Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-09
ATTACKS RECORD
Of CONGRESSMAN
LincoIn.RooseVeIt League Lead
erS Declare MCLaChlan
Enemy of San Pedro
CITE HIS VOTE IS YEARS AGO
Republican Regulars Expected to
Wind Up with Bitter Con-
test for Toga !
CITE HIS VOTE IS YEARS AGO
BY t. SHELLEY SUTTON

BY 7. SHELLEY SUTTON
Members of the Los Angeles Lincoln
| Roosevelt Republican league, aided by
| the Democrats, are bitterly attacking
| what they declare to be the false po-
| sition assumed by Congressman Nc
Lachlan in connection with the present
| anti-railroad fight in this state. Incl
| dentally, both the congressional and
| senatorial contests are much discussed,
and the tactics of the regular Repub-
| lican machine" is being severely criti-
| csed.
The congressional situation, particu-
| larly, has become unusually acute and
! interesting. Congressman McLachlan,
according to certain pioneer politicians
| and wiseacres of Los Angeles, has
| Topped like a circus acrobat in an eff
| fort to disentangle himself from the
meshes of the machine-or, rather, to
make the public believe he has escaped
from its tentacles.
Fifteen years ago." said one of the
prominent leaders of the league yes
| terday, "McLachlap was strenuously
| opposed by The Times because he was
regarded as the tool of the Southern
| Pacific machine, and for the reason
that he did everything possible to de-
feat the San Pedro harbor project.
ENEMY OF SAN PEDRO
"McLachlan was always known as
! the enemy of San Pedro, and he never
| denied that he was opposed to the de-
| velopment of the San Pedro port. He
was elected and reelected to congress
by the Southern Pacific forces because
| of his activity in behalf OF the South
| ern Pacific interests, and his opposition
to the San Pedro harbor.
His congressional record of fifteen
years ago will show that he voted
| against the bill appropriating the first
| federal aid for the San Pedro harbor
and breakwater enterprise.
This fact clearly established. 1t Is
| interesting to hear McLachlan tell the
| people at washington that he Is now
| facing defeat by these same Southern
Pacific interests. Yet that is what Nc
Lachlan is doing. He admits he is
| facing defeat, and has the audacity to
| tell us that this defeat will be due to
| the opposition of the Southern Pacific
| forces. Listen to an extract from a
| speech made by McLachlan June Ii
! in congress-"
| A congressional record was brought
| out at this juncture, and a number OF
| extracts read from a speech delivered
| by McLachlan in favor of the proposed
| Panama steamship line, in which Nc
! Lachlan, it is claimed by his opponents
! attacked the Pacific Mail Steamship
| cornpany. with the consent of Boss
| Herrin, to help secure his reelection,
and as a piece of harmless political
! persihage which can do the southern
! Pacific no harm, but may enhance his
! chances, besides serving to pull the
wool over the eyes of his constituents.
The following is from the speech re-
| ferred to:
| HIS SPEECH
"The transcontinental railroads will
| strenuously oppose this measure. For
| half a century thew successfully OPP
posed the construction of the Isthmlan
| canal. There are many indications
here now that their insiduous influence
| is already At work against this bill.
| But that is but another proof that this
| measure is meritorious and In the IN
terest of the people. No representative
of the people in this body will be
! swerved from his allegiance to their
! cause by threats from that source.
| Their opposition was to be expected.
Personally, 1 have never made any
! secret of the fact that one of the I'M
| pelling motives that induced me TO
| introduce this bill and to press it to
final action was to destroy their power
| to lew unconscionable tribute upon
| the people by eXacting unreasona pie
rates for transportation. In PLAIN
words, that is one of the purposes Oh
| this bill.
T.'This is not the first time have ex-
perienced their OPPOSITION. Fifteen
wears ago, in the fifty-fourth congress,
| / stood on this floor and advocated the
! Improvement of harbor at san PEDRO,
| a point in my district that was Favored
| by the people but opposed by the ran
roads At the following election orders
were given to spend $4,000 If need be
| to compass my defeat The people
| advocated here
this floor were apathetic and inditter-
ent; the railroad agencies were alert
| and overwhelming and was compelled
| to bite the political dust. But l llVed
| to see my Vindication and soon came
| back here, secured place on the river
and harbor committee, where Tor ten
years, with the generous assistance OF
! this house, 1 have secured approprla-
tions for the Improvement of that same
harbor, which will soon be one OF the
best in the whole world.
| 'In pressing this measure it has been
| intimated to me from the same source
that in my case history is about to re-
peat itself in the approaching cam
| paign 1t may be so. The people whose
| cause I advocate here today may again
be Indifferent and apathetic in the APP
preaching contest to be held in my
| district on August 16 next If they are,
| this plea for them and their cause may
! prove to be my own political funeral
Grafton But if it shall so transpire, l
have a sublime faith that l shall live
! to again see my position here today
indicated. If 1t shall so transpire,
/ shall have the satisfaction Of knowing
that / took this position after mature
| deliberation and firm conviction that
| il was right shall find comfort in the
reflection that / had the privilege of
standing here today and hanging out
the red signal as a warning of the
danger that If we do not regulate and
control them they will regulate and
control u.s. My defeat by them in the
approaching contest, or the defeat of
any other member of this body who
may espouse this measure, will be the
best proof of that danger
WITHOUT FOUNDATION
Every line of this, the league leaders
say. in which McLachlan sets himself
IN as an anti-railroad martyr is false
and without foundation. They insist
he has always been elected by the
| Southern Pacific forces. Aside from
| the interest manifested in his attempt
| to make the public believe he is OPP
posed by the Southern Pacific. the
| league Republicans of Los Angeles
have enjoyed good laugh over Nc
| Lachlan's uneasiness, as manifest by