Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-26
WALTER PARKER
COMES TO FIGHT
2 AMENDMENTS
REPUBLICAN BOSS LATER TO
ASSIST "A. c."
MAYOR HARPER AND FRIENDS
SEE NEED OF AID
Dictator to Legislature Tears Himself
Away from Duties to Battle
for Machine in Los
Angeles

! Walter Parker has taken an action
! unprecedented almost in coming to Los
Angeles at a period critical in the
progress of the legislature to organize
his forces for the defeat of two charter
amendments-one which provides for
primary nominating system and the
other for the election of councilmen at
large-and, later, to turn that organ
lzatlon to the assistance of "A. c."
The desperate situation in which
Mayor Harper and his bosom friends
find themselves and their idea Of the
Importance of the recall movement are
clearly apparent in the promptness with
which Walter Parker has rushed to the
scene Of action.
He recognized Immediately the
seriousness of affairs and did an al
most unprecedented thing in leaving
the legislature to run itself
1t is matter of urgent Importance
that dragS Walter Parker away from
Sacramento when the state legislators
need his watchful care. This was
doubly true this month, when there
was a possibility Of being shut off
from his henchmen by flood or land
slide and while the peoples lobby"
was so peskily active.
Walter Parker did a brave thing
| from his viewpoint-when he hurried
| from Sacramento to Los Angeles to
pass more thans a week bolstering up
"a. C.Y and preparing to crank up the
machine against the recall.
One Of the principal acts of the ma
chine was to open headquarters, not
merely in behalf of the mayors cause,
| but first to fight two charter amend
ments which the Southern Pacific
breads most, for in Walter Parker S
mind they spell not only railroad domi-
nation ruined, but, as well, his occu-
patton gone. These proposed amend
ments, against which the Southern Pa
cif1c machine will wage a bitter war,
are those providing for a primary
nomination plan and the election Of
councilmen at large.
Headquarters Secured
Headquarters to direct this fight has
been opened in the rooms on the sec
ond floor of the Coulter building, across
| the way from the mayors office, oc-
cupied before election by the Demo-
cratic league. The middle word of the
lettering on the entrance door has been
washed off, and only the sign: The
League greets the visitor. Apparently
the league is nameleSS to the public,
although its real name is Ine WalIef
Parker league"
Partial arrangements have been made
by the Parker hangers-on, who hold
down the office, to begin a vigorous
campaign against the undesirable char
ter amendments. They hope to make 1t
particularly strong in the east side
wa wards. and it viii be strongly "anti
long-hair" This is, in part, to bring
out a vote at the charter revision cleo
ton, but the agitation will be carried
| forward into the Harper campaign I'M
mediately afterwards. The arguments
which already have been paraded, or
useless expense, cutting out portion
Of the city from any representation IN
the council, killing off all but one donl1-
nent party, and similar reasons, Will be
! paraded out in strength from the Wal
ter Parker league headquarters.
That Walter Parker himself would
neglect the legislature at so critical
| time to come down and start things
shows how alarmed he has become.
He is said to have urged the faithful
to work like beavers, and to have
4 told them plainly no efforts shall be
spared to defeat the charter amend
ments Objectionable to the Southern
Pacific. mo candidate against A. c.
is the second chapter.
To Institute Novel Campaign
AS part of the campaign to be in
| stituted by the Walter Parker league,
a list of names of employees of leading
manufacturing enterprises is to be Sc
cured. Arguments particularly sup
| posed to appeal to their views Will be
1
| they need representation more than the
| silk stocking wards but that the two
amendments which the Southern Pact-
| fic does not like-that providing for a
primary nominating system and the one
calling for the election of councilmen
at large-will absolutely cut the work
| ingmen off from a voice In the affairs
of the city. The east side wards will
| be 'shown" they will be cut off for all
time to come from direct representation
| in the council, and that they will be
dominated by other and 'long-hair"
wards.
Later will come the getting behind
"a. CO., but the Walter Parker league
does not wish that published at pres
! ent-not until after the election on the
proposed charter amendments.
The arguments which will be used by
the Walter Parker league in behalf
of ga. c. have been placed in a
fake petition which has been circu-
| lated in the lowest dives of Los An
geles. 1t attacks the recall as an un-
| necessary and tremendous expense
} about to be saddled on the city. 1t is
not necessary for a man to be quail
| fled elector to sign these petitions, or
to be sober so long as he can write
| his name or ask some one to write it
for him. The rules regarding signatures
are as elastic as those relative to the
"hotel registers" at the notorious Man
haitian and Goings resorts. :.