The herald., 1893-02-04
THE REFORMERS AND DIVISION.
Judge Silent Makes a Statement
About the Matter.
He Disclaims All Charges of Per-
sonal Interest.
A Reply to Some Rather Suggestive
Criticisms of the Reform Leaders,
Action in Regard to the
Pomona People.

The question of county division was
asitated before the board Of supervisors
several days ago by representatives Of
Pomona. In that discussion it was re-
lated by the Pomona representatives
that Judge Charles Silent, ex-oficio
president of the Citizens Reform asso-
citation of this city, had under certain
conditions agreed to support and favor
the dismemberment of Los Angeles
county.
Upon the strength of this etatement
the morning contemporary proceeded to
lsmbast Judge Silent as follows:
"a delegation of divisionists from Po-
mona appeared before the board, and,
in the course of the statement delivered
by their spokesman, DR.. Brown, the
charge was openly name that Charles
Silent, member OF the Citizens Nom
partizan Reform Association of Los An
geles, had appeared in Pomona with q
committee of the association for the
ostensible purpose of opposing this San
Antonio county scheme, but while there
had actually taken the opposite tack,
stating that if the advocates of the pro.
posed new county would 30 modify its
lines as to leave out a rancho near Azusa
in which Silent is interested, he would
withdraw his opposition to division, re-
turn to Los Angeles. and 'use his inhu.
ence" in favor OF division!
"This is curious revelation. showing
the remarkable traightforwardness
and unselfshness of this aforetime dem
izen OF San Jose and Arizona, who has
been posing here as reformer and an
advocate of the solidarity of Los An
geles county,"
Considering all things, Judge Silent,
who is also chairman of the Repu blican
county central committee, did not like
the send off he was given by the Re-
publican organ, and he yesterday made
reply. With the board of supervisors
he filed statement, which in substance
is as follows:
In the proceedings of your board pub
lished in the Times, there appears a
statement OF what purports to be nv
connection with the anti-county divi.
sion movement, which is not truthful,
in that the impression is sought to be
given that l used my position on the
conference committee to gain personal
advantage.
What occurred in the matter referred
to is as follows: The committee on the
organization of the bipartisan move
ment was called upon to coneider the
matter of county division, and also, in
view of possible county division, the de-
STABILITY of forming consolidation at
the present time. A convention of
county divisionists had been called to
meet at Pomona. Our general commit
tee thought it advisable to have con-
ference with the Pomona people and at
tempt to persuade them to abandon
county division, and, if not successful,
to see if a boundary line could not be
agreed upon. The committee consisted
of Mr.. Charles Forman, Mr.. Abbot
Kinney and myself. We went to Pomo-
ma and met few of her prominent citi-
zens. A map of the proposed
county was produced by them; the San
Gabriel river to near the mouth of the San
Gabriel csi1on and thence line due
north was indicated as the western
boundary line. We showed that such a
line would divide the water system of
the San Gabriel, which is now owned
IN common by the people of Duarte on
the west and the people of Azusa and
Covina on the east, and such division
might tend to complicate these water
rights and work an injury to the people
concerned. | also knew, and 30 stated,
that the people of Azusa were almost
unanimously opposed to being included
in the new county. We suggested that
if Pomona would consent to line which
would leave out Azuss, or in other
words, if they would take the Puente
hills for their westerly line, that we
would report the matter to the general
| committee, and we stated that we
thought the creation OF new county
with that division line would not arouse
the serious opposition of the people OF
Los Angeles. Some one on behalf OF
Pomona replied that Covina was favor
| able to the new county and large part
| of Glendora also, and that they desired
to take these in 30 as to give the new
county sufficient terrstory and to fix the
county eeat permanently at Pomona.
In this discussion various boundaries
were talked of to see if the Pomona
people would not consent to some more
favorable line than the San Gabriel
river. stated that the general COM
mittee, as then devised, would report
against county division, but would again
consider tina matter if some more favor
able line could be suggested. The Po-
mona gentlemen said that they had no
authority to make any change, but
would consider the matter and let us
know not later than the following Mon
day.
We returned and reported to the gen.
eral committee, which waited to hear
further from Pomona, and not hearing,
and Pomona having in the meantime
organized to carry the project through
as originally proposed, we made report
against the creation of the new county