Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-23
PHELAN SPEAKS
ON TENDERLOIN
SAYS He HAS NO SOLUTION
FOR THE PROBLEM
DEFENDS RUDOLPH sPREcKELs
IN GRAFT FIGHT
Judge Works Tells City Club OF Pur-
pose and Breadth Of Proposed
Amendments to City
Charter

Tx-Mayor James D. Phelan of San
Francisco freely discussed the ten
derloin problem before the City club
yesterday, assuring the members that
he regarded it as one beyond settle
ment.
at seems unsolvable, and the more's
the pity" he said. II understand that
your municipal authorities are now
wrestling with it. much as we did in
San francisco. If you gentlemen
should solve the problem we'll gladly
come down and learn from you. We
have assailed it many times, but always
unsuccessuflly.
"This tenderloin problem Is as hard
as that of the bosses, although there
may be some solution for the latter.
The trouble with the tenderloin ques-
ton is in keeping it from corrupting the
police. We thought that we had solved
1t when we said to those In charge, If
you will be as decent as possible in con-
Quoting an indecent business, If you
will keep under cover and not Haunt
your business before the public, we
shall recognize you as violators of the
law and expect you to submit to arrest
and pay your fines every thirty days
hand of the police, and we shall be able
to keep this matter within reasonable
bounds The police and city authori-
ties, the newspaper editors and many
others who had given the matter
thought all said it was the only thing
to do. But one newspaper dug up an
old statute which said that it was
felony for any public official to connive
at violation of law, and with visions
of the turnkey stalking ahead of us we
had to abandon what l am convinced
comes nearest to the proper regulation
of the tenderloin question. 1t is a
problem which you cannot eVade or
stamp out in a large city, and particu-
larly in the coast cities, and while you
may dispose of 1t for while, the fam
tan proprietor will come creeping back,
corrupting the police in order to obtain
protection"
Experience In North
Mr.. Phelan reviewed in detail many
features of the graft prosecution in
San Francisco, and highly compliment
ed Rudolph Spreckels, whom he de-
Tended against charges of Interior mo-
tives. He gave the members of the
City club the benefit of his experience
In working for broader city charter
for San Francisco, where as mayor of
the city he was one of the initiators of
the charter revision movement. The
opinion of Judge John D. Works, who
spoke before the club on the proposed
amendments in Los Angeles, were Sec
onded by Mr.. Phelan in his talk.
Under the system you are now pro-
posing you may reasonably expect good
results" Mr.. Phelan said, "for it will
have the effect of weakening the
strength of the boss and the caucus
and so must do good. The people are
usually divided into two classes those
who 1nXiriIIe IN oft 90
the general good, and, on the other
hand, those who are often intrenched
in power simply because they protect
special and predatory interests work.
ing for their own ends. When men
come forward and volunteer as soldiers
for the former class they should be
honored. Among such men is Rudolph
Spreckels, who is q fighter and who Is
as obstinate as he is right. You may
safely depend upon 1t that he will con-
tinue to the finish the fight he has be-
gun and in which he has so signally |
made good.
I'VE had to stand the earthquake in |
San Francisco because it was unavoid- |
able. We don't have to stand Herrin |
and Calhoun, for we can and will throw |
them off our shoulders"
Honest Men Needed
Judge Works told the club of the |
benefits of the proposed amendments to !
the city charter and explained the rea- /
sons for the conclusions of the charter
revision commission. He spoke partic-
ularly in favor of the plan of electing
the councilmen at large instead OF the |
ward system.
II am convinced that the members of
the city council who blocked the work
Of the charter revision commission did
SO because it suited their personal pur-
poses to have the councilmen elected by
wards instead of at large" said Judge
Works. "They were afraid of 1t. II II