Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-11

anew, or to request men who have been
active in precinct work to act as pre-
cinct committeeman. There should be
permanent good government organiza-
tions in every precinct in the city
ready, like minutemen, to respond all
most automatically to the need of the
hour; and to this end want to suggest
the organization of Good Govern
ment league for Los Angeles which
shall be In fact as we'll as in name a
real league of the forces of good gov
eminent.
Those organizations in Los Angeles
which have been tried and found true
and are identified with good govern
ment should all be represented in this
proposed Good Government league
through their respective boards of d.
rectors or executive committees. For
instance, the members OF the govern
ing bodies of the Municipal league, the
, Voters league and the City club should
all be members of the Good Govern
ment league.
Appeals to College Men
College men should have thoroughly
imbued into them the necessity for the
active work of those citizens who have
the greatest advantages in an educa-
tional way. and the executive commit
tee of the College Mems association re-
Gently formed here, living in Los An
geles, should be members. | am
sure the Lincoln Roosevelt Republican
league, the Democratic league and the
executive committee of the non-parti-
san city central committee would be
quite willing to go into such move
ment If 1t would be considered desira-
BILE.
In our recent campaigns we have be-
come acquainted with earnest and zeal
GUS workers for good government
among the foreign population in the
city. and / advocate the organization
of a German-American Good Govern
ment league and a Latin-American
Good Government league, which should
affiliate with the general Good Govern
ment league. There Is no reason why
there should not be a Good Govern
ment league among the colored men
in this city. In fact. I know of some
good colored men who are ready, anx-
ious and willing to go right ahead with
such a movement at this time. The
colored vote in Los Angeles Is a very
important factor and should not be
overlooked.
Labor Unions Needed
Then, again, / think special represent
tation In such a movement should be
given to that portion of the working
class represented by the labor unions,
The labor union vote in previous cam
paigns has often been manipulated by
demagogic leaders and delivered to
the machine. Recently new light has
come over many of the most intelligent
of these men, and they have expressed
the desire to cooperate with the real
friends of good government, and while
they are in that mood l think we
should meet them half way. In fact,
one of the strongest criticisms of our
good government movements in the
no OF @ haan that thara WI fllnrh
of the silk stocking, pink sock and
Tuxedo coat about them; that they
did not get close enough TO the work.
ing people. And one of our greatest
difficulties has been to find representa-
tive men among the working people
with whom we could confer and coop
crate. By all means, say. let us give
representation In the Good Govern
ment league to the labor unions.
There are many important associa-
| tions in the city that are doing ex-
cellent work and are vitality interested
In good government, and each improve
ment association should be entitled to
a representative in the Good Govern
ment league, and the executive COM
mittee of the Federation of Improve
ment Associations recently organized,
which is supposed to represent all the
improvement associations in the city,
should be a member of the Good Gov
fernment league.
Club In Each Precinct
| Most important of all, there should
be a Good Government club in every
precinct in the city of Los Angeles, of
which the earnest, active workers in
the precinct should be officers, and
each one of these precinct clubs should
be entitled to one representative in
the councils of the Good Government
league.
tb,nly fha mellow of eucf, N oroa nj
cation should not be to make nominal
tons, but the organization should wait
until nominations had been made by
the people through petition under our
direct primary system, and then the
Good Government league should be
called together and the merits of all
the different candidates considered and
ticket should be Endorsed, which the
people should be asked to support.
A body composed as have suggested
could not be said to be representative
of any clique, set or faction, but 1t Is
intended to be and would be represent
tative OF all classes and conditions OF
our citizenship and it's Endorsement
would certainly have immense weight
1t is. think, especially necessary, in
view of the fact that a very large num-
Der of names will be printed on the
primary ballot, and there are many
citizens who would look to the indorse-
ment of such an organization for their
information and guidance.
Cites Recent Campaign
Remember. gentlemen. what hap-
pened at the recall election. BY mere
ly passing the word down alon.s the
line and in a gum-shoe campaign, the
machine was nearly able, through its
policy of rule or ruin, to elect a man
for mayor whom neither 1t nor the
forces for good government wanted In
that Office. The machine always works
as a unit. 1t elected Harper by throw
ing it's several thousand votes to him.
Just as sure as fate 1t Ill attempt to
defeat the good government candidate
In the fall, election by repeating the
same performance, and 1t can do 1t
maintain our organization.
Organization, therefore, is absolutely
neeessary--in fact, 1t is Imperative.
Lack of organization spells defeat.
Some one may be able to suggest
better plan of bringing all the forces
of good government in Los Angeles
into practical cooperation / give you
my idea for what 1t is worth, as do
not expect personally to have anything
to do with the organization OF such a
league.
There is enough work in the build
ing up, perfecting and maintenance
of such an organization to occupy all
of one mans time, and such an organi-
zation should have permanent quarters
and a paid secretary carefully selected
for his adaptability and love for the
work.
+ Recall Sacred Weapon
- 49,.