Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-21
A CARD FROM JUDGE wIDNEY.
He Gives His Opinion of Hervsy
Lind1ey.
Advertisement.


The Express OF last evening printed
the following letter from Judge R. NJ.
Widney:
To the Editor of the Express:
A reader of ancient Greek or Roman
history is forcibly struck with the fact
that 40 many of their best public men
were promptly assassinated or banished.
This led to the proverb that republics
are ungrateful.
It is not usual now to assassinate a
public benefactor, but the effort is to
assassinate his character.
These remarks are called out by the
many recent attempts to assassinate the
character of Hervey Lindley. Now, as a
matter of fact, Mr.. Lindley may have
stolen the whole state of California, but
there is no evidence offered to prove it,
or even tending that way.
In the attacks upon him the following
facts have been brought OUT
He has secured the location of the
Whittier school in Los Angeles county,
and has secured the expenditure of over
$3.50, 900 here of public money. Our
county has been for years struggling to
secure con gressional appropriations for
this county, and received paltry one
for postoffice, citizens first donating a
500, 900 site. At Wilmington an appro-
priation of $51 900 is the result of eiabo-
rate memorials, excursions, petitions,
etc.
Mr.. Hervey Lindley in one effort has
secured some $3.50, 900 and the establish
ment OF one OF the best of state institu-
tions in this county.
This is in marked contrast with the
result OF the work of one of our other
prominent citizens who, on the board
for the branch insane asylum, located it
in the foothills of San Bernardino, or
probably he could not swing it into his
own county. We want men like Mr..
Lindley, who can swing such things into
this county, or as member OF congress
who can swing large appropriations into
this district.
We do not want man who can get
big appropriations for Oakland, Hum
boldt, Oregon or some other place. We
want local worker.
Now, what is the dagger with which
they try to assassinate this public bene-
factors character. 1t is Mr.. Guinn's
report. Let US subject this to cool
inspection. The report has been pub
lished in circular form and widely cir
culated, headed "Record of Hervey
Lindley." Strange, wonderfully strange,
careful perusal of it discloses the fact
that Hervey, Lindley's name does not
even appear once IN the whole report. He
is not e0en referred to. That document
is equally available, so far as it's face is
concerned, to attack Mayor Hazard, 8.
O. Houghton or any other private citi-
zen.
But the climax of wonders is perpe-
trsted by the author in the concluding
comment, at the close of the report.
He could not have crowned Mr.. Lind
ley with better vindication than is
there penned. We quote it in full:
ALL CLAIMS ARE PASSED UPON BY YTHE
TRUSTEES, NUMBERED AS THEY ARE AL
LOWED AND ENTERED BY NUMBER IN
THE MINUTES. THE SUPERINTENDENT
FURNISHES THE TREASURER WITH
LIST OF APPROVED CLAIMS. THE TREAS.
URER PAYS THEM BY BANK CHECKS, RE-
TANNING THE PAID CHECKS AS HIS
VOUCHERS. FORMERLY ALL CLAIMS WE'RE
PAID BY CHECK ON LINDLEY, MASON &
KICKER, BANKERS, BANK OF WHITTIER
LATELY THEY ARE PAID BY CHECKS ON
The CALIFO ORNIA BANK OF LOS ANGELES.
ca ECKING UP THE CONTRACTORS WAR
CEIPTS IN HIS CASH BOOK / FIND ALL
MONEYS RECEIvED FROM THE STATE
ACCOUNTED FOR, AND CHECKING PAID
CLAIMS AGAINST HIS DISBURSEMENT I
FIND RECEIPTS FOR ALL LEXPENDITUREs.
THE TREASURER'S BALANCES AND THE
sKCRETARY's AGREE.
How could q more complete vindica-
ton be penned? All defaulting and dis
honest enterprises destroy vouchers, and
accounts, and avoid all inspection. Here
is perfect record of every dollar re-
ceived and paid out, approved before
payment by proper trustees. AS we'll
might the whole board of trustees, the
governor of the state, the attorney gen.
eral and Others be impaled as Hervey
Lindley. In fact, If Mr.. Guinn's report
is true, it shows very carefully kept
system of books and volumes, and all
expenditures approved and allowed. No
bank in this city could expect to obtain
q more perfect vindication of its books
and accounts.
Outside of Mr.. Guinn's report it ap-
pears from the Times that these accounts
and the whole Whittier school business
was carefully scanned by our grand jury
of some twenty men and approved.
Shall we believe that the grand jurors,
enc and all, committed perjury, and
that Hervey Lindley's enemies, who are
interested from personal motives in
defeating him, are the only truth tell
ers?
If it is fact that Hervey Lindley
possesses such wonderful power that he
can get $3.50, 900 appropriation in his
county, and then get twenty men, good
citizens of Los Angeles county, to COM,
NIT perjury, he certainly would be
power in congress to get appropriations
for his district. The danger would be
that he would secure a whole appropria-
tion bill for us, to build postofice in
every town in his district, and to COM
plete all of our harbors. But he located
the school at Whittier on his own land
Well, why should he not? Would you
have him locate it in San Bernardino
county, near the insane asylum? Was
he under any obligation to locate it near
somebody else's landP 1t is undoubtedly
the best location In Los Angeles county,
and he was sensible in locating it near
his own land. Any voter would be that
selfish.
Another thing is noticeable, machine
politics does the mud-slinging in all
campaigns, and Hervey Lindley has
done none of that. The mud has all
been thrown at him. The citizens owe
it to their own interests to stand by the
man who has most benefited his county.
We cannot afford to down our men who
work for us and get such large appropri-