Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-13

1
lions; a number Of candidates to be
voted on so great as to make an in.
telligent choice by the voters quite i'm
possible; elections by wards or districts
instead Of elections at large.
Another great educator and munich
pal statesman, Seth Low, formerly
mayor Of New York and president OF
Columbia university, says: IT have
read with some care the plan to sub
stitute popular nominations for nonin-
ations by party in your city elections
I hope your city will try the expert
ment, for it may prove to be Of great
value to other cities in the country
DR.. Low has been a municipal and
| political reformer from his youth up
His zeal for reform and for American
ism probably cost him political promo
ton to the governorship of New York
and the presidency of the United States.
But he is one Of the splendid American
educators who would rather be right
than be president" The approval of
DR.. Eliot and DR.. Low is the most
magnificent compliment that could pos
sibly be paid to the trainers of the
praised by these great American edu-
Gators.
Other citizens, illustrious in various
walks of life, have expressed apprecia-
ton and approval of charter amend
ments. Charles Jerome Bonaparte,
president Of the National Municipal
| league, says city councilmen ought to
be in all cases chosen at large. Mayor
WhitIock of Toledo expresses himself
in favor Of the election of councilmen
at large, provided there are not too
many members of the council to make
the plan cumbrous." He also favors
nomination of candidates by petition
only
John MacVicar superintendent of the
department of streets and public i'm
provements at Des Moines and one OF
the city commissioners under the Des
Moines plan of reformed city govern
ment, writes that after thirty years
relation with municipal governments
| he has no hesitation in placing nom
partisan nominations and elections first
among the many benefits derived from
the new form of government. Second
| in Importance he puts the selection OF
the council by the city at large, and
the payment of adequate salaries, with
the requirement that the mayor and
council should devote all their time to
the citys business.
One of the famous educators of whom
we in the west are justly proud also
expresses appreciation of the features
Of the amendments on which he is best
qualified to give an opinion. DR.. Ben
jamin Ide Wheeler says he has no
doubt that for cities with a population
of not over 100000 or 100000 election of
councilmen at large is the only proper
method.
Former Mayor Phelan of San Fran
cisco bases on the experience Of that
city the positive statement that super
visors should be nominated and elected
at large. In San Francisco, he says
the boards that have come out Of that
system have been for the most part
excellent 1.-THE first board after the
charter, the second and the third; the
present board, elected during this edu-
cation agitation, a most excellent class
of gentlemen, doing good work. The
only board that failed was that which
went in with Schmitz on a tidal wave
Clinton Rogers Woodruff, secretary
of the National Municipal league and
an authority on municipal government
heartily approves the election of coun-
cilmen entirely at large" Of the
proposal to do away with conventions
in local elections and to nominate only
by petition, he says: 'This is altogether
admirable and, providing you do moi
have to elect too many municipal Of
ffcers, certainly feasible"
William Kent of Kentfield, Cal. who
enjoys the double distinction of having
been the founder and first president Of
the Voters league of Chicago and Of
having presented the Muir Wood tc
the United States, says: eff you are tc
have partisan machine rule it is my
| Del1et tndL more ndT1n can De QOne
under the at-large system than under
the district SYSTEM but he adds: "The
question of direct nominations is nov
everywhere conceded as an inherent
part of democratic government. The
elimination Of Irrelevant national party
labels in municipal elections is also
recognized as an inherent necessity
These matters have been so often dis
cussed, are so clearly proven by IRE
futabIe logic and have been so otter
demonstrated both by the failure and
abuse of partisan government that it is
more than useless to cumber this let
ter with argument or proof. In the
light Of these general principles your
primary law seems to me admirable"
| Encouragement to advocates Of the
amendments comes also from Mayo
Fesler, secretary of the Civic league Of
ST. Louis, who writes: Relative to tbs
ter, particularly those providing for the
| election of councilmen at large and the