Skip to main content

Abolish Cross-Filing in California records

 Collection
Identifier: 0225

  • Staff Only
  • Select an item to initiate a request

Scope and Content

This collection contains the records of the group formed by John B. Elliott to abolish the practice of cross-filing in California (Abolish Cross-Filing in California). Records include filing vouchers, correspondence, clippings, subject files, cancelled checks, and financial information. Also included are 4 printing blocks, 1 printing plate, and 10 purple paper reverse images of illustrations from the publication "Vote 'Yes' on #13," published by Abolish Cross-Filing in California.

Dates

  • Creation: 1941 - 1960
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1950 - 1953

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Advance notice required for access. Consult finding aid for additional information.

Conditions Governing Use

The collection contains published articles; researchers are reminded of the copyright restrictions imposed by publishers on reusing their articles and parts of books. It is the responsibility of researchers to acquire permission from publishers when reusing such materials. The copyright to unpublished materials belongs to the heirs of the writers. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Historical Note

Cross-filing is the practice that allows candidates for political office to register as candidates in multiple parties in primary elections. If a candidate wins nominations from multiple parties, then they run with less (or no) competition in the fall election. Cross-filing was perceived to be an instrument of the corrupt lobbyist and political-boss controlled political system in California. John B. Elliott (1878-1967) spearheaded the movement to put a proposition on the 1952 ballot that would eliminate cross-filing. Elliott, a journalist who had served as the Southern California chairman of Woodrow Wilson's and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first presidential campaigns, was also the president of the Jameson Petroleum Company. His efforts to eliminate cross-filing were successful, and the proposition on the 1952 ballot (Proposition #13) passed.

Extent

8.5 Linear Feet (8 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains the records of the group formed by John B. Elliott to abolish the practice of cross-filing in California (Abolish Cross-Filing in California). Cross-filing is a practice that permits candidates for political office to register in multiple parties for primary elections. If a candidate then wins nominations from multiple parties, they run with less (or no) competition in the fall election. The records present in this collection include filing vouchers, correspondence, clippings, subject files, cancelled checks, and financial information. The proposition to abolish cross-filing passed in 1952.

Arrangement

The Abolish Cross-Filing in California records consist of subject files arranged by size (either letter or legal) and then in alphabetical order. Boxes 1-6 contain letter-size files; boxes 7 and 8 contain legal ones.

Acquisition

The Abolish Cross-Filing in California records were donated to USC by John C. Elliott in 1968.

Title
Finding Aid for the Abolish Cross-Filing in California records
Status
Completed
Author
Rebecca Hirsch
Date
2009
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Sponsor
The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded by the generous support of the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.

Repository Details

Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States