Los Angeles herald., 1891-01-29

anxious to know just why Mr.. Walter S.
Moore was made chief of the fire depart
ment by the vote Of Democratic mem
Der Of the fire commission. That body
consists of Mayor Henry T. Hazard,
Major E L. Stern and Mr.. 6. a. Still
son. Republicans, and Mr.. w. ]. Brod-
rick and Mr.. Jake Kuhrts, Democrats.
During the discussion preceding the
appointment Mr.. G. A. Stilson said that
there was a public demand for the ap-
pointment OF Mr.. Moore. Mayor Hazard
took issue on this question, and sug-
gested that the appointment should be
deferred for week, and the sense Of the
people of Los Angeles should be tested
on this question of a public demand for
Mr.. Moore's services. The mayor Of
fered to wager considerable sum that
the public demand would be found to be
for continuance of the blonde states
man in private life. Mr.. Stilson did not
think proper to accept the mayors
proposition.
Mr.. Moore has always prided himself
on being the anthor of the shameful
ward gerrymander of Los Angeles, by
which the city council was made hope
lessly Republican. while the pretence Of
the new charter was to secure nom
partizan city government. There is GER
tainly nothing in such record to in
duce Democrat to vote for him as the
head of the fire department. He has
alway. been the most bitter and uncom
promising of partizans.
The mayor and the two Democratic
members OF the board acting in unison
could have secured chief of the fire
department who would have been ac-
ceptable to the mass of our people. We
do not dispute the right OF the Messrs.
Stern and Stilson to vote for Mr.. Moore,
if they felt 90 inclined. He is certainly
an extreme enough Republican to suit
almost anybody. But with the mayor
not only a Republican, but one of a high
grade of conservatism, and disposed to
cooperate with the Democratic MEM
bers of the board in the choice of an
unobjectionable man, we certainly had
right to expect that somebody other
than the arch enemy of the Democratic
party would have been chosen.
AS to this ''public demand" for the
services of Walter s. Moore, there is
something decidedly funny in the as
sumption. This gentleman once tried
to be elected secretary of state on the
Republican ticket, and the public de-
mand then proved to be of a very abbre-
waited order. The figures that recorded
his defeat were something phenomenal
However, that was away back in 1885,
At the last election he ran for the as
sembly in the Los Angeles city district,
district which is overwhelmingly Re-
publican, and he was beaten out of all
shape or recognition. He ran nine hum
dred and eighteen votes behind Mark
ham and was beaten by General
Mathews, Democrat, by the handsome
majority of nine hundred and eighty
nine. The vote stood:
Moore Observation-Disclosures. ..4193
Matthew's ....................-.. -..........- 5lS2
This speaks volumes for the "pub-
lie demand" for Mr.. Moore's SER
vices. In Moore's own precinct,
the 28th, Markham beat Pond for gov
ernor by Al majority, while Mathews
beat Moore "a votes. We do not think
it necessary to comment at any length
on such figures. A ''public demand"
like that generally keeps people in an
private station.
There has been a great deal of talk
for some time past to the effect that
Moore was to be made chief OF the fire
in consideration Of the fact
that Dan Moriarty should be made as
sistant. Whatever force there might
have been in this view Of the matter is
lost altogether when it is understood
that Mr.. Moriarty was certain to receive
this appointment in any event. The
Of competent and energetic
chief of the fire department, like
to make place for violent
Republican partizan, like Moore, is
that the average citizen will |
find it hard to understand.
-
WE ARE in momentary expectation of
ra;G. Everything portends it, and