Saturday, July 09, 2005

"Behind the Mantle" 1927 Erie Elections, Lavery

Here is a campaign postcard sent the day before the election in 1927. This is another item we found behind our mantle. (We have a whole box of stuff we found.) It was sent from James F. Lavery. He was running against someone that had been in office 20 years. I don't know if he won or not (probably not, as unseating someone that has been in office 20 years wouldn't be easy). Below the picture, I transcribed the postcard to make the cursive writing easier to read. It is a bit "cheezy" if you ask me.
campaign
Lavery. Pa - Monday
Tomorrow is Elections Day. Will you give me a vote?
I want your support, but the time is too short to see you. Will you give
me a vote? You can vote a straight party ticket and also vote a mark after
my name. Will you give me a vote? Isn't 20 years in one office too
much? Doesn't patriotic service merit a reward? Shouldn't Erie
County have the use of her own best talent? If you believe these
things, don't fail tomorrow. Don't fail to go to the polls. No
matter how busy you are, please take time to go and vote for me. I am
depending on your help. Thank you - James F Lavery.

UPDATE..not that anyone cares but I found this listed in the website "the political graveyard" http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/latno-lavorato.html ...so it looks like he tried again in the 40s, if it is the same guy. Lavery, James F. — of Pennsylvania. Democrat. Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 1940 (29th District), 1944 (28th District). Still living as of 1944.(defeated both times)

2 comments:

Dittman said...

Very cool - I keep waiting to find some good stuff in my 1865 Victorian, but so far just lots of horse hair... ;(

Anonymous said...

James F. Lavery was my grandfather. His grandfather, James A. Lavery, emigrated from Ireland. His father was Ignatius Sylvester (I.S.) Lavery. They ran the family farm in Lavery PA, and also the Lavery Genral Store, until I.S. died ca. 1920. Then the family moved into town. James F. was an Army Captain who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during the pre WWI punitive expedition in Mexico against Pancho Villa.
He was a lifelong Erie resident, an intelligent man (UPenn grad), who longed for elective office but never made it. He died shortly after that 1944 Congressional election.
I am interested in that campaign postcard and any other Lavery memorabilia you may have.

James F. Lavery
Huntington, NY
Jflavery@aol.com