Dan V. Stephens to Joseph P. Tumulty
Title
Dan V. Stephens to Joseph P. Tumulty
Creator
Stephens, Dan Voorhees, 1868-1939
Identifier
WWP25451
Date
1918 November 9
Description
Congressman Stephens sends an analysis of the vote in Nebraska.
Source
Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
German Americans--Nebraska
Presidential elections
Contributor
Anna Phillips
Relation
WWP25450
WWP25452
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
Fremont, Nebraska
Hon. Joseph P. Tumulty,
Secretary to the President,
Washington, DC
My dear Mr. Tumulty:
You may be interested in an analysis of the vote here in Nebraska. Postmortems are always more or less interesting to us who are directly involved in the results. The swing of this State from 40 thousand for the President in 1916 to about 20 thousand for the Republican ticket in 1918 is quite remarkable. In my judgment it shows clearly we are not exactly what we seemed to be. It shows I think an anti-war vote, not all of which was in the ranks of the German-Americans. I base that statement on the vote of ‘16 under the slogan “He kept us out of war”, and in ‘18 under a pro war slogan. The German-American vote in this State was largely democratic. We lost about half of it two years ago and this year we lost it all.
The causes for the defeat of the Administration by the failure of the people to return a Democratic Congress are roughly summarized as follows:
1st. The German-American vote which, in this State at least, went almost solidly for the straight Republican ticket. This was by far the largest single factor. Anyone of 3 German Counties in my District would have elected me by giving me my normal democratic majority.
2nd. The anti-war vote which must have existed in a much larger degree than we had suspected when we consider the 40 thousand majority given the President two years ago against the 20 thousand or more given Senator Norris this year.
3rd. The natural gain for the Republican ticket from the disgruntled, namely, the man peeved because he was short of help, the man opposed to the draft, the man forced to buy bonds and contribute to war activities against his will, and the man pinched by the income tax and hoping the Republicans will put it on consumption. All these made a factor second only to the pro-German loss.
4th. The dissatisfaction among the farmers due to a refusal to increase the wheat price, largely manufactured by Republican agitators. My own losses were sustained largely in the country outside of incorporated towns and cities.
5th. The tremendous fight against the Administration made by the Republicans everywhere. It was a strange spectacle quite apart from what we had expected. The main excuse for it was our alleged pretense of adjourning politcs. They used the President’s appeal to the American people in the most malicious and criminal fashion, absolutely misrepresenting the President everywhere. I deny the Republican claim that the President’s letter caused the landslide. It afforded partisans who never intended to support us an excuse to bawl about it. It may have made some votes for the Republicans as a result of their open work, but in my judgment we greatly profitted in the net results. The great mass of people are not partisans and the President’s letter was worth a great deal to them. I think the landslide would have been greater without it.
The above summary constitutes the principal reasons for our loss of the State.
I hope the President will submit to Congress a program of reconstruction that we can put thru before March 4 next, so our war record can be practically made complete before the Republican Congress comes into being.
I fully expect the Republican Congress will prove what we have forecasted, viz, that it would in effect split the Government by attempting to hamstring the Commander in Chief. The leaders are right now planning how they can overcome the President. I prophesy that before the Presidential Election comes around the people will be sick of their bargain.
The President’s record as leader of the Allied Nations and of his Party is so admirable and sound in every particular that I have the fullest confidence in the recoil that is sure to follow this election. I have never been prouder in victory than I am now in defeat. I class it a glorious defeat because it is the result of being 100% American. I made the first speech in Congress against the Embargo on Arms and Ammunition, February 2, 1915, and lost 6 thousand German-American democratic majority in the following election in 1916. My vote for every single war measure of every kind and character since merely increased that opposition. I feel that we have really made a sacrifice for our Country. I am proud of the President and want to assure him that he is to be congratulated upon the character of the opposition that appears to have delivered us a staggering blow. To me it is a signal for a great endorsement two years hence.
