UPTON SINCLAIR

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4633, 8 December 1934, Page 8

UPTON SINCLAIR

HIS “EPIC” OF CALIFORNIA,

New York, November 7.

A year ago Mr. Upton Sinclair, who had been practically unknown since he wrote “The Jungle” to expose the Chicago packing industry, came into the spotlight with a book entitled “Epic” (End Poverty in California). The policy outlined in his book was as follows: —

Appropriation of all idle and foreclosed land for cultivation by colonies of unemployed. Appropriation of factories where unemployed might make products to exchange for food. The issue of scrip to facilitate barter between unemployed in confiscated factories and unemployed on confiscated land. Abolition of sales tax and taxes on homes and ranches occupied by their owners and assessed at less than 5000 dollars. Heavy taxes by the State on inheritances, incomes, public utilities, banks, unimproved land. State pension of 50 dollars a month to widows with dependent children, invalids, indigent persons over 60 years who had lived in California three years. The book had an immediate response. It appealed to the 500,000 unemployed in California and to the 1,000,000 dependent on them. “Epic” clubs, numbering 400, were formed in the 59 counties of the State. The book ran into 180,000 , copies. Sinclair, fired by its success, 1

contested the Democratic nomination for State Governor, and obtained the highest plurality in the history of the State, receiving more votes than the remaining seven candidates together. Then he paid a visit to President Roosevelt at Washington, and emerged announcing that he had the President’s support. Immediately the motion picture industry announced that it would move to Florida if Sinclair were elected. The Democratic Party became alarmed. The President announced that he had not promised his support to Sinclair and that he would not intervene in the California elections. A letter committing the party to support Sinclair was exhibited by Sinclair. The party leaders blamed the letter on a “dumb” stenographer. The Republicans retorted that the stenographer was not so “dumb” as she was present when the Postmas-ter-General, Mr. Farley, who is in charge of the party’s patronage, put his arm around Mr. Sinclair’s neck and said, “Call me Jim.” (Mr. Sinclair was beaten at the polls.)