The San Francisco call., 1898-01-21

government. and more particularly the Council. in the interests of the Los An geles City Water Company. This It would in all probability have succeed, ed in doing had not The Call entered upon the field, made a thorough lnves- tigation of the situation and shoWn how these three forces-the syndicated Times Herald Express, the League TOT Better City Government and. the Los Angeles City Water Company ana US allied corporations-were all acting Tn unison to accomplish one object, the fleecing of the public.
 Had not this powerful and menda- cious coalition attempted to bring about the political ruin of Walter l.. Webb it might have succeeded in it's primary object. It looked upon Webb, however. as a serious obstacle to the carrying out of it's future plans. AS has already been set forth in The Call, the lease of the Los Angeles City water Company expires on July 20 of this year. No one believes for moment that any settlement will be arrived at between the city and this corporation in reference to the price to be paid the latter for it's improvements. Delay has been the Watchword of the water com pany, and delay it will seek to obtaln by every means available until the next election At this election the water cOmpanys plan is to elect Mayor and Council that will carry out its behests. In this plan, it is said, It Is to be aided by the syndicated jour nals already mentioned and by the League for Better City Government.
 As a member of the Board of Educa- tion. Webb who had received the in dorsement of the League for Better City Government. refused to be par ty to the organization of the board in the interests of the league. This made him a marked man. He showed himseH to be a man of strong characteristics and of great political acumen. He re- fused to be dominated or cOerced by the league. For this display of 1nde- pendent spirit he was put to the rack. Charged by the league with corruption in office. he was tried before the Supe- TiOr Court on an accusation to remove him from office. and was acquitted by a jury in less than twelve minutes ar ter the case was submitted. He IS now under investigation on a similar charge before the Board of Education. In this investigation all the testimony has been taken. and not a single witness, except two self-confessed perjurers, has testified to anything that places Webb even under a suspicion of having been corrupt.
 While the league was carrying out its part of the general scheme in direct ing the prosecution of Webb, the Times Herald Express combination did not finch for a single day from its ig- noble part. Even before Webb was put upon his arrival he was vilified, con- demned and persecuted in every way familiar to the most saffron of yellow journals.
 It was no secret among Webbs friends and constituents that in ac- cepting a place in the Board of Edu- cation he was simply going into train ing for the purpose of making the fight for Councilman from the Ninth Ward in the election to be held next Decem- Der. This it was, in connection with his independent attitude, that caused him to be singled out for slaughter by this giant and unmerCiful ring, con- sisting of the combined corporations. the tripartite newspaper syndicate and the League for Better City Govern ment. The result of this nefarious plan is now history.
 A short but significant interview in this connection was had with Frank A. Gibson, the treasurer of the League for Better City Government, and cashier of the First National Bank Gibson was also one of the original ten who composed the committee on Organiza- ton which ultimately created the League for Better City Government.
 It is common report that Frank A. Gibson holds as trustee for the Los Angeles City Water Company large
 
 Express. With a view to ascertaining what ground there was for this rumor, The Calls special correspondent inter viewed Mr. Gibson
 Do you hold, as trustee. stock in the Herald and Express newspapers" asked the correspondent.
 I do, and enough to be elected a di- rector answered MT. Gibson.
 Do you hold that stock as trustee for the Los Angeles City Water Com pany or for any one or more of the stockholders in the Muter company" was next asked.
 My trust relations are a matter of strict confidence between myself and the people whom ] represent" was the nOn-cOmmittal reply
 It Is not amiss to call attention to the latter answer of MT. Gibson Were he not holding stock in the papers men, toned, as trustee for the Los Angeles City Water Company, he could have answered with a simple "No," without violating any confidence.
 To even the most casual reader the result of this interview will show the apparent close relationship between the Los Angeles City Water Company, the local press and the League for Better City Government. It must be further stated that C. D. Willard, one of the most active spirits in the league, is manager of the Express: that T. E. Glbbon, another league leader, and one of the attorneys who prosecuted Webb. is an officer of the Herald Publishing Company, while the Times is repre- sented in the league by two active workers, L. E. Mosher. formerly di- rector of the league, and Harry Chand- Ter, one of the three illegally elected directors of the league. z