Imperial Valley press., 1914-08-24
GOVERNOR JOHNSON
CONFIDENT

San Francisco, Aug. l4-A COIL
fdentJal talk on some phases OF the
political campaign of 1914 was made
to twenty-five business and profess
sional men, members of the Civic
Club of San Francisco, at it's weekly
luncheon last week by Governor Hiram
w. Johnson, Progressive candidate for
recollection. ..
"You need not worry about regis
tration," said the governor. "Fou.
years ago the Republican candidate for
governor in the primary received Il
total of 215,O0O votes and the Demo-
cratic candidate received only 47,00O
But when the final election came the
Republican candidate polled 177,Oo0
and the Democrat got $4,000 because
all these Republicans who are now
pratiae about their staunch' Repub-
Ilicanism voted for the Democratic
candidate.
at was not a partisan fight four
years ago, and it win not be partisan
fight this year.
"This is going to be bitter cam
paiga and lies and villifcation are to
be heaped upon the Progressive ad-
!ninistration. Already stories hav.
been made out of whole cloth ami
spread over the state in an endless
chain of mendacity. There is news
raper man at Sacramento who openly
admits that he is under contract 10
make up whatever stories he can that
will hurt the Progressive administra-
ton.
can attempt has been made to show
that this administration is dishones5,
but The fact remains that no one, high
or low, has been able to get by with
q single or even doubtful transaction
in the affairs of the government of
California since this administration
has leen in power.
"a story is being told about the
extravaganza of this administration.
Figures are being quoted, but they are
Just S17,0OO0OC in excess of the eX-
act figures, and that is demonstrable
and has been demonstrable. That sort
of statement is going to react. They
have started too early with their
mendacity in this campaign.
"Thc candidates for governor were
told by their masters when this cam
paign began that they must abuse
johnson, and that they must not abuse
one another. Mr.. Ralston alone seems
to have realized that he had con-
test within his own party, and ne
has really made the most gentlemanly
fight of any of the other candidates.
"But even he has tried to make the
people believe that they are paying.
higher taxes because of this admin
;stration. He admits that the cost
of running the state is paid by the
public service corporations, but he
says that the public service corpora
tions shift the burden to the people.
"The public utility corporations are
rayia& all The state taxes, but they
have rot been able to put the burden
on The people, for the very simple
reasoH that the only way they could
co that is by making you pay higher
rates, and instead. of being raised, the
publ, utility rates of the public util'
ity corporations have been reduced by
the Railroad Commission to the
amount of $6,OOO,OO0 year.
"There are two things the oppo-
nents of this administration have go1
to got in order to return to power,
and those are the Railroad Commits
sion and the Board of Control. And
that is why they are spending hum
6reds of thousands of dollars. That
is THEN real aim no matter how mask
ed and concealed it may be.
"These two agencies have got to be