ELECTIONS FOR COUNCILMEN IN THE CITY OF CLEVELAND AND SLOVENES OF CELEVELAND
Matjaž Klemenčič
Cleveland is the largest Slovenian emigrant/immigrant city in the world. Before World War I. it was among the cities with the largest Slovene population in the world. In Cleveland Slovenes have built four parishes, 8 Slovene national homes and gathered in over 100 fraternal lodges. Since the American Slovenes began to settle in Cleveland in larger numbers during the beginning of the 1890’s, by the first decade of the twentieth century they had developed into larger communities. Thus they were able to form political organizations which enabled them to enter into the mainstream of American political life in Cleveland prior to the outbreak of World War I. In this chapter the outline of the type of success the Slovenes experienced in the political arena and also an analysis of the potential occurrence of the divisions in the voting patterns will be shown as well as what political success meant to the Slovenes. Additionaly, the consequences that positive electoral results had for the community will also be discussed.
In the article about the political success of the American Slovenes those activities that are bound to conflicts and cooperations will be dealt with primarily among the ethnic groups in Cleveland. In this connection those conflicts which were being formed during the elections, as well as connections and relations among the individual ethnic groups, will be discussed. As it will be evident from the further text, Slavic solidarity played an important role, primarily the solidarity between the Croats and the Slovenes. A definite role was also played by the conflicts that were brought by individual ethnic groups from the old country. It mainly concerned the Italian-Slovene relationships. Fear of political predomination and/or any other role of the black population in politics also played a considerable part in preelection pro-
paganda. The success of the Slovenes in the elections in Cleveland was bound to the fact that the Slovenes were politically organized in a relatively early period of time, as well as to the fact that they have many times played a most important role in their election districts. However, it should be kept in mind that the first Slovene was elected into the City Council of Cleveland after larger election districts and a proportional election system had been put into effect. It has also been mentioned what an important role in the cooperation with the other ethnic groups in Cleveland played the success of this election. The success which was achieved by Frank Lausche in the elections for the Mayor of the City of Cleveland in 1941 was a result of an election atmosphere, created in the 1920’s and 1930’s in Cleveland. It actually enabled the domination and victory of Lausche in the elections for the Mayor of Cleveland in 1941. Nova Domovina (Cleveland Slovene newspaper predecessor of Clevelandska Amerika/Ameriška Domovina) stressed the importance of the elections in the autumn of 1912, as many of the Cleveland Slovenes had obtained American citizenship in that year. In 1912, the State of Ohio was also voting for a new Constitution in which the City of Cleveland was to be granted financial independence and an independent Board of Administrators. The new voting laws made the proceedings at the elections very complicated, so that the authorities paid the newspapers (among these also Clevelandska Amerika) to explain the new voting laws in detail. The administration of the city of Cleveland bought 5000 copies of Clevelandska Amerika, in which the voting procedures and the new Constitution of the State of Ohio were explained, to be distributed free of charge to the Slovene community.1 The charter approved in 1913 provided for nonpartisan election of a 26-member council (increased to 33 by 1923) on a Ward basis. Cleveland continued to experiment with its municipal government as corruption and machine politics persisted. Under the City Manager Plan, adopted in 1921, the method of electing councilmen was changed. The city was divided into 4 districts, from each of which 5 to 7 councilmen, depending on population, were elected at large. They served a 2-year term and were paid $ 1000 a year. Elections were nonpartisan, and a system of proportional representation was used. The council elected a manager to administer the city’s business for as long as they considered his service satisfactory. In 1924, the first council elected under this plan chose William
R.Hopkins as city manager. In addition to administering the city’s affairs, Hopkins, on his own initiative, also assumed the role of policy maker, thus diluting the city council’s authority. In
1930	the council replaced him with Daniel Morgan. Although Morgan had a better relationship with the council, it was feared that the City Manager Plan might well lead to a municipal dictatorship, and in 1931 the city returned to the mayor-ward system. A nonpartisan primary was instituted with a runoff between the 2 candidates receiving the highest number of votes in each of 33 wards. City councilmen served 2-year terms and were required to live in their wards. The checks and balances, including the mayor’s veto and council’s control of the purse, were retained. The council also had the right to investigate any official or department of the city to insure that it was properly administered.2
The elections for councillmen were the most important type of elections for any ethnic group among Eastern and Central European immigrants of the City of Cleveland. Councilmen were the ones who were directly involved with issues like street lighting, street paving, cheaper housing amd the city baths. Each of ethnic groups was interested in getting a councilman of their own nationality elected as they believed their own countryman would represent their interests the best. So were the Slovenes.
