Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-20
NO MORE LANTERMAN

maudlin spirit of defiance DR.. Lanter-
man, encouraged no doubt by the ad-
vice of rash friends and the belief that
the woman in whose house the disgust
ing scenes were enacted would not
testify against him, declared that he
would not resign. But through the
activities of the police department and
the office Of city prosecutor, Dr.. Lam
terman now admits that he may
resign his office. He has learned,
doubtless. that the proprietress of the
disreputable house who caused his
arrest has reached more reasonable
frame of mind and is now prepared to
take the stand and give the evidence
that the police and the city prosecutor
need If the coroner is to be brought
to an accounting for his tantrums.
Coroner Lanterman says he may
resign. If he does not do so at once
an opportunity will present itself for
the organization responsible for him 10
take a step that will commend Itself
to decent people, regardless of politics
When the effort to nominate Lanter-
man was made, the local Southern Pa
cific machine, it is said, refused to
swallow him. When the machine
spurns proposed candidate it would
appear to be a cheering sign of the
times. But in this case the influences
that were brought to bear upon the
powers that were prevailed and Lam
terman received the nomination.
The Republican county central COM
mittee is in a measure responsible for
Eanternan as coroner. Whether It
openly advocated his nomination. mat
ters not; it could have prevented it
had it desired to do so. Through its
efforts or lack of effort Lanterman was
inflicted upon the county. This being
organization-in event of unnecessary
delay on the coroner's part in handing
in his resignation-the moral duty of
meeting at once and passing a reso-
luton demanding of Lanterman that he
relinquish the office he still holds, that
ties in Los Angeles county and in the
city.
But whether the Republican machine
committee takes advantage of this op-
portunity to score a point makes little
difference. City Prosecuting Attor-
ney Fleming, who now comes within
the category of ''snoopers," about
which The Herald had a few words to
say the other day, has discovered in
his .'snooping'' a provision in the penal
code of California which reads thus:
ANY officer of a town, village. city,
county or state, who shall be intoxi-
Gated while in the discharge of the
duties of his office, or by reason of
is disqualified for the dis
charge of or neglects his duties, shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on
conviction for such misdemeanor shall
forfeit his office. :"
Some of the partisans allied with
the notorious machine organization
made the threat yesterday that they
would get Mr.. Fleming if he did not
keep his hands off the abused coroner.
Mr.. Fleming need have no fear, how
ever, that he will be "got." BY pro-
ceeding to perform his whole duty in
this matter he will earn the gratitude
of the best people of Los Angeles.
Public sentiment will be solidly be-
hind him in all his efforts to punish
Coroner Lanterman for his fragrant
derelictions. No public official who
endeavors to do his duty as outlined BY
the laws governing his conduct need
fear the threats of political machine
whose last cog is about to be relegated
to the political scrap heap. Mr.. Flem-
ing can we'll afford to defy the rotten
clique which is trying to bulldoze him
into abandoning his case against Lam
terman. No greater compliment can be
paid to him than to have it known that
he has incurred the enmity of Lanter-
mans defenders in this nauseating
affair.
1t also has been whispered that des-
efforts viii be made to degrade,
humiIiate or drive from the service
Patrolman Clifford or the desk SER
geant who so fearlessly performed
their duty in this matter. despite the
threats of the coroner as to dire things
that would befall anybody so rash as
to interfere with his going or coming.
Any efforts on the part of those who
are endeavoring to carry out the
wishes of the machine politicians IN
this direction will be met with instant
outcry on the part of the people, The
people of Los Angeles will not stand
for the political punishment of a po-
lice officer who fearlessly performs
his duties, regardless of the influential
position of the man whom he may be
called upon to take into custody.