Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-02
TUESDAY. sEpTEMBER 2, 1890.
WHY THE REPUBLICANS QUAKE.


strongly assisted by the peculiar record
of the Republican party. No political
organization has ever been more en-
barrassed by the short comings of it's
partizans and official representatives
than the Republican party of Los
Angeles. First comes to the fore the
romantic figure Of FL Hammond-a
man whose Turkish prefix signifed that
devotion to the fair sex which led him,
as Republican Tax Collector of Los
Angeles county, to blow in goodly
thousands of the county's moneys in
the meretricious resorts of Alameda
street. This fascinating ranger of the
San Fernando wilds = this gay and
sportive vacquero of the old Mission
disappeared with a celebrity and success
that bespoke something akin to the
miraculous. While there was much un-
certainty Jas to where Ell Hammond
went, there was none whatsoever as to
the absolute and final disappearance of
the county's funds.
1t must in justice to Ell Hammond be
admitted that he had the grace to make
himself scarce. He knew when he
ought to light out, and he lit out ac-
cordingly.
Since then the history ofthe county Of
fees in Republican, hands has been il
Illustrated in lurid way by Republican
officials who have complicated embezzle
ment by the light and graceful crime of
forgery. putting the Corinthian capital,
so to speak, on their record of crime.
The already heavy taxes have been in
creased by the appropriation OF money
from the public treasury, drawn by
forged warrants. These crimes have not
yet been punished. Like wounded
snake, the cases have drawn their slow
length ssalong, every resource of legal
chicane and trickery being employed to
shield the perpetrators.
In the city, justice has been ar
raigned for concealing and shielding a
criminal-the latter Republican mem
ber of the last legislature. Republicans
of this particular stripe seem to run to
forgery, and Damron has caught the
petty larceny spirit and felonious ambi-
tion of the warrant forgers. With these
worthless everything goes, from theft to
forgery. They disdain TO be arraigned
for single crime when it is possible to
have duplicated guilt. Crime, like
flowers, in Los Angeles county has a
tendency to double. This interesting
popularity, which works such charming
results with the rose and fuchsia, is not
SD interesting when it comes to official
andpersonal turpitude.
As we write, we learn that another
Republican justice of the city of Los
Angeles, Savage, has been arrested for
not turning over to the proper custo-
dian of the money the sum of $500,
which he received on the bail bond of
Mr.. Udell,
Back of all records of official malversa-
tion and peculation is the record of the
city and county of Los Angeles from an
administrative point of view while in
Republican hands. Prineely sums have
been expended by both the Board OF
Supervisors and the City Council.
There is feeling amongst the voters
that much of this money has been spent
wastefully and unproftably. In the
city there is scarcely Republican who
is not in white heat of indignation at
the enormous taxes, which he believes
to be unnecessarily large, and at the
condition of streets and thoroughfares
which have been made in such fimsy
and transient manner. The city of Los
Angeles is paying twice as much for a
poor and inefficient and utterly unsatis-
factory government as good municipal
administration ought to cost. The tax
payer knows this, and his indignation
is unspeakable accordingly. The City
Council, amongst other things, called
two expensive elections, one of which
would have suficed if any regard had
been paid to the wishes of the voters.
Both elections were so framed that the
result was necessarily abortive.
The City Street Superintendent's
Office has been RUIZ in a manner oppres-
sive to the property and the red
tape OF special committee at high
rate per diem has excited the derision of
intelligent citizens. In the height OF
the floods last winter it was even sought
by the Street Superintendent to restrain
the throwing of temporary bridges over
the raging torrents that were called
cutters.
The Republican Council has SO ar
ranged matters that the cash fund
quickly gives ont, and the honest credit
ors of the city are compelled to have
their warrants shaved by merciless Shy
locks to get the wherewithal to live.
As to the county, the record is not
much better. Where are the roadways