According to the reports of Nova Domovina there were 3000 Slovenes among the 25.000 voters in Cleveland. The number of the people who had the right to vote was so small, because women did not yet have the right to vote in those days and there were many people who did not have American citizenship and consequently could not vote.3 This was also quite bad for the community as a whole. For this reason Nova Domovina (later Clevelandska Amerika, and even later Ameriška Domovina) published many articles dealing with the question of how the Slovene immigrants should obtain U.S. citizenship. Already before World War I. the Democratic Party candidates got the greatest support on the candidate lists. For this purpose the Slovene Political Club was established very early with an intention to inform the potential Slovene voters about the voting procedures and to recommend for which candidates they should vote.
In 1912, for the first time, the Slovenes had their own candidate running in the elections for city representative of the
23rd ward. He was runing on the ticket of the Socialist Party of the U.S.A."1
This was Dr. Frank Kern. He was supported because he was a Slovene and a medical doctor. Slovene immigrants were not particularly content with the fact that he was a representative of the Socialist Party.
Even though there were many election meetings to support Dr. Kern, the election was finally won by Councilman Adam J. Damm in 1913 and in 1915. An interesting issue at the elections before and after World War I was the number of Slovenes registered to vote. Clevelandska Amerika reported that more than half of the Slovenes who were American citizens, in all the wards, were not registered as voters. So Clevelandska Amerika warned its readers "If you do not register to vote, you deserve to have your certificates of citizenship taken away from you, and you can be sure that this will happen if you do not vote." 6
The Slovene candidates were also active in the elections in the years 1917, 1919 and 1921. Although many Slovenes obtained American citizenship, it was often not possible for them in that period to run as a candidate who could win the election for councilman. In 1917 the leader of the largest Slovene lodge in Cleveland, the lodge of St. Vitus, No. 25 KSKJ, John Julie tried to run as candidate. He did not succeed in his efforts to be elected though.0 An additional reason for their failure to win was the fact that the Slovene candidates did not succeed in getting support from non-Slovene immigrants in Cleveland. The Slovene candidate could not win in the elections until the voting system changed into the proportional one, (described earlier). In 1923 they tried to elect John L. Mihelich for city judge.7
John L. Mihelich was born on April 13, 1891 in the Village of Gora by Sodražica. In 1907, he settled down in Cleveland with his family. His first job was in the Gund brewery and while he was an employee at the brewery, he also educated himself. In 1917 he became the first Slovene lawyer in Cleveland. During the First World War, he fought in France for nine months. In 1923, he became a candidate for the office of Judge of the City Court. A year later, he ran for election for the State Legislature from Cleveland. All this time, he was also active in shaping Slovenian Cleveland’s cultural life.8
In January 1923, the Slovene John L. Mihelich participated as candidate in the elections for city judge. He was supported at
many meetings. On the 2nd of November 1923 there was a political meeting at Grdina Hall where the Slovenian candidate for city judge - John L. Mihelich, the democrat John Tožič, Frank J. Lausche, and Councilman Adam J. Damm spoke to the public. Such meetings were also organized in the Slovene national homes in Newburgh and Collinwood. In this way the whole Slovene voting community was informed. At the elections, John L. Mihelich got 10800 votes but this was not enough to win the position of the City Judge of Cleveland.9
In 1925, the elections for the city council took place. Ameriška Domovina and Enakopravnost launched a large campaign for the election of the Slovene candidate, John L. Mihelich, whose candidacy was also supported by the Democratic Party. At the meeting of the Slovene Political Club on September 14, 1925 it was decided that the Slovene lawyer John L. Mihelich would be backed as candidate for councilman in the elections due in November in the 3rd district. Ameriška Domovina appealed to all the Slovene citizens to support John L. Mihelich’s candidature, since John L. Mihelich required 500 signatures of American citizens in order to be able to run for election.10
John L. Mihelich was selected as candidate because he had acquired valuable political experience during his previous candidacy for the State Assembly and for the office of Judge of the City of Cleveland, as well as being well-known among the Slovaks, who were also numerous in the 3rd district. Besides this, he was very well-known in the Democratic circles which had strong support in the district.11
