Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-07
MANY WHO CAN
DEFEAT HARPER
tCOntinued from Page One,

been waiting for circulators to get out
their way. Petitions will still be at the
stands through the business section and
at the campaign headquarters, 401
Equitable building, at least for another
day or So"
Circulators of petitions report an un-
abated interest and are still getting
many signatures despite the recent
rainy days, which, with the pro-Har-
per petitions, according to the reports
of one of the mayors strikers, knock
ed business. so the petitions are off the
market at present" The Harper pc
titionS were out Of circulation yeSter-
day, and the excuse given was that it
was too rainy to work. CirculatorS for
the Municipal league, however, kept at
work and found men to sign, notwith-
standing the weather.
If the discussion throughout the bust
ness district may be taken as an indi-
Gator the general feeling of the city is
not whether Mayor Harper will be re-
called, but that he is practically certain
to be defeated. Even some of his own
workers have admitted that his chances
are so slim that they want him to
make a, compromise. The fact that
more than 10000 signatures of voters
have been secured in an incredibly
short time stares them in the face, and
al the schemes they have SO far work
ed up have failed to offset it.
Harper Said to Be "Mistake"
"The Municipal league said Harper
was a mistake, remarked a man at
the entrance to the Germain building
yesterday. "It strikes me that every
thing that has been done so far against
this recall has turned out a mistake.
Those letters Mcdonald went around
and got for the Examiner to, print
made an awful falldown-why didn't
The Herald play up facts like their
signing a liquor dealer as an i'm
porter and others out of those letters?
''They got out a petition and it fell
down, and then they tried another,
and the papers exposed the scheme
behind it. They found they were do
ing the recallers more good than
harm. Then they were working on lit
tie cartoons that made our side look
foolish, as though we were distribut-
ing valentines at a school. There was
i that Mayor Harper is good enough
for US business. It was in the sa-
looms and saloon-cafes until orders
went out, and now only two places have
them. They are trying one thing after
another, but it doesn't seem to do
any good. Even one of the mayors
best friends said this morning, Mayor
Harper is good enough for us, but he
might have been a heap sight better +"
Officers and members of the Munich
pal league believe that every possible
reason for encoura agement in the sue
cess Of the campaign is shown in re-
suits so far obtained. The fact that
the bosom friends" are trying first
one scheme and then another shows
their recognition of the necessity for
busy action.
1T is not a question Of who can
beat Mr.. Harper" said member of
the league, 'but of why he should be
beaten. 1t is evident that any good
man can and will defeat him and the
reasons for recalling him are volumin-
Gus and sufficient. We have no animus
against the mayor, and would not pur-
sue him into private life, but his con-
duct, to my mind, is an insult to
good citizen and. more than that, a
menace to the future good name of
Los Angeles