In 1917 a hard fought mayorial race in New York City pitted the incumbent, John Purroy Mitchel of the Fusion Party (a coalition of Republicans, Jewish and Protestant reformers) against the Democrat candidate John Francis Hylan and Socialist candidate Morris Hillquit. Eighty-eight years ago Hillquit's campaign was deemed controversial more so over his anti-war stance (against the backdrop of WWI) than because of his adherence to Socialism.
Mayor Mitchel's stategy was to paint both Hylan and Hillquit as seditious and pro-German. It was a potent message, given that 116,516 Americans would be killed "making the world safe for Democracy" in the span of seventeen months.