Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-29
LOCAL POLITICS NO sHzNANiGrN.'

The other day the HERALD published
a carefully considered editorial in which
it developed the sentiment OF the voters
OF Los Angeles, which runs overwhe!m'
ingly that the significance OF the last
election was that the people demanded
a change. We have reason to believe
that all the Democrats and most OF the
Republicans think that this declaration
of the peoples will should be carried
out. Ii ever the people were in earnest
it was in the late city no less than in
the late presidential election. At the
mayoralty election, which elected Mayor
Hazard for the second time, that gen.
tleman had about twenty-five hundred
plurality over his highest opponent. the
Democratic candidate. Mr.. ThoMas Il.
Rowan at the late election had q plural
ity OF seven hundred and thirty-tive
over his highest rival, the Republican
candidate. Yet we are told that this
striking change Of over three thousand
vote: il scll Of about ten thousand
had no political significance. This is
the merest bosh. 1t was most strik-
ing demand on the part of the people
for ch .nge. There was calcium out
rightness and brightness about the re-
suit which is uumistakable.
The election of Mr.. Rowan was the
keynote OF the local political situation.
The charter most specifically provides
for the election of az equal number OF
Democrats and Republicans on the
priocipal municipal boards, such as the
board OF police commissioners, the board
of FIRE commissioners, etc. The very
idea underlying the charter is that the
two great political parties should be
equally represented, and that the mayor,
as the head of the city government,
the people, and as the chairman er o6fcio
OF all these bodies, ought to determine
their complexion by his casting vote.
When the council comes together what
is the right line of action by that body,
as parties were disclosed by the vote at
the polls? No matter who had been
elected may or, it was the duty OF the
council, no matter whether the Demo-
crAts or the Repu bicans had a majority
OF it's members. to at once proceed to the
election Of two Democratic and two Re-
publican police commissioners, two
Democratic and two Republican fire
commissioners, and go on. They are
obliged. if they aim TO fulfill their du-
ties, to elect real Democrats and real
Republicans, who would honestly aim
to carry out the peoples victory at the
polls Having so elected an equal num-
Der OF both OF those bodies, it was Tor
the mayor and the several commissions
to do the rest.
There is an uneasy feeling amongst
the masses that a dirty job or dicker is
in templation, by which sham or
dummy Democrats shall be introduced
into the commissions, and that thus We
shall see fcisted on the people men
whom they would not elect as pound
keepers.
What are the characteristics of these
jobs? Perhaps an example will abridge
the need OF gu elaborate presentation.
The kind OF job to which we allude is
exempliied by the presence of Walter
S. Moore at the head of the fire depart
ment. This gentleman could be elected
to nothing by the people. That fact was
pretty we'll shown by the three occasions
in which he has run for Office in Los An
geles city and county. When he ran for
secretary Of state in 1886 he was beaten