The herald., 1896-11-27
NINTH WARD COUNCILMEN
Some Pointed Facts for the Careful Con-
sideration of Voters

Editor Herald: AS the next city council
problem, city ownership of water works,
it behooves the voters of the Ninth ward
to exercise the utmost care in the selec-
ton of their candidate. They will not be
doing their duty as good citizens if they
vote for man simply because he has
done them some favor or because they
promised him their support months ago,
before they knew who would be the op-
posing candidate. This time the people
must have a man known to be strictly
honest and scrupulously conscientious,
who has will of his own; one who can
not be manipulated by political bosses
or cajoled by corporation lawyers and
lobbyists How did Mr.. Rees comport
himself when in the council? He was
manly, fearless, answering in his de-
termination to carry out the will of the
people. No corporation ever had any
strings on him. He was elected on
platform of retrenchment and reform,
and retrenchment in city expenditures
followed his election, although some of
his personal friends lost their soft jobs
in the reforms inaugurated. By his cleo
tion he incurred the displeasure of the
political bosses and ward strikers, but he
won the respect Of the struggling tax
payers. A company was formed for the
purpose of contracting with the city to
dispose Of the sewage by running 1t
through filtering beds. but this was viga
orously combated by Mr. Rees, who
showed through the columns of the press
that such expenditure was useless in this
country, where the soils needed the ap-
plication of both solid and liquid sewage
matter His presence in the council was
a constant check on the extraVagant
tendencies of some of the city officials,
whose burdens as taxpayers did not press
very heavily upon them.
Now, on the other hand, what has
Councilman Blanchard done during his
term to again commend himself to the
voters of the Ninth ward for reelection?
Not single act of his during his term
has been heard of that proves he is a fit
man for the place. Has he ever intro
duced measure that would be beneficial
to his ward or the city at large? We have
not heard of it. Our city taxes during his
term are the highest that they have been
in ten years, but we had no suggestion
from him as to how we could be re-
lieved of the burden. Numerous petit
tions have been presented by his con-
stituents, but he has allowed them to be
ignored and pigeonholed. The Ninth
ward would have been just as we'll rep
resented by one hundred and seventy
pounds of putty, as it would have been
no more plant in the hands of the South
ern Pacific railroad and the water COM
pany.
He was elected as the candidate of a
party whic pledged it's unswerving sup
port to the San Pedro harbor proposition
but he became the willing tool of the
Southern Pacific lobbyists and bartered
away the interests of the ward and city
he had been elected to take care of.
Having in this instance proved his ina
bility to withstand temptation, will it
be safe to trust him with he weighty mat
ter of determining the city ownership
OF water works? 1t is true he has en-
dorsed platform favoring city owner
ship. but as he ignored his platform
pledges of two years ago what assurance
have we that he will not again fall down
before corporate influence and Oote to
extend the franchise of the Los Angeles
ity Water company? Is 1t wise to place
wolf in charge of the lambs?
INDEPENDENT VOTEF.