Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-10
Vote ON the Bonds

Vote ON the Bonds
The present week is a momentous one
for the city. Three elections take place
to vote on bonds aggregating a million
and half dollars for sewers in one
shape or other. Thursday the bonds for
an interior system of sewers will be
voted on. Friday the bonds for storm.
water drains will come up for rejection or
approval, and Saturday the outfsll sewer
bonds will pe the question to decide. 1t
is very important that the vote on sac h
of these days should be full and intel
ligent expression of the will of the pso.
pie. The advocates of these propositions
as whole manifest disposition to dis
cuss not the merits of the case, but line
of sentimental and illogical argument
that is alarming to reasonable people. II
is contended that all these bonds should
be voted irrespective of their merits, or
of their needs, in order to give labor to
people who happen at this time to lack
employment, and in order to stimulate
business which is quiet for the time be-
task to successfully raise the question
whether the means proposed will result
in the remedy sought. A million and a
half of money is large sum, and it's sx-
penditure at any time will attract to this
city contractors from all parts of the
country. If the jobs should be secured
by these outside contractors, the work
will be done by imported labor at starva-
ton wages, and the laborers will be
herded like swine in pen and fed by
those who bring them here, with food
imported from abroad. If the purpose
of voting on this sentimental basis is to
give work to resident laborers, who will
fill up vacant houses in the outskirts of
the city, and buy meat, groceries and
clothing from local dealers, these good
ends will certainly be best reached by
not setting forth so large bait to make
it worth while for Eastern contractors o
bid 80 low as to secure the jobs. Labor
ers and merchants ought to give these
considerations careful attention, and
weigh we'll their i'm port.
AhOh phOi0 40 bhO OtIOI VI In0
question-the merits of the case, or the
true interests of the real supporters of
the city in all branches of business.
These are the tax payers, and especially
the owners of their own homes, and
those who have the savings of years in
vested in vacant lots, with the hope of
getting out of these by and by little
stake for old age, or the means of setti ng
the children up in business. 1t is for
citizens of this class to say at the polls
which, if any of these bonds it will fur
ther their interests to vote. 1t is for
them to say, further, whether the pres
ent city government is proper one to in
trust with these large interests. Money
is scarce, and mortgages will come due
as the wheel of time rolls round. The
era of renewed demand for realty may be
delayed, we can't tell how long. In mat
ters of this kind the conservative man is
nearly always the successful man. 1t is
certain that at this time not one dollar of
taxation should be added to the already
grievous burden that is not most neces-
sary. No people ever yet were made rich
by heaping taxes on their lands. To put a
debt of 81 ,500,0 900 at per cent, payable
in twenty years on the property of this
city at this time is serious matter. 1t
is question every taxpayer in the city
should weigh well, and by all means cast
his vote on, one way or the other.
Then there is the other guam
dairy connected with these bonds
is it we'll to entrust all or any part of this
work. the expenditure of this money to
the ring that now controls the city? Do
not be misled in the matter. It ia not a
question of few months until they re-
tire from office. Many of them hold
over, and if these bonds are voted, men
at work on the sewers will be used to
cram primaries and fill ballot boxes to
re-elect the bosses. To effect a change
IN the city government, these bonds will
have to be all voted down. There is no
other way to effect single change. To
vote the bonds means to perpetuate boss
rule. 1t is even very grave question
whether, it the bonds are voted, some
technicality will not be found by some
member OF the ring to stop work on the
sewers, put the money in the ring banks
and hold it there earning usufruct
for the political machine for no end of
time. See the double dealing being
prscticed to prevent loaning the city
funds at this time out on interest. The