Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14
THE HON. TUs ELDRIDGE

n
~ ty of Los Angeles the Hon. Tus
Eldridge is the one who most
nearly approximates the political boss
with all the brutal and vulgar con-
tempt for every appearance of decency
In office which is supposed to charac-
terize that individual.
Every one of Mr.. Eldridge's official
acts which could have any relation to
his personal welfare and profit shows
this For Illustration, we refer to the
report of the grand jury, made Febru-
ary 10 of last year, which says; I'VE
find much room for criticism in money
demands for work at the county
farm, many of which demands are paid
for by the county treasurer to a su-
pervisor or to the superintendent of
the county farm without assignment.
We find from this report that the
board of supervisors-or the one in
charge of this work-was entirely toe
free IN the expenditure of the public
money in the improvements made at
the county farm, and at the tax col
lector's and assessors offices at Spring
and Franklin streets. Among the
many exorbitant items we note espe-
cially regular architect fees and 10
per cent of the total expenditure for
a superintendent, who admitted that
he seldom inspected the work, yet he
received the munificent sum of S2200."
1t Is worth while in this connection
g.
payment for which is so drastically
criticised in the grand jury report,
were largely made by relative of Mr..
Tus Eldridge.
The bungalow land expenditure of
some thirty thousand dollars of the
public's money for building a road in
Eldridge's district to a section in which
not dozen people lived, but which
was of enormous advantage to a real
estate speculation. is another instance
of the way in which Eldridge has used
his position and the peoples money
to his personal advantage. He says
that he was not interested in the bun
galow land realty deal until after the
road was completed. To our way of
thinking, this amounts to a virtual
confession of everything that has been
charged against him in connection with
this matter.
If the public could only learn ex-
actly what price Eldridge paid for the
interest which he subsequently ac-
quired In the company handling the
bungalow lands, they would probably
more clearly see the advantage that
he got out Of this wasteful and GRIM
inal expenditure of the county's money
To spend the public money in order
to make a real estate scheme profit
able, and afterward to become one Of
the investors in that scheme, appears
to Supervisor Eldridse a perfectly ma
tural proceeding. And with the views
which he has of public office being
a private snap" there is no doubt that
1t is natural to him.
1t will be impossible that a man
who has unvaryingly used the position
conferred upon him by the votes of
the people to the personal profit of
himself and members of his family,
should take any other view of the in
cident.
His whole career on the board of
supervisors has been a disgraceful be-
trayal of the public's interest, and
disgraceful use Of his position to his
private benefit. He and his two con-
freres upon the board who make up
the solid three have made the great
highway scheme upon which the peo-
pie of this county entered with the
hope of securing a splendid system of
highways that would give comfort to
them and would invite visitors to the
county a thing to be ashamed
of; a monumental failure for which
to blush and feels like apologizins
every time 1t is mentioned.
It is not conceivable that the Re
publicans of Mr.. Eldridges district
fail to nominate Sidney Butler, his op-
ponent who, by a hundred acts of pa
triotic sacrifice in the interests of the
public, has shown his worthiness of
the position which he seeks.
Men who represent, as does Eldridge,
the spoils system in politics in its most
vulgar and offensive form, are no
longer a part of the political life of
the country. They are sure to receive
the judgment Of an indignant people
which will retire them to private life
and relieve Of their presence the pub
lie positions that they have disgraced.