Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-10
GOOD CITIZENS
SUPPORT MOVE
AGAINST VICE
HARPER'S INTERFERENCE Is
RESENTED
OF CAFE CRITICISES
FORMER CHIEF
mission Corporations Ask Herald
to Continue to Probe and
Expose Transactions

III II
n Los Angeles approval is hourly
II sent to The Herald on it's deter
mination to obtain a final answer to
the question, "Is vice protected in Los
Angeles? ?" An increasing number of let
ters comes in daily, each expressing
sincere approval to the paper and urg-
ing a continued insistence upon a set
tlement of the problem that is stirring
Los Angeles.
Some of the letters relate instances
occurring in the personal knowledge Of
the writer which would make toward
answering the question. Some Of these
are anonymous, the writer's stating that
they fear personal results should their
identity in any way be associated with
the information disclosed, but they are
so evidently sincere in their state
ments that the letters are of value.
The letters came from all sorts of
persons, as may be judged from the
stationery and diction. One, for in
stance, is from a stockholder in one
Of the mayor-police commission cor
porations written in a feminine hand.
Another is from business man, type
written and businesslike, in which he
says Everybody in our office is for
you" Others come from men who feel
keenly the need of maintaining above
reproach a clean name for Los An
geles and who are for a reply unmis-
taxable in its meaning, whether af-
firmative or negative, to the query, rs
vice protected in Los Angeles?
Messages of similar import are tele-
phoned, and many suggestions to "stay
by it, were received through The Her
aid exchanges yesterday. They even
come to the homes of members of the
staff. Business men and women, pro-
| oil
time in the rush of the day to say: Il
just called you up to let you know that
1 am with you in the fight. You are
right; keep it up"
Want Vice Stopped
A number of prominent men have
called at The Herald editorial rooms
to show their feeling in the matter, and
each has emphasized his belief that
the honor of the city demands con-
elusive and thoroughly satisfactory
solution of the problem. Heads of large
mercantile houses. leading professional
men, brokers-responsible citizens in all
walks of business life-have Indicated
that the people of Los Angeles want TO
be assured if vice is protected in Los
Angeles that such protection will stop.
eff the answer to the question The
| Herald asks is an affirmative one,
said a prominent member Of the Los
Angeles county bar, "the result must
be one that shall stand for years 10
come as a warning to the men who
may be intrusted with the adm1nlstra-
ton of the city's affairs"
A sample comment is that of a lead
ing cafe proprietor, who has had long
experience in Los Angeles, and who
has always insisted upon maintaining
a. thoroughly respectable restaurant.
In his time he has seen much progress
of various sorts from the time Los An
geles numbered only a few thousand
for the population in it's limits.
"It isn't right, the way things are
now," said he, land there is good
deal going on that's damage to re-
spectacle business interests. Do you
know, / have had to close my private
dining rooms because in no other way
could I keep out disreputable parties,
who seemed to think they had an alb
solute right to come in and ruin the
reputation of my place. And | could
get no protection from the authorities
none at all. It's queer; and it's bad,
too; mighty bad.
"Yet these 'Chowder Jims,' who dis
grace the cafe business in this city,
seem to be able to run their places as
they please, and to encourage these
low types of people to. frequent all
cafes. I understand chief Of Police
Kern claimed he didn't know anything
about such goings on. Maybe he didn't,
hut. if So what kind of a police chief
was he not to know? Do you sup
pose I could sell a bottle Of beer out
of legal hours and not hear from 1t?
Well, 1 guess not. But it's awful, the
things that are permitted in some of
those places.
"Now, if Kern and the mayor and
the police commission didn't know, do
they know why they are in office? And
If they do know-well, you asked the
question yourself in The Herald"
"Hands Off" Says Venice
At the beach towns interest continues
awake for the indirect effect they be-
| lieve is involved, and especially at
Ocean Park and Santa Monica through
the stand taken by Mayor H. B. Eak-
ins. Regarding the latter's stand the
Venice Vanguard said editorially yes
terday:
at is very commendable on the part
of Mayor H. B. Eakins to permit no
outside influences to dissuade him from
exercising the honest dictates of his
own conscience on proposed reforma-
tory measures.
'dThe only people that man in a
high official position, such as Mr.. Eakin
| occupies, should consult are his own
fellow townsmen. All others should
be given to understand they must keep
hands off, The men and trustees of
this city are abundantly able to regu-
late and manage their own affairs"
Residents of the western beach
towns voiced similar views yesterday,
and in the list were included some Of
| the best known men of Venice, Ocean
Park and Santa Monica. Those who
have business interests in Los Angeles
feel that they have double interest
in the outcome. Others believe also
that if vice is protected in Los Angeles
CONTINUED Page Three)