In October, Ameriška domovina and Enakopravnost (Equality) appealed on voters to register for elections.12
Many of the American organizations approved of John L. Mihelich, among these the Civic League, the Workers’ Federation, the Democratic Party, and also Plain Dealer, the leading Cleveland newspaper.13 Most of the Cleveland ethnic papers supported John L. Mihelich’s candidacy.14
On October 10, Enakopravnost wrote that the Democrats had agreed to the candidature of 20 men in the elections for the City Council. The most important issue in the elections was the maintenance of the city’s electric power plant and the increase of its capacity. In the third district, the candidature of John L. Mihelich was approved of.15
The campaign for the City Council elections in 1925 went by without any perturbations. As many as 118 candidates could be selected. By October 10, only 124.000 of the 300.000 individuals eligible to vote in Cleveland had registered. To explain the voting procedures so that their votes would all be valid, a meeting was held on October 30 in the Slovene National Home.16
On October 28, Enakopravnost called upon all the Slovenes to attend a political rally in the Slovene National Home. The speakers were to be William R. Hopkins, City Manager John L. Mihelich, and Congressman Charles A. Mooney. Again the Enakopravnost stressed that the Slovene candidate John L. Mihelich would win on the 3rd of November, but only if the Slovene voters would vote for him.17
On November 3, the second elections to be held according to the proportional system took place in Cleveland, at which the citizens chose 25 out of 114 candidates for the City Council.18
On November 4, Enakopravnost published the report that John L. Mihelich had taken fifth place among the eighteen candidates in the 3rd district. This was the result of the count of the "first choice" votes. John L. Mihelich had received 1575 of these and his being elected now depended on how many second and other choice votes he had received from those voters who had allocated their first choice vote to another candidate.10
On	November	9, Ameriška	Domovina wrote	that	John L.
Mihelich	had been	elected and that the Slovene lawyer	had be-
come the first Slovene to be elected councilman in Cleveland and in the U.S.A. too. John L. Mihelič had won the elections with
1924	votes.20
Out	of the 12	candidates in	the 3rd district,	John	L. Mihelich had been the	only one who	was not already	a member of
the previous City Council. The final count of the votes for John L. Mihelič amounted to 1924 with him having taken sixth place among all the councilmen elected in Cleveland.21
On the same day, Enakopravnost published an article under the heading, "We’ Won!" The Slovenes had, through this victory, finally stepped into the political life of the City of Cleveland which they often also called American Ljubljana’.22
The Slovene councilmen in Cleveland 1925-1940:
Year elected The names of the elected councilmen
1925	John L. Mihelich 1927 John L. Mihelich 1929 John L. Mihelich
1931	John L. Mihelich
1933 John P. Ripič, Leopold Kennick, Emil Crown* (Gvozdanovič), Anton Vehovec
1935 George Travnikar, M. Pucel, John M. Novak, Vehovec, Crown*
1937 Travnikar, Pucel, Novak, Vehovec
1939 Anton Vehovec, Maks T. Traven, Pucel, George Kovačič
*	Croatian candidate
In 1927, three Slovenes ran for the office of councilmen of the City of Cleveland. These were: John L. Mihelich - representing the Democrats, Dr. James Mally - also for the Democrats, and Anton Vehovec, who was an independent candidate. Ameriška Domovina supported only the two Democratic Party’s candidates, as the possibility of a split in the votes existed in Nothingham. Eventually only John L. Mihelich was elected. Ameriška Domovina published an article on the elections for the Cleveland City Council as early as January 31, 1927. The Slovenes were told that it was their duty to oust Helene Green, who was councilwoman of the 4th district at these elections, as she was in favor of prohibition and the only one among the 25 members of the City Council who had seconded the motion to introduce extremely restrictive immigration laws.23
The inhabitants of Nottingham placed the second Slovene candidate in the City Council in 1927. This was Anton Vehovec, who was born in 1894 in Slovenia. In 1904, he emigrated to the U.S.A. with his parents. At seventeen years of age, he began working at the N.Y.C. Railroad, where he became Executive Union Organizer. In 1920, he established a local organization of the Union in Collinwood and was its president for ten years.24 In the course of his campaign, Anton Vehovec supported Nottingham’s demand for a cable car network.25
Ameriška Domovina wrote on July 11, that the 4th district should devote all its strength and energy to Dr. James Mally’s being elected. Only if the Slovenes were to unite their forces
