Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-13
CLUB WOMEN HEAR
MACHINE GRILLED
MARSHALL STIMSON ARRAlGNS
CIRCULARS"
OSCAR LAWLER DEFENDS HIS
ORGANIZATION
United States District Attorney Re-
piles to Lincoln Roosevelt Orator,
but Audience Is with His
Opponent

son had accepted an invitation to adj
dress the Friday Morning club on the
topic How the Machine Does Poll
TICS" and realizing that this oppor-
tunity to speak before 1000 clubwomen,
wives and sisters and mothers Of the
voters of the city, would present Won
drous possibilities, leaders of the local
Republican organization asked that
the &c. o. p" regulars be allowed to
send a representative who should be
privileged to speak in refutation of the
arguments which 1t was assumed Mr..
Stimson would present.
This request was granted. Mr.. Slim
son agreeing to abbreviate his address
to make time for his opponent and
United States District Attorney Oscar
Lawler was selected by the machine
as it's representative.
That Mr.. Lawler adroitiy lodged the
issues presented by Mr.. Stimson and
delivered a routine campaign address
such as might have met with favor at
an organization banquet at the height
of a political campaign Is perhaps not
remarkable, but that he. to quote one
of the club members in the lobby after
the meeting, should have devoted his
time to vaunting tho Republican party
to pointing out alleged weak points
in the operations of the -Roose-
welt Republican league, was little to
be expected"
Big Audience Present
Interest in the mornings program
had brought out the membership or
the club in full force, and 1t was to a
representative audience or intellgent,
brainy women who are close students
of political conditions, to whom the
president of the club, Mrs. Shelly H.
Tolhurst, presented the first speaker,
Marshall Stimson. That his audience
was wholly in sympathy with his line
of argument was evidenced by ire
auent and hearty applause.
1.-THE alliance between the poiltlcal
machine and corporate business inter-
ests" was the theme OF Mr.. Stimson
address. the relation between the
Southern Pacific and the Republican
party in this state, being brought for
ward as a concrete instance.
The speaker said in opening that ne
believed in organization and did not
intend to use the word machine" in
a derogatory sense;t that he simply
proposed to analyze the machine, 10
tell of whom it is composed, and ex-
plain the methods by which II Is
worked. He likened 1t to an army. the
..boss'' to a general, the orator to a
hand of music with which to stir up
enthusiasm, while the rank and file OF
this army, he said, is composed OF OF
flee holders and men who are engaged
in furnishing the commodities to the
government.
Alleges Fraud
Reference was made to the remark
able gerrymanders that have Deen
promulgated in the interest of machine
control and of fraudulent practices at
many elections. With maps or Los
Angeles, which had place on the wal
behind him, the speaker showed what
he termed the scheme of laying out
wards so that at some point each
touches Main street with its floating
nopulation, the plan of the macn1ne
being to balance the two opposing ele-
ments of the city, the respectable ana
the vicious. Assembly districting was
also spoken of as wonderful piece OF
machine working, and the packing OIL
caucuses, the possibilities open TO
corrupt boards of election and the
tricks sometimes resorted to In the bal
lotting booths were exploited.
"There are many men affiliated win
| tho machine who are square and honor-
| able and In ignorance OF the methous
employed" said Mr.. Stimson, and
hold that the only way to secure VIC
| tory for better government is 10 ihahe
| known machine methods.
",rhe boss" said he, sis like a clear
ing house where delegates are traded:
He performs the twofold function OF
| leader of the political organization ana
business agent of the corrupt corpor-
ate interests that desire 10 use tne
political machine. The business man
desires special privileges ana is NOT
| willing to pay to the public an equlva-
lent return. The railroad wants valu-
able franchises the power company
wants water rights, the corporations
want assessments reduced, the gas
companies do not want laws passed
that will oblige them to put in expen-
siye equipment to dispose OF the pols-
onous fumes that pollute the amos
phere in the neighborhood OF their
nIants. The matter is quite simply
arranged by giving the political boss
money with which to pay the cam
naign expenses of members or the leg
islative bodies, the corporations thus
securing control of these men When
elected and the campaign expenses
being repaid many times over; Inc
CRYING shame of American politics to-
day is this alliance. The entire pol1t-
ical scheme is built on basis OF sell
ishness. which is an entirely different
matter from legitimate self Interest.
In Concluding Mr.. Stimson stated that
his purpose in placing these matters De-
fore the public is not to bring ABOUT
the humiliation of any man or SET or
men, and that the instances Wnlch ne
had cited from his own observation ano
the names employed had been prought
info the discussion only to make clear
noints of argument and TO snow actuai
conditions which exist.
Mr.. Lawler said he believed the gen
tleman who preceded him to De mis-
taken both in his point OF view ana
in the method he is advocating as a
remedy for existing evils. He general
ICED concerning the virtues OF the He-
publican party and the advantages ac-
cruing to those living under the pres
ent administrations he defended the
outlines of the city wards, saying tnat
such mapping is necessary In order
that the silk stocking vote" may
counterbalance that of the undesirable
citizen; he attacked tiercely the organ
ization which Mr.. Stimson represents,
claiming that it was organized IN an
effort to split the Republican party,
and made a rousing arraignmsnt OF Inc
voter who does not appear at the pri-
maries, but never WORD relativS 10
the subject of the morning, the al
lance between the political machine
and corporate interests"
At the close of his attack MRS Toll
hurst asked Mr.. Stimson If he cared
to say a few words In reply, anal ne
took the opportunity to challenge Mr..
I,awler to a public discussion of their
political differences at some future time
in Simpson auditorium, which, he said,
would be more fltting OCCASION than
the present.