Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-28
MACHINE METHODS
MIR. wOoLwINE'S impeachment
wi of Walter Parker not only makes

A'A the election Of any machine
candidates unthinkable-Los Angeles
would be liable TO the charge
OF alteration If in the face of
facts II exposed itself. by its own
action, to further danger of plum
der or official corruption. But the i'm
/ parchment does more. 1t makes Mr..
Parker unthinkable. He is exposed as
the agent in a deal by which the city
would have been looted for the benefit
of a corporation which for years has
maintained VIGOROUSLY machine for
the exploitation of Los Angeles through
the misuse of political power and the
debauchery of public officials.
The Walter Parker machine-the S. p.
machine-is the most outrageous of
modern times. Its existence has been
a reproach to Los Angeles as we'll as
a menace, because 1t has illustrated
constantly methods and practices that
have been denounced and exposed and
| PUNISHED In other cities time and
time again.
The startling and remarkable affida-
Wit of Mr.. Lelande, read by Mr.. Wool
wine at the Boyle Heights meeting
shows the machine boss was not above
tearing leaves out Of old books, and
using the same disreputable tactics
that exiled Tweed from New York,
sent the Doodle aldermen to jail and to
| Canada, and, recrudescing in other
states, even disturbed the equilibrium
| of qtaid old Eapps,,l,,a,;o ,,,Lo,a -..-..
reputation for decency and order was
used as a cloak behind which daring
politico-corporation villains of a type
now existing in Los Angeles exercised
their influences for evil and secured i'll
gotten privileges and other gains
Mr.. Lelande. citizen of the highest
type, and an office holder of unim-
! peachable and unassailable integrity,
true as steel and good as gold, in a
sworn statement which, published in
The Herald, has been read by most of
the citizens of Los Angeles and should
be read by all OF them, distinctly brands
Walter Parker IS being a man of pre-
cisely the same type and stripe as the
notorious Jacob Sharp of New York,
whose methods, according to affidavit,
were copied by Mr.. Parker in the mat
ter of the river bed franchise with a
scrupulous fidelity which shows the
story of the New York Broadway rail-
ton book by modern corporation fran
chise grabbers.
The question asked by Parker in his
interview with Mr.. Lelande, "HOW
MUCH will you take to sign that ordi-
nance right away?" is almost an exact
repetition of one of the famous Jake
Sharp questions. Probably the vocabu-
larry of rascality is recurrent; and, like
it's methods, is strikingly lacking in
originality and is strong in the imi-
tative quality.
Modern citizens should be thankful
for this weakness on the part of vice.
It's imitativeness or its recurrent nature
makes 1t easy to follow the course of
a transaction like that attempted by
Walter Parker. as recorded In the
Woolwine affidavit, and to see that its
logical flnality was the wholesale cor
ruption of the entire city government OF
Los Angeles in every branch. and the
Geliverance Of the city to corrupt and
shameless corporation, the chief agent
of which, a political machine, would
aim to further strengthen its position
of commanding and predominant plum
der by filling city offices with machine
candidates who in reality were the tools
of the crafty, corrupting corporation.
In order to defend itself from the
villainous methods described in the in
stance recorded by Mr.. Lelande upon
his oath, and in order to exclude from
office all fellows of the Healy, Hough-
ton and Summerland type, the electo-
rate OF this city MUST VOTE THE
GOOD GOVERNMENT TICKET, AND
VOTE IT STRAIGHT.
Good government will be incomplete