Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-09
PRAISE FOR
WORKERS IN
BIG BATTLE
LlSSNER THANKS FRIENDS OF
GOOD GOVERNMENT
GIVES THE HERALD CREDIT FOR
ITS STAND
College Mems Activity Had Much to
Do with Regularity of EIec-
tion-Business Men
at Helm
BY M. LIssNER
President Good Government Organization
of Los Angeles

The forces of the Good Government
organization of course feel quite JUDI
liant over the splendid result of the
election. The only forecast we would
make was that If the vote was heavy
we were sure that the whole Good
Government ticket would be elected,
and that has been the case. The vote
would have been several thousand
heavier if the weather had not been
inclement. In fact, l believe that IL
the weather had been good the vote
would have exceeded the vote cast at
the last presidential election, which
was in the neighborhOod of $4,000, The
heaviest vote ever cast at munich
pal election before in the city of Los
Angeles was $4,000, and as the vote
yesterday was aho'-- % per cent greater
than that, it indicates that the people
certainly do take a live interest IN
municipal elections under our new dl-
rect primary and non-partisan system
of elections, which has been trium-
phantly vindicated.
The Good Government organization
is not claiming all of the glory for
this election. In fact, it claims only a
comparatively small part of it. II was
the peoples fight, and the candidates
who received the support of the Good
Government organization were noml-
mated by the people themselves at the
primaries instead of by 'rump' party
convention. and the Good Government
organization simply gave its organized
support to the election of the people
candidates.
Nine out Of ten votes come to the
polls of their own accord. 1t is the
tenth vote-the backward Note-thaL
organization brings out, and this tenth
vote often carries the election, Whlch
was the case yesterday. 1t is probably
safe to say that without the organiza-
tion behind the peoples ticket 1t would
have been defeated. There are num-
Der of impractical but well intentioned
nersons who are disposed 70 criticise
ell Dolitical organizations. but it has
been made evident in the recall cam
paign, when Mayor Alexander was first
elected. in which he received only 1900
majority, and in the election of yester-
day, that without organization to COM
bat machine organization the people are
likely to he defeated every time.
People Forced to Organize
So long as the machine organizes,
therefore, the people must organize,
and it should be understood that the
Good Government organization Is not
Temporary organization for this cam
paign only, but is a permanent organ
ization for the purpose Of supporting
by active political work all movements
designed to promote better city gov
ernment; and it viii be in the field for
all time to come, SO long as it has
the confidence of the people and its
services are required.
All the work done in this campaign
was not done on the day of election.
In most of the precincts of the city
of Los Angeles for months past con-
scientious unselfish citizens have been
working canvassing their precincts,
perfecting their organization, all tend
ing to bring out the full Good Gov
ernment vote on election day and all
of this was volunteer work. The real
credit for the success of this election
belongs not to the leaders of the or
ganization, but TO the active, patri-
otic precinct workers all over the city
who are members of the Good Govern
ment organization and who labored day
and night for a long time to bring
about the splendid result of yester-
days election. on behalf of the exc
cutiye committee Of the Good Gov
ernment organization, and l think I
may say on behalf of the great mass
of citizens Of Los Angeles who are not
members of the GoO1 Government or
ganization but who sympathze with
the work it has been doing. ] desire
to heartily thank all of the splendid
workers in our ranFs who did so much
for the success of the ticket.
A good deal Of credit must be given
to the enthusiastic college men of Los
Angeles-the boys from the law school,
Occidental college, Polytechnic high,
Los Angeles high and University Of
Southern California who acted as
workers, chauengers and watchers in