and avoid a split in the votes could Dr. James Mally who was a dentist, be elected.26
At the elections in November, there were fewer candidates running for the office of councilman than in the previous years. This was due to the complicated voting system and also because a lot of money was required to finance a campaign. In the 4th district, eight candidates submitted their petitions. The Slovene candidate, Dr. James Mally, who had collected 2200 signatures was one of	them.	Anton	Vehovec also submitted	his petition,
which contained 900 signatures.27
In 1927	over	20.000	voters registered, which	meant that
each candidate had to receive a minimum of 2000 "first choice" votes for election. In the 3rd district, almost 2000 of the 3,000 voters had registered by October 19, 1927. On the first registration day, Ameriška Domovina counted 1123 Slovenes and Croats who had registered and 782 more one day later.28
Eight days before the elections the Ameriška Domovina also informed its	readers that	sixteen candidates were	running for
election in the 3rd	district	- among them three "negroes" as, ac-
cording to Ameriška Domovina, more blacks than Slovenes in the 3rd district had registered.29
The attitude of Ameriška Domovina towards the black population, which it also called "zamorci" (Slovene for "negroes"), indicates the tension in the relations between the Slovene and the black population of St. Clair Ave. already at the time. On November 7, 1927, the Slovene Political Club organized a rally in the Slovene National Home. Councilmen John L. Mihelich and Dr. James Mally were spokesmen at the meeting calling upon the voters of the 4th district to support Dr. James Mally. It was also ascertained at this meeting that the Slovene candidate’s most dangerous opponent was the Italian candidate (in the 4th district). The only relevant question concerning the 4th district, where the Slovene - Italian relations were already tense, was ’will the Slovene candidate win or will the Italian candidate be elected?’ The final results of the elections were that John L. Mihelich was once again elected councilman of the 3rd district receiving 2941 votes. The two black candidates, Dr. Gregg and T. Fleming had also been elected. In the 4th district, the Italian candidate, De Maioribus, and the black candidate, George Clay-borne had won. Dr. James Mally had received 2,104 votes and Anton Vehovec 2526.30
After the elections, Ameriška domovina came to the conclusion that about 3600 voters had voted for both the Slovene candidates in the 4th district, and in the 3rd district, about 2200 voters had given John L. Mihelich their first choice votes. Together, the Slovenes and Cwats had handed in about 6700 ballots. In the 3rd district, at least 1200 American citizens of Slovene ancestry had stayed at home again during these elections, while the number of these had amounted to approximately 800 in the 4th district.31
In 1929 elections for the City Council took place. The five Slovene candidates who ran for the election were: Leopold Ken-nick, John Turk, Anton Vehovec, Leopold Kushlan and John L. Mihelich.32
There was a meeting in the hall of the Slovene National Home in Collin wood in September in which the current political situation in the 4th ward was to be discussed.33
Not many people were interested in the topic since, of the 4500 voters in the 4th ward, only 270 turned up. However it was here that all the Slovene candidates presented their views. The resulting vote from those present at the meeting was that Anton Vehovec won with 216 votes, while all the other candidates combined received 47 votes.34
During the last week before the elections, Ameriška Domovina applied pressure on Anton Vehovec to withdraw his candidature, as he allegedly lacked the qualifications necessary for the fulfillment of his duties to the city and to the Slovenes if elected. But Anton Vehovec remained steadfast.35
At the beginning of October 1929, Leopold Kushlan announced that he was going to run as candidate on the Republican ticket for the	City Council	elections for 4th district,	even	though
he had been	a supporter	of the Democratic Party a couple of
months ago.36 Thus, a total of four Slovene candidates, Kennick, Turk, Kushlan, and Vehovec were running for election in the 4th district.
In the third district where John L. Mihelich was running for the election, some of the Slovenes, including Vatroslav Grill, were agitating against John L. Mihelich.37
John L. Mihelich was	elected on November 5,	1929.	In the
4th district	not one of	the Slovene candidates	was	elected.
Among the Slovene candidates, Anton Vehovec won the most votes.38 In 1931, a proportional system of voting was replaced
by the old wards system, which was a setback for the Slovenian candidates.39
The Slovene settlement on St. Clair Avenue was part of the 23rd ward. Collinwood Slovenes lived in the 28th and 32nd wards; West side Slovenes lived in the 4th ward, as well as the 33rd ward and the 2nd ward.
