Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-06
How the Pumpkin Rollers
Were ALI BambOOzled.
The Wool Pulled Over the Eyes
Of the Unwary.
Jim Meredith and Fred Smith Made
the Scape Goats.
In Other Respects the Ringsters' Candi.
dates Went in in Spite of Secret
Ballots and Much Reform
Pretense.

llCdu IduhS lOI iuOHIIlo pdSI lOI POilJlCdi
reform. There never was a party that
needed reform more in any locality than
the G. O. p. in this neck of the woods at
this particular iuncture. 1t has held
most OF the local Offices for the past four
to six years, and in that time has de-
veloped more official rascality than any
record in the state before. 1t has fairly
reeked with rottenness. Years ago El
Hyder Hammond levanted with $12,-
600 of the peoples taxes, and to this day
no earnest effort has been made to bring
his bondsmen to taw and make them
pungle, as it is denominated in their
bonds. Last year came to the surface
prolonged, repeated. multitudinous and
wholesale corruption in the county aud
ltor office. Charges were br0ug h as ggaa!nst
the head of the office, but
proof was not gotten to convict him;
his deputy is charged with the offense,
but no steps are being taken to try him.
A deputy county clerk is also under nu-
merous indictments, but his cases hang
fire month in and month out, and no
movement is made to try him. The
money stolen from the county has not
been replaced, nor are there any move
ments apparent to recoup the tax-pay-
ers. One justice of the peace figured in
an extorsion suit with the editor of the
Tribune, in which his character was
smirched to the disgrace of his party.
Another has just been on trial for con-
nection with notorious forgery case.
And he is also charged with concealing
tine culprit That culprit was an ex-
assemblyman elected by the Republi-
cans, and he was leading light in the
party. He is charged with forgery, and
no end of stories as to his
smooth ways of raising the wind
are on the streets. His trial was
thought to be coming off few days ago,
and it is alleged that in one of the super
ior courts there were at that time 170 odd
jurymen from whom to draw ajury:to try
him. He was conveniently taken i'll
and his trial goes over until heaven
knows when. So the tale OF woe goes, to a
length that would tire the patience of
any one to recount or read. 1t was not
under these circumstances
that the people who pay the taxes and
who want pure and honest govern
ment should be up in arms against this
shameful regime of rottenness. The
demand on the part OF the people for
reform was general, loud and emphatic.
Now mark the result! The entire cor
rupt element of the party joined Justify
time and time again have been known
ant political pastime OF buying
votes, in that of stuffing, steal
ing, and kicking ballot boxes around the
streets, all joined in the great hue and
cry of reform!
ALI the same, under cover of the smoke
thus created, the ring, composed mostly
of the Office holders, got in and made
slate. AS far back as September 10, the
HERALD was able to print a partial
list of those whose names were listed for
office by the ring. 1t said Aguirre,
Meredith, Banbury, Judges Clark, Nc
Kinley and Shaw, were in it. That Per-
ry was of the number, but would have
hard fight if he won; that Francis was
beaten, and that so was Cheney.
On September 20, before the conven-
ton had assembled in this city at all,
the HERALD gave the slate in its more
nearly perfected form, as follows:
Aguirre, Meredith, Kelly, Whitney,
Howe, Field, Perry. Banbury, Shaw,
Mckinley, Smith and Carpenter.
1t was noted that there was a big fight
going on against Meredith, but that he
would probably overcome it, and that
there was so hot fight on the assessor
ship that Perry would be beaten. At
the same time and for long before it,
Seamans had been slated and so had
Moore and so was Weldon.
The country delegates came in
alarmed and demanded that the cut
and-dried committees, which the slate
chairman had in his pocket, be enlarged
so as to give the 'pumpkin-rollers
some voice in the convention. This
was done as a tub to the whale. Then
the anxiety of the country delegates
But of what avail was it all? The com
binations had all been made. 1t was
one or two names. Perry was beaten.
by his fight on Bob Patt,
which notorious incubus with which
he had loaded himself devised. This
defeated the aspiring supervisor. Jim
crowd, and he was driven into the po-
party on his shoulders. 1t was too big
load for even Jim's broad back so
Fred Smith, who is credited with doing
so able work at the primaries with his
gang of-as is reported-25O deputies
at his back, was sent to help Meredith
convey the putrid mass of official and
political corruptionout of sight. All the
rest Of the slate went through as slick as
grease, and as these two poor devils
totter off loaded with the multitudinous
sins Of the party on their backs, the
gang left behind all join in general
jubilee over what they try to make the
people believe to be broken slate, de-
feated ring, and great reform in poll
tics. Well, if hades is governed by the
popular will, it's history must be filled
with the record of just such reforms.
TIE TART EC rYIDNEn