The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-12-14

can Farmer may go back as far il
memory as the famous campaign oil
1910 when, after a campaign of un
cxampled enthusiasm, great tida
wave swept "Tippecanoe and Tyler
too" into power. The result of that
election was not generally known for
weeks after the balloting. There were
no telegraphs, few railroads, and in
accommodation was only possible
by stage coach, rivers and common
wagon trails. Eight years later, when
Rough and Ready" Zachary Taylor
was sent to the White House on his
military record in Mexico. there had
been some improvement, but the dis
tribution Of election news was still by
methods so crude as to excite laughter
in this advanced age Postage cost so
much that General Taylor refused to
take out the letter informing him of
his nomination, not knowing what it
contained, and not until this had been
returned to the Dead Letter ONCE
and another sent postage prepaid, did
the old warrior know what had hap
penCd. Newspapers printed so far in
land as indianapolis did not receive
the Presidents message until two
weeks after it had been delivered to
Congress.
Contrast all this with the situation
on the night of November 3, when our
last presidential election occurred.
On the memorable evening every tel
ephone subscriber in the United
States could get election returns by
simply taking down the receiver and
asking for them. The Chicago Tel
ephone Company distributed the news
to 10000 people flee Of charge. The
polls closed in New York at O'Clock,
and by : most Of the people of the
Union knew Low the United States
had voted for President A few hours
later they knew how every State in
the country had gone. Hundreds of
thousands of farmers, scattered all
over the country, received the news at
their homes by telephone. The Chica.
so office alone notified 5000 of them
and other cities and towns in proper
lion. II was not necessary as Of old of
drive miles to the town hall or wait
weeks for insulated newspapers. Pas.
sing travellers or stage coach drivers.
Citizens of the rural districts, in every
one of the forty-tive States, remained
at home and the news found them at
their iiresideS. 1t was wonderful
scene and well worthy of painter.
Picture the heads Of families in mil.
lions of farm homes sitting in their
easy chairs quietly smoking as they
awaited news of what fifteen million
voters had done at the polls that day
Mother rocked by the tireside as she
attended to her sewing; the children
played over the floor, the girls enter
tanned company, the boys roasted
apples and the elderly neighbors
dropped in to exchange condolences or
congratulations, One of the daughters
stands at the phone and reads off the
bulletins as they come hot from the
great metropolis by the Hudson, where
the main political battle had been
fought. Within an hour it was known
that Greater New York as well as the
State at large had decided for the
President by such maiorities as Ia
foretell landslide. The other states
reported later, but it was possible to
know enough TO forctell the general
results but little after usual bedtime
IN the country. And these farmers
who listened had done much to settle
the fate of parties, Holding the bal.
ance OF power, they had decided
against change, and soon heard oven
their phones that a great majority OF
The people took the same view. 1t
was all over before midnight on Tues
DAY, this regulating the national
government OF eighty millions of PEG
pie and local governments in forty
i've States and next day these mil
lions OF farmers were going ahOut tho,