Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-30
The Proceed Value of the Recall

that most effective weapon ever
into the hands people their protection against of
fetal corruption is such condition
of political uncertainty and unrest make the holding OF public
whose incumbent subject to the recall nacve to good
men.
That this argument is absolutely foundation say
sy amply by of the recall the politics
o city Angeles since has been part of the c
ganic law.
We have now had the recall as part city for
about six years. during time has been invoked but twice.
although possibility of its has several times protected the city
danger injury the hands of unfathfu public
the notable instances of this being its effect
upon the council in causing them to abandon
attempt give the river bed franchise property OF the
city 81 100000 when threatened with the use OF the recall
at the expense of their city
Once history city the recall used for the
pose retiring city councilman who had taken leading part in
voting give for city printing higher against lower
bidder Whatever have been the merits OF the controversy con-
corning the printing contract there doubt that many citizens
honestly believed that the city had bad bargain in the printing
senuouy advocated and supported this contract that the
o-.+ &c +L.+ +,.,, immediately TO
recall him.
It true place who turned out to be
Objectionable of the city council selected However
liability that the people make mistake choosing sue
recalled official argument against the recall
part than the liability OF people to choose
unworthy officials regular elections argument against the
provision the election of city officials being part city
charter
time six years the recall has lately been avaled
by people of the city city official who had
turned out to be CRATER with and encourager all
the the cy life and who by his persistency in
appointing graes official positions in the c
subjected the important business and
the gravest possible danger of inefficient and
corrupt management
may fully understand the value of the recall let
us compare municipal house cleaning the
part of good Angeles with the results of the
process attempted in other cities.
of the series of attempts to right corrupt
conditions municipal governments this country occurred when
Joseph Folk prosecuting attorney St Louis undertook to prose
cute boodng aldermen of that city for
brides for granting franchises to certain public service corpora
tons.
Notwithstanding Folk prosecuted these
faithful and corrupt cv officials conviction they
offices which dsgraced continued retain them after
conviction they had appealed their to the
of their state.
Thus the world was spectacle Of who had
convicted by of their fellow citizens OF accepting brides
to influence official positions retaining their offices
and continuing gsae for the cente of popua
ton and wealth of the country
Again city San Francisco attempted to relieve itself of
lot of grating officials delays followed For months
after the board of supervisors of San Francisco had
accepting brbes and after the mayor OF that city was
indictment and prosecution as bride take these officials
continued in places while the slow of the
being invoked to punish them for their official sins
What has with city? Less than ninety days
The Herald published the first of of articles giving
the people of the positive and definite facts showing the
of their positions the and of his appontees
office Yet in that time the recall has been invoked with the o
mayor who was CRATER and who in defiance of public sen
insisted appointing graterS to ohce mas Dee OCeu out
the office which he had disgraced 49, .
Another official who grated while he chief of police
who notwithstanding the bad record which he had made in that
other official positions was appointed by the mayor as
her of having charge the expenditure during his
term of office $3OO0O0 of public funds has, as
suit of recall been forced to surrender his office
good accomplished in the removal OF this one official can
never be adequately estimated perfectly evident however, that
this man had grated positions which he held he would
much certainly yielded the temptations OF the new Po
son had been appointed where his opportunities for
corrupt advantage himself of the misuse OF his otca power
tousanod greater than the opportunities which had been
by the other official positions that he had occupied
Furthermore the grating had been continued in OF
flee might very probably would have afforded him the opP9
unity Of making another appointment the board of public works
put that great commission having IN charge the
oueduc construction other public works of the city,
sentnq total expenditure of something like $OOO0OOO in three
wears in control Southern Pacific political machine
Thus by the invocation the recall has been
only of certain loss and injury which would nave
of the possibility of loss and injury which are almost
incaculabe and which fully estimate.
give other instances which the recall pro
ceedng will result in relieving city of the services of officials
who have cory used their positions the injury OF the city, but