Governor Davey Gets Booed in Portsmouth
Article taken from The Zanesville Signal, July 27, 1938
An unprecedented demonstration of booing, which interrupted and prolonged a speech in Portsmouth, was regarded as political capital today by Gov. Martin L. Davey as he moved into Ironton. Meanwhile, headquarters for Charles Sawyer, who also seeks the Democratic nomination for governor, announced that if any state civil service employees were solicited for Sawyer campaign contributions, "It was nothing more than coincidence."
"You booers are making more votes for Davey than you ever dreamed of," the governor told his antagonists in a crowd estimated by state highway patrolmen at more than 5,000 persons who crowded into Portsmouth's public square last night.
"Why listen, I'll carry this county ten to one now."
Patrolmen and members of the governor's party said the booing was the most vociferous Davey had encountered in the current campaign. Much of it came from a small group which included sympathizers of John L. Lewis' Committee for Industrial Organization. When the booers were not booing, a large part of the crowd was cheering and applauding the governor's attacks on Lewis, and the noise caused him to take up an hour and 15 minutes with a speech which otherwise would have consumed a half-hour.
The governor chided the booers for not being more vociferous and invited one to the speaker's platform. He was William E. Moore of the Portsmouth vicintiy, who wore a Workers' Alliance button. Davey did not name Sawyers's name. He asked how many wanted to see Lewis elected governor. Up went the hands of many, but Davey received a larger response when he inquired if they wanted him reelected. He accused Lewis of trying to ruin Portsmouth by sending communists to operate a strike at the Selby Shoe company in the city.