Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-04
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1890
THE LESSON IT TEACHES.

In the past three months the self-re-
specting Democrats of Los Angeles have
received some very rude lessons in prac-
tical politics, as taught by the hoodlum
element of their party. 1t is true that
no party can altogether escape from con-
tact of the vicious in its ranks, but it
has remained for the Democracy in the
past.election to find that its worst ele-
ment had, through the most reprehen-
sible courses, got practical control of the
essential machinery OF the organization.
1t is still fresh in the memory of the
people of this city that the hoodlum ele-
ment ravished the primaries last
August, and through that initial crime
not only sent delegation to San Jose
which did not represent the true senti-
ment of the great mass OF the Los Ange-
les Democracy, but actually got posses
sion of the county central committee,
and was thus enabled to perpetuate its
control of the party machinery.
This was bad enough; but the next
step was even worse. The city central
committee month ago astonished the
Democracy by an assumption OF author
ity for which they had no warrant from
the body OF the party, and which has
never yet been assumed by any central
committee without first receiving such
authority. They instituted, upon their
own motion, an entirely new departure
from Democratic usage, and in doing so
had the supreme audacity to disfran-
chise at the primary polls all Democrats
who had not seen fit to subscribe to
their new Buckley machine. Who are
these men that they should undertake
to disfranchise any Democrat? Where
did they get their authority to revolu-
tionize the usages OF the party? And
why should anybody be compelled to
submit to their arbitrary dictation or
suffer Acknowledgement at their sweet
behest?
What was the result OF this high
handed innovation upon the Democratic
principle of equal rights to all? The
party has seen it to its sorrow. 1t had
a chance to sweep the city, and place
the municipality in its control for the
next two years it has come out of the
contest with the election of one officer in
the general ticket and only three coun-
cilmen out of nine. The new-fangled
plan placed in operation by the commit
tee, brought together convention in
which the best elements of the party
were overslaughed by the worst. The
advice of the men whose standing, ability
and experience should have made their
counsels all-powerful in the convention
was fouted, and the whole ticket was
deliberately wrecked.
We believe it was Grant who said that
you can always count upon the Demo-
Gratis doing the wrong thing at the right
time. He was talking as Republican.
If ever a convention did the wrong
thing at the right time for its enemies
the late Democratic municipal conven-
tion did it. 1t required but the sagacity
of the merest tyro in politics to see that
the Democracy could carry the city with
a strong ticket. Instead, however, of
naming such ticket it gave the party
q ticket notably weak in some of it's
parts and absolutely obnoxious in the
place where it should be the strongest.
AS long as the respectable element Of
the party in this city is to be over
slaughed by the worst element, these
things will necessarily occur. 1t there
fore becomes question of the last i'm
portance to the party whether we are or
not to have continuance of this kind OF
business. If the hoodlum element is 10
control the party to its defeat, it will
hereafter be permitted to do go alone,
for the respectable Democracy is not
going to follow any such lead, nor will it
take any direction or dictation from it.
Selfrespecting Democrats will find a
way to depose that element from the
control OF the party in its nominations !;
and if that cannot be done in any other
way it will be done by severely sitting
down upon every candidate who is put
mp by it or who tries 70 wriggle into its
favor.
The HERALD is for pure politics. 1t
will not lend its influence to any set of
nominations that are the result OF fraud
at the primaries or usurpation OF power
by any set of men whoever they may bes
This paper will be independent of party
whenever party has been subverted by
outrage upon decency and right. There
are some things higher than party, and
without which party falls below the
level emitting it to respect from any
decent source. And whenever we find
that the decencies have been outraged
and that the worst elements of the
party are on top we shall do all in our
power to correct the one and Illustrate
The work of the other.
TIE mayor suggests that the Office of