The Democratic Party’s candidate for councilman in the 3rd district was the Slovene lawyer, Frank M. Surtz. Ameriška Domovina advised all its readers to vote for Surtz, although the lawyer Kennick was also running for election in the same district.49
In the 4th district during the same elections, there were three Slovene candidates: (The Democrat) Anton Vehovec, (an independent candidate) Frank Mervar, and (the Socialist) Joseph Šiškovič.41
On November 2, 1931, the largest political rally in all the Slovene wards as well as in the whole of Cleveland took place. The speakers were Senator Bulkley, the leader of the Democrats, Mr. Baker and the Slovenes, John L. Mihelich as candidate for the office of Judge of the City Court, and Frank Lausche, one of the first American - born Slovene Democrats; Frank Surtz, Anton Vehovec and others.42
Ameriška Domovina advised its readers to vote for Anton Vehovec in the 4th district and for Frank Surtz in the 3rd ward. The initial results were 2.200 first choice votes for Anton Vehovec,43yet neither Anton Vehovec, nor Surtz were elected. According to Ameriška Domovina’s report, the Slovenes of the 3rd district had received "two Jews, two blacks and one representative of the prohibition" to represent them in the City Council. The Slovene candidate in the 4th district also experienced defeat.44
Ameriška Domovina had a preference for the Democratic Party’s candidates. But the Slovene interests were not being served by this party, so Vatroslav Grill, the editor of Enakopravnost was elected president of the Republican Party’s organization in the 23rd ward. This situation led to serious disputes among the Slovenes of Cleveland until Frank Lausche became the leader of the Democratic Party’s organization in the 23rd ward in 1932. As Vatroslav Grill wrote in his memoirs, it was he who had helped the Slovene Democrats attain this position in the 23rd ward by allowing himself to be hired by the Republican party.45
At the primary elections for the City Council in October, 1933, four Slovenes and one Croat were nominated. In November they were all elected so the elections for the Cleveland City Council brought a great victory to the American Slovenes and Croats with the election of four Slovenes and one Croat to the City Council. John P. Ripič had been elected in the 3rd ward, Leopold Kennick, the Democrat, had been elected in the 23 rd ward. In the 31st ward, the Croat, Emil Crown Gvozdanovic, was elected. The battle had been a hard one in the 32nd ward, where a repeated count of the votes confirmed that Anton Vehovec had won over John Foster with a small margin of votes.40
In September 1935, Ameriška Domovina advised the Slovene voters to support Anton Vehovec’s candidature for councilman "as Anton Vehovec had done a great deal for the modernization of the 32nd ward during his last mandate, including the building of the tramway network”. A few days later in September, Ameriška Domovina also supported the candidature of Anne Dor-rington, who was born in Cleveland of Slovene parents. The candidate for councilman in the 10th ward was the Slovene, M. Pucel, son of a respected pioneer family.47
The primary election results were as follows: the Slovene candidate, M. Pucel, celebrated victory in the 10th ward. In the 23rd ward, the Democrat John M. Novak won and in the 2nd ward, George Travnikar was nominated.48
At the 1935 November elections, a total of five Slovenes and Croats were elected to the City Council on the Democratic ticket.40 These were George Travnikar, Pucel, John M. Novak and Anton Vehovec.60
The Slovene councilmen were put in charge of the major committees of the City Council. Anton Vehovec was appointed head of the Department of Civic Service (which was in charge of road maintenance and waste removal), Councilman Pucel was appointed head of the Department for Rivers and Docks. George Travnikar became head of the Finance Sector and John M. Novak became a member of the Police and Fire Brigade Department, as well as a member of the Housing Department.51
Among the 200 candidates for councilman in 1937, ten were Slovenes. In the 10th ward, E. Pucel’s opponent was a Slovene Markušič. In the 23rd ward, there were four candidates: John M. Novak, Leopold Kennick, Frank Somrak, and Dr. Louis Zorko. Dr. Zorko was the Socialist Party’s candidate, Novak was sup-
ported by the Democrats, and Leopold Kennick and Frank Somrak were both independent candidates. In the 2nd ward, Councilman Travnikar was running for election, and in the 32nd ward, Anton Vehovec, John Rožanc and Kranjc were candidates.52
