Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-05-17
The Police Force in an I'm
settled Condition.
COUNCILMEN NOT CONSULTED
Possibility that the Council May
Take a Hand in the Matter.
Street Talk.


streets yesterday, and some of those Re-
publicans who have spent their lives
fighting for their parity, shook their
heads and said that the chances OF VIC
tory in the future we're smaller than they
had been for years past. According to
their ideas, the action of the Commits
sioners was disgraceful, and even in the
light of the similar action short time
previous by the combination between
Messrs. Hazard, Furrey and Bilderrain,
entirely unwarranted. Apparently
none were more surprised at
the turn affairs had taken than
we're the Councilmen, for at a very early
hour in the morning several of them
made their appearance at the Police Sta
ton, and in the vicinity of the City Hall,
with scowling faces, intent on finding
out who was responsible for the changes.
They were indignant that such a thing
had happened, but, perhaps, that which
made them the most angry was the fact
that the men they had recommended
were not on the list of appointees. Some
of them were indignant because men
whom they had recommended before
were discharged-good men, toc-and
poor men had been appointed in their
places. One Councilman said that upon
The list Of the new men appointed were
the names of three who he knew were
unfit to be on the force. These same
men had asked him for his recommends
ton for appointment, and he had re-
fused, because he knew they we're
rot good men. His ward had
not been recognized, and while he knew
that some change was contemplated, he
had not supposed that so many men
would be discharged. Some of those
discharged were the strongest kind OF
Republicans. and we're old and faithful
officers. Why these were ''let out" he
could not tell. and he thought there was
a queer deal in the matter. He had
been to see Mr.. Lindley, and he had
said that he was not responsible, and he
wanted to know who was.
Councilman Wirsching was much put
out at the way in which his ward had
been treated. Every man he had
recommended had been dismissed, and
the only man placed on the force from
Boyle Heights was a Democrat. He
thought that it was nice way
for Republican Board to treat
q strong Republican ward, to dis
charge all the Republicans residing there
and appoint one Democrat to represent
that Ward. For himself he did not
care, but the slight was against his
Ward. The men who had been dis.
charged were good men, with large
families, and most of them had served a
long time on the force. In the place of
these good mon, one unmarried Demo-
crat had been appointed. He did not
think that harmony had been created in
the Police Commission, and he would
vote to discharge all four Commits
sioners.
An endeavor was made by other
Councilmen to find out who had been
responsible for the discharge of their
friends and for the dismissal of some of
the best officers of the force, and it was
reported, upon good authority, that six
Councilmen were on the "war-path," in
consequence of the action of the new
coalition. Each one of them said that
they had not had hand in it, and that
thew did not approve, at all, of the action
of the three. 1t was their idea that some
be made gradually, and the men re-
mOV6u WOulQ DOb DO LILO DOot hOh ol
the force. They also had an idea that
when new men were appointed they
would not be Objectionable, and that if
the force was to be reorganized it would
be done for the purpose of making it bet.
ter. Instead of that, they found the
Commission had appointed men whom
they did not know, and had discharged
good men on someone's recommendation
IL I'll 30 l. -h0. \ !
had furnished the data.
1t was reported on the street that a
caucus had been held by some of the
Councilmen during the day, and that it
had been determined to discharge, on
Monday next, all four of the Commits
sioners and replace them with men who
would serve the city's interest better.
Then it was rumored that it had been
decided to discharge three of the Com
missioners, but these rumors could not
be authenticated, although it was
certain that some such movement was
contemplated, either by the Councilmen
or by the influential men of the Repub-
licau party.
It was also stated that the Commits
sioners who were responsible Tor the
commotion denied that they knew what
the lists were until the last minute, and
desired to place the onus ION some one
else. The statement was not believed,
and those who took any interest in the
affair we're free to express their opinion
that the whole thing was done in retalia-
ton for the action that was taken few
weeks ago by the first combination.
Most of the discharged men took their
misfortune very pilosophically by adj
hitting that they had no mortgage Oh
the places, and that, in the present state
of things, they had understood very we'll
that nothing could be permanent. There
were some, however, who were rash
enough to imagine that the era of expert
ment WAS over, and that the Commission
had settled down to real business. These
men had bought their uniforms. and had
come to count uDon their places as ee-
cure. Some of them were men OF fam
ily, who had been foolish enough to
leave steady employment to take places
on the force. They were bitterly lament
ing their mistake, and cursing the trium-
yirats which made the removals.
The Spanish-American contingent Of
the Republican party were badly dis
grun,led. and if an election were to take
nlace t)-morrow, it is pretty safe to pre-
dict that not single vote oil that com
plexion would be cast for any Republic
can. They were outspoken in their ex-
pressions of anger, many OF them who
have always voted the Republican ticket
declaring that they would never forget
the ineult which had been dealt them by
a Republican administration.
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