News you can use
News you can use
By Emily Mayer
The newspapers continued election coverage 100 years ago, printing columns from supporters urging undecided voters to support their candidates for various reasons at the polls. Candidates and their supporters were just as passionate about electing their choice as today, but the gargantuan difference between then and now is a complete lack of vitriol against the opposition. Print news against any candidates stuck to policy differences, with polite and well-reasoned arguments why voters should not vote for the opposition and why they should vote for the candidate putting out the information. While there were certainly questionable and sometimes outright illegal campaign activity back then (think William Clark the Copper King — 99 percent of candidates today have nothing on this guy), at least on the surface election time was civil, something which, sadly, cannot be said today.
As candidates were traveling the state and area pitching their cause, gatherings were taking place as well. This article was found on The Hill County Democrat’s front page on Nov. 4, 1916:
Big Republican Rally At Lyceum Hall
A large audience assembled at Lyceum hall last night to hear political speeches. Instead of being bored it was entertained, amused and instructed. An appeal was made that went direct home to the patriotism, manhood, womanhood and Americanism of all present.
Max Kuhr introduced the speakers at first of whom was Miss May Trumper, nominee for state superintendent of Public Instruction, who made a hit by saying her first opponent politically lost her fight because she talked too much, a mistake she promised not to make.
Miss Trumper briefly stated her qualifications for the office for which she has been nominated, and outlined her platform which included equal educational opportunities for all children and the strengthening of the intermediate and grammar grades. State aid to the poorer of the rural districts which educated 11,000,000 children was also advocated.
S. C. Ford, nominee for attorney general, scored the democratic state administration for its non-enforcement of laws and called specific attention to the farm loan law which was set aside by the governor and attorney general, the commercialization of the state offices, the license tag $12,000 scandal, the Northwester Trust company frauds, the voided grain inspection and grading law, administration wild catting, the $6,000 a year steamboat inspection with only one steamboat to inspect, and the numerous other delinquencies of the Stewart administration. In closing he pledged that if elected attorney general the penal laws would be enforced and prohibition, if adopted, would be enforced in every county in the state 365 days in every year.
George W. Farr, of Miles City, candidate for representative in congress, spoke for two hours and held his audience spell bound with the most eloquent speech delivered during the campaign. He reviewed the national administration and pointed out how every one of the planks in the platform of 1912 had been broken with one exception to date, of the one term plank.
The democratic party and its administration was condemned out of the mouths of its own statesmen and leaders.
There was frequent applause throughout the speech and the audience listened in his review of Wilson’s Mexican and foreign policies to the most scathing denunciation of a party and its representative that was ever heard in Havre.
Sam Ford would be elected as Montana Attorney General and would give bootleggers in Havre, most notably C. W. “Shorty” Young, a hard time during Prohibition, so he certainly lived up to his word. Mr. Ford would later serve on the Montana State Supreme Court and as governor.
Not to be outdone, the Democrats were also planning a rally. This article was on The Havre Plaindealer’s front page in its Nov. 4, 1916 issue:
WILL CLOSE CAMPAIGN IN HAVRE ON MONDAY
Democrats Will Have Big Rally at the Lyceum
Hill county democratic candidates will conclude the local campaign with a big rally at the Lyceum in this city on Monday evening, and every candidate will talk to the voters upon the merits and demerits of the issues. This will be one of the biggest meetings of the campaign notwithstanding that it is the last one.
The candidates have been busy for the past three weeks touring the county, and at all points have been greeted by large and appreciative crowds. For the first time in the campaign, all the democratic candidates were present at the same meeting and addressed the voters of Chester Thursday evening. The hall was crowded with eager listeners, and every indication points to the fact that Chester will roll up a substantial democratic majority at next Tuesday’s election.
Because of illness in his family Hon. T. S. Hogan, one of the foremost orators of the state, who was to appear at the Lyceum this evening, yesterday afternoon wired that it would be impossible for him to appear here, and for that reason the meetings has been cancelled. The candidates will take the rest of this evening and Sunday, and on Monday evening will be prepared to tell the voters facts that cannot be controverted by the opposition.
Enough election news. Time for some fun news! There were several Halloween parties in Havre announced throughout the newspapers. Halloween has traditionally been a child-centric celebration in the United States, and several kids in Havre hosted their friends at parties. From the Plaindealer’s Society column ran this activity-packed article:
Juveniles Entertain.
Many little girls and boys of the city took advantage of the Hallowe’en season for entertaining their playmates and friends. Margaret Mary Devlin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. K. Devlin, had about thirty of her school mates present at a party given in the Devlin home on Third avenue Tuesday evening, at which various games of the season were greatly enjoyed but not more so than a dainty lunch served by the charming hostess.
Miss Lillian Bossout was another of those who entertained her little friends on the same evening, and a most delightful time was had by the assembled guests, numbering about twenty-five.
Donald and Lou Lucke, Jr., had a large number of their playmates present at a party on Tuesday evening in the Lucke home on south Third avenue. Ghosts and hobgoblins were summoned from every quarter to furnish amusement for the little ones, and at the close of the evening suitable refreshments were enjoyed.
Another enjoyable Hallowe’en affair was a party given Tuesday by Donald and Hazel Dewar to about forty of their little friends. Decorations suggestive of the ghost season were used in profusion, and an appetizing luncheon was served to the guests.
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