The herald., 1896-02-16

| cent, cherubic orphan without a guardian,
stepmother, or a mother.in-law. Officers
who are sworn to do their duty and uphold
| the city charter, not only neglect their duty
while they are in the city, but range about
the country in utter defiance of the consti-
tuition of the state, the charter of the city,
and their own reckless promises and oaths
of office.
The condition of the streets, sewers,
and the awful tax list makes q wailing
commentary with Inaodorous breath on
the asininity. rascality and general lncom-
potency of our public-servant masters.
Some of our councilmanic chumps and
chuckleheads listened to the winking,
chinking wall of the contractors for the new
schoolhouses and their promises 10 have
their buildings ready, if they could get
respite of two weeks Now, we are told that
this act of granting the PRAYER of the
preyers ''breaks the contract so far as
the contractors are concerned, and that
they can do IS they please. without forfeit
or compunction of conscience.
Last week we were told that we could
have six or eight of the schoolhouses to use
on and after February II. Now, we dis
cover that the carpenters have finished but
five OF the buildings; that the plumbing
room, and that with six months
to go on, in the way of time. Major
Furrey, the plumbing contractor, could not
have part of the work ready for use;
that desks for but five buildings are ready,
though contracted for last October; that
the city has kindly paid a years interest
on $500. 900 for nothing; that it has also
paid an enormous sum for the rent of odd
buildings for school use; that 5000 school
children played in the streets all the time;
that 5000 other school children attend at
halliday schools, and must continue to do
SO indefinitely; that the late vacation was
but hoax on the teachers and pupils: and
that the contractors will do just as they
please with the permission of the repre-
hensible majority of the alleged city
council.
With such school house sites as the one
on Boyd street, where there is not enough
school yard for water closet, such a hill
side checkerboard as the school yard on
Fourth and Olive streets, and various other
idiotic preparations for which the council
is responsible, we should be thankful that
matters are no worse.
The visitor who will drop in to see the
council some day when President Teed Is
absent-almost any day will answer for
that purpose-wili generally find Council
man Kingery in the chair, and will see
some remarkable parliamentary work.
When motion is made Mr.. Kingery will
either deliver an erudite address thereon,
or say: ~ guess that's all right; if no OBJ
lection, SO ordered;' or, 'Is that all
right:' Ills new rulings are said to be
something more astonishing than those of
Gar Reed, and his general demeanor in
the chair is a forceful reminder of a referee
at corn-husking or log-rolling or pump
kin gathering.
am informed by one high in authority
that the last district attorney had secured
judgment against eX-County Treasurer
Banbury for some $4,000 in the we'll known
express case: that he could find no prop
erty to satisfy the judgment, and had
brought suit against the bondsmen; that
Attorney w. T. Williams was the attorney
for the said b,ndsmen; that since Mr..
Williams has been deputy district attor-
ney under Mr.. Donnell the matter of the
suit of the county has been dropped.
So runs the coin away!
The almost utter neglect of this city by
the postal authorities at Washington is an.
other proof of the fact that we are in the
worst governed territory under the sun.
We must put up with half enough mail
clerks and scurvey little shanty for
post office.
Hardly an eastern village of 5000 in
habitants is compelled to put up with such
quarters, or would endure such treatment.
Los Angeles city alone pays the general
government more in revenue than the whole
Pacific coast gets in return expenditures.
We need mora representation and much
less spoliation.
A new theosophical lecturer breaks out
in our midst with the statement that it is
a great crime to kill murderers by law. If
it be so, the United States of America have
very little in that criminal line to answer
for.
We are like Cain, in one respect at least;
when our neighbors and brothers are MUIR
dered we declare that it is none of our bus
mess; that we are not our brothers. keeper,
and that we are too busy to look after any
business but our own.
The same lecturer grows sad at the pros
pect of sending so many astral bodies of