Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-11

in favor of the bill were Cattell and
Coggswell.
There was some railroad legislation
proposed. There was a bill introduced
by Senator Stetson which meant some-
thing to the shippers of California, and
a bill introduced by Senator Wright
which meant little or nothing.
Senator Stetson's bill attempted to
meet the demands of shippers for rem
edial legislation, especially with refer
ence to the powers and duties of the
railroad commission. Senator Wrights
bill was reported out of committee,
however, as might have been expected,
and the test came on Senator Stetson's
motion to substitute his measure for
the Wright bill. On this motion Sena-
tors Bell and Thompson voted AYE
and Senators Hurd, Mccartney ana
Savage no"
A bill was introduced, fathered and
supported by the Direct Legislation
League of California, providing for the
submission to the people of a constitu-
tional amendment for the initiative at
the next general election. Why any
senator should have been unwilling to
allow the people to determine whether
they wanted the initiative in the con-
stitution l cannot understand. Never
theless Senators Hurd and Savage vot-
ed against the measure and Senators
vor of 1t.
Voting Right and Wrong
These were some of the crucial tests
in the last Legislature, and on review
ing the record on these test votes we
find that Assemblyman Cattell of Pas
adena and Senator Bell and Senator
Thompson voted right every time; that
Assemblyman Coggswell voted right
every time but once; that Assembly
men Leeds. stanton and Transue ana
Senator Savage voted wrong every
time and that Assemblymen Barndol-
lar and Rech and Senators Mccartney
and Hurd voted wrong every time but
once on these test votes. There were
other votes taken for which all our
Los Angeles legislators deserve COM
mendation, but those mentioned were
considered the Crucial tests.
There were other members of the
legislature from Southern California
particularly Senator Estudillo OF Riv-
erside, Senator Roseberry of Santa
Barbara and Assemblymen Hinkle of
San Diego and Sackett of Ventura,
who also made excellent records and
voted right every time.
I regret to have found 1t necessary
to criticise the record of some OF our
legislators from this county, and
would much rather have been able to
give them general commendation and
clean bill of health. but l think the
PEOPLE of this community should not
be given the impression. by means OF
a coat of whitewash thickly spread at
an organization banquet, that the rec
ords of all of the Los Angeles county
delegation were equally good.
Honor to hybrid Caucus"
am informed that the passage of
the most important reform measures,
like the direct primary and anti-race
track gambling bills. was only maze
possible by a coalition between the
lincoln Roosevelt Republicans and the
decent Democratic members of the leg
islature in what was known as the
hybrid caucus Well, I say, all honor
to the hybrid caucus"
Incidentally, I think ought to refer
to the fact that the Lincoln Roosevelt
Republican league forces nave just
won the first election in san Diego u.-
der the new commission system ADOPT
ed there. That gives us a Lincoln
roosevelt mayor, or what amounts
to the same thing, a reform mayor III
San Diego, in Los Angeles, IN FRESNO,
in Sacramento, in Oakland ana IN
Berkeley and a clean Democrats
mayor in San Francisco. All these
places but one nao ihdchihe A'
two years ago. 49,
This augurs well, I think, for the
eventual control of the state govern
ment by the forces of decency tnrougi,,
the direct primary at the next genera
state election.
School Bond Election
Tho rext test vote of the power OF
tho machine and the machine press
was polled when the school bona elec-
tion was held recently. That is a
matter of such recent history that II
hardly requires comment, but IL Ewes
me opportunity to say KIND wore IN
behalf of the enthusiastic high SC seno o.l
lads who had much to do with the OF
oanization and success OF tnat eiec-
fion. and who in my brief poiltlcai eA
ne,ience 7 have found to be excelient
and willing workers. .a,,o a
do not know whether they nave
course of study known as cltizehsnlp
in our advanced Schools put u 1T
81 ,ia 20 We cannot too soon begin 10
imhue the mind of the young citlzeh
with a thorough knowledge ana un-
derstanding of the duties and respon-
sihiIities of citizenship. If we are 10
contend successfully with the organ
lied forces of political workers, WHOSE
bread and butter depend upon car
rying their precincts ana VINO WIN ios sS
their Jobs and opportunity to feed OH
tbe nI,blic pie counter If they don't
make good. we must convey to the
mind of the rising generation tne
thought that one does not perform ms
whole duty as citizen by simply
"a stins mis- vote: that it requires &C
five militant effort on the part OF the
wisher for good government to BRING
il about; that he must talk good gov
eminent and work for good govern
ment: that he must take part III ms
precinct organization and devote part
Of his time and be willing to make
sacrifices for the good of the cause;
and I predict that the young citizen
will find the contest interesting and 10
his liking. There is no more exciting
game in the world than the game OF
politics, nor can there be any greater
satisfaction than to win on the size
of right and decency.
Must Be Taught to Vote
Above all the young citizen should
he made to understand that the least
he can do is to vote at an election
The citizen who is unable to make up
his mind how to vote at an election
or who for some political reason, re-
mains away from the polls, or VINO, by
reason of his apathy, neglects that
duty of O citizen, does not deserve to
hold the elective franchise; and l hope
some day to see a law passed which
will make inexcusable non-use of the
elective franchise ground for taking 1t
away altogether.
Then came the charter amendment
election. That, too, is so recent that
/ am not warranted in going much into
detail. A machine majority in the city
council which thought 1t had power
enough to block the expression OF the
popular will by refusing to call free