Imperial Valley press., 1922-07-20
Ellison Asks Legion
Permission to Quit
andLegion Lets Go

| After vigorous discussion in the
county courthouse last night, the I'M
perial County EX-Service Men s poliA
| cal club, on motion fby Vaughn n.
Thompson, seconded by Archie Farrar,
voted to allow their candidate for dis
trict attorney, Harry B. Ellison, to
withdraw from the race upon his own
judgment, and without pedging the
club to support any other candidate for
that office.
A substitute motion offered by J. S.
Cameron, seconded by DR.. c.. S. Brooks,
providing that the club should not take
any action on Mr.. Ellison s withdrawal,
was defeated. d. b. Roberts of Holt
Vile presided as chairman of the meet
ing.
In addressing the club, Ellison said
he had been convinced after several
weeks campaigning, that owing to the
strength of the opposition, he could not
hope to be elected, and in view of this
conviction, he did not wish to go to
any further expense. to conduct q cam
paign which he felt certain would re-
suit in his defeat, unless it was the
wish of the eX-service men that he do
so. In this event, he was willing to go
on with the campaign he said, and put
up the strongest fight possible.
Can Have Chief Deputy Job
He also made it plain without giving
details of the arrangement that by
withdrawing now he could obtain APP
pointment as chief deputy district at
torney under Charles Il. Scott if the
latter is elected, of which Ellison seem
a. tn hn,r / -
think this would be something gained
for the Legion candidate where defeat
were certain otherwise.
Ellison s statement of his position
drew reply from Cal Sousseau, who
charged that outside influences had
been brought to bear upon Ellison, With
the promise that if he would withdraw
in favor of Charles f. Scott the lat
ter, if elected, would give Ellison the
chief deputy job and that this deal
prompted his appearance before the ex-
service men to ask their Endorsement OF
his withdrawal. Asked point blank by
Mr.. Mousscau, if he had not attended n
meeting of another organization - ut
which such q deal had been made, Eli
son denied the charge, stating that h.
had attended no such meeting. Mousseau
then asked if representatives from such
a meeting had called ON him to- present
such an offer and, Ellison replied that
he had been "given to understand -
by certain influential politicians that
if he would withdraw in favor of Scott,
the latter would tender him the office
of chew deputy, providing Scott was
elected, but that he had not given
any promise that he would withdraw
under this arrangement. Mousseau pro-
tested against the club giving any sane.
tion to Ellison's withdrawal, stating
that it was something for Ellison to de-
eide for himself, and whether or not
the club indorsed his withdrawal.
would make no difference to the candi-
date. He pressed the question of wheth-
er Ellison had left his withdrawal 10
the decision of another prior meeting.
Ellison said that this was another mat
ter.
To charges made by DR.. G. S. Brooks,
that he was deliberately quitting in the
race and had thrown down the ex-serv-
ice men to cater to outside Influence,
Mr.. Ellison stated he was not quitting,
and reiterated his statement that the
NNpVhst VI IL cdil pdlSH WHICH WAS sure
to result in defeat is more than he can
afford, but that he would continue IN
the race if the eX-service men wished
him TO do so.
Ben Hill, of Calexico, expressed his
opinion that Endorsement of Ellison 5
Withdrawal by the eX-service men, was
admitting to the opposition that the
club is Il negligible factor in Imperial
valley politics, and he was against al
lowing the club to play second fiddle to
any organization. He strongly protest
ed against the club going on record as
indorsing Ellison S withdrawal, if this
action had been prompted by "outside,
sinister, influences. -
j. 5. Cameron declared that the Kll
klux Klan had induced Ellison to with.
draw. He claimed that if Ellison
wished to withdraw from the race, it
was his privilege to do so, but that he
should not attempt to drag the ex-
service men into it.
Favors Chief Deputy Deal
Ed Anderson believed that Ellison
had only acted, in n courteous manner