Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-04
VICTORY OVER
RULE OF PUSH
is EMPHATIC
DIRECT PRIMARY MEANS END
OF BONDAGE
MOST VITAL CHANGES IN CITY
CHARTER VOTED
Result Is Considered Event of Tre-
: mendous Importance to Mu-
nicipaIity of Los
Angeles

Of the charter amendments
a which were so bitterly
fought but won adoption at the
election Tuesday, regard the re-
suit as one of the events of great
est Importance in the history of
Los<Angeles.
The amendments particularly
involved in the campaign were 50
comprehensive as to approach
revolutionary changes in civic
management.
This change particularly made
for a weakening of the machine
organizations clutch on the city,
not only in present politics but as
fully in connection with the large
enterprises already initiated or
certain to come with the expan-
sion Of Los Angeles.
Men like Frank G. Finlayson, Joseph
H. Call, John D. Works and others who
had been called on to draw UP charter
revision plans recognized the necessity
1OI SSIICS Ocl1 OtIIS I1lC us Lll1AASo NA11CiI
the municipality must work out to
keep pace with it's rapid growth.
Strong Safeguards
These safeguards were incorporated
in some seven amendments, simply but
strongly and unequivocally drawn to
form part Of the city charter. Along
with them went provisions against fu-
ture inrOads on the municipal strong
box, the need for which had been
lighted up by the searchlight of past
actions. Especially among the latter
was a section which made safe in the
future the Los Angeles river bed, d
unique and most valuable heritage from
the Spanish days.
When the Southern Pacific machine
noted the proposed changes in the char
ter its leaders Immediately saw the
danger, and a close watch was kept OH
the public feeling regarding the amend
mentS. Walter Parker was busy with
the legislature, but the combination of
the loss of a ward council, a conVeI-
tion nominating system and Eddie
Morris bosom friend, A. c." made u
situation sufficiently alarming to draw
him from Sacramento at period as
critical as any known in the history
Of the Southern Pacific or the Califor-
mia lawmaking body. Instead Of stay
ing one day at Los Angeles-he is here
yet.
Machine Worked Hard
Unusual efforts were brought into
play by the machine in connection with
a special election. Headquarters were
opened at two places, and the workers
were given stringent instructions. AT
first the word was passed to defeat
amendments Nos. 1, 2, and Z. AS the
situation grew more serious the faithful
were ordered to vote no throughout the
list, as the simplest way to defeat the
important amendments.
The Municipal league and the City
club had little detail organization out
side of that necessary to circulate argu-
ments on the merits of amendmer ts-
and this work was practically confined
to Nos and Awhile the machine
manipulated it's usual puppets at many
voting precincts and had it's henchmen
at work with methods that had con-
trolled elections in preceding years.
Notwithstanding this, and in spite Of
the fact that the bosses realized that
their dominance was vitality affected
and worked accordingly, the charter
provisions they opposed were carried in
a manner that is an unparalleled vic
tory for the principles of good govern
ment.
Far Reaching Effect
That was the opinion of many lead
sistently fought the machine in Cali
fornia for twenty years. They did not
hesitate to say so, and all felt that the
result would be felt in the administra-
tion of the city affairs for years to
come.
Machine leaders had the same
thoughts, but they were chary about
expressing them. Among themselves
they bemoaned the result and Won
dered what the town was coming to. ''I
never thought it of this mans town.
said one man who wears a machine col
lar, while discussing the election on
Broadway yesterday. TT looked to me
as though the organization had a fence
around it. They wanted those two
amendments defeated bad, and it looked
easy to me. Believe me, there's some
worrying going on today. They say
this will put Harper to the bad. He's
no angel, but he's done his part
Breaks Machines Back
Representative citizens who have
studied the amendments and who voted
for those recommended by the NUM-
cipal league, the City club and the
Municipal Waterways association, did
not hesitate to express their pleasure
at the result and they considered the
achievement a wonderful victory for
clean government and against corrupt
control.
"That breaks the back of the ma
chine said Joseph H. Call, president of
the Municipal Waterways association.
"As to the harbor provisions it puts the
city of Los Angeles in shape to go to
the legislature with a demand for nee
essary legislation that must be ire
sistibIe. Those fellows made every eff
fort possible to defeat the amendments
they didn't like, but the sentiment Of
the city was too much for them
'The vote shows that the people want
to get rid Of Southern Pacific domina-
ton. 1t shows too that they studied
these questions and made UP their
minds as to their merits, and in this
respect the influence of the election will
have considerable bearing in the future.
AS these problems come up in future
LC-..As.....l -. -