Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-07
DON'T "swAP HORSES"


AT EwsPAPER advocates of the
~ advisability Of dispensing with
~ the services of Mr.. Anderson on
the board of public works and APP
pointing some one Just as good" ae-
knowledge the weakness Of their case
when they ask for some one ''Just as
good" 1t is frequently wise policy
to let we'll enough alone, and the rea-
sons why an experienced and able pub
lie servant should be asked to con-
tinue to give his services to the city
far outweigh those that back the de-
mand for the appointment of a sue
cessor, even though that successor
should be "just as good" 1t is graf
flying to see that Mr.. Anderson's high
acknowledgment that he is first rate
man and should be succeeded by a
first rate man. But since he is ad-
mitted to be first rate man for the
place, why make a change? Why
throw away a good man and take a
chance on the verification of the con-
tention that his successor will be just
as good?
No one disputes the fact that it is
1.-THE mayors prerogative" to choose
another fit man for the office in which
Mr.. Anderson is now serving as
hold-over" But such a prerogative
is sometimes more honored in the omis-
sion than in the exercise. And we be-
lieve that no one will dispute our as
sertion that 1t Is also the mayors
higher prerogative to exercise good
common sense and sound judgment.
Now, good common sense and sound
Judgment suggest that Mr. Anderson's
fitness for his position is demonstrated
beyond reasonable doubt, and that at
this juncture it might be highly i'm
polite from the point of view of good
citizenship to make change that is
unnecessary and that, in spite of the
integrity of Mr.. Anderson's successor,
might be perilous to some of the best
interests of this municipality. An old
proverb says, "Never swap horses
while you are crossing a stream"
That policy was held to be ridiculous
ly bad in New England. 1t is not
less ridiculously bad in California.
The reappointment of Mr.. Anderson
will make for the good government
which far-seeing citizens are seeking
to establish and perpetuate in Los
A .geles. 1t is demonstrated plainly
that to machine politics, machine poll
ticians and the newspapers that rep
resent them the reappointment would
be distasteful. If the mayor cannot
be persuaded by any other righteous
consideration, this alone should move
him, because the opposition of ma
chine politicians is never an idle whim
or an altruistic spasm. There are al
ways method and motive behind it,
and as it is certain that the reappoint-
ment of Mr.. Anderson will block the
way for machine ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and
will fetter the free play of unscrupu-
lous interests in politics, the method
and motive OF the opposition to Mr..
Anderson are plainly visible without
an X-ray.
There is a rumor that Mayor Harper
would like to remove Mr.. Edwards
from the board of public works. For
such a course of action there would
not be the slightest reasonable war
rant or excuse. In the name of All
that contributes to good citizenship
what motive, what kind of motive,
could inspire the mayor to evict from
the board one of it's best, most eff
ficient and most faithful members?
Machine politics and good government
never could mix, never can mix, never
will mix. When politics are contrary
to the interests of good government,
politics should not be allowed to in
terfere with it. Il the machine poll
ticians can give us somebody Just
as good as Mr.. Anderson, we prefer
to take the advice of modern manu-
facturers, and to "avoid substitutiohs
and beware of limitations" This isl
sound advice in business, and Mayor
Harper will find that it is also sound
advice in politics and in official ad-
ministTation.