Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-10
ELECTION At CITY
CLUB HARMONIOUS
Candidates Swept Into Office by
Unanimous Vote at the
Annual Meeting
URGE TARIFF COMMISSION
San Francisco Pastor Talks on
Fight Against Graft in
Bay City
URGE TARIFF COMMISSION

No opposition to the candidates cho-
sen by the nominating committee for
officers of the City club developed at
the annual meeting at the Westminster
yesterday and the secretary was in
structed to cast the unanimous vote
of the club for the officers They are
Frank G. Finlayson, president; Charles
w. Bell, first vice president; l.. A.
Handley, second vice president; +. C.
Nelles, treasurer, and Frank G. Hen
derson, secretary. Meyer Lissner and
Lyman Farwell were elected as the
members, who with the officers, will
form the board of governors.
The club passed a resolution indors-
ing the movement for a national tariff
commission and elected Haines w.
Reed as the clubs representative in
the national body which is arranging
for a tariff commission.
The Rev. Charles NJ. Lathrop of San
Francisco, one of the men who organ
lied the League of Justice and who is
called the spirit of that organization,
was the speaker at the clubs lunch
con yesterday. He discussed the po-
litical machine and its effect on the
home and children.
TALKS ON GRAFT
The Rev. Mr.. Lathrop dealt largely
with the conditions of San Francisco
of which he has been a close observer
and told what difficulties the League
of Justice encountered in its efforts
to secure decent government and how
a fierce battle was waged between the
league and the political machine that
stood for everything that Is corrupt.
1--WE are sorry we did not accom-
plish more for decent government than
we did" said the Rev. Mr.. Lathrop,
but We are not through fighting yet.
In my association with the League of
Justice I have had opportunities to see
political conditions in many aspects
| and I learned that the political ma
chine is the cabal of great intelleets.
| When we begin to examine the struc-
| ture of our democracy we find that the
| political machine is organized by pow
! erful minds to use the institutions of
our government for their own pur-
| poses.
Several conditions have contributed
to their success. The greatly increas-
| ing values of franchises and public
utilities have given them an object.
| on the one hand they have the possi-
bility of millions of dollars income.
| That is the object for which they
strive. The great hordes of immi-
grants that have flocked to our shores
| are easily organized so their votes
! can be cast as the bosses want them to
! be and this has largely given them the
votes with which to accomplish their
object.
MACHINE VICIOUS
"Rut one of the most important mat
ters that we have to deal with in the
political machine is its effect on our
| women and children. We find the ma
chine everywhere backing vice. Great
powers and the corporations are behind
it. They have placed the 'tenderloin'
in San Francisco in one of the best
parts Of the business district, where
/ il is easily accessible to the young
men and women who otherise might
know nothing about it. When we re-
monstrated we were told that the big
business interests of the city demand
| ed that IT be maintained there, the
Uouor interests were especially anx-
ious to have it in that place. That is
why we felt so bitterly toward the po-
litical machine.
I'VE find the machine behind the high
prices of the public utilities and the
| same men who are behind these big
! concerns are willing that we should
have incompetent inspectors appointed
for their political influence who do not
Drotect our milk supply and thus let
even death stalk into our homes. the
| reincarnation of Pontius PLATE is the
political machine.
ut does no good to begin the reform
on the surface. We must go TO the
root of the trouble. 1t means bitter
fight, but we will have to fight 1t out.