Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-21

have been made center around the
mayors attitude toward the social evil
and his action regarding the appoint
ments to the board which has control
OF the great Owens river enterprise.
we must say frankly, and you will
all agree with me in this, that there is
ground for a wide difference of opinion
as to the administration of the social
question. 1t is an unsettled question:
and difficult one. That man does
not agree with us is in itself not a good
reason for his recall But there is one
thlng on which we, all of us, are unit
| ed, and that is that the man we have
| placed at the head Of the city govern
ment as It's chief executive should be
honest and earnest, should keep himself
| at arms length from the fatal and de-
basing touch, should not be in close
personal touch with these evils. A man
who will do this is not fit to serve the
city as its mayor.
1--WE must also insist that the admin
| 1stration of the great Owens river prof.
| ect, of which we have so great a right
| to feel proud, shall not be debased or
! turned to political advantage L be-
lieve in all conscience, after full delib-
| Grafton, that this glorious enterprise is
| 1r jeopardy by the acts of the man we
nave honored as mayor. Up to this
| time we have had confidence in the
board of public works and the auue-
| duct bureau; we have been proud of
them. But we have had no reason to
| feel proud Of the mayors record on this
| line We do not even owe to him the
| appointment of General Chaffee, which
! was dictated by an indignant public
| sentiment after the mayor had an
| nounced the name of the man he de-
sired to appoint, and whom he did af-
| terWardS appoint on the board
there are a great nIIT11 bo1. of nc
! who firmly believe the time has come
| for the people to serve notice upon the
| present incumbent of the office of NAV
or, upon every elective officer through
| this recall, and upon whoever may be
! elected in future, that a public office is
public trust
Divorce City Affairs from Politics
William r. Burke was next given the
| floor following calls for himself and
! other men present Zone great thing
| too many American citizens do not re-
alize is that municipal affairs have no
place in politics, but are business-the
peoples business said Mr.. Burke. "It
| seems to me that the people of Los
Angeles do not realize the great i'm
| portance of this gathering. There is
great need for it.
DO the machines of the Republican
and Democratic parties in Los Angeles
| NoAO AOT IIIS OIL Roosevelt or
Bryan? Municipal elections in this city
have been so machine ridden as to dis
| gust me. AT the last election the Re-
publican candidate for mayor was
hamstrung' in favor of the present
machine Democratic mayor.
'It is our bounden duty to invoke
this recall. This is crucial time, and
we must teach the mayor that he must
pay the penalty for having dragged
the good name of this city in the dust.
More than that, it is not only a matter
of an honest successor to Mayor Har-
| per, but for succession and a success
sion and succession for all future Of
administration of city affairs.
Il believe this recall should be in
voked. So far as am concerned and
with others with whom I have talked
we should make this civic duty, above
politics. In this regard I wish to read
a resolution unanimously adopted by
an organization of which 7 am a mem
| Der, the Democratic league:
Resolved, That it is the sense of
| the Democratic league that recent dis
| closures in respect to the official con-
duct of the mayor of this city call for
the action of the voters of this CITY.
under the provisions of its charter, and
that this league pledges itself to Coop
crate with any body or bodies of citi-
zens who will initiate a movement for
the recall of said official
Major Burke's statement was re-
ceived with enthusiasm, and he was in
terrupted by applause when the recall
was mentioned. Several persons asked
for recognition, which was accorded to
Frank G. Tyrrell. AS soon as Mr.. Tyr
rell had spoken a few Introductory SEN
tences it was apparent that he was
Mayor Harper'S spokesman, but he
failed to arouse applause. He appeared
as an attorney pleading a poor cause,
and when he attacked the record and
integrity of men engaged in the man
agement of the aqueduct bureau the
silence was heavy and oppressive Mr..
Tyrrell made statements in defense Of
the mayor which attacked the record Of
James A. Anderson and others, and the
statements were quickly branded as un-
qualifiedly false by Mr.. Anderson and
other speakers who followed.
Suppose the recall succeeds said