Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-24
DEMOCRATS KEEP
CLEAR OF PUSH
Fight for Good Government and
viii Have No EntanglementS
with the Machine
JEFFERS0NIANS CONFIDENT
Theodore Bell Pioneer In Battle
to Down S. P. Rule in
California
JEFFERSONIANS CONFIDENT
BY t. SHELLEY SUTTON

| II lOOhS llhO lileIb 10 SNCly piOS-
pect of California going Democratic
this year." said former Mayor Dunno
of Chicago on his recent visit to Los
Angeles.
"A Democratic year for California" +"
was the verdict of Congressman Lloyd
of Missouri several weeks ago, at a
| banquet rendered to him in this city
at Levy's cafe.
IF you Democrats don't win hands
down in California this year, it Is
| because you have no organization, 3"
said Governor Folk of Missouri in a
letter to Robert H. Dewitt, chairman
Of the state central committee, re-
Gently.
And-"This Is a Democratic year"
has been the slogan of the California
Democrats since early last April. 1t
begins to look as If there Is a real
reason to accept the prediction. At
any rate Los Angeles county Demo-
| Gratis are enthusiastic over the pros
poets for the election of Mr.. Bell as
governor, and If cool heads prevail
and the twinkle in the eyes Of Walter
| Parker can mean anything, the Demo-
Gratis are apt to elect Bell.
But there are a great many Demo-
Gratis who do not seriously relish the
idea of electing a candidate by the aid
| of the machine" It Is very certain
court this kind of allegiance, nor will
they for a moment solicit the aid, or
votes, of the Parker Herrin combine.
| The Democratic leaders of the coun-
ty and state insist that none OF the
Democratic candidates should engage
in any political entanglements with
the push" for the mere sake of ses
curing it's cooperation to defeat Mr.
Johnson--and they won't.
If the machine votes the Democratic
ticket, it will not be because it has
any love for the Democrats, but be-
cause it is anxious to knife" Mr.
Johnson, and forever to crush the Lin
| coin Roosevelt reform movement, at
any sacrifice, and by electing Mr.. Bell
as the next governor, the push be-
lieves it can effectually put stop
to the formidable anti-machine move
ment.
BELLS FINE RECORD
Both Mr.. Johnson and Mr.. Bell stand
for the same principles so far as the
| Southern Pacific is concerned. Both
men are clean and conscientious-sin
cere and competent-and there is little
choice between them, perhaps, when 1t
comes to the question of which will
| best represent the people in their bat
tie against the corporation bosses who
so long have prostituted both political
parties and domineered the admins
trative affairs of the Golden state.
But Mr.. Bell will go before the peo-
pie as the pioneer advocate of honest
and above-board politics, as the
father of the good government move
| ment in California, as the veteran
anti-machine fighter and the first
gubernatorial candidate to take up the
demands of the people and denounce
! the Southern Pacific bosses. fling de-
fiance in their teeth and pave the way
! for honest and efficient men to seek
public office without catering and ko-
| towing to Boss Herrin or Boss Parker.
Mr. Bell stumped the state, four
years ago, in one of the most memoir
able political battles of California, on
| the same issue that has won for Mr..
| Johnson his nomination as governor.
Mr. Bell has consistently and con-
tinuously opposed the Southern Pa
cific machine ever since that great
battle, but the Republicans refused
! to support him when he made his first
| fight against the push" 1t required
the leadership of suah a man as Hiram
| w. Johnson to awaken the Republi-
! cans to their true sense of duty and
to whip them into the insurgent lines.
Four years after Mr.. Bell waged his
memorable crusade Mr.. Johnson be-
gan where Mr.. Bell left off, and by
receiving the Republican nomination
on the same issue for which Mr.. Bell
went down to defeat four years ago
Mr.. Johnson has now become the
natural rival of Mr.. Bell, and will go
to the general election, November 8,
contesting for the honor which Demo-
Gratis insist should go to Mr.. Bell as
the pioneer champion of the rights OF
the people, and as the veteran ex-
ponent of the great vital issue which
has won Mr.. Johnson his nomination.
NO ALLIANCE WITH PUSH"
1t is a peculiar situation, and the
Democrats while correct in their
premises and rightfully entitled to the
lions share of the honor for the
present quickening of the public con-
science, must exert great care not to
permit themselves, by reason of the
rivalry between Mr.. Johnson and Mr..
Bell, to become Lined up with any
of Mr. Johnson's Republican enemies,
for these men are worse enemies to
the principles of Democracy than they
are to Mr. Johnson. Whatever aid
they extend to Mr.. Bell is likely to
have a string to 1t, and If the Demo-
Gratis should tolerate their support the
machine Republicans would quickly
prostitute the Democratic party and
make of it foil for the insurgents-a
weapon wherewith to defeat the good
government movement in the Repub-
lican party, and, by so doing, discredit
the Democratic party and thus defeat
the high aims and purposes and crush
the good government spirit of the
Democratic party.
1t is a crucial test for both parties,
and this is about the most critical
stage through which either of the par
ties will have to pass. 1t is a crucial
test for the Democrats, for they have
only to reach out for the support of the
dissatisfied S. p. machine, fighting in
its last ditch, and climb into power by
returning the Southern Pacific bosses
to the throne from which they were so
recently tumbled.
While it may seem like a temptation
to some of the Democrats, the leaders
of the county and state Democracy are
determined that no candidate shall be
allowed to seek machine support, and
every candidate will make his fight for
election on the straight issues of
Democracy, hurting the def into the
teeth of the S. P. machine leaders and
pledged to kick them out of politics and
to overthrow the Parker Herrin COM
bine, If elected.
NN