Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-25
DENY CHARGES
AGAINST BELL
NON-PARTISAN COMMITTEE
SHOWS ERRORS
Petition to Legislature Was Cause Of
Non-Reduction Of Salaries and
Not Action on Part
Of Clerk

Special TO The Herald.
PASADENA. oct 4.-The following
open letter to the voters of the Thirty
sixth senatorial district was issued yes
terday by the county non-partisan or
ganization:
"The friends Of Benjamin Hahn, the
Republican nominee for reelection as
state senator In your district are inn
putting dishonor to Charles w. Bell, the
non-partisan candidate for the same
office, and stating that he Is an unfit
person for such position for the fol-
lowing reason:
THAT as a nominee for county clerk
of the regular Republican country con-
vention of 1898 Charles w. Bell was
bound by resolution of that conven-
tion requesting the state legislature to
reduce the salaries of certain county
officers in Los Angeles county, includ-
ing that of county clerk. That Mr.
Bell, in conjunction with other NOM
inees went behind the country con-
vention. contributed to a fund for the
purpose of multiplying the action of the
county convention In regard to the re-
duction of salaries and sent men to
Sacramento to lobby for that purpose.
"The facts are: The Republican
county convention of the county OF
Los Angeles, sitting in August 1898,
passed resolution requesting the
state legislature to reduce the salaries
of all county officers, except that of
the district attorney and the county
Superintendent of schools in Los An
geies county. After the convention
had dissolved, petition was drawn
up addressed to the Legislature and
requesting that the resolution OF the
county convention be disregarded and
that the salaries be not reduced.
Petition Included Bell
"The petition was, without exception,
for all the candidates involved by the
resolution, including Mr.. Bell, and said
petition was signed by a majority of
the delegates of the convention. the
convention changed it's mind and went
on record by signing the petition.
"Can honest people impute dishonor
to Mr.. Bell in aoquiescing In said petit
tion which was in fact the act of the
convention?
"That the reconstruction of the reso-
luton was the act of the whole Re-
publican organization is concluslVely
shown by the fact that the Republican
county central committee, composed
necessarily of delegates to that conVen-
ton, in fixing the assessment TO De
paid by the nominees for county offices
penses determined that the amount
that each nominee should pay should
be estimated upon the salary to be
drawn during their term of office, and
based said assessment upon the sal
aries as they then were and not upon
those contemplated by the reduction.
"As to the contention that Mr.. Bell
contributed to fund for the purpose
of lobbying at the state legislature
s,,1 - he nf n
vention, we unqualifiedly state that the
only funds that were raised at all were
for the necessary expenses OF c1rcu-
lating the petition among the dele
gates Of the convention and Of forward
ing and presenting it at Sacramento,
and that all the nominees contributed
alike.
II this act on the part of Mr.. Bell was
dishonor then all the delegates OF that
convention, including the county CEN
trail committee, were equally in dis
honor, so of all the nominees, including
Mr. Bell. There are nominees of the
Venice convention who are in exactly
the same position as Mr.. Bell in regard
to this matter. There is now one coun-
ty officer who has been repeatedly re-
elected by the Republicans of this
county who is in exactly the same po-
sition. Tho county non-partisan Or
gani2ation does not approve of mud
singing, but considers that open, de-
liberate lies be denied, that the voters
may vote intelligently.
Reasons for Votes
On behalf of Mr.. Bell we suggest the
following reasons why you should vote
for him for state senator:
First--He is truthful.
Second-He is honorable, intelligent
and able.
Third-He represents. as man, what
your district should stand for.
Fourth-He and his family will travel
on their own transportation to and
from Sacramento and throughout the
state, and he will in no instance place
himself under the servitude of using
railroad passes.
Fifth-His record as county clerk is
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