MUNICIPAL REVIEW, 1908-1909 525
our municipalities from the clutches of those who have exploited them for their own selfish ends.
Another phase of this movement is to be seen in the improved character of the candidates nominated by the party organizations. Heretofore party titles and designations have sufficed to pull through many an unsavory candidate; but now party managers realize in many localities that the only way they can hope to win is by putting up men of a high character who will appeal to the general community irrespective of their party indorsement. Tammany, for instance, in the campaign just concluded, was compelled to nominate Justice Gaynor, not because he was a man of their own liking, but because they felt that his character and reputation were such as would blind the electorate to the char- acter of the rest of their ticket. Fortunately for the good of New York and for the good of the whole municipal movement in America, the voters of Greater New York, while accepting Justice Gaynor, who was measurably superior to the bulk of his colleagues on the Tammany ticket, rejected those colleagues by a decisive vote.
Interest in the recall has continued unabated during the past year. In Nevada this year's legislature submitted to the next legislature a constitutional amendment establishing in the people a power to recall their public officers. The recall has been used successfully in Los Angeles, in Junction City, Kansas, and in Estacada, Arizona.
It remained, however, for Los Angeles, which originated the recall in municipal affairs, to afford the most advanced applica- tion of the provision thus far had. The Los Angeles Municipal League, with the co-operation of several other civic organiza- tions, undertook the recall of Mayor Harper because, as they alleged, he had made unfit appointments to office, he had failed to keep his personal promises as well as his election pledges; because he had used the offices at his disposal to pay political debts; because he had been a party to marketing the stock of a corporation in which he and members of his police commission were large holders and promoters, among the very people — like the owners and keepers of saloons and houses of ill fame — whom
