November 7: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

November 7, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1920, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “There are seven big features on the Republican legislative program due to be initiated after Governor-elect [Nathan] Miller and the new Republican Legislature takes office on Jan. 1, 1921 … [including] an amendment to the daylight saving law so as to exempt rural communities entirely from its operation. Such a measure was forced through the Legislature by the Republicans last winter, but was vetoed by the governor. The Republican state platform pledges the party to pass such a bill. The proposal is to allow daylight saving in operation in large cities. Farmers are those behind the demand for its abolition, on the ground that it makes their work difficult.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1928, the Eagle reported, “Franklin D. Roosevelt and the rest of the Democratic state ticket this afternoon appeared to have withstood the [Herbert] Hoover landslide that swamped Governor [Al] Smith in New York State. While Roosevelt’s lead over Attorney General Albert Ottinger was 48,475 and the Democratic nominee was expected to survive with a plurality of 40,000, a committee of 100 lawyers, headed by Assemblyman Maurice Bloch, one of his campaign directors, prepared to investigate alleged frauds among the upstate counties … Roosevelt and Col. Herbert Lehman, apparent winners, have expressed an almost overwhelming regret because of the defeat of their friend, Governor Smith. Roosevelt was drafted, among other reasons, because of the help he was expected to give Smith in the Empire State. The apparent victory of the state ticket in the face of the defeat of Smith cannot help but emphasize the enormous number of Democrats who failed to support the governor for president.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “The Republican state election sweep, coupled with disastrous setbacks suffered by the big Brooklyn Democratic organization in the loss of judgeships and numerous seats in the Legislature, led to demands in both party ranks today for formation of a joint front against the left-wing American Labor party and the rising power of the Communists. Although neither major party organization appeared ready to decide its policy, it appeared certain that definite political realignments would develop from the election results. Demands for a clean break with the left-wing elements were strongest among the old-line Democrats. Although conceding that their party’s defeat was due largely to widespread public dissatisfaction with Truman Administration policies on domestic issues, they were insisting that the setback, the party’s worst in 25 years, had been caused by its identification with left-wing elements.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1954, the Eagle reported, “Official recanvass reports from eight upstate counties on last Tuesday’s neck-and-neck gubernatorial contest gave Averell Harriman, the unofficial winner, a net gain of 220 votes last night, but political eyes are centered on New York City’s recheck, which will get under way Tuesday. Apparently, if Senator [Irving] Ives, Republican nominee, is to pick up enough votes to offset the Harriman unofficial lead of some 9,000 votes and make himself the governor-elect, these discrepancies between the unofficial figures compiled by tired election board workers Tuesday night and the final ones probably would have to come from this city.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Eagle reported, “Governor [Nelson] Rockefeller was reelected Tuesday in an expectedly overwhelming vote, but returns were not as high as his backers had hoped for in order to assure Rockefeller the 1964 presidential nomination. Incumbent Sen. Jacob Javits meanwhile was making a strong bid to lead the entire Republican ticket as he took an insuperable lead over Brooklyn’s James B. Donovan. Brooklyn voters, as expected, turned out heavily and voted mainly Democratic. Incumbent Democratic state controller Arthur Levitt was the only Democrat expected to stand against the statewide Republican tide. Although Rockefeller ran well in New York City, he did not approach Javits’ strong showing.”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Basketball Hall of Famer Al Attles, who was born in 1936; former N.Y. Yankees catcher Jake Gibbs, who was born in 1938; Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Kaat, who was born in 1938; “Vanishing Point” star Barry Newman, who was born in 1938; “Secret Agent Man” singer Johnny Rivers, who was born in 1942; model and actress Jean Shrimpton, who was born in 1942; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joni Mitchell, who was born in 1943; DJ and music producer Jellybean Benitez, who was born in 1957; “The Brady Bunch” star Christopher Knight, who was born in 1957; DJ and music producer David Guetta, who was born in 1967; “Pitch Perfect” star Adam DeVine, who was born in 1983; and “Royals” singer Lorde, who was born in 1996.

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TRUNK SHOW: The elephant debuted as the symbol of the Republican Party on this day in 1874 when Thomas Nast used one in a satirical cartoon in Harper’s Weekly. Nast also popularized the donkey as the symbol of the Democratic Party.

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TALKING POINTS: “Face the Nation” premiered on this day in 1954. The CBS counterpart of NBC’s “Meet the Press” employs a similar format: panelists interview a well-known guest. In 1983 the panel was changed to include experts in addition to journalists.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“If you think too long, you think wrong.”

— Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Kaat, who was born on this day in 1938