100 years ago in Spokane: Campaign of local presidential candidate sputters; ‘evil of the joy ride’ denounced

Spokane’s dream of having the Republican presidential nominee was still alive – barely.

Sen. Miles Poindexter of Spokane stumbled in the South Dakota primary, but his campaign headquarters put the best spin on that and said it was “not regarded as a setback,” The Spokesman-Review reported.

His campaign said that Poindexter had no organization in that state and had canceled a campaign tour so he could participate in a key Senate vote. He received some votes in Pierre and Sioux Falls, the only places he visited.

Poindexter’s showing was more dismal than his campaign made it sound. Poindexter received only about 850 votes in the entire state, and many precincts reported zero Poindexter votes. The primary’s winner was Gen. Leonard Wood, who had more than 27,000 votes.

Poindexter was not giving up. He was headed to Michigan, followed by Texas, Montana and Oregon.

From the temperance beat: Prohibition had produced a curious side effect: Fewer girls had “erred” and ended up in the Florence Crittenton Home for unwed mothers in Spokane.

At least, that’s what the Women’s Christian Temperance Union reported. It said the home’s population had been reduced by half.

The matron of the home said she was concerned about a new menace.

“The growing evil of the joy ride was responsible for a large percentage of the delinquents who became inmates of the home.”