The herald., 1896-07-30
A TALE OF TWO CITIES

For several years, and until recent
date, there has been spirit of rivalry
between Los Angeles and San Francis
CO as to which city was entitled to be
considered the metropolis of the entire
territory west of the Sierra Madre
mountains. Now that the question has
been settled In favor of Los Angeles, the
two cities can well afford to bury the
hatchet and cease to wrangle over that
proposition. 1t is no longer debatable
question.
1t is therefore eminently proper that
each city. for we admit that San Fran
cisco is a city, should condole with the
other on account of prevailing munich
pal rascalities and official corruption.
and also congratulate the other on the
fact that the people in each municipality
have at last awakened to the import
ance of municipal reform on radical
lines and regardless of partyism. The
Examiner congratulates Los Angeles
on the movement now in progress here
looking to better government. In the
same magnanimous spirit The Herald
congratulates San Francisco on the fact
among leading citizens of our former
rival. Indignation over long continued
derelictions, unjust determinations in
favor of certain classes, and official
plundering of the taxpayers, has reach
ed a point in San Francisco that makes
it dangerous for those entrusted with
public interests to longer monkey with
the buzz saw The great indignation
mass meeting held in Metropolitan tenn
pie Tuseday night was an indication
that the Civic Federation, under whose
auspices the meeting was held. and the
people of the Bay City generally, are
terribly in earnest in their determina-
tion to root out official corruption and
bring to punishment those who have
misused public funds and official power.
The movement on foot in this city,par-
ticitpated in by a great number of our
most progressive and influential citi
zens, is also an indication that Los An
geles will not be left behind San Fran
cisco in the matter of cleansing the
Augean stables of municipal rottenness.
The Examiner is correct in saying that
the experience of Los Angeles has been
that all the corruption and extravaganza
under which it has suffered were the
work of the regular political organiza-
tions" and that genuine municipal re-,
form can be brought about only through
a non partisan movement. The two
principal cities of the far west, with
similar experiences in municipal crook
edness having started on the road to
reform, it will be interesting to see
which gel there first. Should our late
rival first reach the goal of government
al honesty and wisdom, Los Angeles
will not be jealous but only too glad of
an opportunity to rejoice with her sue
cessful rival in the race. Meanwhile,
however, our own people should see to it
that nothing legitimate is left undone
to secure a better condition of things
here at home. and thus redeem the some
what tarnished reputation of this me-
tropolis.
Every person who thinks below the
surface knows that good government
in a city rebounds to the pecuniary ben
eft of only one class, chiefly. That
class is the land owning fraternity; the
people who own the ground on which
all present improvements rest and on
which all future buildings must be erect
ed and business transacted. Other con
ditions being equal, the city that has
the best government will show the
greatest land values. The same is true
with reference to all political, educa-
tional, social and material Improvement
IN any community, large or small. The
landlord reaps a greater harvest for
doing nothing than the wealth producer
gets for doing that which is necessary.
and useful. And yet municipal reform
is a good thing.