Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-21
CHAIRMAN NORTON
ACCUSES NJ DONALD
Head of County Democracy FINDS
Fault with Secretary of
Jefferson Club
HINTS AT MACHINE SCHEME
Declares Mcdonald Is Not Repre-
senting Party in Seeking
State SenatorShip

That Henry NJ. Mcdonald, secretary
of the Los Angeles Jefferson ciuD as q
candidate from the Thirty y-eighth (Los
Angeles) district is representing other
| than the true interests of the Los An
| geles Democracy, is an innocent or
willful dupe of the machine, or is seek
ing to prevent the nomination OF some
one more to be desired by the better
element of the party was the chafSe
made yesterday by Albert M. Norton
chairman of the Los Angeles county
Democratic central committee
Mr. Mcdonald some time ago an
nunced himself as a candidate for the
state senate from the Tnirty-eignth dis
trict," said MIR. Norton, but his candl-
dacy did not and will not receive the
support of the dominant element Of
Democracy Investigation has revealed
that the members of the Jefferson club
have done everything in their power
to induce Mr.. Mcdonald not to seek
the support Of the Democrats of this
district in his candidacy for the state
senate, because they realized that as a
comparative stranger here, formerly
identified with the push in New YORK
his chances of success We're anything
but enViable.
Despite this opposition from the
members of the club Of which he nap
pens to be secretary, Mr.. Mcdonald
went strenuously into the race. tie
will be remembered as having recently
circulated petitions to induce Joseph
Call to enter the race for governor
against Theodore A. Bell. Success
would leave a split in the party prob
able. This move was exposed in The
Herald, and Mr.. Mcdonald evidently
let it drop; but since then he has re-
sorted to methods which I deem ques-
tionable. He has hired men to go to
the court house, city hall and else
where, to procure signatures for his
petitions as a candidate for the state
senate.
GOES THROUGH GREAT REGISTER
"Mr. Mcdonald even went over the
great register and procured the names
of the Democratic voters, many of
whom his petition circulators induced
to sign This done, Mr.. Mcdonald
wrote to each signer a personal letter,
copies Of which l have in my possess
sion, informing him that inasmuch as
the voter had signed his (McDonalds 50
petition he is sworn, under the new
direct primary law, to vote for him at
the primaries The fact is that under
the primary law the voter merely
sWears when he signs the candidate'S
petition that at the time he signs it his
Intention is to vote for that candidate,
but he may change his intention before
the election If he so desires, and there
is nothing in the primary law to pre-
vent it.
This, however, is not all that has
made many Democrats of Los Angeles
irate. for the peculiar and inexplicable
fact is that Mr.. Mcdonald is getting
far more than the per cent minimum
or 10 per cent maximum of signers pre-
scribed by the primary law. The law
requires that he secure not less than
8 per cent and not more than 10 per
cent of the names of the Democratic
voters in the district in which he is a
candidate. Mr.. Mcdonald should,
therefore, in the Thirty eighth district
get not less than $50 and not more
than 450 names. Instead of this num-
ber he has secured the names of 1850
voters to date, and therefore is pre-
venting a great many Democrats from
being able to sign the petition of an
other candidate. Mr.. Mcdonald Is not
THE Democratic candidate, but his
action, if it held good, might prevent
the Democrats from putting any one in
the race ageinst him.
WOULD INVALIDATE PETITION
"It would invalidate Mr.. McDonald's
petition if he filled it with 1850 names,
for that number is far in excess of the
maximum allowed him in that district.
But Mr. Mcdonald evidently is not
getting the signatures for the purpose
of filing them. He is hiding them
away, / believe, to keep other candt-
dates from getting these same sigma
lures.
Il wish to say that the Jefferson club
is not backing Mr.. Mcdonald in any of
his actions, and I do rot believe 1t has
been called to the attention of the
club that he is doing this otherwise
he might be called on to explain.
1.-THE fact remains that Mr.. McDon-
aid has reported up to date 1850 names,
and presumably a large majority of
this number will be led by MIR. McDon-
AIDS letters into believing that they
cannot vote for any other candidate. At
any rate, 1850 voters are disqualified
from signing any other petition, and
this may discourage better men from
entering the race.
Il believe the Democrats of Los
Angeles should investigate, and ask
Mr.. Mcdonald for an accounting"
CREMATED BY ELECTRICITY