In September 1937 primaries in the 2nd ward, victory went to George Travnikar. In the 10th ward, Councilman Pucel won against Markušič. In the 23rd ward, John M. Novak was once again nominated. His opponents being Leopold Kennick, the Socialists’ candidate, Dr. Loius Zorko and the Independent’s Frank Somrak. In the 28th ward where the Slovenes lived in Newburgh, the Polish Democrat, M. Lučak, won with 1557 votes and Anton Vehovec won in the 23rd ward, defeating Mr. Rožanc and Mr. Kranjc.53
On the 1st of November, the Democratic Party’s voting rally took place in the 23rd ward, and the Democrats from all the wards were invited. Councilman of the 23rd ward Novak gave a speech at the rally, as did State Representative John Ogrin, and the U.S. Congressman of the 20th District, Martin L. Sweeney.54
At the elections held in November, Travnikar won in the 2nd ward and Pucel in the 10th. In the 23rd ward, Mr. Novak won. In the 32nd ward Anton Vehovec celebrated a convincing victory over his Republican opponent55
In 1939 the following Slovenes ran for election as councilman: George Travnikar in the 2nd ward, John Novak, George Kovačič, William Kennick and Ralph Butala in the 23rd ward, M. Pucel in the 23rd ward, and J. Poznik and Anton Vehovec in the 32nd.5S
Finally the first Slovene who appeared as candidate in the 28th ward was the Pennsylvanian born Maks T. Traven.57
On the 8th of November, 1939, Ameriška Domovina published the results of the elections. According to the unofficial version, Anton Vehovec had lost by two votes. In the 2nd ward, Travnikar had lost against Ernest, in the 10 th ward E. Pucel, who had no opponents had been elected. In the 23rd ward George Kovačič had been elected, and in the 32nd ward, Carmen Arezone celebrated victory in the elections 58
Ameriška Domovina also reported that Anton Vehovec should have won the election in the 32nd ward by 32 votes,59 but that C. Arezone had filed a complaint and demanded a renewed count of the votes. When the recount took place, it was
discovered that electoral fraud been going on in the 32nd ward. Thirty-two ballots which had been filled in in favour of Anton Vehovec on the day of the election were now marked in favour of both candidates. Besides this, the crosses beside Anton Veho-vec’s name had been rubbed out and new ones had been made beside the name of C. Arezone.60
Conclusively the electoral committee decided that Anton Vehovec had won with a majority of 21 votes.61
The following Slovenes were candidates for the office of councilman in 1941: Pucel in the 10th ward, George Kovačič and John M. Novak in the 23rd ward, Anton Vehovec, A. Dorrington and Mirko Rovtar in the 32nd ward.62
The results of the primary elections were as follows in relation to the nominations for councilman: Pucel and Schultz were nominated in the 10th ward, Novak and Kovačič were nominated in the 23rd ward and in the 32nd ward, where there had been 10 candidates, Anton Vehovec and Carmen Arezone were nominated.63
Finally George Kovačič won in the 23rd ward defeating John M. Novak. In the 32nd ward, Anton Vehovec won with a large majority.64
The success of the Slovenes at the elections for the members of the City Council of Cleveland can be ascribed primarily to a very intensive political education, which was promoted among the Slovenes in Cleveland by Ameriška Domovina. In addition the Slovenes had brought with them from the old homeland a sense for political compromises, as well as for political struggles. Political struggle was present already in the old Austrian Parliament and in provincial assemblies too. In this way the Slovenes were used to fighting for political positions. It proved to be a fact that they often played the most important role among the individual ethnic groups in Cleveland. In searching for the reason for the Slovene political success, a relatively big economical power of the Slovenes in Cleveland should be also taken into account.
NOTES
1 Mestne novice, Clevelandska Amerika, (July 2, 1912), p. 1.
2 Carol Poh Miller and Robert Wheeler, Cleveland, A Concise History,
1796-1990, (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1990), p. 120,
3 Mestne novice, Clevelandska Amerika, (July 2, 1912), p. 1.
4 Delavci vsi k volitvam, Clevelandska Amerika, (Avgust 9, 1912), p. 1.
5 Mestne novice, Clevelandska Amerika, (October 15, 1915), p. 1.
6 John Julič, Slovenskim volilcem v Clevelandu, Ohio, Glasilo K.S.K.J., (November 5, 1917), p. 13.
Vsak državljan naj voli v torek, Clevelandska Amerika, (November 7, 1917), p. 1.
Natančni podatki o volitvah. Clevelandska Amerika, (November 9, 1917), p. 1.
7 Politični shodi v Newburghu, Ameriška Domovina, (October) 31, 1923),
p. 1.
