed in nutshell
they have played and lost; and, in view
of the pronounced position of the Demo
cratic City Convention approving the new
City Charter. they don't believe in plead
ing the Baby Act. They are not advo-
Gates of tails l win, heads you lose,"
nor is the HERALD.
Yesterday Mayor Bryson turned the
Mayors Office over to his successor,
Mayor Hazard.
Treasurer johnson thinks that he sue
ceeds himself, but is Of opinion that he is
acting under the new charter. He will
decide what course to take to-day in re-
gard to the payment of warrants.
Tax Collector Thompson succeeds him
self, but considers that he is acting under
the new charter.
City Assessor Fischer will not succeed
himself until the first Monday of Janu-
ary, 1890. He states that he is making
the assessment under the old charter, so
that Mr.. Brooks's proceedings do not
apply to him.
City Attorney Mcfarland succeeds
himself, and is of the opinion that he is
holding under the new Charter.
III. F. Stiles, City Auditor and Clerk OF
the old Council, refuses to surrender the
office to the Auditor-elect Lopez and to
City CleIk-elect Teed. Mr.. Stiles was
candidate before the Democratic City
Convention for the Office which he holds,
and failed to receive the nomination. If
he had been nominated, the pre-
sumptione are that the plank of that body
advocating the new Charter would not
have stuck in his craw.
J. w. Drown, the Superintendent of
Streets under the new Charter, refuses
to turn over the effice to Col. Morford,
the Superintendent-elect. He says
that he will do 60 on orders
from a court of competent juris-
diction. He also was a candidate
for the Office before the Democratic City
Convention which endorsed the new
Charter, and he would undoubtedly
have endorsed that resolution if he had
been nominated.
Mr.. ]. H. Dockweiler, the City Sur
veyor, with good sense which does him
honor, surrendered his office to Fred
Eaton, filing protest.
The three contestants refuse to surren-
der their offices on the ground that the old
Council did not adjourn sine die, and
that, therefore, it did not 60 out of exist
ence; and that until it goes out of exist
ence, or discharges them, they cannot
surrender their offices without making
their bondsmen liable for damages.
The Democratic masses of Los Ange-
les, who were beaten in the last election,
to employ sportman's phrase, believe
that they ought to ante and pass the
buck. There is no factious disposition
amongst them.