January 1, 2024
Chevy Chase, Maryland

By August, 1912, Emmett Wilson’s political campaign against his Republican challenger, Thomas F. McGourin, was strictly pro-forma.

It is important to know that Florida’s Republican party was, essentially, powerless 110 years ago; although candidates from several different parties made a valiant effort to challenge Democratic office-seekers, they simply didn’t have the votes to do so in 1912.

For a guy who had NEVER run for office before, Emmett was in an enviable position.

Not that I believe Emmett didn’t work hard during his first-ever run for office; he certainly had to during the primary, where he was pitted against more experienced, wealthier candidates. But the general election was comparatively easier for him.

Essentially, all Emmett had to do in the months leading up to Election Day on November 5, 1912 was: Suit up, Show up, Stay sober. On paper, it didn’t appear too difficult.

But Emmett was under an awful lot of pressure already. Not only was he (already) being besieged with voters asking for sinecures (such as the extremely lucrative Postmaster positions in his district) and other favors once he was sworn into office, he was truly about to achieve his dream, a career parallel to and reflective of his grandfather, Augustus Emmett Maxwell’s career. Emmett was so close; therefore, he was behaving carefully during the three months prior to the election.

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Truthfully, the only real information we have about how Emmett was managing/behaving during the run-up to the general election is from contemporary media, which can be unreliable. We know from previous research that Frank Mayes’ influence shaped much of the political reporting throughout the Florida panhandle during that era. Certainly, he was briefed on what he should say, and how to manage certain topics during debates; but we do have evidence of a spicy exchange between Emmett and the Bull Moose Candidate for Governor, William C. Hodges, which took place on Friday, October 11, 1912:

Other than the writeup about Emmett and Hodges’ interaction, it’s reasonable to believe Emmett (and his reputation) were well-managed, both by Frank Mayes and Walter Kehoe for the remainder of the race. It was both exciting and frightening for Emmett; even though he really didn’t have much of a contest to worry about from his Republican opponent, no one would take chances with Mayes’ investment.

Categories: Congressman Family

Tagged as: Augustus Emmett Maxwell Frank L. Mayes J. Walter Kehoe The Pensacola Journal

jsmith532

Professor,
Communication, Arts, and the Humanities
The University of Maryland Global Campus