The herald., 1897-01-19
THE NEW CHARTER

To the Editor of the Los Angeles Her
aid: A correspondent writing in your
issue of yesterday over the nom de
plume of Democrat" says: IF the
electorseof this city have carefully read
the provisions of the new charter, doubt
if a majority will vote for its adoption"
At the expense of iteration let me say
that if the electors of this city have
carefully read the provisions of the new
charter, doubt if a majority will mot"
vote for it's adoption. l may say also
that l. too, am Democrat and am proud
of it, but have no need to hide my iden-
tity and seek to draw party lines which
the new charter is designed to obliterate.
L also, meet men every day who do
not know that the mayor to be elected
under the new charter will have the
power to appoint the city clerk, etc,
etc. but then. albeit the schoolmaster
has been abroad for some time. the fool
killer has not APPARENTLY reached to Los
Angeles yet, and the voter who cares So
little for his duty as citizen as not to
have read the charter. and made himself
acquainted with its terms, is certainly
not in position to exercise his privilege
to vote. Nay, one might go a step
farther and say he doesn't deserve to
have it.
May ask Democrat" whether 1t Is
for this especial class that he volunteers
''can and probably will dictate to the
head of every department and to each
and every board of commissioners, who
shall be their deputies and employees, from
chief deputy down to the men who swing
the pick and shovel" If Democrat"
had not. by inference, stated that he had
read the new charter one might suppose
by his above statement that he himself
belonged to the class of either voluntary
or involuntary ignoramuses to which he
refers. Denied that assumption, one is
forced to the conclusion that Democrat"
has deliberately falsified The mayors
appointive powers are subject to annul-
ment by the council for any valid cause,
and the rank and file in all departments
of the city government will be appointed
under civil service rules. This Demo-
crat" must of necessity have known if
he read the new charter
But from mere lust of misrepresenta-
tion Democrat proceeds to ask: rs
1t surprising that the push" are advo-
eating the adoption of the new charter?"
Let me ask this most ingenious Demo-
crat, has he made the rounds at the
city hall. or the court house, or popped
his head inside the gathering places of
the push? ! happen to have done this
in the way of business. and know, for it
is no secret and is openly acknowledged,
that the push" is to a man opposed to
the new charter.
1t is but right that after such distor-
tions of truth that Democrat" should
pose as a prophet Of evil. Possibly the
wish Is father to the thought that cor
ruption will run rampant in the city
government under the new charter, and
the basis of his complaint being removed
there is no need to debate an impossible
contingency.
That hundreds of years of political
history teach us the wisdom of vesting
the owners of government in the hands
of the people" etc, is true within limit
ations. After all our own national gov
ernment is a fairly good makeshift sort
Of an affair, and although it may not suit
the particular brand of Democracy to
which Democrat belongs. it will pos
sibly shuttle along despite his protest.
The president appoints his cabinet; our
mayor will DO the same ;that's all there
is to it, All the principal cities of the east
are falling into line by adopting this
federal plan," which provides for busi-
ness and not political administration
U. D. SNEATHEN.
Los Angeles, Jan. Is.