Mattachine Becomes Involved in the San Francisco Election Campaign and Sues the Candidate for Slander After an Unprecedented . . .

Smear Drive

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On October 7, Mattachine Society at San Francisco found itself in the middle of a campaign for the election of the mayor of the city.

Assessor Russell L. Wolden, seeking to unseat Mayor George Christo pher, blasted the charge in a weekly advertising newspaper, the San Francisco Progress, that San Francisco, under the Christopher administration, had become a haven for sex deviates, and the national headquarters for "their organization." Named as the culprit for a "sordid situation" was the Mattachine Society, which had, it was implied, moved its headquarters to San Francisco because of a friendly climate created by the city and its police. Purpose of this was to discredit the incumbent Mayor.

These charges were also aired on a radio station with the added bit that Mattachine" "conducted classroom instruction" for deviates, and published literature of the "most lurid, disgusting and distasteful sort." It was alleged that Mattachine corrupted teenagers so that none were safe in the city.

Police officials and staff writers of the city's three daily newspapers 12

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Comment by Wes Knight

swiftly entered the scene to learn (1) the facts about Mattachine; (2) about the resolution passed at Denver which had become a political instrument unintentionally, and (3) who was responsible. William P. Brandhove, listed as a Wolden campaign worker, admitted he "infiltrated" the organization (Mattachine) in August as a member for the express purpose of the "exposure" he was then apparently engineering. Newspapers reported that Brandhove was a turnabout witness, police informer, minor political light, ex-communist, and had a long record in labor union upheavals.

The Society itself was explained without bias to the public through the daily press. But the political drama was on every day for almost two weeks, Mattachine was mentioned in the news (one printed comment was, "I didn't know that Mattachine was running for Mayor").

Two newspapers called for Wolden to withdraw from the race as unfit as a candidate. The third said stay inlet the voters send him to defeat.

All three newspapers published devastating editorials and cartoons, many of the editorials on the front

pages. Upshot was that Wolden then accused the press of trying to chop his head off.

Meanwhile, attorneys volunteered to aid the Society and a suit for slander seeking damages of $1,103,500 was filed against Wolden. Handling the case for the Society was Walter Winter, a young San Francisco attorney.

Fortunately for the Society, which had never in its 10-year history sought sensational publicity, but rather had steadfastly striven to avoid it, there were three officers on hand whose names could be used to speak for it. Hal Call, Don Lucas and Henry Foster, Jr.; acted as spokesmen and their names appeared in print throughout the affair while Mattachine was in the news.

No members resigned because of the sensation. In fact, several joined. In addition many hundreds of calls were received-mostly serious inquiries, but with a number of the inevitable calls from crackpots and cranks.

As this goes to press, the suit is still in process. Depositions from Wolden and Brandhove, originally called for before the election (Oct. 26), were postponed until Nov. 5, and then postponed again by Wolden attorneys.

Then came the election, with its crushing defeat for the candidate who had introduced the sex issue: Mayor Christopher, 141,464; Wolden, 90,268.

"Morning after" comment in San Francisco newspapers was unanimous -Wolden's slamming charges that the

city was a haven for sex deviates had really backfired as predicted for almost a month. Voters didn't go for it. In the thumping defeat, Wolden got only 39% of the light vote cast.

Comment on the result was pointed in the press. Wolden was supposed to have been blessed by the Democratic party (albeit the election was nonpartisan) which had 222,000 registered party voters in the city. He was supposed to have had the backing of the 250,000 union workers of the city. But they either switched in the voting booth, or stayed away from the polls. Nevertheless a total of 251,246 ballots were cast, equivalent to 70.6% of the total registration.

Earl C. Behrens, veteran political editor of the Chronicle, said: "There was great public resentment to the Wolden camp's charge that the administration coddled homosexuals..." The Chronicle also reported on November 4 that "Wolden's backers blame each other for the defeat." Publicist Harry Lerner, campaign manager for the loser, bore the brunt. His was the responsibility, it seemed, for blasting the "sex deviate" issue which was centered about the Mattachine Society.

Backers of Wolden decided to "shut Lerner up" after the initial blast on the sex deviate charges and did. However, trickling efforts to keep this alive were pursued for a full month until the election.

Small throwaways and postal cards and items in a throwaway weekly advertising paper were used by Wolden campaigners who thought they had an 13