Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-20

Mr. Bell will in no wise reflect on the
states Democracy, or on the Demo-
cratic candidates. 1t simply illustrates
to what extent q desperate and half
defeated corporation political push
will go in it's effort to kill off reform
movement. 1t casts no discredit on the
Democrats, and so far as the machine
is concerned,-well,a a little thing like
political trickery, OF flim-flam flop,
does not disturb its conscience. After
the election, ii will tolerate Demo-
cratic administration for four years,
and then-four years from now, 1t ex-
poets again to be in control of the Re-
publican party. 1t will repeal the di-
rect primary law and make 1t mpos-
sible for insurgency. again to flourish.
And the Southern PACIFIC will continue
to thrive-unless--. But they have not
reckoned with the Democrats. Four
years of a Democratic administration,
the Democrats say, will insure its per-
petuity, and the people Will never be
willing to return to a Republican sys-
tenn.
All these theories considered, 1t is
reasonable to expect that large num-
ber of Republican voters will support
the Democratic county and state tick
cts. Many of the men who supported
Charles f. Curry for governor will not
support Mr., Johnson. The Curry fac
ton has worked bitterly against him.
And the same may be said or the
Anderson men. There are many Re-
publicans in Los Angeles who have
been indiscreet enough to say, during
the last two days, that the kilograms
sent by Stanton and Gillett to Hiram
Johnson were only "a bluff" that these
men will not support Johnson, but that
thew wish to make the Lincoln -Roose-
Welt league believe they will, so that
in their superlatiVe confidence the Linz
Roosevelt candidates may fail to
conduct a strenuous comprehension as
they conducted when they believed the
party disrupted. This true, they would
go to the polls tamely, November 8,
believing they had the entire Republi-
can party back of them, when, in real
ity, according to certain wiseacres, the
''nachine" intends to knife them, and
will bolt 5olidly for Bell against john
son.
This plan might be executed. Con-
sidering the battle won, and assured or
the unanimous-support of the erstwhile
warning factions, the Lincoln -Roose-
welt candidates would not wage the
campaign they otherwise would wage,
and the Democrats could easily defeat
them with the support Of the dissatis-
fed Republican vote.
But all this. of course, is theory. The
fact seems to be that the Democrats
will have to make a cleancut fight
along party lines, adhering to their
original anti-machine plank, and leav-
ing 1t to the voters of California to
decide which shall be the next governor
johnson or Bell.
Teavinp the state campaign out of
the question, for the reason that 1t
cannot be accurately forecast at this
formulative period. it must be con-
ceded that whatever is to be accom-
pIished In Los Angeles county must be
done on a non-partisan basis. The
Lincoln Roosevelt league has failed in
q few very important features of its
battle. 1t has demonstrated that, with
only the Republican vote to rely on,
it cannot dislodge several Of the main
stays of the Southern Pacflc machine.
1t cannot rout District Attorney Fred
ericks, Coroner Hartwell and Tax Col
lector Welch, nor can it defeat men