Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-03
MACHINE NOW ON
DOWN HILL GAIT
PROMINENT REPUBLICANS ARE
C0NCEDlNG DEFEAT
MANY DlseUsTEp WITH METH
obs ALREADY PUT IN USE
Men on the Inside say 1t Is Inevlt-
able That "Ticket" VIII Not
Recover from ReeolI on
Harbor Attitude

That the Republican machine candi-
dates are certain of defeat in the pres
ent municipal campaign is openly ad-
mitted by more than one machine
leader, and it is common talk at
regular" Republican headquarters.
The leaders are gradually turning
their attention to the assistance OF
particular friends whom they wish to
see make as strong a showing as pos
sible, while others are turning their
attention to the county campaign as
a means of relief.
One prominent Republican who oc-
cupied a leading place in the so-called
convention but whose candidate for
the council was knitted at the last mo-
ment in the desperate effort to make
some sort of a showing, has entirely
lost all interest in the city campaign.
THE city is lost to us right now; we
must get busy on the county If we
want to save that for the party he
said to a friend yesterday. His opin-
ion is shared by other machine repre-
sentatives, who regard the defeat OF
both Smith and Mushet as absolutely
certain. They base this on the inde-
pendence of machine methods exhib-
tied by men formerly always faithful
in all sections of the city.
This situation also is evidenced by
the indifference or opposition to the
Southern Pacific machine methods
shown daily at the Republican head
quarters. At the outset great plans
were announced for a campaign an
of which have fallen flat. Repeated
efforts brought out only a handful of
men to arrange the plan of campaign
In support of the indorsed ticket, and
it was necessary to follow the plan re-
sorted to in the "caucuses" and the
rump convention and to pass up half
the business because of the apathy
and lack of attendance.
Machine leaders do not hesitate to
say In confidence that the "indorsed'
campaign is in desperate straits. They
are at sea as to action. the more so
because they realize that the indorse-
ment of a full ticket is likely to carry
councilmen and all down to defeat.
1t is figured among the political ex-
merits that the final dose which Will
put the machine entirely out of the
running is vet to come. Men who can
forecast political tendencies say 1t is
inevitable that the Endorsed" ticket
will find it impossible to recover from
the recoil on the harbor question.
The Republican machine has slid
down the hill, crashing into one blum
der after another, and now the faith
full may. be seen hopping off in the
hope of saving their political lives.
when the convention not only
proved a miserable fasco but commit
ted more serious political mistakes
than it was thought could be crowded
into one evening there was an appre-
piable falling off, although not as eX-
tensive as that which had occurred
before the day of the convention. As
soon as it was realized that Mr.
Mushet's hand had been exposed
through the rebuke administered TO
the board of education by refusal TO
indorse it's membership for reelection
a number of men who had stomached
the rest of the mess lost no time in re-
fusing TO take any more.
The big bump now ahead Of the al
most destroyed machine is the haroor
question It was to be expected, nat
urally, that the Southern Paclnc po-
litical branch would at least take
non-committal attitude on the harbor,
since it would hardly be good politics
to oppose the opinion of Los Angeles
expressed for harbor development by
1O6 to 1. Instead, the rump convention
revealed that opponents of consolida-
tion and the building of great pup
lie harbor were in the Republican sad
die at San Pedro. On top of this the
anti-harbor sheet which openly sup
no,,ted the Southern Pacific and allied
private interests and opposed public
developlnent Of the harbor has been
ofT1ciaIiv posted at machine headquar-
ters as the official organ of the Re-
publican city central committee.
..It can't be helped" is the password
regarding the apparent unauthorized
defections from Smith to Mushet in the
thinned ranks of the machine forces
When Mr.. Mushet was asked regarding
his attitude on possible Endorsement py
the rump convention he said: I can
help it if they indorse me- and snail
not take any action" This makes an
interesting coincidence, in that it was
exactly "Uncle George" Smiths atti-
tude. The difference of distinction is
mainly one of transmission, as Walter
Parker is said to have taken the word
direct to Mr.. Smith, while 1t is gener-
a1lv thought that Mr.. Parker gently
WHISPERED in the ear of the political
reporter who is slated as mayors clerk
If by any chance it should happen to
be Mayor Mushet.
Now sit can't be helped" is the gentle
insinuation passed along when hench-
man asks a nearboss What's the dope
on this Mushet business? %
When the password was given out
good friends Of George A. Smith in
sisted that he had always been a Re-
publican and that George Alexander
had, too, and that they would be
becked IL they did not vote for Alexan-
der DeIOIe LIty WOllu sec oAllAll SCA
another double cross. They were
promptly hecked, according to their re-
quests, but this procedure soon became
commonplace, and the nearbosses found
IT more convenient to talk about the de-
cision to have Leo YoungWorth sue
ceed Sheriff Hammel.
A charge about as serious as many
others already afoat in the present
campaign has been lodged by political
gossips against Harry Lelande in the
hope of asphyxiating his chances for
reelection as city clerk. 1t is freely
charged that Charles L. Wilde, chief
deputy in the city clerks office, had
trouble at one time with his gas stove
and goaded the stove to desperation
until. in self-defense it actually
smoked. 1t is further alleged that,
knowing this of Mr.. Wilde, City Clerk
Ielande has deliberately retained his
chief deputy--in fact, has allowed him
to work overtime. Although this is the
worst allegation so far lodged against
Mr. Ielande, he has not yet issued a
statement about it.
DR.. j. w. Jones, candidate for cleo
tion as mayor, is opposed to the crea-
tion of a public utilities commission
under present circumstances. 1T is an
extremely important matter, and one
which 1 have studied closely" he said
Yesterday. II cannot see that it is a
safe move at present. 1t amounts to