Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-13

proposed amendments to the city char
adoption of the petition plan instead of
the convention system, 1 would heartily
indorse both amendments. The ex-
perience of st. Louis in the election at
large of the upper house of the NUM-
cipal assembly has on the whole proven
very satisfactory
George E. Cole, former president of
the Legislative Voters league of Il
linois, says the city should be regarded
as large business enterprise, with all
citizens as members of the firm There
fore, "all municipal officers should be
nominated by petition only, doing away
with parties as applied to municipali-
ties"
Former Mayor W. B. Davis Of Oak
land, Cal, says he is strongly con-
WINGED the election of councilmen-at-
large is the best course, and he is in
favor of doing away with the conven-
ton system of nominating candidates.
Isadore Jacobs, president of the Good
Government league of San Francisco,
says with enthusiasm: ST unhesitat-
ingly indorse the proposed amendments
to your charter for the taking out of
partisanship or sectionalism. Stiles P.
Jones, secretary of the Voters league
Of Minneapolis, sends Los Angeles his
congratulations with the following
warm Endorsement: 1.-THE amendments
meet my hearty approval. only wish
We could wake the people UP here to
the necessity Of standing for an equal
ly good departure from the old charter
conventionaIities..
A. Comte, jr., Of San Francisco,
an expert in municipal affairs, former
supervisor and member of the original
board Of freeholders that drafted the
charter under which the present mu-
nicipal government of San Francisco
was established, says "we adopted the
at-large plan from our past ex-
perience in this city. The at
large plan has worked successfully
with one exception, when the Doodle
board came in with sort Of tidal
wave, assisted by voting machines
From A. o. Harrison, secretary Of
the Civic League of Kansas City, Mo-,
comes the comment: with reference
to the proposition Of eIecting aldermen
at large, in my opinion, the plan would
be a decided improvement over the
plan of electing them by wards" John
A. Fairlie of the University of Mich
igan, a writer on municipal topics, says
he thinks municipal elections should
be kept distinct from national party
lines, and is strongly in favor Of non
partisan nominations. H. U. Bran
denstein, former supervisor of San
Francisco, says the scheme of electing
supervisors at large instead Of from
specific districts has worked excel
lently in that city. He adds: "There
should be no question that a legisla-
ture should represent the city as an
entirety and the individual members
thereof should not represent districts
of the city"
State Senator L. H. Roseberry calls
attention to the fact that Gin the city
Of Santa Barbara the people vote upon
non-partisan candidates entirely; no
party nominees are permitted" He
says: 1.-THE system has proven not
only highly satisfactory to the candi-
dates, but to the people at large as
well in the form Of better city Off
Gals"
The consensus of opinion well worth
having is therefore in favor of the
reform which will be made possible by
amendments relating to this branch of
the great subject which will soon be
presented to the citizens of Los An
geles for their action, and will be
taken up in explanatory detail by The
Herald from day to day.
The Municipal league has rendered
great service to this community by col
lecting the expert opinions to some
portions Of which we have called at
tention.