Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-18
POINTS OUT NEED OF
FEARLESS EXPOSURE
WORK OF EMANCIPATION HAS
BEEN BEGUN N0BLY
Courageous Action by Press viii
Guide Los Angeles Safely into
the Haven Of Civic
Righteousness

In the light of the pro-vice argument
that the best method Of suppressing
vice is concealing it, which certain
papers have held up as the attitude of
the people of Los Angeles, the follow
ing letter is Illuminating:
1.-THE Angus, AT South Boylston Street.
'Los Angeles. CAL, March II. 1909.
"T. E. Gibbon, Esq, Los Angeles
Herald, City-Honorable Sir: All true
| American citizens owe you and
your distinguished fellow-townsman,
Mr.. Earl, a vast debt of gratitude
for your fearless and relentless war
| fare against the forces in your civic
administration, who, unfortunately,
were actuated by the base conception
that public office is private snap.
| Every great national reform has
had a small beginning, when friends
were few and enemies were legion; and
who can adequately eulogize the great
heroes who risk eheir very lives and
their property to strike the shackles
from the millions who are the victims
of vice and oppression in practically
all American cities?
"You and your esteemed contem-
porary, the Express, have demon
strated that not only Los Angeles, but
every American city can, If it will, un-
proclaims to all the world that the
wages of political corruption are ever
lasting political DEATH Truly you
have emphasized anew the great truth.
The pen is mightier than the sword
1.-THE brilliant and fearless city at
| torney, likewise, deserves the gratitude
and commentator of every true
American patriot for his timely and
splendid Interpretation of the city's
| constitution (the charter) on this
mooted question.
"Only ignorance of law or political
bias can lead anyone to question the
| legality of the proceedings thus far
and those contemplated in future, to
wit: the election on March 26. How
unfortunate it would have been had
the council yielded on Friday last to
the radical element which demanded
an immediate election of a doubtful
successor to the late incumbent of the
mayors office to hold office until jan
uary 1, 1910 What a colossal travesty
on law and justice this would have
been! Ever since the days of-Justinian
"a. D. 534) every civilized nation has
recognized the rule of law that statutes
must be so interpreted that effect is
given, if possible, to every part; that
one part of a statute must be so con-
strued by another that the whole may,
| If possible, stand; that courts are
|
ticularly remedial statutes) as to sup
press the mischief and advance the
remedy
1.-THE city's charter is its constitu-
tion--its statute law'-by which the
city is to be governed. The sections
| involved in this controversy are the
| remedial statutes which are to sup
press the mischief from which the
great city of Los Angeles has been suf-
fering. The sovereign power is clearly
reserved to the people, and only the
emergency power is vested in the city
council, the emergency power being
operative only during such period of
time as must necessarily elapse be-
tween the emergency and the day when
the electors exercise their right of
franchise according to lawn the
pending issue the Goth day of March.
"Your courage and devotion to what
is the beginning of the greatest task
of the twentieth century--the task of
emancipating the cities of the greatest
nation on earth from the tyranny and
oppression of the professional poll
tician'-will inspire every true Ameri-
can to dedicate himself anew to the
great work which you have so bravely
begun and thus far so nobly advanced.
| Nav the beautiful "City of Angels be
the beacon light which will guide
every storm tossed American city into
the haven of true civic righteousness
into which it is now entering, is the
sincere wish of your deeply interested
fellow citizen from the great Empire
state, whose Statue of Liberty EN-
llightens the world
"HENRY CLAY BABEL"