Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-24
my Reynold =. might. i

| III OS ANGELES rs not puritan
city. Blue laws are very unpop-
- ular here. Our brilliant social as
semblageJ, our animated cafes, our
crowded theaters, our Joyous iies.as,
and the merry crowds that I'LL the
Sunday cars to beach and mountain,
prove that the people enjoy life's pleas
ures 70 the full, and the geniality OF
| the climate finds ready re-
Spouse In the hearts of the citizens.
While orthodox churches are filled WIZ
worshipers, religious organizations OIL
liberal persuasion count the menlpers
| by the thousands. Our balmy sunshine,
the cosmopolitan character OF the pop
ulation, and the unconventionality and
| the unconventionality and enthusiasm
of young community have developed
a observation-disclosures democracy, ana
| a beautiful tolerance that Is un-
equaled anywhere.
| But Los Angeles will not tolerate
vicel Nor will she willingly bend her
neck to the yoke of corrupt political
machine. She knows the degradation
that has fallen upon older communities
when venal politicians have got pos
session of the municipality, and she
knows the seven-vialed woes that are
poured upon O city when the vicious
elements gain an ascendency. When
designing politicians sought to forge
her chains she arose like an imperious,
| free-born giantess. and shook the
would-be tyrants from her In one shud-
Ter OF righteous Indignation.
| Above all her splendid possessions,
Los Angeles values three assets: Her
young people, her citic character, and
her civic enterprise. In these she takes
her pride. Her schools are her boast,
and in a hundred ways she provides
| for the best development of her youth,
knowing that the city OF the future
depends upon the training and
education of the boys and girls.
Any inhuence that would de-
bauch the young people strikes blow
at the city's heart. Without being
Pharasaical, she is determined to main
tain at any cost her civic character.
The moral character of her citizens is
the peer of the world, and she de-
mands that her municipal administra-
ton shall reflect the integrity and high
any city official that carries the itching
palm and the open pocket outrages
the moral sense OF the community. and
swift and severe condemnation will
fall upon any public servant who bears
the faint of graft. The optimistic,
progressive, confident spirit of her citi-
Gems is seen in the enthusiasm with
which last year they voted $23.000,000 to
bring pure mountain water to the city
homes and gardens, millions for good
roads, and millions for schools. Law
| ishly she will spend money for civic
| improvement, but not penny for
graft. She has bays for the public
spirited citizen, but only prison stripes
| and ignominy for the municipal thief.
This IS the spirit of Los Angeles.
When by a political fiuke liberal
mayor" was elected in 1906. and certain
vicious ele.ients believing their time
had come, entered into conspiracy
| to debauch the youth, besmirch the
civic character and turn the operations
| of a gigantic civic enterprise into an
enormous spoils system, TIE city arose
and smote the h-conspirators with
the lightning OF her wrath. After o
short but terrific struggle that con-
vulsed the political depths, Los An
geies lifted up her head a free city.
This splendid result has been accom-
plished by a combination of three
things-an enlightened public intel
| ligence, an awakened civic conscience
and new democratic device known as
| the recall.
In January 1907. Arthur c. Harper
took office as mayor. He was minor
| ity mayor, and during the campaign
was openly advertised as a believer in
wide-open town. Had not his oppo-
nents been divided between two candi-
dates his election would have been Inn
pOSSlDi6- his UdfflG udu
been associated with the business in
terests of the city for several decades
and he personally bore a good reputa-
ton, so the citizens hoped for the BEST
But ere long sinister rumors were
afioat, and the men about town told
tales OF gambling. houses open. liquor
laws violated and houses of III repute
running openly. One of the mayors
appointees to the police commission
was gambler Of unsavory reputation.
This commissioner was the chief figure
in a disgraceful episode when, under
his orders, one Of the best known citi~
zens was arrested. Very soon stories
crept into the press Of young girls SUBJ
jected to outrage in protected houses of
designation and foolish people vic
timized by sharpers. The Express
openly charged that vice was being
protected. and the mayor replied with
suit for libel. Thomas Lee Woolwine,
a young district attorney. declared that
he could produce evidence before a
grand jury that would incriminate
of vice at that time was too strong
for him, and he was forced to resign.
The assault upon the virtue of the
city's youth continued unrebuked
Early in January, 1909, the Los An
geles Herald began the publication of
series of articles under the caption,
us Vice Protected in Los Angeles"
1t was a revelation of conditions that
shocked the whole community. 1t was
shown that the aforementioned police
commissioner had been promoting SUI
gar and oil corporations: that thou
sands of dollars worth of capital stock
had been unloaded upon liquor men.
gamblers and keepers of dives; that
the name of the mayor and certain Of