Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-24

OF all countries and of all systems of
jurisprudence answers that question
IN one way only, namely, that the mas
ter mas right to call for an account
mg by his servant.
Inc honest servant never objects IA
this. In fact it is a delight for him to
meet his employer face to face and
make an exhibit of what he is doing.
OF ms receipts and of his expenditures
1t is only the dishonest servant who
skulks and shirks and complains if he
IS asked to render his account. But.
you say, that only has respect to the
private relations of men. Welr-I denv
that.
When you wanted to find ont
whether your servant had done well or
evil, and especially if you are to re-
move him from his trust. there has
peen different method, to which
snail IN moment refer. But it is
universally conceded that a municipal
corporation like the city Of Los Angeles
IS business corporation Just as much
so as an oil company or any other
organization for business purposes.
But then 1t is great deal more than
that. But the fact it is a business
organization characterizes the rights
and relations of those who engage IN
carrying it on.
impeachment No Remedy
''Now to say that you have to apply
the old method to municipal corpor-
at1on-I mean the method Of impeach-
ment-is simply to say that you have
no remedy, for 1 will appeal to you,
old and young, coming as you do from,
the four quarters of earth, did you
ever know a municipal officer to be
impeached and turned out of office in
your life, any of your"
A man in the audience said. "Yes."
''Well, you know of one?" asked
Judge McNutt. "Where?"
Nebraska" was the answer "The
governor"
"Oh, well, am not talking about
impeaching governors said Judge Nc
Mutt 81 am talking about municipal
officers
what is the difference?" asked a
member of the City club.
''Wen, I have been trying to explain
the difference said the speaker, "and
by the time / get through most Of the
people here will realize what the diff
ference is
"No man, I say, within the sound of
my voice ever heard Of a municipal
officer being impeached. 1t has hap
pened sometimes that Judiciary and
state officials have been impeached. /
OO uOI hIlOW VI dLy Instance OI IQaT
sort myself, but it has sometimes hap
pened, no doubt. have read about it,
but the impeachment of a municipal
officer is absolutely without precedent
so far. Once in a long time municipal
officers commit such gross and fragrant
crimes that they send them to the
penitentiary, and thereby vacate the
office by reason Of the judgment, the
conviction, ard that only happens once
in very great while. believe it hap
pened in the case of Schmitz at San
Francisco. He was convicted and his
office declared vacant by reason Of
his conviction. But you see that is re-
versed, and if I am not mistaken if
his term of office had not in the mean
time lapsed he had no doubt OF being
entitled to be reinducted into his Of
flee.
Is Bad Condition
"Now that is a bad condition of
things. There ought never to be a sit
uation Of that sort in municipal or any
other kind of government. I read
somewhere don't know just where it
was now; some of my brethren who
are more recent in their classics than
I am may recall it-of an instance, a
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