Volume 18 , Issue 10

NW Okie's Journey

What day was it in 1948, November, that the big headlines came out early reporting "Dewey Defeats Truman," only to be discarded in favor of Truman? 3 November 1948? The Chicago Tribune headlines read: "Dewey Defeats Truman" But did he?

It might have been the most famous headline in the newspaper's history, "Dewey Defeats Truman," and it was/is every publisher's nightmare on every election night, isn't it? It seems the Tribune had dismissed him (Truman) on its editorial page as a "nincompoop," and was lulled into a false sense of security by polls that repeatedly predicted a Dewey victory. There was also a printers strike going on, which forced the paper to go to press hours before it normally would. As the deadline approached, managing editor J. Loy "Pat" Maloney had to make the headline call, although many East Coast tallies were not yet in.

Before the ink was hardly dry on 150,000 copies of the paper, the radio bulletins reported that the race as surprisingly close. The headline was changed to "Democrats Make Sweep of State Offices" for the second edition. Truman took Illinois and much of the Midwest in this whopping election surprise.

The headlines of "Dewey Defeats Truman" might have been quickly forgotten had it not been for a chance encounter two days later in St. Louis, Missouri, when a traveling Truman, by rail to Washington, stepped to the rear platform of the train and was handed a copy of the Tribune early edition. He had as low an opinion of the Tribune as it did of him. Truman held the paper up, and photographers preserved the moment for history.

Found on Newspapers.com

President Truman holds up, for the benefit of the throng that turned out to greet him at St. Louis, a copy of the Chicago Tribune published early election night with the headline, "Dewey Defeats Truman." The President told the crowd "that is one for the books."

As reported in The Decatur Herald, Decatur, Illinois, 5 November 1948, Friday, page 1, "Truman On Triumphant Return To Washington."

Harry S. Truman, returned to the White House in an unprecedented upset victory, rejected a suggestion that his opponents "eat crow" in public.

At St. Louis, where a crowd estimated at more than 10,000 named around the rear platform, the President said, "I've got the biggest job in the world, and with your help it can be done."

Sources close to Mr. Truman told newsmen he does not intend to seek a third term, nor is he planning any reprisal dismissals from his cabinet based on lack of interest in the campaign.

At Jefferson City, Missouri, the President said his triumph was "the most wonderful thing that ever happened to any man."

But Truman did not appear to boast. Rather, he said, "Now I have a terrific responsibility and you must stand behind me."

The President got a bang out of an invitation from the Washington Post to speak at a dinner at which his campaign opponents and wrong-guessers would eat "breast of tough old crow en place" and he would eat turkey.

He chuckled as he read the telegram to the thousands crowded around his private car at Jefferson City. But turning solemn, he went on: "I'll say this to you. I've been in many and many an election campaign, as you people here in Missouri know.

"After an election is over, I don't bear any malice, or feel badly towards anyone. Because the fellow who lost feels badly enough without being crowed over.

"That's what I'm going to tell them"

The fellow who won, however, could not hide his happiness over the amazing triumph that gave him not only victory for himself but a Democratic Congress as well.

At St. Louis, the president had a lot of fun holding up for the crowd an early election night edition of the Chicago Tribune with this banner line: "Dewey Defeats Truman."

We shall overcome! Good Night! Good Luck!
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