Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-21
SUPPORT STEWART AND
WH|FFEN, WRITES MAYOR
City'S Chief Executive Advances
Reasons for Defeating
HeaIy and Houghton

Mayor George Alexander, who has
shown a most active interest in the
candidacy of Frederick j. Whiffen and
George Fl. Stewart, the Good Govern
ment men opposing Barney Healy and
DOC" Houghton in the special election
June 80 to fill the two vacancies in the
city council, has issued a circular letter
through the Good Government organ
ization, which Secretary Charles e.
Bent declares is creating a good deal
of interest among the voters and dong
much to insure the defeat of the two
push" candidates, Healy and Hough-
ton.
The mayor strikes hard blow at the
machine in this letter, and shows his
fearlessness and independence in a
most characteristic manner. His ap-
peal to the voters is blunt, straight
forward and prompted only by the de-
sire to give the administration city
council entirely free from corporation
influence. The letter was unsolicited
and is as follows:
The push says the Good Government ad-
ministration wants to hold special elections
all the time. This is one time when they
tried to make us believe they wanted a
special election which they really did not
want But we "called" them.
The electric light trust-in the ''push"-made
a great fuss over the proposed reduction IN
clared They would appeal directly TO tht
people by invoking the referendum and get
them to vote for the higher rate But they
did not want the question submitted TO the
people at an election at which big vote
probably would be recorded. They wanted TO
have it put to a vote when there was no other
question before the people They were going
to try to bulldoze, scare, intimidate the city
government
Do you know what they thought they could
DO? 1 will tell you. They believed they
could keep on circulating their petition Tor
a referendum until they secured the signatures
of a number of voters equal to majority
of those ordinarily voting Then they IN
tended, not to file their petition and ask tor
a special election, but to use 1t as cluo
to coerce the council into repeating the Or
dinance.
They thought IL they could show the coun-
ell that they had a majority of the voters
signed up on their petition, they might bull
doze the council into repeating the ordinance
fxing the rate at seven cents rather than
ordering special election at an expense of
several thousand dollars. That is really what
they had in mind.
why can we not sell our Owens river bonds
now? 1 can tell you. The power trust is
fighting the people all along the line-not IN
Los Angeles alone The struggle we are now
having is the first skirmish in the light be
tween that trust and the city of Los Angeles.
The trust does not want to see municipal
lighting plants established. 1t knows a city
can furnish its own light at much lower
rate than the trust ngureS. so they are ngnl-
ing to retain a monopoly of the lighting
business
Tell me the time within the past fifteen
years, if you can, when Champ Vance and his
gang couldn't go around the council chamber
and get what they wanted. They can't do
1t now.
You have heard these corporation cry for
years, Your taxation of US will ruin us!''
You all knew Ben Ward? Ben Ward told
them, you fix your valuation at one figure
for purposes Of taxation and at another figure
as basis for the establishment of rates for
the service you render the public" And the
trust admitted it.
They can stand one years trial at seven
cents. Then, If we find they actually are
losing money, we can establish a better rate
for them.
I know George H. Stewart and Frederick
j. Whinfen we'll. When the very interests
which are now fighting the people were at
work to steal my nomination for supervisor.
both these men stood squarely behind me.
| They did all they could to help me in that
| fight That is why 1 KNOW they are for
| good government. They would not have dared
| at that time to take the stand they did II
| they were not sincere and fearless advocates
| of progressive government-our kind Of men
with us in our fight
If you think of your own best interests my
friends, you will not fail to vote for them
and also work for their election. The power
trust is against them. That alone should be