mar 11, 1918 - Congress refuses to seat Victor Berger

Description:

On March 11, 1918, Berger and four other Socialists were indicted for violations of the Espionage Act passed nine months earlier; the Milwaukeean's particular crime was a series of anti-war editorials he had written in the summer of 1917. The jury found all five defendants guilty and the judge sentenced each to twenty years in Leavenworth. When the verdict was announced, the Milwaukee Press Club terminated Berger's membership and the American Legion pushed for his deportation.

Victor Berger had the last, bittersweet laugh. The 1918 elections gave American voters their first chance to weigh in on the European war and its domestic repercussions. There were few surprises elsewhere in the country, but Milwaukeeans made it perfectly clear that they were tired of the endless German-bashing, tired of the shackles on free speech, tired of high prices and tired of government in general. In the April contests, they made Dan Hoan their mayor again and added one Socialist to the Common Council. In the November races, with Allied victory all but certain, Milwaukeeans elected the entire Socialist county ticket, sent a largely Socialist delegation to the state legislature and, in the most stunning developments of all, elected Victor Berger to Congress - just weeks before he was convicted of sedition. When the House refused to seat the felon in 1919, voters elected him again by an even more convincing margin. When Congress still refused to seat him the Fifth District went without a representative for an entire term.

It was not until 1921 that a semblance of reason returned. Berger's conviction was voided on January 31, lifting the specter of Leavenworth from the editor's life, and he was elected to Congress again in 1922. Seated without incident, Berger served continuously until 1928.

Added to timeline:

Date: