Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-06
CANDIDATES ON
ANXIOUS SEAT
POLITICIANS CLOSELY WATCH
INDEPENDENTS
Committee of One Hundred May Be
Made Permanent to Manage Nom
Partisan Affairs During
Campaign

Prospective candidates for the various
city and county offices to he filled next
fall are awaiting with considerable in
terest, and in some instances anxiety,
the outcome Of the movement started
last Monday night to place Independent
tickets in the field. The chances of
some of the men who now are aspiring
to office as straight party candidates
are likely to be affected seriously by
that movement. The impression pre-
walls that while the organization was
started primarily with view to taking
a hand in the city campaign, II also
will find it advisable to name q county
ticket.
Announcement of the action taken at
the meeting held at the chamber of
commerce last Monday night came as
a surprise to good many of the ma
chine politicians. 1t has been well un-
derstood that an Independent move-
ment would be started, but few seemed
to expect that the initiative would be
taken quite so soon and some of the
party leaders had counted on having a
hand in shaping the course Of events
somewhat. Others had expected that
L1e ledBut WOulu lohC Il
prominent part in the work of making
UP an independent ticket, and there
still is considerable speculation as to
the attitude which that organization
will assume in the coming campaign
officials of the league admit that they
are constantly being questioned on 'h.s
point, not only by the friends of lne
organization and the members them
selves, but by some who, to quote their
Low norA hoN M
Seek Information
The question is asked in a variety of
forms. and in detail, as for example:
Does the league intend to nominate
an entire Independent ticket? If so,
will it do 1t before or after the party
conventions meet?"
Does the league propose to indorse
candidates nominated by the parties
or independently, and if so, will it un-
dertake an active campaign, as it did
two years ago."
Does the league propose to restrict
it's efforts to some part of the ticket
as for example, the council, the coun-
Gil and the mayor, or simply the board
of education|"
care there any among the proposed
candidates to whom the league takes
exception, as it did to E. r. Werdin two
years ago, and whom it proposes to
fight as it fought him."
Does the league propose to take
hand in county affairs?"
In replying to these questions Off
cials of the Municipal league say there
still remains a month, or perhaps two
before the necessity will arise for a
final and positive decision as to all the
issues raised by the foregoing questions.
That decision must of necessity be eff
fected in some degree by certain events
that may or may not occur in the mean
time. For emample, if the movement
for a citizens organization to make
Independent non-partisan nominations
should take definite shape, it is held
there would then plainly be no necessity
for action by the league in the line of
making nominations, for it would be
assumed that between the nominations
put forward by such an organization
and those offered by the two or three
regular parties, there would be a fair
chance for the voter to select good
ticket. One thing, it is held, may be
safely assured the organization will
not go into politics for the love of it,
but only as a dire necessity.
May Go Into Politics
Certain points, however, have already
been determined by the executive COM
mittee and so far as necessary, acted
upon. One is that the league will stand
ready to carry on a campaign, should
such a course be needed, both as to
nominations and elections. The men,
berS say that the experience of two
years ago taught them that they have
nothing to fear in going into politics"
The organization was warned then that
it would lose all of it's members and
that it's influence at the city hall would
be completely destroyed. In reply to
1T. ,e. tA1 NJ 1anf nn Ioao 4,n
at that time had 30 members and since
then has taken in about 400 new ones.
So far as influence goes, the officials
admit that they have no satisfactory
thermometer with which to make a
test, but they contend that common
sense would seem to indicate that the
organization that is active and alive
and not afraid to assert itself, even if
It should make occasional mistakes, is
likely to carry more weight than one
that is so conservative that it never
acts.
Will Have to Take Notice
With respect to the reelection or at
tempted reelection of the men who
have made a bad record in Office the
point is made that it is difficult to see
how the league can live up to it's pro-
fessions without some kind of an utter
ance on this subject. It's constitution
provides lHdl IL SIldll take HOle Oh IHc
official conduct of members of the city
government, commencing or condemn
ing as policy may require" Such criti-
cism, 1t is held, to be of any value
should be applied most of all to those
officials who are candidates for re-elec-
ton.
Regarding the board of education, not
only the league, but also the commercial
bodies of the city are pledged to the
maintenance of a non-partisan board.
If such board is nominated, say the
officials of the league-well and good.
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