Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-21
GOOD MEN NECESSARY FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF HARsoR

LOS ANGELES. Aug. 14.-[Editor
Herald: The people of Los Angeles
county on the outside are nearly as in
terested in the work of consolidation
that has been accomplished as the peo-
pie of Los Angeles city, San Pedro and
Wilmington. There is more sentiment
favorable to further mergers than Is
generally supposed. Greater Los An
geles is destined to be the most prom
inent commercial center on the Pacific
coast if no mistakes are made that
shall retard its growth, and If the
wisest policies shall be pursued the
citys pre-eminence will be speedily
achieved.
That has already been accomplished
which is the first-and a very long
step toward perfecting a harbor that
will rank among the best in the ma
ton. There is, however, work to be
Immediately done that Is vitality essen
tial in promoting result that condl,
tions provided by nature invite, and
that work is installation of govern
ment that shall command the highest
confidence for its integrity, intelligence
and devotion to the general interests.
The officials chosen at the election soon
to occur will lay the foundation of
structure that will have much to do
with retarding or advancing the great
er city's growth and prosperity.
It should not be assumed that be-
cause the mergers of the harbor cities
with Los Angeles have been achieved,
there will be no effort by grafters, cor
porate or individual, to worm them
selves in for the purpose of raking
from the money to be expended in max
ing the improvements The sums to
be expended will necessarily be large,
and that fact will only stimulate the
grafters to the making Of more vigor-
Gus efforts. Their fingers are already
surreptitiously at work In preparing
the way for the qualification of their
greedy propensity
Men are being put forward by the
political machines and bosses, not os-
tensibly but covertly, as candidates for
the most important offices. Partisans
are at work for men who can be inf1u-
enCed to aid party to the sacrifice or
the public interests. Partisans, ma
chimes and bosses and grafters natural
" affiliate They will work energetic
ally to secure one of the two candidates
for each office the highest vote at the
PRIMARIES and then make a desperate
struggle to secure his election. The
machines and bosses and grafters will
then combine to elect their men, re-
gardless Of what may be their party
Affiliations
AS under the city's charter party
designations cannot be put upon the
tickets at the primaries or the election,
the inference logically to be drawn is
that when the people adopted the char
ter they intended that the government
should be non-partisan, a government
by the people and for the people. 1t is
only in the carrying out of this prin-
cipie that such a government that will
inspire general confidence will be in
stituted and perpetuated.
The whole question before the people
at the election soon to occur is one of
men, honest, capable, firm, industrious,
patriotic, and in all ways high-minded
men When the precedent is once set
Of electing such men It will be an as
surance to all good men everywhere as
to the future that will give them conf
dence and that confidence will be
greatest in aiding the citys upbuilding.
LIONEL A. SHELDON.