Newspaper Publicity in California by Frank A. Coffin

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 3, 1914

Newspaper Publicity in California

By Frank A. Coffin

MORE than 300,000 persons were reached with anti-Sunday law articles through the California newspapers during the religious liberty campaign which closed with the election of November 3. Returns received to date indicate that the Sunday bill has been defeated by at least 40,000 votes. However, all the ballots have not yet been counted, only 1,405 out of 4,585 precincts having been heard from. The returns to date show that 133,289 voters favored the bill. How many more votes it will have received when the final returns are given, we do not know.

The ballot this year was a large one, containing forty-eight initiative and referendum measures, besides the candidates. Sunday law advocates waited until almost the last moment before filing their petition, the bill being No. 45 on the ballot. This gave only a short time to work against it, while advocates of the measure had all summer to work for it. When it became known, about two months before election day, that the bill would be on the ballot, the Pacific Union Conference Committee voted to secure publicity as far as possible through the newspapers, and to print a large number of leaflets for free distribution. Elders J. O. Corliss and W. M. Healey wrote these tracts, and directed in their distribution.

At least fifty-two newspapers printed articles against the bill. Brethren throughout the State wrote to their home papers, telling how similar laws had operated in other States, and how Sunday laws are bringing about a union of church and state, which is disastrous to the country.

In one case a sister took a communication on religious liberty to the editor of a newspaper in her town, but he refused point-blank when she asked that he print it. Later she went to him with another letter. She found him more agreeable. He consented to print her letter if she would make it reasonably short, as he had received a letter that morning from one of the advocates of the law, and had promised to use it. The two letters appeared side by side in the next issue of the paper. The person who wrote the article favoring the law, saw his error, changed his mind, and wrote a second letter to the editor, in which he said he had decided against the bill, and advised everybody to vote “No.” How many more changed their minds upon reading the articles is hard to say.

A number of our brethren and sisters wrote for more than one newspaper. One brother says he sowed his town with literature, and that in the district covered, the vote was four to one against the Sunday bill; while in another town near by, the vote against the bill was only one and three fourths to one. This brother also lectured against the bill at places where the ballot measures were discussed, and wrote several articles. Some of the California newspapers wrote editorials showing the evils of Sunday legislation, basing them upon the leaflets or other material put out by this denomination. Other newspapers copied these editorials word for word.

FRANK A. COFFIN.