Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-03

these harsh words against Bell to his
neighbors, who know how consistently
and fearlessly he has fought the evils
of machine rule for a dozen years and
through a period when it wasn't fash
ionable or profitable to attack the
powerful Southern Pacific.
Mr.. Johnson stands on a platform to-
day made possible only by the heroic
work of Theordore Bell In past years.
Instead of abuse Bell ought to receive
gratitude for the path he blazed for
this years insurgent movement and
the conscience he reused to its support.
Our conviction is that Johnson would
mako more votes by an honest acknowl-
edgment of what he owes to Bell than
by his words of detraction.
When a leader sets so bad an ex-
ample not much better can be ex-
pected of his followers. So it is not
surprising to find the San Francisco
Bulletin, usually fair paper, taking
the cue and reeling off such as this:
Walter Parker, chief political
agent of the Southern Pacific COM
pany in Southern California, Is
actively at work in behalf of Theo-
dore Bell. The said Walter Parker
always gets his orders direct from
"Boss" Herrin, and does nothing
until he receives those orders.
The Herald has kept moderately well
informed on political matters in South
ern California this year. 1t does not
doubt that Herrin and Parker feel bit
ter against Johnson, who has slammed
them hard for many months past. 1t
is even prepared to believe that they
hate Bell less, for they have gotten
used to his philippics and up to this
campaign did not take him with entire
seriousness, believing themselves too
strongly entrenched to fear his at
tacks.
But that they are in any organized
movement in behalf of Bell, or that he
is conscious of it, if such an improb-
able condition exists, The Herald re-
fuses absolutely to believe. 1t refuses
both because it knows Bell and his rec
ord and because there is not sign
that Walter Parker is "actively at
work" in his behalf so far as it can see,
Walter Parker's chief concern just
now is to save for his masters the Re-
publican candidates for district attor-
new, coroner, sheriff and other county
offices, but he is SO shorn of power that
the forces of clean government no
longer fear him. The governorship is
lost to the Southern Pacific with either
Bell or johnson elected. But the ma
chine can be rebuilt if Parker can save
the county offices by the reelection of
F'redericks, Hartwell, ct al.
We do not have to go to Bells par
tisans for refutation of all the ungener-
Gus and untrue innuendo now aimed at
him. On a very recent day the Ex-
press of this city, one of Johnson's
/ supporters, made this manly acknoWl-
edgment concerning Bell:
AN HONEST MAN, LOYAL TO
| CALIFORNIA AND HIGHLY CA
PARLF, HE WOULD MAKE A
BETTER GOVERNOR BY FAR
! THAN THE PEOPLE OF THIS
STATE HAVE KNOWN FOR A
| GENERATION.
! If Bell Is "honest" he is not con-
sorting with the men and the system
he has denounced for fifteen years
past. If he is "loyal to California" 1t
need not be feared that he will betray
her interests, no matter what Herrin
or Parker or Hearst thinks, says or
does. If he would make "a better gov
ernor by far than the people of this
state have known for a generation"
there is only one fit word for what his
detractors say-calumny
By their method Of campaign john
sons friends are leaving open to rea-
sonable men only one conclusions: They
are convinced of the formidable
strength of Bell and are losing their
heads over the discovery.
It seems that the loss of Florida