8 Prvi Slovenec v mestni zbornici Clevelanda, Ameriška Domovina, (December 21, 1925), p. 1.
9 Dam m sijajno zmagal, Kohler prihodnji župan, Ameriška Domovina, (November 9, 1921), p. 1.
10 John L. Mihelich nominiran za councilmanskega kandidata v 3. di-striktu, Ameriška Domovina, (September 14, 1925), p. 1.
11 Primarne volitve. Ameriška Domovina, (Avgust 9, 1926), p. 1.
12 V četrtek je dan, Ameriška Domovina, (October 5, 1925), p. 1.
V četrtek je politični shod v Knausovi dvorani glede registracije, Ameriška Domovina, (October 12, 1925), p. 1.
13 Prihodnji petek 30. oktobra je splošni ljudski shod v Slovenskem narodnem domu, Ameriška Domovina, (October 23, 1925), p. 1.
14 Tujezemnci v Clevelandu so za proporčni volilni sistem, Enakopravnost, (Avgust 10, 1925), p. 1.
Bossi ne dovolijo vstopa v volilne koče zastopnikom P.R., Enakopravnost, (Avgust 11, 1925), p. 1,
Proporčni volilni red je zmagal v Clevelandu, Enakopravnost, (Avgust
12, 1925), p. 1.
Neodvisneži se pripravljajo na resen boj jeseni, Enakopravnost, (Avgust
13, 1925), p. 1.
Bossi vznemirjeni nad rezultatom, Enakopravnost, (Avgust 14, 1925),
p. 1.
Volilni zakon, Enakopravnost, (October 29, 1925), p. 1.
Časi se spreminjajo. Enakopravnost, (October 6, 1925), p. 1.
15 Demokrati odobrili 20 kandidatov za mestno zbornico, Enakopravnost, (October 10, 1925), p. 1.
16 Politični shod v Slovenskem narodnem domu. Enakopravnost, (October 28, 1925), p. 1.
17 Ibid., p. 1.
18 Cleveland gre na volišče, Enakopravnost, (November 3, 1925), p. 1.
19 Mihelich na 5. mestu med 18 kandidati v 3. distriktu. Enakopravnost, (November 4, 1925), p. 1.
20 Mihelich izvoljent, Ameriška Domovina, (November 9, 1925), p. 1.
21 Mihelich na 6. mestu med 18 kandidati v 3. distriktu, Enakopravnost, (November 4, 1925), p. 1.
22 Zmagali smo, Enakopravnost, (November 9, 1925), p. 2.
23 Dr. James Mally kandidat za mestno zbornico v 4. distriktu v Clevelandu'", Ameriška Domovina, (May 27, 1927), p. 1.
24 Nekaj podatkov iz življenja kandidata za mestno zbornico A. Vehovca, Ameriška Domovina, (October 27, 1931), p. 1.
25 Dva slovenska kandidata v 4. okraju, Ameriška Domovina, (July 17,
1927), p. 2.
26 Čista dejstva, Ameriška Domovina, (September 2, 1927), p. 2.
27 Dr. Mally, kandidat za mestno zbornico, včeraj vložil 2.200 podpisov, Ameriška Domovina, (September 21, 1927), p. 2.
28 3000 naših ljudi še ni registriranih, Ameriška Domovina, (October 19,
1927), p. 1.
29 Dr. Mally - kandidat v 4. distriktu. Ameriška Domovina, (October 28,
1927), p. 2.
30 Zadnji apel na slovenske volilce, Ameriška Domovina, (November 7,
1927), p. 1.
31 Politična šola. Ameriška Domovina, (November 14, 1927), p. 2.
32 Ljudski shod v nedeljo v Collinwoodu, da se izbere kandidat za eouneil-mana v 4. distriktu, Ameriška Domovina, (September 6, 1929), p. 1.
33 Ljudski shod v nedeljo v Collinwoodu, da se izbere kandidat za council-mana v 4. distriktu, Ameriška Domovina, (September 6, 1929), p. 1.
34 Izmed 4.500 naših volilcev se je udeležilo 270 naših ljudi ljudskega shoda v nedeljo, Ameriška Domovina, (September 9, 1929), p. 1.
