Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-01

Harper will be chosen for nomi
nation in the recall election at ;
meeting of citizens at Blanchard hal
set for o'clock this afternoon. This
meeting is in pursuance of the invi
tation issued by the Municipal league
when it was seen that recall petitions
were being signed with an eagernes:
that left no doubt regarding the secur
ing of a sufficient number of sigma
lures.
The purpose of the meeting is def
nitely set forth in the following invita-
ton sent out by the Municipal league
Dear Sir-On Monday, February
1, 1909, at p. M, at Blanchard hall,
233 South Broadway, a meeting
will be held to nominate candi-
date for mayor of Los Angeles to
run in opposition to Mayor Har-
per at the recall election, which 1t
is now practically certain will be
held. This is the only purpose Of
the meeting. If you desire to par
ticipate in the meeting on this
basis, you are invited to be pres
ent.
This invitation is sent to all
members of the chamber of COM
merce, Merchants and Manufac-
turers' association, Municipal league
and City club, but you are asked,
not as a member of any of the
above named organizations, but as
a citizen.
Municipal league.
"J. o. KOEPFLI, President.
&C. D. WILLARD, Secretary"
Second Step Taken
Members of the executive commit
tee of the Municipal league would no
forecast the result of the meeting. 1--WE
are doing our part in calling the meet
ing as the second step in the move
ment," said one member. TT is not fol
us to predict what will be done. How
ever, after action is taken you may bf
assured of a live campaign. We have
had numerous expressions of support
alike from prominent business men
professional men and wageworkers.
'All sorts of charges are being mace
against the course of the league by
those who fear the recall None that
I have had a chance to examine viii
bear dissection, and I have yet to see
Straightforward denial or other
statement in behalf of the mayor.
''It is claimed, for instance, that the
Municipal league has no right to in
terfere in this matter, an argument
to my mind that is about as ridiculous
as could be conceived. If a body OF
citizens organized for the express pur-
pose of considering the problems Of
city management is not competent IL
take up this matter, then who is? The
league has not rushed into this. Neither
has it perverted its principles for any
personal purpose. The executive conf
mittee has met once a week to con
slider careful and thorough reports OF
competent men on city matters. Sew
eral members of the committee have
given their time to this work for a
number of years, and are men of eX-
perience in civic affairs. Not once since
its inception has the Municipal league
acted hastily on any matter.
League Only Too Patient
This is emphatically true of its
conduct in relation to the mayor. II
it be said that his term is too short for
a consideration of the recall the an
swer is that the Municipal league and
other citizens have been too patient
Action might have been taken when
Mayor Harper first announced his ap-
pointments to commissions, for among
them were names not conducive to the
maintenance Of the city's good repu-
tation. In fact, the league did take
action, but not by way of rushing
into print, and the mayor was given
every chance.
1.-THE MunicipaPs leagues position in
this regard is strongly reinforced by
it's course since the first day Of Mayor
Harper's service as the city's executive
When he made poor appointments
likely to prove unfortunate, or ever
disastrous, to the city the league pro-
tested them and asked him to recon
slider his course. This was done pri-
q ,;f
.ons. 1t was not then said that the
Municipal league had no business tC
interfere. In the light of this the fol
lowing extract from the statement by
the league in the current issue of Mu-
nicipal Affairs is pertinent: One of the
appointeeS to whom the league espe-
cially objected, for example, and who
was retained, was member of the
police commission whose drinking anC
gambling habits were universally
known and who, a few months later
when intoxicated, insulted a lady upor
the street, and, when the gentlemen ac-
companying her objected, had then
both thrown into the city jail. These
were citizens of good standing, one OF
them an eminent member of the Los
Lngeles bar. The league now points II
this disgraceful episode as one of the
results Of these unfit appointments
Urged to Cowardice
another answer-if it NAV be con.
sidered such-is that it will kill the
city to have it go abroad that we are
trying to reform the town. A re.
markable argument, isn't it? Admit.
ting, practically, that Los Angeles i.
not entirely well-behaved, the citizen.
ship is told to keep quiet because &
noise about it will frighten visitors ant
homeseekers away. This is actually {
strong indictment Of Mayor Harper, fol
1t shows, being an argument repeated
ly made by his friends, what clas o,
people he has attracted around him
If the city is not as well-behayed a,
it has been, will it not grow worse i
the condition is allowed to continue
Not to face this and to determine Il
clean up is cowardly procedure. Ger
tainly we shall not attract desirahI,