Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-06
REFUSES OFFER,
BUT PLEDGES His
HEARTY YSUPPORT
CHOICE FOR MAYOR WITH
DRAWS REGRETFUELY
1'M WITH you IN RECALL FIeHTu
HIS DECLARATION
Prominent Man Named at Citizens
Meeting Announces That Because
Of Sickness He Cannot
Enter Race

MAJ LILLIAN II. STEPHENS yester-
w DAY found it necessary, owing to
the continued i'll health of Mrs.
stephens, to notify the executive COM
m1ttee that he could not accept the in
vitation of leading citizens to become
the recall nominee for mayor. He will.
| however, take an active and aggressive
part in the campaign to enforce the
| recall, and pledged himself as in readi-
ness to aid the movement for a new
mayor.
Il regret exceedingly that my duty
makes this step necessary Mr.
Stephens said last night to a reporter
Tor The Herald. Il am most anxious
Tor the success of this movement in
which your people and the Municipal
league are working. Although I can
not because of a higher duty, take up
the standard personally L shall sup
port the candidate who may be named
and do anything in my power to as
s,st Ill his election. My letter to Judge
Works covers the matter
The executive committee of the Mu-
nlc1pal league naturally acquiesces in
the decision of Mr.. Stephens, but the
next action is in the hands of Judge
John u. Works under the authority
given him by the meeting at which he
presided Monday afternoon. He will
confer today with members of the ex-
ecutlVe committee before he makes an
| announcement. Adjournment at the
meeting Monday was taken subject to
the call of the chairman.
Members of the Municipal league are
confident that fifty men might easilv
be picked who could defeat Mayor
Harper. The verdict expressed this
week by one of his best friends that
the mayor has defeated himself is
concurred in by the leaders in the Nu-
nlcipal league. Several men have been
suggested, but the matter is now de-
! pendent on the action of Judge Works.
j. T. Steele, who is in charge of the
| canvassers who are circulating recall
petitions, has notified all who have
| petitions including all volunteer work.
ers, to turn in their lists not later than
| Monday noon. The time was held over
| until Monday to- permit circulators to
| respond to many requests from men,
| berS of churches that petitions be
| placed at the doors for morning serv-
! ices tomorrow. So many members of
! churches have suggested this that it
! will be carried out at leading churches.
| Men will be kept at work securing
| signatures, but the force of canvassers
will be gradually reduced until it is
decided to close up the task The
C--ecking has not proceeded far enough
to strike an average regarding dead
names, but the loss through lack of
qualification, duplication and other
| causes will not exceed 10 per cent and
promises to be kept much lower than
that. AS more than 10000 names have
been secured it is certain that the re-
call petitions will qualify on the city
clerks examination.
Keep Harper Petitions Quiet
No one is allowed to see the Harper
petitions the Business Mems organiza-
4 =
jealousy guarded from public inspec-
ton and the bosom friends apparent
ly fear that a newspaper reporter
would addle them. This is strongly in
| contrast to the open methods which
have prevailed in the circulation of
petitions for the recall.
Seven men are at work checking
against the great register and another
will be added today. This is the most
difficult work of the entire proceeding
and will require a great deal of time,
as it is not an easy task to trace q
name. Upon the swiftness with which
this is carried out will depend the date
of the election. 1t is believed, how
ever, that the clerks engaged in check
ing viii complete their task so the
council may call the election for a
date not later than the middle of April.
The recall movement, the future of
the aqueduct and the question, "Is Vice
Protected in Los Angeles?' were the
topics at the regular meeting of the
Friday Morning club yesterday, which
was attended by a large audience,
composed of women who are club mem
bers and their male friends and guests.
The topics and speakers were: ''The
Present Crisis-Is Vice Protected in
Los Angeles?' discussed by T. e. Glib
bon; "How About the Aqleduct?" an
swered by Maj. Henry T. Lee, and
vdicoIIccaI hxy TT1doo
bert M. Stephens.
After stating that certain conditions
in the present municipal situation
threaten women's especial province
the home, Mr.. Gibbon, the first speak
er, said that if one lesson more than
another is driven in upon the student
of civics it is that public safety is to
be obtained only at the price of eternal
vigilance; that this is particularly true
in municipal affairs, and in view of
this police departments have been Gre
ated for the purpose of safeguarding
the moral and material interests Of
the community.
The intimate association Of urban
life, the speaker said, offers oppor-
tunity for the development of the pre-
daceous instincts of humanity and for
forming various combinations to prey
upon either individual or community
property interests.
Appointments Are Indication
One of the certain indications of the
soundness of a city government are
the appointments to office made by
the mayor. When Mayor Harper was
elected to office two years ago there
were three predominating interests in
Los Angeles-the water commission.
the board of public works and the
police commission. There was at
that time no vacancy on the board of
public works, but Mr.. Harper imme-
diately challenged the attention of
friends of good government by the ar
pointment of Edward Kern to the po-
sition of chief of police with the re-
suit such as might probably have
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