35 Dobili smo 4. slovenskega kandidata za mestno zbornico v 4. distriktu, Ameriška Domovina, (September 18, 1929), p. 1.
36 Politika, Ameriška Domovina, (October 1, 1929), p. 2.
37 Nezaslišana propaganda proti slovenskemu kandidatu v 3. distriktu, Ameriška Domovina, (October 30, 1929), p. 1.
38 Mihelich izvoljen sijajno, ostali Slovenci propadli, Ameriška Domovina, (November 6, 1929), p. 1.
39 Važna sprememba v pridobitvah za mestne sodnike, Ameriška Domovina, (October 29, 1931), p. 1.
40 Naslednik John L. Mihelich, Ameriška Domovina, (October 12, 1931),
p. 2.
41 Prilika v 4. distriktu, Ameriška Domovina, (October 13, 1931., p. 2. Volitve za councilmane, Ameriška Domovina, (October 19, 1931), p. 2.
42 Senator Bulkley govori nocoj. Ameriška Domovina, (November 2, 1931),
p. 1.
43 Slovenski kandidat Vehovec ima veliko priliko, da je izvoljen v zbornico, Ameriška Domovina, (November 6, 1931), p. 1.
44 Vehovec in Surtz izgubila v zadnjem trenutku, Ameriška Domovina, (November 7, 1931), p. 1.
45 Uradne številke o kandidatih zadnjih volitev, Ameriška Domovina, (November 10, 1933), p. 1.
46 Phillip J. Skebe, Politična situacija v 32. vardi, Ameriška Domovina, (September 26, 1935), p. 2.
47 Miller, Burton nominirana, Ameriška Domovina, (October 2, 1935), p.
1. Vatroslav Grili, Med dvema svetovoma, (Ljubljana: 1979), pp. 126-135.
48 Pet Jugoslovanov izvoljenih v mestno zbornico, Ameriška Domovina, (November 6, 1935), p. 1.
49 Burtona skrbijo mestni finančni problemi. Ameriška Domovina, (November 7, 1935), p, 1.
50 Slovenci na odločilnih mestih pri vladi, Ameriška Domovina, (March
12, 1936), p. 1.
51 Primarne volitve v Clevelandu, Ameriška Domovina (September 11,
1937), p. 2.
52 Burton ima 30.000 glasov večine, Ameriška Domovina, (September 29,
1937), p. 1.
53 Z delavstvom padem ali zmagam, je povedal McWilliams na shodu, Ameriška Domovina, (November 2, 1937), p. 1.
54 Burton izvoljen s 30.000 večine, Ameriška Domovina, (November 3,
1937), p. 1.
55 Councilmanski in županski kandidati. Ameriška Domovina, (Avgust 24, 1939), p. 1.
56 Preobrat v 28. vardi, Ameriška Domovina, (Avgust 29, 1939), p. 1.
57 Burton je izvoljen z ogromno večino, Kovačič izvoljen v 23. vardo, Ameriška Domovina, (November 8, 1939), p. 2.
58 Vehovec ima 10 glasov večine, Ameriška Domovina, (November 9, 1939), p. 1.
59 Councilman Vehovec p zgubil za en glas. Ameriška Domovina, (November 30, 1939), p. 1.
60 Vehovec proglašen izvoljenim. Ameriška Domovina, (December 2, 1939),
p. 1.
61 120.992 podpisov za bauscheta, Ameriška Domovina, (Avgust 21, 1941), p. 1.
62 Lausche p sodnik, Ameriška domovina, (November 5, 1941), p. 1.
63 Ibid., p. 1.
64 Volilni shod v Crdinovi dvorani, Ameriška Domovina, (October 30, 1924), p. 1. Ibid., p. 1.
*	Zadnji napori predsedniških kandidatov da pridobijo delavske glasove, Ameriška domovina, (October 31, 1924), p. 1.
POVZETEK
VOLITVE ZA ČLANE MESTNEGA SVETA V
CLEVELANDU IN CLEVELANDSKI SLOVENCI
Matjaž Klemenčič
V članku avtor obravnava vlogo clevelandskih Slovencev na volitvah za člane mestnega sveta. Na začetku obravnava volilne sisteme v letih pred prvo svetovno vojno in med obema vojnama, kakršni so veljali za volitve v mestu Cleveland. Slovenci so prve-
ga člana mestnega sveta dobili na volitvah leta 1925., na volitvah leta 1937 pa so izvolili kar 4 od 33 članov mestnega sveta. Slovenski uspehi na teh volitvah in volilno vzdušje so pripomogli k izvolitvi Franka Lausheta za župana mesta Cleveland. Avtor analizira tudi vzroke, ki so privedli do uspehov slovenskih kandidatov na volitvah.