Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-04-18
A TIMELY LESSON

The Free Press mas just receANcu d
detailed account of the recent municipal
,lo.tion in Davenport, Ia. In this cleo
.;or the Socialists polled largely in
creased vote over two years ago, and the
soe;alist candidate for mayor came near
" being elected. Several years active
newsnaper work in the city of Daven-
mort make the writer in a way familiar
with conditions there, end conditions
IN Davenport at the present time are
not unlike those in number of other
communities throughout the United
States Therefore it would be well for
the loyal people in these particular dis
triets where the hand of the kaiser is
az work to profit from the experience
of Davenport and resolve to unite to
suppress the malicious activities of the
Huns in America.
II should be borne in mind that Dav-
import is largely populated by persons
of German birth, and while, since the
limited States entered the war large
number of the German-born people of
Davenport have shown themselves to be
genuine Americans, many others have
revealed tendency to sympathize with
fine German government and retard the
progress of America in the war. Men,
who, previous to the entry of America
in the war, were prominent i'll business
and civic life of Davenport, have, be-
cause of their pro-German leanings vir-
tually fallen from the pinnacles which
they had reached by years of endeavor.
The Socialists, in their recent cam
paign in Davenport, announced that
they would not raise the issue of loyalty
against disloyality. This announcement
was tantamount to an appeal for the
pro German vote. And the muehdesir'
ed pro German vote was forthcoming.
ANALYSIS of the election returns shows
in increase from 594 to 1926 in the
Socialist vote in the two years, and fur
Their it is revealed that the greater in
in precincts that are populated largely /
by the Germans. 1t meant that vir- !
tually POO Germans had switched to the 1
Socialist party in Davenport in the last /
two years, not because they were in
sympathy with socialistic doctrines,
but because they saw an opportunity to
hurl a bomb at the government in
Davenport that would be loyal to the
Stars and Stripes.
But this is not all the story. A
Socialist vote of 1926 in municipal
election in Davenport, while large, will
not serve to swing a municipal election
in city of $4,000 or more people, un
less other influences enter into the cam
paign. Here is what happened.
In Davenport there was a clique of
who rejected an appeal to
disregard party affiliation for the sake
of standing by the Stars and Stripes
They were warned of the menace that
lay in the combined forces of the Socia- {
lists and the pro-Germans, but they de- ;
clined to listen. Instead of supporting
a Citizen, or loyalty ticket, they decided
to go it, themselves. They placed
candidates for municipal office in the s
field, and consequently detracted from v
the vote that otherwise would have been {
the Citizens ticket The {
Citizens ticket lost the votes; the Re &
'ublicans gained nothing, and the Sofia
lists strength was enhanced. For |
the Citizens ticket was elect I
I'd, and the honor of Davenport was pre- t
erved. G
The experience of Davenport may I
we'll be needed by other communities, I
or at the present time one may expect I
many clever schemes to be devolved in I
rider to hamper or overthrow a gov Il
rnment that is. loyal to the United I
states The mere waving of flags, the I
'uying Of Liberty bonds and contribu- II
ions to the Red Cross should not be
to convince the majority of c
ur population that the other portion is A