▁was ▁un success ful ▁in ▁a ▁mayor al ▁bid , ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁vig orous ▁campaign ▁to ▁dis cred it ▁him ▁by ▁The ▁Oregon ian , ▁the ▁city ' s ▁largest ▁newspaper . ▁He ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Power ▁League . ▁Dal y ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁single ▁tax ▁schemes ▁advoc ated ▁by ▁follow ers ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁political ▁econom ist ▁Henry ▁George . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Dal y ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁in ▁Spring field , ▁Illinois ▁to ▁Patrick ▁and ▁Lucy ▁Dal y , ▁a ▁working - class ▁couple . ▁ ▁His ▁father ▁died ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁eight , ▁and ▁two ▁years ▁later ▁he ▁began ▁his ▁working ▁career ▁in ▁the ▁printing ▁business , ▁ear ning ▁his ▁jour ne yman ' s ▁card ▁by ▁age ▁ 1 7 , ▁and ▁by ▁ 3 1 ▁had ▁worked ▁his ▁way ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁plant ▁for eman ' s ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁Spring field ▁Le ader - D em ocrat , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁major ▁daily ▁newsp apers ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁mother ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁Dal y ▁and ▁wife , ▁the ▁former ▁D ais y ▁Fl ann ery , ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁married ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 2 , ▁moved ▁west ▁to ▁Oregon . ▁ ▁They ▁stayed ▁briefly ▁in ▁S alem , ▁then ▁settled ▁in ▁Port land ▁where ▁he ▁took ▁a