The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-09-25
AN OPEN LETTER


To w. A. Holabrd Esq.-In Fridays Is
sue of The Herald there appears a letter
over your signature in which occurs the fol-
lowing paragraph:
The city council has not dared to stop
the boring for oil wells. The council
men admit that 1t is running the most
beautiful section Of the city, but they
are politicians and apparently have lit
tie interest in all that makes city
beautiful and attractive.
The term politician is not necessarily
demeaning or debasing when applied to men
in official capacities, but from the sense
in which you apply 1t there can be but one
idea conveyed and that is that you have
intended to employ the term in its most
vulgar sense. 1 am willing to admit that
the members Of the council are politicians
lin that they engaged in political contest
to secure their election to office, but that
is the only process by which their official
positions could be attained, nor has it ever
been asserted that those contests were not
honorable.
You have, my dear sir, sweepingly ac-
cused body of nine men Of the culpable
offense Of shirkin gther official duty be-
"a
action upon their chances of reelection to
office. Can 1t be that you meant to con-
vey such a charge and that you wish the
pulic to understand that it IS made in the
full knowledge Of the facts in the case?
In charity, it Is more pleasant to conclude
that you have simply fallen into the all
too common habit practiced by many Of
our best citizens Of lavlshng upon men IN
c,t< ho1a ;y,6i criv ,ip-
ate, ill-advised and misapplied criticism
Let me assure you that the average pub
lie official responds very readily to just
criticism and profits by it's bestowal, but
| nothing so effectually engenders ind!ffer-
ence and official stoicism promiscuous
fault finding and vicious misrepresenta-
! ton.
| Your ardency in the support Of the cp-
position to the encroachment of the oil in
dustry upon beautiful residence portion
| Of the city 10 known and appreciated, and
when you advise the public through the
press that your cause suffers defeat only
through "too much politics in the coun-
| Gill;" the unsuspecting public are warrant
ed in the conclusion that the counc.lnen
are nine miscreants and knaves. Surely
| you do not intend to convey this impress
SloIl, anu YET tHe pubic must e!tHeT TeacH
this conclusion or d.scredit your state
ment.
| Has 1t been your experience that the
council refused to undertake any sug-
gested measure for the proper control Of
the oil industry? Did not the council pass
as stringent measures as possible, under
| the limitations Of it's action. before you be-
came interested in the matter? Did it ap-
pear two weeks ago when the matter of
reced!ng fror! the 16oO-foot park limit came
up that the council was inclined to trim"
| for political effect?
The writer Is one Of your friends who be-
lieves your motives to be genuine and
| honest in this matter, but 1t becomes neces-
sary to record that your method Of pro-
cedure Is exceedingly raw" Your treat
ment or mistreatment is too heroic. You
evidently believe. with the venerable doc
tor in the story, that you must throw the
council into eft" before your ability to
remedy the evils would become effective.
Believe me. dear sir, as serious as ap-
pears your denunciation Of my colleagues
and myself, 1t would have escaped unno-
ticed as have many similar expressions of
untruth, had they not emanated from the
pen Of one Of our most esteemed citizens,
whose name mas become by-word in every
household and whose voice is frequently
heard in opposition to real and imaginary
evils. Is it too great an undertaking to
convince you that a man in public office
can retain his manhood and the same
nobility Of character he possessed when
majority Of the people he serves decided
he was good enough to hold that office?
Isn't your present position as set forth in
the above excerpt from your letter an I'M
reasonable one. not warranted by facts
and hardly supported by fancy even?
trust you will concede this for the sake
of the worthy men who are in office today
as well as those who now aspire to DO
stions Of trust In the service of our city =,
our county and our grand state. Respect
fully, CHAS H. TOLL.
Councilman from Fifth Ward.