Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-05
BIG MAGAZINE WRITER'S ENTER
THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

Rerinning next week the Press will
barin notification of one of the most
interesting features-perhaps the mos.
interesting-which was ever included
in the journalistic work of a national
political campaign. Every day during
the remainder of the campaign it will
pubIish a special feature by one or
another of Sc great magazine and
newspaper writers of national repu-
tatfon. There will be news reports of
actual political happenings by such
great reporters as Richard Harding Da-
Wis, C. p. Connolly and Richard Wash
burn Child; views and reviews by such
heavy thinkers as Herbert Croly, Will
liam Allen White, Samuel Merwin and
Jane Adams; humorous skits by such
laugh provokers as George Ade, wal
lace Irwin and George Fitch; ina ginat-
i've writer's by such creators of popu-
lar fiction as Edna Ferber, Inez Haynes
Gilmore ,Gouverneur Morris and Ham
lin Garland. Never before, probably, in
the history of American publication,
has any magazine or newspaper been
able to put forth a seasonal announce
ment including 50 many eminent
names, 1t will appear simultaneously
in syndicate of newspapers covering
the whole country; but the Press will
publish it exclusively in this valley.
This feature is unique in another
way. These eminent writers, who get
from $3.50 to $1,000 for a single maga-
zine or newspaper syndicate contribu-
tion, are not receiving a cent of pay.
They are giving their services free.
And all that is a story.
Pioneer Progrcssivcs
The magazines and those who write
for them have had a great deal to
do with the growth of the so-called
insurgent and progressive ideas in the
United States. When the new Prog
ressive party was formed, it was dis
covered that most of the writers na,
stampeded with the new flock Sew
eral of them wrote in to headquar
tiers in New York to offer their ser
vices, and Frederick Palmer reported
in person.
"A lot of the boys are with YOU, he
said. why don't you make use of
them?" Headquarters warmly ap
proved of the idea, but in the rush
and hurry of creating a working party
organization out of nothing it lay for
gotten until Richard Harding Davis
and Will Irwin arrived from different
directions, each burning with a desire
TO do something. Irwin had another
suggestion-a syndicate, furnishing
matter regularly to newspapers all
over the country. This happened, TO
be exact, on September 10, within seven
weeks Of the end of the campaign.
But it's dreadfully late" objected
headquarters That's all right" saiu
Davis, then well be finished before
we get tired" Forthwith they sat down
to talk il over. It was agreed that
Irwin who has been managing editor
of magazine and knows something 6
of newspapers, had better take charge.
He opened an office within an hour,
and in fifteen minutes more had caught
c. P. Connolly the telephone and
signed him up. Al the same time, Da-
Wis was in the act of buttonholing
Gouverneur Morris and getting his
pledge for copy. 1t was two days be
fore they had gathered enough names
to make the project a certainty, but
when the office closed Saturday night
they had signed up IS writer's, and
within five days the list had grown
TO Sc. 1t isn't closed yet, by any
means. Some of the ardent supporters