Evening star., 1934-10-07
SINCLAIR SUPPORT
| |BEL|EvEDDR|F TING
Speculation on Result, How.
ever, Still Is PuzzIing
CaIifornians.
BY CHESTER II. ROWELL.
Special Dispatch to The Star,

Tor Governor OF Call1Ornla on MS
radical "E. P. I. c." plan to lend
poverty in California" has attracted
national attention to the campaign
for Governor in this State.
Already the contest has broken
party lines in California. While some
Democratic leaders, like Senator Nc
Adoo and George Creel. Sinclair's
principal opponent for the nomina-
ton, have preserved their regularity
by accepting the result Of the pri-
maries, others equally prominent in
the party councils have openly de-
clared against the nominee. They as
sert that Sinclair is not a Democrat
and that his e. P. 1. c." plan is the
reverse Of Democratic policy, includ-
ing the New Deal. These include
Maurice Harrison, retiring State
chairman, and Justus Wardell, an
other candidate for the nomination
and leader of the original Roosevelt
movement in California.
Bid for Progressive Votes.
The Republicans, on the other hand
always divided in California into pro-
greSsiye and regular factions, are con-
fronted with a progressive candidate,
Raymond Haight, running on the
nomination of the Commonwealth
party" an otherwise negligible nomi-
mating machine. Haight is making an
aggressive campaign for progressive
Republican votes against the regular
Republican nominee, Gov. Merriam,
who is ranked as conservative,
though he is now running on an out
right progressive platform.
Impartial observers see no posi-
bility of Haights election. but he may
get a substantial vote in Los Angeles,
which in a three-cornered contest
could be a factor in the result.
The two party platforms also pre-
sent an interesting Illustration OF
campaign tactics. The Republican
platform is strongly progressive,
though its candidate has always been
regarded as conservative. The Demo
cratic platform, at the demand, 1t is
said. of Senator McAdoo, greatly
toned down the Sinclair e. P I. c.
plan by omissions and indefinite Ian
guage, but Sinclair has himself de-
clared that the essence of his plan
was retained.
Accepted rs Epic" Plan.
BY these omissions, the face of con-
servative Democrats was saved in ac-
cepting the candidate and platform,
but the acceptance of that platform
by the nominee did not commit him
to its omissions. He stands on the
platform so far as it goes, and adds
the remainder of his plan as his per-
sonal policy. The issue, therefore,
still remains the "epic" plan, and is
so accepted by the voters generally.
The only significant change Sim
clair has made in his plan is that he
no longer proposes to issue $500, 900, 900
in bonds to acquire the farms and fac
tories with which to start his enter
prises> In the present crisis, he says,
these bonds would not be Immediately
marketable, and he does not wish to
wait. So. for three years, he would
rent instead of buying the properties.
The rent" however, will be very
little Of it in cash. Sinclair pro-
poses to rent idle land in the nighbor-
hood of cities. for subsistence home
steads, for the mere remission of
taxes. Losing or idle factories will be
rented for enough for taxes and over
head. Farmers will pay their taxes in
goods, which the State will then ex-
chage with the workers in the fac
tories for their products. Even pri-
vate corporations will be taxed in
cement and lumber, to make homes for
the people.
Three e-Year Experiment.
Thus the essentials Of the plan. as
an enclave Of State socialism. within
an otherwise capitalist State in a
capitalist Nation, will be retained. At
the end of three years of this rental
system, the people will decide whether
they wish to issue bonds to acquire
ownership of the rented establishments
1t is, of course. too early to predict
with confidence the result of the elec-
tion. The day after the primary
Sinclair would unquestionably have
been elected. All indications are that
he is less strong now. The result will
depend on the extent of the drift,
either way, as events and public feel
ing may determine it between now
and the election November 6.
Gamblers polls taken Immediately
after the primaries gave Sinclair SIS
per cent. Merriam IS per cent, and
Haight 10 per cent, on some 10000
replies. Three weeks later the figures
were 46. Al and 13 per cent. Neither
of these canvasses was complete
enough to be at all conclusive, and
the present indications are that Mer-
riam is stronger and Haight weaker
on the second poll.
Los Angeles Big Factor.
All analyses Of California trends
must reckon with Los Angeles ano
with the remainder of the State sep
arately. Los Angeles is important be-
cause it contains As per cent of the
voters Of the State and because what
ever influences produce a certain effect
elsewhere almost uniformly produce
the reverse effect in Los Angeles.
In the primary election, for instance
former Gov. Young, Progressive Re-
publican, carried the State in the Re-
publican primaries. except Los Angeles
Likewise, Creel, Roosevelt Democrat,
carried the Democratic primaries out
side Of Los Angeles. Except for Los
Angeles these would have been the
two party candidates for Governor,
and nobody outside of California would
have cared which of them won. It was
Los Angeles that nominated Merriam
and Sinclair and made Haight a sig
nificant third candidate.
More specifically. in the Republican
primaries Young was either first or q
good second in every county in Cali
fornia except Los Angeles, where he
was a bad fourth. Merriam ranged
from a poor to a good second every
where, except in Los Angeles, where
he was an overwhelming first. Haight
was a very poor fourth for the Repub-
lican nomination (his. formal Com
monweaIth" nomination being auto
matte and unanimousl, except in Los
Angeles, where he was second. At
every point Los Angeles reversed the
vote of the rest of the State.
The contrasts in the Democratic pri-