Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-24
TWO CANDIDATES
ARE DENOUNCED
Municipal League Issues Circular
Letter Giving Facts About
River Bed Franchise
STARTS AN ACTIVE CAMPAIGN
Houghton and HeaIy Declared to
Be Nominees of
the Push

The Municipal league decided yester-
day to take hand in the present cam
paign to prevent the election of Barney
Healy and doc" Houghton, the two
councilmanic candidates whom the
push" is trying to elect.
The Municipal league exists pri-
marily to keep its eye on the admin
istrative and municipal affairs of Los
Angeles, and as a sort Of Cerberus at
the political portals, but seldom takes
an active part in campaigns unless
there arises such an emergency as this
is deemed to be, when the best inter
ests of the law abiding citizens and
the welfare of the municipality appear
to be threatened by pernicious polit-
ical activity and predatory interests.
on occasions like this, however, when
the Municipal league is compelled by
such conditions to take part in a po-
litical campaign. what 1t says and does
is of vital. interest to the people of
Los Angeles, and carries more weight,
probably, than could q statement from
many larger organizations
The statement issued by the league
Yesterday is a direct appeal to the cltl-
zens of Los Angeles and contains
denunciation of Houghton and Healy'
The statement is as follows:
THE STATEMENT
FoIloving the policy 1t has maintained for
the past four years with respect to the river
bed franchise transaction, the Municipal league
urges all good citizens to go to the pois next
Thursday adm record their votes against A. ID.
Houghton and Bernard Healy, who are candl-
dates for re-election to the council.
men who. on March 26, 1906, and again on
March 2s voted TO give free sof cost to II. W.
Gilmore for some party then unknown to the
public but which afterward proved 10 ne
n
river bed-a privilege which President H. r.
Ripley of the Santa Fe ana other railway
authorities have delared to be worth mil
lion dollars.
Mot on the part of majority Of the council
to rob the city of one of the most Valuaple
assets in its possession-the key for any new
railway or municipal line entering Los An
geles What It meant to the grantees shows
in the statement of Harry Lelande VINO
afhrns under oath that he was oHereo slooo
by Walter Parker merely to sign the ordi-
nance as city clerk.
WHY THE FIGHT
The Municipal league, which headed the
opposition by which this raid was fought on,
declared to the public at that time It's inten-
tlon to protest against the election to any
office in The gift of the people OF any or the
officials who participated in that atroeious
betrayal of trust In accordance win o1o.1an thae
Of Healy and Houghton to the city council
which would give them the opportunity again
to disgrace position which should be one Oh
honor and of public confidence.
Every citizen who puts his stamp opposite
the name Of either Heay or Houghton,, and
who knows and understands their river bed
franchise transaction, by that vote condones
one of the most abominable civic crimes ever
attempted in an American city and encourages
other public servants to follow that example
We should regard their election as disaster
not for the harm that they might be able to
do in office, but for the stigma 1t would place
either on the character or the intelligence OF
THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF LOS AN
GELES.
BY EDWIN o. EDGERToN. Secretary.