Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-24
COURSE OF COUNCIL PRESIDENT
is GIVEN CONTAMINATION

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22-[Editor
Herald: If John D. Works, president
of our city council, continues to pur-
sue the course he has outlined since
becoming a member of that body, he
will fully merit the credit of being the
best man that the voters ever put in
that office. His surplus stock of com
mon sense, his comprehensive grasp OF
matters pertaining to municipal gov
ernment, his love of right and justice,
and his determination to secure the
same as far as possible through action
by the council are simply unique ana
extraordinary in a member of that as
sembly. Therefore, when we see the
attempt to belittle and besmirch him
by professional politicians, and others
who profit by corrupt politics, nothing
is seen not expected from such sources,
and the much overworked and silly
prefix GOO Goo that is used to excite
ridicule and insure contempt shows to
what limits his opponents are driven in
an effort to discredit him.
When John d. Works sent back to
the street railway officials their indirect
bribe to influence his actions, it was
something his predecessors cannot be
shown to have done; for though the
constitution of California forbids the
use of such passes, and declares the
using them, it is a notorious fact that
this law has been broken year after
year and by men, mark you, selected to
make laws for other people to obey or
be punished.
Think of law violators posing. as rep
utable law makers, and we get cor
rect sense of the situation as it was.
Rotten is a mild name for political
conditions that have long existed here,
.fY-li ina N
and other sources have done their best
to prevent change and improvement.
Our police system has long been an
autocratic power, from chief to patrol
man, and no more respect has been paid
to the constitutional rights of citizens
than has been given to the law which
says public officials shall not ride on
railway passes. Think of the innocent
people that have been arrested on mere
suspicion and without right or warrant;
and besides being denied communica-
tion with friends or an attorney, Kept
in Jail to suit the pleasure of an auto
cratic chief who defied the constitu-
tion with impunity. Well has Council
man Works termed these acts police
despotism," and his earnest efforts to
abolish such things should meet with
public response and approval.
Why should a public officer be per-
DllIlCu W NlOldlC IL piebiii low otiS iiACA
than a private citizen? Yet they have
and do. And another thing is done by
them that is too mean and contempt
BILE to find expression in words; and
that is the frequent attempts to induce
the commission of crime and misde-
meanors that they may be credited with
the arrest of law breakers and bad in
dividuals. The people are waking up
on the subject of these rank outrages,
and thanks be to John d. Works for his
attitude in the matter and what ne has
done to arouse public sentiment and
prevent a continuation. TO this cham
pion of good government, of constitu-
tional rights, of just laws and their
impartial enforcement, 1 doff my hat
and say: Godspeed and success in the
work you have undertaken, and may
Won receive the support of every citi-
zen of this city who loves right and
Justice and detests corruption and
tyranny. CLAIMING SEVERANCE