Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-02
FRIEND TRIES TO
DEFEND HARPER:
is LAUGHED AT
ATTEMPTED DEFENSE PROVES
TRUE BOOMERANG
ALEXANDER CLUB ORGANIZED
WITH GOOD MEMBERSHIP
Chairman Of Recall Campaign Com
mlttee Served In Same Office
When Ben Ward Was
Elected
WI ALLAcE wIDEMAN W a $

w laughed out of court when he
w attempted to defend his friend,
Mayor Harper, at a recall meeting at
Bethesda. Presbyterian church last
night. After Prof. Lorin A. Handley,
the speaker of the evening, had nm
ished, Wideman arose and spoke SO
funnily. though unintentionally so, on
myself and Harper" that the audi
ence could not restrain it's smiles
Wideman had been sent out by the
mayor. and naturally thought he should
follow the Harper scheme of putting
his foot in his mouth, which ne did
with ease. He fioundered into rage
at the laughter of his audience, al
though 1t endeavored with some enort
to be respectful, and he pointed 20 one
Of the elderly men present. exclaiming:
"That fellow over there with the
whiskers Is ridiculing me. ] want
square treatment"
The man referred to. who Is an oid
resident of Los Angeles, and, like most
Of the audience, is a working man, IN
dignantly refuted Wideman's accusa-
ton and then paid his respects 10
Wideman's weak defense OF Harper
which consisted of a plea to give A.
c. chance"
81 know Mr.. Earl and have been re-
ceived In his home like one of his fam
iiy" said Wideman by way of preface
to an imputation of the motives-o OF the
Express and The Herald In favorlng
the recall. Wideman said the mayor
had not sued The Herald for libel be-
cause such a suit would cost $500, but
did not answer the questioner VINO
wanted to know why Harper had not
accepted The Herald's offer to pay all
expenses of instituting suit IL the
mayor only would begin one.
Then. when Prof. Handley TOOK Two
or three minutes to sift Widemans s
talk In a search for the semblance of
rational argument, the champion of the
champion of Ed Kern's vote ON the
rfverbed franchise - Wideman, the
s.boson friend'--wilted entirely.
"As a courtesy to me, won't you
please drop this?" he inplored.
Makes Powerful Plea
Prof. L. A. Handley. in his speech
fayoring the election of George Alex
ander. made a strong argument for
decent government and the preserya-
ton OF the good name of Los Angeles.
He detailed the necessity for protecting
the aqueduct, both in its construction.
and in the handling for the people of
it's water and power, and showed why
the people had excellent reason for be-
lieving that A. C. Harper's acts as
mayor had not tended to create conf
dence that his administration would
maintain the Owens river project above
all suspicion or taint.
Throughout his speech Mr.. Handley
refrained from personalities, maintain
ing a straightforward argument for
city of big, clean things. His address
met with a hearty response from the
audience, and both Handley and Wide
man succeeded in making votes ana
volunteers for George Alexander.
Another Alexander club was organ
lied last night at meeting held at
1868 Elwood street, with an Initial
membership of thirty six voters pledged
to work for Alexander. The organtza-
ton Is known as the East End Alex
ander club, and it will meet week
from tonight at 1868 Elwood street.
Howard M. Morris was elected presi-
dent; j. w. Moore. vice president, and
T. p. Gish, secretary and treasurer.
Each member is pledged to bring a
new member at each meeting of the
club. AT last nights meeting speeches
were made by Charles Williams, How
ard M. Morris and Frank Sarlo.
Led Ben. Ward Fight
S. c. Graham, who was chosen chair
man of the recall campaign committee
Yesterday afternoon, is an experienced
campaigner, and Is known, as are the
other members of the committee, for
his integrity and business standing He
was chairman of the non-partisan
county committee which made the Wig
orous fight for Ben Wards election
as county assessor in 1906.
The personnel of the recall campaign
committee was the cause of much fav-
orable comment yesterday. It's menu
bers were recognized as men of ability
and prominence, representing numerous
lines of work and business, and stand
ing for all forms of religious belief and
industry.
'They are not cranks or faddists by
whole lot" was one mans comment
on Spring street yesterday afternoon.
"A movement backed by representa-
tive set of men like that. who certain
ly do represent the best thought of the
city, deserves to win. They embrace
all lines of business, religious belief and
phases of the best activity of Los An
geles. 1t makes a mud-slinging cam
paign fall mighty fiat to run against
that kind of committee"