The herald., 1898-02-07
POLITICAL GOSSIP
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Il POLITICAL GOSSIP Z:
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The best hits at the one-hundred-dollar
a-plate dinner given to Attorney Genera
Griggs were those of the Alabama con
gresham who said that in the current coir
of Alabama each plate represented tive
bales of cotton and one mule. and of Sen
ator White. who called the affair Bel
shazzar's feast.
| Congressman Towne of Minnesota will
speak upon the money question at Haz'
ards pavilion Saturday night. Mr.. Townt
has earned reputation as an orator and
no one should miss the event.
Ex-District Attorney Dillon has donned
a new plug hat. and now 1t will be in order
| for some one to remark that this hat has
| bee in it, whatever that may mean just
before election.
Our Republican friends appear to be very
| much worried about the fusion of the sill
yer forces in the coming election. They are
the only people that lie awake at night
| studying over 1t. The silver forces are
| not fretting at all. Several Republican as
| pirants for official honors are badly scared
because they see danger ahead; that Is
what all this Republican fuss is about.
| 1t may be little early to form politca
clubs, but it Is not too early to say wore
about them. The Republican clubs of the
southern part of the state are quite active
| but this activity simply runs in the direc-
| ton Of about three men who are anxious
to be public servants. Los Angeles ought
| to be proud of It's large stock of men will
ing to sacrifice their private business to
work for the state. State Senator Bulla
and Attorney Gage are prominently men
toned and well supported by their clubs
| for state or United States honors. 1t seems
| to be the fashion to organize clubs for the
purpose of advertising favorites.
| The Jeffersonian club. however, differs
| from the above Republican clubs. 1t is not
| organized in the interest of any man or set
of men. Its mission is to advocate good
| clean men for nomination and election to
| office and to assist in every honorable way
| to bring about economy and reform In
| local government
| The Silver Republican club with head
quarters at South Main street, in this city
| is organized on the same lines as the JEFF
ferson club. This club has already done
good work for the people, and there is ev-
cry reason to believe that in the coming
campaign it will be found on the side of
the people and fighting their battles with
its accustomed vim and vigor.
There will be a meeting of the Demo-
| cratic executive committee at heaqquar-
ters Bullard block Saturday, the 18th,
D. m. Members are requested to be pres
ent, important matters will come up
for consideration.
One of the burning questions in the next
campaign will be the reduction of the sal
aries of the county and city officials. The
pay roll of the officials of Los Angeles
county, not including the six judges of
the superior court. amounts to about $3.50.
900 per annum. We have county officials
who pull down the neat little sum of $50
or $500 per month for no other service than
that OF wearing out the seats of their
pants in an easy chair furnished by the
county and chief deputies who assist
these officials in their arduous duties by
doing nothing except to draw their
monthly salaries of from 500 to sl5O when
if the same individuals should exercise
| their genius in any other calling or pro-
fession they would not earn as much In
| three months. VIII any person with horse
sense explain why the county should pay
| these fancy salaries when in any ordinary
| business enterprise men equally compe
| tent can be had for one-half the amount OF
| money?
This question of the reduction of the sal
aries of county officers must be especially
| interesting to taxpayers and still moro 81
| to farmers. Farming, as is well known
| has barely paid the expenses of tillage fol
| the last few years. Few If any farmers
| have realized profit on their Investments
Now and then fruit grower has found 6
| lucky market and profited handsomely
oil ic ir,1, afyaf fa rr,na
has found great difficulty in balancing hi:
| accounts at the end of the year. While
| all of the means by which he can realize
an income have either been destroyed oil
| cut in twain, yet his taxes have been uni
| formly maintained at the same high rate
| The total disbursements for the county OF
| Los Angeles for the six months ending
| June 30, 1897, were 81, 1888 16l.52. These dis
| bursements We're for the following pur-
poses Salaries for officers and deputies
| including one-half of the salaries of the
superior judges, s216 600: roads, charities
ETC., s100. 900: public schools, $460. 900; inter
| est on bonds. ETC., $120 900; taxes to state
| of California, s240 ,000-all in round num-
| bers.
The consolidation Of the city and county
| government will also cut prominent fig.
| ure next fall. There are many citizens In
the city of Los Angeles who believe that
| the taxpayers could save thousands OF
| dollars If consolidation could be accom-.
| plished 1t is argued that one assessor
| one tax collector one treasurer, one au-
| ditor and one civil engineer can as well
| discharge the duties of those offices per.
| tanning both to the city and to the county
as each now performs the duties of his
office under the dual system. The saw
| ing in the item of assessment and collec-
| ton of taxes would alone justify trial.
| Pomona has not been successful in Sc
curing either the nomination or the elec
| ton of county officials from among its
| citizens. Frank Palomares was nominated
| by the Democrats for county assessor
| some four years ago, but was defeated
with the rest of the ticket. Pomona ha:
not been represented upon the Republican
| ticket for years. Only three of the pres
| ent county officials, not including the su
pervisors, are from the country. Nine ar,
| from the city or it's suburbs. Nineteenth.
| of the deputies in the courthouse are from
| the city, Thus it will be seen that though
Santa Monica, Long Beach, Downey Pas
| adena. AZusa Monrovla and Pomona have
plenty of good Republican material ant
| furnish the bulk of the Republican vote
vet they are given the cold shoulder wheI
the official plums are distributed. Th'
same partiality in the selection of candi
| dates is also true of the Democrats, whC
usually select nearly all Of their nominees
| from the city. The Democrats should give
six of the twelve county offices to tn,
country, one each, say, to the abov'
named cities or to the districts IL
which they are situated. This judiciou