Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-28

| be familiar with the workings of the
county Organization, that 1t would
place too much power" in the hands
of the chairman. The discussion of
this feature of the report elected scores
of compliments for the present chair
man, Albert NJ. Norton, who was loud
ly extolled for his patient, faithful and
effective work in the interest of clean
er Democracy and better government.
TRIBUTES PAID To NORTON
All of the active Democratic workers
and leaders, who have been closely in
touch with Mr.. Norton throughout his
"renovating crusade" and who are ia
miliar with the countless obstacles
which have arisen in his path, but
which he has overcome by self-sacri-
flee and strenuous labor, paid him
many tributes, and his popularity was
attested by the fact that he was re-
elected chairman with but one dis
senting vote, which came from a lonely
push" politician, whom the disrupted
machine had managed to elect in a
Republican precinct, and who was op-
posed to Mr.. Norton because the latter
exposed his hand in his recent at
tempts to have the Democrats nom
mate a Southern Pacific dupe for su-
pervisor.
The report of the committee on or
an urgent appeal had been made by
several far-sighted leaders who recog-
nized the fact that the clause empow-
ering the chairman to appoint mem
bers at large did not "centralize" the
power in one man, as claimed by some
of the opponents of the clause, but
that il tended toward a more practical
organization, which some mistook for
Capitalization" The clause as finally
a a6 IL,
tive colmittee and the chairman should
be empowered to appoint the delegates
at large, and with this amendment the
entire report was adopted, almost
unanimously.
The committee on platform then sub
mitted it's draft of the proposed plat
form, which made the real hit of the
convention. The platform was adopted
without opposition, and declared to be
the best and strongest ever drafted
by the Democracy of this county.
PLATFORM DRAFT PREPARED
Discussing this platform, Charles
Wellborn, chairman of the convention,
said:
1T is the best Democratic platform
l have ever read. I say the best be-
cause it embodies some of the most
vital and important issues ever brought
before the voters of Los Angeles coun-
ty-issues whose enunciation should
and, 1 believe will-insure the success
of a large majority, if not all, of the
Democratic ticket
Some objection was raised by one or
two Democrats on the claim that the
platform does not specifically pledge
the legislative candidates to certain
reforms greatly desired by both the
Republicans and Democrats of Los An
geles city and countys
That is q mistake. The platform
pledges these candidates so far as the
general issues are concerned, and MT
Norton our county chairman, has in
his offices the separate and individual
pledge of every candidate, which will
be published later, to the specific re-
forms set forth in the platform. The
candidates themselves, without solicit
tation, [ understand, submitted in
writing their views on these subjects,
and have promised to do everything in
their power, If elected, to bring about
the desired legislation and constitu-
tional amendments which will give all
of the counties, and the state, direct
partisan primary, the initiative, ref
erendum and the recall; to remedy the
defects in the present primary law, as
revealed by the recent primary cleo
ton, and to so amend this present
farce-statute so that it will embody
mary as adopted and operated with
the highest success in other states.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT FAVORED
1.-THE platform, as will be seen, also
declares in favor of local government
by the people, and a legislative enact
ment of a general law which will en-
able the voters of each political sub
division of the state to determine at
the polls whether the traffic in alco-
holic liquors shall, or shall not, be H.
censed within those political subdivis-
ions. This Endorsement of what is vir-
tually the local option principle, is one
of the most commendable planks in our
platform"
Before the reelection of Mr.. Nor
ton, as chairman of the county CEN
tral committee, Mr.. Wellborn surren-
dered the gavel long enough to express
his satisfaction with the work accom-
plished by Mr.. Norton, and his speech
elected considerable applause
Mr.. Norton having been reelected,
the convention adjourned until the
committee of delegates from each as
sembly district could decide as to the
delegates to the state convention, 1t
being necessary to ascertain just what