Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1920-02-06 | Page 4 | The Soldier Vote Myth

The Soldier Vote Myth rr arc man many persons who imagine notwithstanding ing its disclaimers that the thc American n Le Legion ion was organized for Tor political purposes and that when the proper time comes COUles its membership will Avill assert itself in ina inn a n solid phalanx behind some candidate preferably a veteran veteran vet ye- eran of oC the thc great war The Home Sector is no not the thc official official of of- organ of the legion but discussing the solidarity of American soldiers it previous voting says Tho only record of or a soldier solier vote in an nn American merican presidential election the electon-the the election the only ony Instance that Is in lit which the soldiers soldiers' ballots were wre counted separately from the civilian lan cl was ballots was ballots was tabulated In the McClellan LInColn contest in 1864 Soldiers In twel o states who were permitted per per- to vote in th the field cat cast ballots for or Lincoln and 33 H 8 for tor McClellan n a a. ratio of or more than 3 to 1 I rato 4 l T. T Tn til tho c civilian vote i was a Lincoln I i S i ci l 8 46 i ia a a ratio of or less Jes than 10 to S. S 1 ne Regardless ardless of the reaction against Lincoln and hI his conduct of or the war in 1864 and in lii the tho face lace o of what at that time looked like a n sure suro Democratic victory Gen Gon George B. B McClellan was roundly defeated Much tho the thoune same aino une thing happened in the campaign of or 1880 1850 when Gen William S. S Hancock however hwo superb ho lie was was wai not superb enough to lead his party part out o of oC the thc wilderness o of detent defeat In which it had hail been wandering since since- the civil U war var However with wih Grover Cleveland tho the Democrats defeated Gen Benjamin Harrison While it i has become more or less of an axiom that at the time tUne of tho the civil civi war and afterwards soldiers soldier voted as they shot tho maxim refers not so much to persons as to principles but even so o there is nothing in bisor history that can even e cn remotely form a precedent ent for in tho tim political alignment of our in the recent war If a service man was a before the war there is no particular reason to assume that he lie is not of or the same political fail faith now if n a Republican before the war lIe ho is in all it a Republican yet et The Tile two most prominent soldier candidates for the Presidency arc General Leonard Wood who has announced announced announced an an- his candidacy and and General Pershing who has Las not but is thought to be Pershing unresisting Both of these men are Republicans yet ct it is doubtful i if either one of tiem hopes or expects the tho tho solid sold sol soldier ier vote yote in case his candidacy candi candi- dacy ncy reaches the polls It is I idle to infer because a man I wears the uniform of Uncle Sam that all ni the voters oters who rho wore that uniform arc are to vote yote for him as the Home lome Sector plainly points out out And if any record is taken of or the soldier vote in the thc coming coming election which however is not possible in i a secret ballot balot it would demonstrate v ane anew the groundless fears of those alarmists alarm alarm- who affect to believe there is some sinister political significance behind behin the thie organization of the American Legion This is no not to sn say however that a great geat war var record may maj not make male a man President by civilian votes as in the case of Washington Jac Jackson cC sp Taylor Grant Grunt and Roosevelt o