Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-12
HAIL TO REFORM.

The somewhat lengthy discussion of
President Huntington's address on sue
ceeding Stanford as the official head of
the Southern Pacific Railway forms in
teresting reading. The public had not
been advised OF the gravity OF the es-
arrangement between these old friends
and associates. There can be no ques-
ton, however, that if the new President
is sincere the whole people of the Coast
will welcome the change with acclaim.
1t is true that Mr.. Huntington himself
has had peculiar record in connection
with politics. ''But it is never too late
to mend" "Better late than never"
Between the stirrup and the ground,
Mercy's sought and mercy's found.
All these wise saws and modern in
stances will occur to the reader in this
connection. No mans conversion from
tortuous political methods will be well
coined more cordially than Hunting
toms. His picture OF the politicians
thronging around the corner of Fourth
and Townsend streets to obtain permis-
sion to run for Office is graphic and true,
and reformation in that line is a thing
to be most devoutly desired. The in
stances in which the railway company
interfered to the making or marring OF
the fortunes of politicians were almost
innumerable.
1t was only the other day that the po-
litical gttid names all over the State were
going around with mysterious whispers
to the effect that the magnates who con-
trolled the corner of Fourth and Town
send streets had arranged things so that
we should have a Democratic Governor
and Republican United States Senator.
This scheme of treachery to both parties
was devised to enable Senator Stanford
to succeed himself. The HERALD de-
nounced it some time ago, and it would
probably have miscarried even under
the old railway regime, but the liver and
lights have been knocked out of it by
this new and salutaYy departure. Sem
ator Stanford will be succeeded by some
good Democrat.
1t is true that Mr.. Huntington has in
times past dabbled very freely in poll
tics, and perhaps the present sensational
developments are owing to disappoint-
ment which he encountered at the hands
of Governor Stanford and his friends
some years ago. 1t is well known
to those who are at all in the secrets OF
the famous corner of Fourth and Town
send streets that Mr.. Huntington tele-
graphed from the East that Aaron A.
Sargent must be elected United States
Senator at all hazards. Instead of re-
specting this wish of his associate,
Governor Stanford and his friends
arranged for deadlock on Sargent, with
the result of the election of Stanford
himself. Mr.. Huntington has waited
some time to return Roland for this
Oliver, but he seems to have 'got there"
all the same.
Ii Mr.. Huntington has been an
offender in the past he has an illustrious
exemplar in English annals 1t was one
of the most famous of the English Kings
who said:
MY rclOIuldllOll, SlitteTluS % eT III
Shall seem more goodly and attract more eyes
Than that which hath no foil to set it Off
All hail to Mr.. Huntington in his role
of reformer! As he says, the people
have right to manage their elections to
suit themselves. The time was fast ap-
preaching when they would have insisted
upon doing it anyhow, and the new
President Of the Southarn Pacific Rail-
way is wise in discerning the multiplying
signs of the times.