California politics during the Roosevelt era (1932-1939)

92 Pages·03.877 MB·English

by  Noah, Charles W

CALIFORNIA POLITICS DURING THE ROOSEVELT ERA
(1932-1939)
A Thesis
Presented to
the Department or History
University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts
by
Charles W. Noah
June 1950
UMI Number: EP59614
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This thesis, written by
Charles W. Noah
under the guidance of h.lLS.. Faculty Committee,
and approved by all its members, has been
presented to and accepted by the Council on
Graduate Study and Research in partial fulfill­
ment of the requirements f or the degree of
Master of Arts
Jr.
Dean
iw May 19, 1950
Faculty Committee
Chairman
!Ehis is to acknowledge that I give approval to
the bibliography which omits the publishers
name*
TABLE OP CONTESTS
CHAPTER PACE
INTRODUCTION . . . * ........... iv
I. THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OP 1932 . . . . . . 1
Forming of the battle l i n e s .............. 1
Pre-election registration ................ 3
Presidential preference results .......... 5
Senatorial primaries ...................... 8
Senatorial preference election ............ 9
The general election campaign . . . . . . . 10
Results of general election of November 8,
1932 ................. ......... • : r • 13
II. THE MOVEMENTS FOR ECONOMIC.PROSPERITY . . . . 15
Technocracy ........... lf>
The Utopian Society..................... l6
III. THE EPIC MOVEMENT AND THE GUBERNATORIAL
ELECTION OF X93i|_ . ........................ 19
Upton Sinclair and Epic are drafted by the
Democrats . . . . . . . ................ 19
Sheri dan Downey joins the Epic movement . . 26
The heavy Democratic registration . . . . . 27
Republican activity . .......... . . . . . 28
The primary election................. 30
Election campaign of 193^ - ................ 32
General election results . 3£>
IV. THE TOWNSEND, P L A N ............ 38
iii
CHAPTER PAGE
What was this pension plan? . . .......... ^0
Political importance of the movement in
California............ • ............
V. THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OP I936 . . . . . . k-5
The controversy among the Democrats of
California • • • • • • • • . • • • « • • i|-6
The battle for control of the Republican
Party • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • •
Presidential preference results .......... 53
The campaign prior to the General Election
of 1936 ........ . . . . . . 55
Results of the General Election of November
3,1 9 3 6 ................. 57
VI. HAM AND EGGS AND ITS INFLUENCE............ 59
The birth of the plan • • • • • • • • • * • 59
The Thirty-Dollars-Every-Thursday plan . . 6l
Ham and Eggs in the state political arena . 63
Results of the Primary Election of August
30, 193S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
The campaign preceding the General Election 67
Results of the General Election of November
8, 1938 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Ham and Eggs again . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Results of the special election.......... 77
Conclusion ............. 78
BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................... 8l
INTRODUCTION
Tli© political history of California during the first
and second terms of President Franklin D. Roosevelt is both
interesting and important to the people of the Golden State.
It is during this period, 1932-1939» that a number of his­
torically important political events take place. First, we
see a shift in registration of voters from the Republican
to the Democratic party. Second, we see the numerous ideas
of economic prosperity come to the front, and with them the
inevitable political hopes of the almost fanatical leaders
and followers of these economic ideas. Third, we see the
two violent battles waged for Governor of California in
193^4- and 1938* Fourth, we see the campaigns for President
of the United States, and that for United States Senator.
The political history of California is a subject that
offers a great opportunity to the writer of history, for
there has been little work don© in the field. Some of our
California history writers have devoted some space to the
outstanding political ©vents and figures of the period, but
they have merely covered the surface and have not devoted
time to the reasons behind the changing political picture
in California during the years between 1932 and 1939*
The emphasis in this thesis is upon the political
strategies as revealed in the primary and general elections
V
for Governor, President, and Senator between 1932 and 1939*
Both the Democratic and Republican points-of-view have been
brought into this thesis through a careful survey of material
that has been published in newspapers, periodicals, and
books* In this effort the materials are presented in the
following manner.
1. Presidential Election of 1932.
2. The Movements of Economic Prosperity.
3. The Epic Movement and the Gubernatorial Election
of I93I4..
i|.* The Townsend Plan. on
5. Presidential Election of 193&*
6. Ham and Eggs and Its Influence.
Although the concentration has been upon the actual
political campaigns, it has been necessary to include suffi­
cient background material, in the nature of summarizations
of programs and ideas, to enable the reader to understand
why California underwent such a tremendous reversal of
political form. With this in mind it is quite certain that
the reader will be able to understand the political changes
between 1932 and 1939*
CHAPTER I
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OP 1932
The year 1932 saw the United States in the midst of
its worst economic recession in history. Because of the
serious economic distress, the administration came under
fire, with the result that a cry was sent out by the common
man for a political change. California, though it claimed
Herbert Hoover as a son, was not silent in the clamor that
was heard for a change of administration.^
FORMING OF THE BATTLE LINES
The presidential campaign of 1932 started early in
the State of California. Since the state was Republican in
registration, and it was a foregone conclusion that Hoover
was to run on the Republican ticket, attention naturally
focused upon what the Democrats were going to do. No sooner
had plans been laid by the Democrats, in pursuit of a highly
successful campaign, when it became apparent that the party
was split over the issue of prohibition. The wet faction
was led by National Committeeman Isadore B. Dockweiler and
Justus B. Wardell, the San Francisco wheelhorse. This
^ Hoover was bom in Iowa, but had spent a good part
of his life in California. .
faction had most of its strength in Northern California,
but with increasing support in Southern California as time
went on. This groupfs preferred candidate was Governor
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, of New York, who favored repeal
of the Eighteenth Amendment. On January 31, 1932, this
group announced their intention of sending the Democratic
delegation to the National Convention, with instructions to
vote for Roosevelt. The dry element of the party was found
to be strongly entrenched in Southern California, and under
the leadership of William Gibbs McAdoo • This group showed
no signs of backing any particular candidate at the begin-
ning of the campaign; however, they were violently opposed
to Wardell as a possible Democratic nominee for United
States Senator.1
William Randolph Hearst suddenly appeared upon the
Democratic wagon when his newspapers began to back John
Nance Garner as the Democratic nominee for President. The
Hearst newspapers also advocated modification of the Vol­
stead Act, to permit light wines and beer to be made under
Federal regulation. Prohibition was a failure claimed
Hearst, and as long as it was in operation no good was com­
ing from it.2 McAdoo and his dry Democrats suddenly came
1 New York, Times, January 31, 1932, 6:2.
2 Los Angeles, Examiner, March 7, 1932i 1^:7, 8.