A Republican Landslide—and a Socialist Spark—in Newport's 1908 Election
Stevens County swept Republican by roughly 1,000 votes, but Newport precinct drew just 267 of 333 registered voters and saw the Socialist tally more than double from nine to twenty-one.
Stevens County went Republican by about 1,000 majority on the head of the ticket. While the returns are not yet all in, telephone reports from the county seat this afternoon are to the effect that the Republican county ticket is elected, with the exceptions of Turk for sheriff and Mrs. Noble, candidate for county superintendent. Judge Carey has a very large majority. Graham, Democrat, will win out for sheriff by about 700; Miss Hard, Democrat, for county superintendent, by about 200. Dr. Sutherland defeated W. I. Fountain for commissioner from the Third district by 450. Charles Adams, for treasurer, wins by over 1,000. Kirkpatrick for prosecuting attorney, Bottorf for assessor, Manning for surveyor, Johnson for clerk and Jesseph for auditor all have safe majorities. The Republican legislative ticket is elected. The election in Newport precinct passed off very quietly. Neither party made any great effort to get out the vote, hence there were only 267 votes cast out of 333 registered. The feature of the vote was the increase of the socialists from 9 two years ago to 21 this year. For presidential electors, Taft received 148 votes, Bryan 89, Debs 21 and Chapin 9.
“The feature of the vote was the increase of the socialists from 9 two years ago to 21 this year.”
A countywide Republican sweep and a low-turnout precinct might look like a sleepy election, but the Socialist tally is the tell: 9 votes became 21 in two years. That kind of small protest vote is still how national mood shifts first show up in local returns.
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