Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-14
VOTE TO WATCH
COUNCILS ACTS
ALEXANDER CLUB NO. 1903 TO
ATTEND SESSION
Move Of Every Member of Municipal
Body viii Be checked-Candi-
date Pledges Honest
Administration

Alexander club, No. 1O3, held an en-
thusiastic meeting at Hokom hall, on
Moneta avenue, last night, voting to
attend the city council Monday morn
ing. Each voter at the meeting was
urged to bring another to the counc1l
chamber to watch the action OF the
councilmen.
T. ]. Connolly, president of the club,
presided and introduced the speakers.
George Alexander, r. II. Norton and
Marshall Stimson. Mr. Connolly called
attention to the responsibility resting
on the council and urged the voters TO
see that so large a majority Is rolled
up for Alexander March rs, that no
doubt could exist in future as to the
will of the people prevailing.
George Alexander referred vigorously
to the evidence of the hand Of the ma
chine in the present campaign. He
pledged himself to carry out the VIII
of the people so far as he is able to
see it. and said he would net hesitate
to take advice from any good citizen,
but that he would not be controlled
by bosses of any nature
Mr.. Norton reviewed the principles
which actuated the adoption of the re-
call. He urged that the vote, March 70,
be a heavy one, to demonstrate that
the people intend to see their VIII
shall prevail Marshall Stimson, who
made the principal address of the
evening, paid his respects to the COM
mittee of 100 business men who in
dorsed Mayor Harper just before he
resigned from office.
1.-The retirement of Mayor Harper,
said Mr. Stimson, "is merely an incl
dent in the fight for decency in this
city. 1t does not alter the conditions
at all. We were not fighting Arthur
Harper personally, but condition IN
municipal government. Harper went
into Office through the treachery or
Walter Parker and his machine to the
Republican party, and Parker ana
what he stands for have dominated the
Harper administration. The same con-
dition confronts us now, and the neces-
sfty for the fight is just as great as
before Harper resigned. Parker ana
the machine are just as busy now try
ing to put another man in the mayor
chair who will serve their interests as
they were heretofore in seeing that
Harper carried out their desires.
"They are trying to raise the cry now
that they are afraid to put forward
one of their own men, that the inter-
ests of the city demand compromise
be effected to avoid legal complications.
This is a dishonest plea because they
are themselves the ones who are threat
ening to raise legal objections. Their
attorney in the city hall openly de-
clared that they intended to try to put
George Smith in the mayors chair and
then bring suit to determine whether
or not he was entitled to hold Office un-
til January 10, 1910. If their argument
were honest it would be easily an
swered by the election of Alexander py
the council and the subsequent re-elec,
to attack the legality of any of the
city's enterprises on account of the
mayor's resignation 1t would show that
Alexander held both titles to the ofhce,
appointment by the council and cleo
tfon by the people.
Harper's Act Changes Nothing
"Speaking of dishonest arguments
brings MS directly to one of the most
dishonest incidents of this campaign
the reply of 100 business men TO the
petition to recall Mayor Harper printed
in the Times of Sunday March Z. And
right here l wish to remark that IN
every movement for better govern
ment in this city l have always seen a
business mems organization rise up
to combat any effort made to pring
about better conditions of government.
81 have absolutely no quarrel Win
any man on account of his opinion,
provided it be an honest one. But
am tired of seeing names Which are
supposed to mean something In Dusl-
ness life put forward on such occa-
sions and attempts made to lnJure pro-
gressive movements by Influencing
public opinion through the use OF these
names.
Fair to Make Inquiries
Gas these men have been very free
in alleging motives on the part of men
WORKING with the Municipal league it
Is only fair to make some inquiries
into what may be the motives which
influence them. The public is entitled
to know what are the real reasons why
so many of these men can always be
relied on to come forward at such
times as these.
"There are a number of prominent
real estate men who, when railroads
and other large corporations desire to
purchase real estate for rights OF way
or building purposes, are given the OPP
portunity to make the negotiations ana
receive the commissions That may not
be a reason why this class of men is
easily induced to sign these state
ments, but man has right to make
a deduction.
"Then there is class of physicians
who attend to the cases for the rail-
roads, and it may not be true that this
has any influence on their readiness
to respond. There is also a class of
men selling goods to some of the large
corporate interests or to the city or
county government. and while re-
quest from the purchasing body might
not have any weight with these men,
still it is to be considered "a fact which
we might at least notice. Hotel men,
a prominent part of whose business is
conducting bars and cafes, might be
extremely bashful about signing such
statements when approached by po-
lice commissioner or body whose duty
1t was to regulate the liquor trfafic,
another little matter to be considered
before attaching too much weight to