Evening star., 1934-11-15
Sinclair, as Democrat, Held
Defeated by His Own Party

Comment on the failure of Upton
Sinclair's candidacy for the governor
ship in California emphasizes the part
played by thousands Of Democrats who
turned to the Republican candidate,
Acting Gov. Merriam. because they
couldn't swallow their nominees So
cialistic schemes.
Democratic leaders, who hastened
at first to indorse him, were forced
later to drop him as a hot potato" says
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, while the
Gary Post Tribune, observing that "a
strong drive was organized against his
fancy and impractical program" adds
that the American people do not want
Socialism, and the California election
is proof Of it."
when a radical or q dreamer starts
up some mad project. and apparently
has won an irresistible popular sup
port" according to the New York
Times. "the instinct of some public
men is to compromise. They would
propose measures not quite so wild as
his. But not so did the people Of Cali
fornia see their duty on Tuesday.
They attacked the entire Sinclair plan
and repudiated it emphatically. Time
and again have the American people
met q person of that kind and disposed
of him in that way. California has
shown the rest of the country how TO
go about such disagreeable business
and do it thoroughly
Ci,,nloir coruad yn1aiv, Yntino
business enterprise" states the Los
Angeles Evening Post, that he would
welcome its encouragement and de-
struction, and this at time when the
announcement of investment and en-
ployment by private enterprise offers
us our one hope of recovery. The
Los Angeles Times condemns his fan
tastic and radical proposals" and the
San Francisco Chronicle recalls tnat
from all sides his scheme was shown
to be an illusions mirage that would
be as bitter a disappointment as all
mirages are w1en trusted"
"The withdrawal of Democrats In
Los Angeles and Northern California
from the support of Sinclair brought
defeat for Merriam's only serious OPP
pent,' says the Reno Evening Gazette,
while the Boston Transcript holds
that 'if the Democrats had not knitted
their own ticket so vigorously, he would
have won" The Roanoke Times states
that thousands of Democrats could
not stomach his platform"
His startling program was too
much for many of the old-line Demo-
Gratis to digest" thinks the Baton
Rouge Oa) State Times, and that
paper concludes: HE has had his
day in the sunlight of publicity. His
policies have been aired, his statements
have been printed, and his smiling
face has beamed from nearly every
front page. No doubt, Mr.. Sinclair
for Governor. He didn't get elected,
but he says he's getting ready for the
next campaign. He'll enjoy himself,
even though he is not sitting in the
executive chair. No, not this time,
Mr.. Sinclair. And the next election
is long way off"
I'm no event." advises the San Jose
Mercury Herald, could Mr.. Sinclair
have given immediate employment to
the workless, for changes in the laws
would be necessary, and to effect these
and dispose of the legal controversies
arising over them would delay execu-
ton Of the plan for years. AS pro-
posal to give the unemployed jobs at
once, the value of the plan is therefore
exactly nothing. The permanent plan
Mr., Sinclair has for industry is based
on the proposition that private in
dustry must be superseded by industry
for use and not for proflt'-the Com
munist phrase for state socialism. This
would require laws permitting the
seizure Of private property, which
would, In turn, require revolutionary