Imperial Valley press., 1914-10-12
w. r. BACON REPLIES
TO FREDERICKS


San Francisco, Oct. 10.-A biting
reply to w. R. Bacon, Fredericks'
manager, who charged that state
civil service employees were being
compelled to contribute to the Pro
gressive campaign fund, was issued
yesterday by Percy V. Long, chair
man of the Progressive state central
committee. In his statement Long
said:
'In a statement by Mr.. Bacon pub
lished on Sunday he is quoted as say
ing that 'one matter discussed by the
committee today was as to the best
method to pursue to show the people
that civil service employees are being
forced to contribute to Johnson's cam
paign fund. Many instances
were cited in which employees have
heen assessed months salary for
this purpose, their checks covering
such being sent to AL McCabe, ex-
ecutive secretary for the governor
"Of course it is very easy to un-
derstand the tender solicitude of Mr..
Bacon for civil service, because Mr..
Fredericks, whom he represents, and
for whom he is probably speaking,
fought with intense energy and vigor
against the establishment of civil
service in Los Angeles, has always
opposed civil service and is probably
still as bitter against it as he ever
was.
"Mr. Bacon's charge is so foolish
that it would be absurd were it not
so malicious. Everyone knows that
the johnson administration passed a
drastic civil service law to present
just exactly this sort of thing; every
one knows that that law is now rig
orouSiy enforced-and no one knows
it any better than Mr.. Bacon.
'If Mr.. Bacon knows of state en-
ployes who are being assessed d
months salary which is being sent to
Mr.. McCabe he knows that is vic
lation of the law and his plain duty
as citizen is to announce lust ex-
actly who those law-breaking en-
ployeG are. Of course, Mr. Bacon
will do nothing of the sort because
Mr.. Bacon cannot give the name OF
& single man who has been assessed
a months wages, or any part there
of, for the Johnson campaign. He has
simply concocted story out of the
miasma of his brain.
"Mr. Bacon INDUCES in similar
brand of specious flubdub when in
the same statement he says of cleo
tion frauds in Alameda county that in
cne precinct all the officers were Pro
gressives. Mr.. Bacon knows, or ought
to know, if he knows anything, that
the law requires each precinct to
divide its officers among all parties.
"Mr Bacon also forgot to tell that
the election officers referred to were
chosen by Supervisor Joseph Kelly,
a registered Republican, and that
whatever frauds were committed
there were committed in the interests
of that great Republican purist, Coun-
ty Clerk Jack Cook, and that the
count, by the court in that pre-
cinct, which the Republicans did not
want, gave the Progressive candidate
q gain of 19 votes and a loss of 19
to Mr.. Jack Cook.
"But it is in his comment on the
Fredericks meetings in the Sacra-
mento valley that Mr.. Bacon attains
his best flight of political day dream
ing. He talks of the marvellous meet
ings of Fredericks and of surging
throngs of listeners that existed only
in the rosy fancy of his press agent.
The tredericks meetings in the Sac
ramento valley have been generally
small. The unbiased opinion of poll
ticians is that Fredericks is not so
strong as he was before the primary
There is general impression abroad
that Fredericks has slumped, and that
impression is grounded upon the slim
attenGances at his meetings. Marys-
vile supplies an example. The meet
ing was widely advertised. 1t was
at night. But the number was ex-
actly 277."
Vote California Dry
Wanted-To buy alfalfa ready to
cut fer hay. Ed Royce. Ell Centro.-
Vote Califo .,ia Dry
Coming Wednesday night, "Sealed