Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-08
PRESS OF UNITED STATES
PRAISES RECALL PRINCIPLE
Newspapers Throughout Country Comment on
Events in Los Angeles-Unanimous in Com
\ mending Movement for Civic Decency

causes. That it may be of great
benefit indirectly is shown by the
fact that when the council voted
to give away river bed franchise
the threat of a recall from the mu-
nicipal league caused the former
body to reverse it's action and so
saved the city a million dollars
worth of property.
The league has proven in the
Harper case that action was taken
only after a most thorough in
quiry and careful consideration. 1t
was urged against Harper that he
had made VIGOROUSLY bad appoint
ments to the police commission and
to the board of public works. The
board has control of the Owens
river aqueduct project, which in
wolves an expenditure of $25, 900 900
by the city, and it was felt that
If by any chance Harper should be
able to turn it over entirely to his
political henchmen the city might
suffer seriously. Harper himself
and members of his police commits
sion were interested in sugar and
oil stock, and it was charged that
shares of their companies to the
value of more than 5000 900 were
sold at par to saloonkeepers, brew
cry owners who control saloons,
keepers of combination saloons and
designation houses and expioiters
of prostitution. AS the mayor and
the police were responsible for the
regulation of the saloons and the
enforcement of the law against
vicious resorts, it was believed with
good reason that this condition of
affairs justified Harpers removal
from office by any available
process"
Wa rnaIxa +bis e,,ro1oor,, fro,,, n
statement issued by the league,
which goes on to show, by refer
ence to various conferences and
meetings, that in it's work for the
recall of the mayor nothing was
done hastily or recklessly. He was
forced upon sufficient grounds to
make fight for the retention of
his office, and, though he had
strong political backing. he was
not able to hold on until election
day. Certain of his supporters dis
trusted him to such an extent that
they exacted a pledge from him
that he would withdraw when they
said the word, and when it ap-
peared that stories were to be pub
lished which would show that his
personal conduct was disgraceful
and his associations vile the word
came. He withdrew and at the
same time begged for mercy from
those who had opposed him.
The recall seems to be pretty
thoroughly sustained by this re-
view, even though the original
charges were not brought to a test
at the election. For it is clear that
it enabled the city to get rid of an
unfit man and that after his ex-
perience the officials of Los An
geies will keep the recall steadily
in mind, to the distinct advantage
of the city.
PhiladeIphia's View
Says the Philadelphia Ledger:
Never, perhaps, in the history of
America, except during the critical
times of the founding of the nation
or during. the Civil War, has there
been so widespread and deep an in
terest in political, sociological and
what are called governmental ques-
tionsA In recent years the attention
of the people has been drawn sharp
ly to the subject of popular nomin-
ations of all sorts of officials by
means of primaries. The initiative
and referendum is a deeper device
which many people think so highly
of that when it has been adopted
its advocates count the battle of
free and good government already
won, and now the recall is to be
cap and crown and real salvation of
political society, where all the other
laws exhibited some defect due to
the persistence of perverse human
nature.
From New Orleans
Calm and judicial are the conclusions
drawn by the New Orleans Democrat
in the following:
The power of the recall, as a
means of the removal of undesirable
public officials, is demonstrated in
the resignation of Mayor Harper of
Los Angeles. Charges that he had
protected vice, made bad appoint
ments and been otherwise derelict
in Office resulted in a petition bear
ing 10000 names for his recall. The
election was set for March 26 and he
was candidate to be INDICATED by
election or dismissal from office
with such prejudice to his good
name as legal dismissal would nee
essarily bring. Face to face with
the situation. Mayor Harper re-
signed his office and withdrew as a
candidate. The conclusion is forced
that his resignation was the prod
uct of fear of the outcome and no
indication of contrition or regret.
There is no record of public officer
resigning his position until forced
to do so by fear of prosecution for
specific offenses. In this case there
are no allegations of kind which
would merit consideration by a re-
sponsible body charged with the
power of indictment. Los Angeles
merely had mayor who did not
measure up to the requirements. 1t
purposed doing what any corpora
ton would do under similar circum-
stances-discharge him. What hap
pened was just what usually hap
pens in the case of inefficiency in an
officer of a private corporation-he
resigned. 1t doesn't matter wheth-
er the case is viewed as a justnfi-
cation of the recall or not. Recre-
ant officials, chosen for a specified
term, hold until the end of the term,
and such means as the law custom
arily provides for getting rid of
them are ineffective except in the
case of abuses so gross that Grimm
atty Is involved. Why should not a
city have the power to do what a
railroad corporation will do in the
case of disappointing executive?
From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat
At the Los Angeles recall election
for mayor two-thirds vote was
polled. The one-third that shirked
their duty at the polls will now
proceed to make the most noise
about bad city government.
Harper Hard Hit
From the New Orleans News:
Mayor Harper of Los Angeles
has been hit amidships by the re-
call and landed securely in the
bosom of oblivion. The recall,
which is a second cousin to the
referendum, is mighty fine thing
to hang over the door of public
building in lieu of a horseshoe. 1t
causes the straight and narrow
nnth To Look Unnd tn officials who