Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-02
TO VOTE CHANGES
IN CITY CHARTER
AMENDMENTS TWO AND FOUR
SPECIALLY URGED
HENEY AND TAYLOR STRONGLY
INDoRSE THEM
City Club Fights StrenuousIy for
Them, Railroad Machine Having
Singled Them Out for Its
Attack

All is in readiness for the charter
amendment election today The polls
will be open from a. m. to o. m.
AT the rooms of the City club last
evening the scene was much like that
usual to party headquarters on the eve
of a general election. The campaign
committee of the club rounded out the
plans for the struggle today in behalf
Of amendments Nos. and 4, and the
precinct workers received their final in
structions.
Maps showing the new divisions of
the precincts to guide the voters to
their polling places and thousands of
cards bearing the printed injunction to
be sure to vote for amendments Nos.
2 and were sent out in large uuanti-
ties in charge Of young and enthusiast
tic volunteers, as well as older ones.
White silk badges will be worn by all
the workers for the two amendments
IN which the club feels the most in
tereSt.
The solicitude Of the City club for
these two amendments arises from the
knowledge that the railroad machine
has selected them for special objects
Of attack. The machine wants to keep
hold on the political situation in Los
Angeles, and will spare no effort to de-
feat the proposition to establish the sys-
tenn of selecting councilmen by the
votes of the city at large and choosing
candidates by the direct primary.
1t was given out at the club head
quarters last evening that it was
earnestly wished that those who are in
sympathy with the object of the cam
paign committee of the City club and
have not reported to headquarters
should go to their respective polling
places today and get in touch with the
club workers for the two amendments.
Mayor Taylor Approves
Frank G. Henderson, secretary of the
City club, is in receipt of a letter from
Mayor Taylor of San Francisco, dated
January 20, which reads as follows:
My Dear Sir-At the request of Mr.
Isidore Jacobs of this city I beg to say
that it is my decided opinion it is far
better to elect members of the city
council from the city at large rather
than from districts or wards. We have
tried it both ways in this city and
know by actual experiment that the
former is better than the latter. To
elect from districts or wards is to pro-
mote colonization of voters, and has a
tendency to breed local demands and
local jealousies; while to elect from the
city at large is not only to put away all
possibility of colonization of voters, but
to breed a feeling Of municipal unity
and solidarity. Yours very cordially,
EDWARD r. TAYLOR,
Mayor"
Heney Also Concurs
The following telegram from Francis
j. Heney was received by the City
club campaign committee on charter
amendments:
"SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1.-Nomin-
ations by petition and absolutely nom
partisan election in municipal affairs
are fundamental reforms which are alb
solutely essential to good government,
and to elimination of vicious influence
in city government of political bosses,
who trade upon benefits and protection
desired by criminal tenderloin element
on one side and public service corpora
tions on the other side. Election Of
supervisors at large instead Of by
wards is also very important
"Under ward system San Francisco
was never without her solid eight, or
solid nine, making majority responsive
to dictates of corrupt political bosses,
but under the present charter system Of
electing supervisors at large San Fran
cisco never had a corrupt majority in
the board of supervisors until the cleo
ton of the sO-called Schmitz board
which was the result of a peculiar and
exceptional combination of circum-
stances.
Election of supervisors at large is
infinitely superior in general results to
election by wards. Sincerely hope both
amendments to your charter will carry
FRANCIS ]. HENEY."
FaVors Nos. and 4
At a meeting of the Ssventy-sixth