A Slip of the Tongue Costs Votes
A disparaging remark by Nelson Bennett regarding voters leads to a backlash of support for the opposing candidate.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A Tacoma Republican reports that Nelson Bennett damaged his own political cause through insulting language. In the Pacific Postal Telegraph office, while waiting for a meeting, Bennett referred to voters as 'the s-o-b's' who would support McGraw. Bystanders, offended by the vulgarity and elitism, publicly declared they would switch their votes to John H. McGraw specifically to spite Bennett. The incident, witnessed by several gentlemen, turned into a cautionary tale about how one person’s arrogance can alienate an entire local voting bloc.
“I’ve decided to vote for McGraw; what Bennett said settled it for me.”
The idea that a single insulting soundbite or overheard comment can shift voter sentiment is a classic trope of American political history. This incident serves as a 19th-century example of an 'October surprise' triggered by poor social media manners—even before social media existed.
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