Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-21
LEGISLATURE MUST
HAVE CLEAN men
BELL URGES VIGILANCE IN
CHOOSING CANDIDATES
Urges Party to Select Free Men and
Has Hope of Carrying the Legis-
Iature-Convention Reso-
luton

If the policy of Theodore A. Bell, who
dominated the Democratic convention
at Fresno this week, is followed, it will
be impossible. practically, for a rail-
road representative to get Democratic
nomination this summer for the senate
or the assembly. One hundred mem
bers of the Legislature are to be elected
twenty senator's and eighty assembly
men. Bell believes the party, by care
full nominations and thorough organiza-
ton, can carry between sixty and sew
enty of these districts-senate and as
sembly-and give the antagonists of the
railroad machine an opportunity to
correct many of the abuses and prevent
the legalization of the railroad schemes.
Bell declares that each member of the
party has a personal interest in seeing
that only men known to be free from
railroad control-not only free, but on
the side of the people-will be nomin-
ated. This he regards as one of the
most important duties of the party in
the coming election.
When he declared this policy and
urged organization at once to see that
the railroads did not capture the NOM
nations the clacquers for the Southern
Pacific Immediately started the report
that Ball was a candidate for the Unit
ed States senate. This was intended to
impugn his motive and indicate that
people against a corrupt legislature lay
his ambition to wear a toga from the
Golden State.
Bell Not Candidate
To clarity the situation Bell before
the convention adjourned Tuesday,
made an address to the delegates in
which he said this report was unjust
to him, as he was not a candidate for
the senate. He said that if the Demo-
Gratis controlled the legislature the SEN
atorial race would be open to all, and
that he had no prospect of controlling
it for his own advantage.
The Bell forces had hardly won their
victory before the clacquers for the po-
litical machine were after them with
inuendos and aspersions. The purpose
was to prejudice the minds of the dele
gates, if possible, before they went back
home.
Resolution on Nominations
One of the resolutions reported by the
committee at the state convention on
Tuesday, by the platform committee,
which is of an advisory nature but OF
great Importance, escaped the press dis
patches. This resolution is in the line
of Bells policy to secure clean legis-
lative nominees, and is as follows:
Resolved, That the delegates to this
convention are urged Immediately on
their return to their respective homes
to endeavor to develop public interest
in the nomination of the best possible
candidates for the state legislature, Sc
that when the regular nominating con-
ventions are held suitable nominees
may be found for every legislative posi-
ton.
Resolved. That this convention rec
ommends to the various legislative
nominating conventions to nominate
their candidates at or after the holding
of the last state convention of the party
held in any election year, and that when
so nominated such candidates be
pledged by the convention comforting
the nominations to support the plat
form of the state convention or conven-
lions of the party held for that year
and to use all honorable means to carry
the same into effect"