With kindest regards to you and the President, I am,
Yours very truly,
Dan V. Stephens
Member of Congress--Nebraska
S*B
Hon. Joseph P. Tumulty,
Secretary to the President,
Washington, DC
My dear Mr. Tumulty:
You may be interested in an analysis of the vote here in Nebraska. Postmortems are always more or less interesting to us who are directly involved in the results. The swing of this State from 40 thousand for the President in 1916 to about 20 thousand for the Republican ticket in 1918 is quite remarkable. In my judgment it shows clearly we are not exactly what we seemed to be. It shows I think an anti-war vote, not all of which was in the ranks of the German-Americans. I base that statement on the vote of ‘16 under the slogan “He kept us out of war”, and in ‘18 under a pro war slogan. The German-American vote in this State was largely democratic. We lost about half of it two years ago and this year we lost it all.
The causes for the defeat of the Administration by the failure of the people to return a Democratic Congress are roughly summarized as follows:
1st. The German-American vote which, in this State at least, went almost solidly for the straight Republican ticket. This was by far the largest single factor. Anyone of 3 German Counties in my District would have elected me by giving me my normal democratic majority.
2nd. The anti-war vote which must have existed in a much larger degree than we had suspected when we consider the 40 thousand majority given the President two years ago against the 20 thousand or more given Senator Norris this year.
3rd. The natural gain for the Republican ticket from the disgruntled, namely, the man peeved because he was short of help, the man opposed to the draft, the man forced to buy bonds and contribute to war activities against his will, and the man pinched by the income tax and hoping the Republicans will put it on consumption. All these made a factor second only to the pro-German loss.
4th. The dissatisfaction among the farmers due to a refusal to increase the wheat price, largely manufactured by Republican agitators. My own losses were sustained largely in the country outside of incorporated towns and cities.
5th. The tremendous fight against the Administration made by the Republicans everywhere. It was a strange spectacle quite apart from what we had expected. The main excuse for it was our alleged pretense of adjourning politcs. They used the President’s appeal to the American people in the most malicious and criminal fashion, absolutely misrepresenting the President everywhere. I deny the Republican claim that the President’s letter caused the landslide. It afforded partisans who never intended to support us an excuse to bawl about it. It may have made some votes for the Republicans as a result of their open work, but in my judgment we greatly profitted in the net results. The great mass of people are not partisans and the President’s letter was worth a great deal to them. I think the landslide would have been greater without it.
The above summary constitutes the principal reasons for our loss of the State.
I hope the President will submit to Congress a program of reconstruction that we can put thru before March 4 next, so our war record can be practically made complete before the Republican Congress comes into being.
I fully expect the Republican Congress will prove what we have forecasted, viz, that it would in effect split the Government by attempting to hamstring the Commander in Chief. The leaders are right now planning how they can overcome the President. I prophesy that before the Presidential Election comes around the people will be sick of their bargain.
The President’s record as leader of the Allied Nations and of his Party is so admirable and sound in every particular that I have the fullest confidence in the recoil that is sure to follow this election. I have never been prouder in victory than I am now in defeat. I class it a glorious defeat because it is the result of being 100% American. I made the first speech in Congress against the Embargo on Arms and Ammunition, February 2, 1915, and lost 6 thousand German-American democratic majority in the following election in 1916. My vote for every single war measure of every kind and character since merely increased that opposition. I feel that we have really made a sacrifice for our Country. I am proud of the President and want to assure him that he is to be congratulated upon the character of the opposition that appears to have delivered us a staggering blow. To me it is a signal for a great endorsement two years hence.
With kindest regards to you and the President, I am,
Yours very truly,
Dan V. Stephens
Member of Congress--Nebraska
S*B
Original Format
Letter
To
Tumulty, Joseph P. (Joseph Patrick), 1879-1954
Files
Collection
Citation
Stephens, Dan Voorhees, 1868-1939, “Dan V. Stephens to Joseph P. Tumulty,” 1918 November 9, WWP25451, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.