Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-29
TURN THB BOSSES OUT.

We publish elsewhere note from Mr..
Bowman, who is good enough to ap-
prove of the HERALD's suggestion that
in local matters in the city and county
of Los Angeles this year it would be q
good idea to run Peoples or Taxpay-
ers' ticket. He thinks, however, that
as there is already Peoples party in
the field, the Democracy should avow
adhesion to that. Our correspondent
seems to be little purblind in this
matter. He overlooks the fact that his
Peoples party is as much party as
any other. 1t is not as old as the Dem
ocratic or Republican parties, but it has
as distinctive an existence as either of
them. The suggestion of the HERALD
was that, in order to break the
absolute dominance of the Republican
ring, which has been Extensively profit
gate in wasting the peoples money in
both it's administration of city and
county affairs, strictly non-partizan
movement should be inaugurated. To
that end we suggested that, when it
came to the meeting of the Democratic
county convention to nominate candi
dates for county Offices, it should pub
lish an address calling a convention of
taxpayers, irrespective OF party, who
should nominate representative citizens
for the various offices as against the
regular ring candidates. This would in
no respect interfere with the regular
organizations of either the Democratic
or Peoples party and would leave both
untrammeled in national, state and
congre essional issues. 1t would be dis
tinctively reform movement, such as is
called for by the unscrupulous uses to
which the leaders OF the Republican
party have put their numerical superi.
ority. In such movement Democrats
| and Republicans and men OF all shades
of political opinions could join without
prejudice. In our judgment, it would
result in the election of every man on
the ticket. We should thus rid our
selves OF the peril and expensive draw
back of board OF supervisors unani-
mously Republican, of the spectacle OF
all the superior judges belonging to one
political party, and OF the court house
crammed from top to bottom with ad-
herents of the Union league, while no
person favorable to the movement would
have surrendered his political faith. If,
as we assume would be the case, the plan
worked we'll in county affairs, it could
be applied with equal success to those
Of the city, and the numerous adherents
of the Union league in the city hall
would be given an opportunity to earn
their living in some private employ
ment. Few people who give the subject
careful thought would doubt that it
would be a good thing to change an ex-
travagant set of officials for those who
would so directly represent the aspira-
ton for reform in our local affairs.
1t would, of course, be easy for the
HERALD to assume that the Democrats,
unassisted, can turn the bosses out. We
would like to believe this, but we do not
think that we could truthfully say that
we do. 1t would be much better to
nominate a ticket composed Of
good Democrats and taxpayers,
some of whom would be anti-ring
Republicans and others members of the
Peoples party. and who would be
elected, than to see all the Offices, with
the power to squander money ad Hbi-
tan, retained by the amiable gentlemen
of the Union league. If there are some
people who have conscientious scruples
about voting g ticket with the word
Democrat at it's head, it, is just as we'll
that their scruples should be respected
in the interest of the public good.
Something over eighteen years ago
our opponents showed us how the thing
could be done. At that time the Demo-
Gratis were in an overwhelming majority
in Los Angeles county. An independ-
ent ticket was put in the field, and sub
stantially an equal number of Democrats
and Republicans were placed upon it.
Gen. Volney E. Howard, Democrat, was
nominated for district attorney. J. w.
Gillette, Republican, was nominated
for county recorder. The whole ticket
was filled out in that way, and it won.
For one reason that existed then for a
revolt from the dominant party there
are twenty now.
The only question is, are the people
ripe for such movement? We do not
think that any one who knows the de ep
discomfort which pervades this commu-
nifty at the prohigate administration OF
their affairs by the Republican bosses
will hesitate to say that they are. The
taxpayer has suffered 80 much by the
extravaganza and insolence of the bosses
in power that he will eagerly jump at
an opportunity of throwing off their
yoke.
THERE was special meeting of the
council yesterday, which was called for
the purpose of giving notice to the
Citizens Water company that it was de-
IL. klo