Today -100: November 4, 1919: As wet as the Atlantic Ocean

Six negroes are sentenced to death for last month’s race riot (or whatever it was) in Elaine, Arkansas. A lot more blacks than whites were killed, but indictments have mostly fallen on blacks, you’ll be surprised to hear.

The Supreme Council of the Entente once again orders Romania to remove its troops from Hungary. One could be forgiven for thinking that their main concern is that they can’t wrap up the Peace Conference and go home until Hungary signs a peace treaty, which it can’t do that without having a proper government, which it can’t form while under occupation. Meanwhile, Romania denies that it has annexed Bessarabia. Rather, it says, Bessarabia annexed it by holding a referendum, so whaddaya gonna do?

Today -100 is election day in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, which I have neglected here despite the fact that the Republican candidate rejoices in the name Newton Bugbee. Newton Bugbee will lose to Edward Irving Edwards, who in 3 years will run for the US Senate and defeat Joseph Frelinghuysen, which sounds like a name Jerry Lewis would say. Edwards wins in part because he promised to use the state machinery to obstruct prohibition and make Jersey “as wet as the Atlantic Ocean.” Which is quite wet. Bugbee calls that position “nullification of the Constitution.” Another issue between the parties in New Jersey is the federal women’s suffrage Amendment, which NJ has yet to ratify. Republicans support a referendum, D’s want the Legislature to just ratify it.

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