The Geneva Daily Times paints a vivid picture of Genevans’ responses to the 1900 Presidential election that pitted Republican President William McKinley against challenger William Jennings Bryan for the second time.

The hullabaloo of the parade and rally supporting McKinley just days before the election ginned up excitement in the crowds that lined the parade route and filled Smith Opera House. Small-scale vote buying flourished in the local bars. The Times devised a way to blast throughout the night the coded reports of the results. But, looking back, by far the most colorful signs of election fever were the wagers on the outcome.

On Nov. 1, as reported in the Times, “the sidewalks of Seneca and Exchange streets were packed, a thing of rare occurrence in Geneva for a parade of any sort.” The parade — the only one of the campaign season — assembled at the Armory at dusk, led by a company of wheelmen (bicycle riders). The Geneva City Band played rousing music. The 80-strong Canandaigua campaign club carried torches and flags. A contingent marched behind a transparency bearing the words “The Employes [sic] of the Standard Optical Company Will Vote for McKinley.” One can only wonder if there was an implied intimidation of “or else” from their employer.

To digress for an historical note: A transparency was a common sight at........

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