Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-28
THE PEOPLES OPPORTUNITY.


1t is admitted on all hands that the
Democratic county ticket is a most ex-
cellent one. Some of the names are
those of gentlemen who have for thirty
years enjoyed the confidence OF this
community, and who, in places of pub
lie trust. have vindicated their right to
this confidence. All the nominees are
men who stand well with the people,
and were selected either for their fitness
to faithfully discharge the duties of the
offices they are running for, or for the
fine reputation they have made in pri-
vate and business life.
The ticket of the Republican party is
notoriously weaker, and it is spotted
with nominations that should not have
been made. But, were the candidates
on both tickets equally good, the people
of this county should not hesitate about
electing the Democratic nominees, not
on account of party politics-for there
is really no political question involved
in the selection of county officers-but
because the affairs of the county have
been managed by the Republican ring
in corrupt, extravagant and
disgraceful manner. The taxpayers of
Los Angeles have paid dearly for the
luxury of furnishing fat official berths
to the parasites of the Union League.
We doubt whether they consider that it
paws to keep the taxeaters of one party
in power for many successive terms,
especially when they find that the rate
OF taxation is steadily going up, and that
they are now paying at the rate of
twelve dollars per minute for the privi-
lege of boNing to Republicans in office.
1t is a fact shown by all experience
that when party is intrenched in pow
er for long time, its officials become
reckless, and fail to nicely appreciate
the responsibilities of a public trust.
When the barrier is let down between
them and strict accountability, they
abandon themselves to all sorts Of reck-
less extravagances, and come to look
upon the taxpayers ae pigeons turned
helplessly over to them to be plucked.
The exposures that have recently been
made show that this is the existing con-
dition of official morals in this county.
If it is encouraged by Reimbursement of
the people at the polls this year, it will
become bolder and more fagitious, and
the rate of taxation will increase from
year to year in order to meet the in
creased extravaganza of our county Off
cials. So true is it that increase of ap-
petite grows on what it feeds upon.
When public affairs reach this ex-
treme, it is the duty of the voters, in
their individual capacity to apply the
corrective. They must look to gee from
time to time exposures such as have
followed the action of the present county
clerk in giving out $1,000 contract to
favorite without submitting the work to
competitive bid; they must look for
more injurious tampering with the
county records than those that recently
created so much CONSERVATION they
must not be astonished atsuch scandals
as have been developed in the county
court house-by which the taxpayers
find that an estimate of $50 900 is mag
nified to the actual expenditure of $780,
600 when the game is through-in which
extravaganza, peculation and favoritism
prevailed in furnishing that building.
The plain issue is between better and
more economical government and worse
and more extravagant government.
That is what the taxpayers must pass
upon in voting for a county ticket.
Neither Cleveland nor Harrison, high
tariff nor low tariff, are at all in
volved in the election. Our
county offices are overrun with
men drawing salaries and not earning
them. Contract jobs, in which the Of
fcials twist the clear intent of the law
in order to pamper favorites and make
the people pay the highest instead of
the lowest prices for public work. A
disregard of the rights of the people to
have an economical government, 60 that
political parasites can be cared for and
party organization strengthened at pub
lie expense. All these are but the en-
tering wedges to wider and more scan
dalous raids upon the treasury, unless
the people at once apply the corrective
which is in their power.
the election of the Democratic county
ticket will not only be rebuke to the
reckless administration of our county
affairs, but it will be lesson that will
have far-reaching and telling effect
upon all classes of politicians who act as
if the people were saddled for them to
mount and spur their sides at their own
sweet will.