The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-09-27
ROBERT HODGE WILL
BE NEXT GOVERNOR
Progressive Candidate for Governor is
Fully Capable for the Office
Has Clean Record

! L alt HOQge t0lQ me ne Was " NC TIC
next sheriff OF King county. He told
me that the paper of which I was editor
was going to support him and that to
relieve him of further daily visits to my
office, had better confirm this state
ment then and there.
! didn't laugh at him because per-
haps of the Scotch blood that courses
through my own veins. I talked to
him seriously while he was with me
and then forgot about him when he
left. l had never heard of him before.
He was a big, manly, outstanding fell
low but I didn't want to invite defeat
in the campaign that was soon to be-
gin. Next day he came back, and the
next and the next. Soon l couldn't
forget him. I found myself wondering
if it would be possible to take great
big, honest fellow such as he, and
build him up from an unknown to the
highest Office in the county. 1t was
the first trial of the direct primary and
none OF US knew how it would work.
I think Hodge realized that was
beginning to weaken. In any event
he seemed to grow more determined
in his attack. Finally he informed me
that he could win without any news
paper support and couldn't spend any
more time visiting ME. 1t was then
that capitulated.
I don't know whether you can win
or not,' I said, but we're with you
down the line"
And down the line we went. For
fifteen hours every day Hodge worked
in the rain and the sun. 1t mattered
not what the weather. He made a
campaign unequalled in the political
history of King county. He had no
money but his energy was worth thous-
ands of dollars. He told the people
that he was without work and needed a
Job and that if they would give him
the job he sought, he would make the
best sheriff King county ever had.
The paper did its share but with the
odds against US I could not hope for
success. Then primary day came. l
borrowed an automobile from a friend
and Hodge and I visited the polling
places. Everywhere we went we found
men and women working for Hodge.
We had never seen these men or wo-
men before. But they were the most
earnest workers I ever saw outside OF
a polling booth. I felt better but
lacked the confidence Hodge had had
from the start. The paper I repre-
sented did not attempt to gather the
election returns that night, so | bor-
rowed the office OF friend from the
windows of which we could see the re-
turns as they were thrown on to the
canvass across the street from Second
avenue newspaper Office.
The men who were handling the re-
turns in the newspaper Office must have
been more greatly interested in other
Offices than that Of sheriff, for we heard
from everyone of them before there
flashed across the canvass the words:
Hodge is making a wonderful run
for sheriff.
In my minds eye I can see those
lines now, just as clearly as they ap-
pear before me upon the paper on
which write. I don't know what COM
ment I made. or whether yelled or
whether I cried, but I do remember
that Hodge turned to me, and inter
rupting a story he had been telling
about a coal mine experience, re-
marked:
Didn't I tell you?"'
And then much to my disgust he
took up the story where he had
dropped it and refused to permit fur
ther returns to again interrupt. 1t
seemed impossible but it was true.
! Against a field Of men supposed all of
them to be stronger than he, he got
more votes than all OF them put to-
gether.
Since that time I have known Bob