USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 56
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The Democrats were in power in this country from 1801 to 1825, when John Quincy Adams, "the last of the Federal- ists," was chosen by Congress to fill the office of President, the people having failed to elect. General Jackson, however, had received a plurality of the popular vote, and the remembrance of this fact was one of the chief causes of Jackson's subsequent election in 1828. The elevation of General Jackson to the presidency was a triumph over the high protective policy, the fed- eral internal improvement policy, and the latitudinous construction of the Constitu- tion, as well as of the Democracy over the Federals, then known as National Republi- cans. This election was also the perma- nent re-establishment of parties on princi- ple, according to the landmarks of the early years of the Government. For al- though Mr. Adams had received confidence and office from Mr. Madison and Mr. Mon-
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
roe, and had classed with the Democratic party during the "era of good feeling," yet he had previously been a Federal ; and on the re-establishment of old party lines which began to take place after the elec- tion of Mr. Adams in the House of Representatives, his affinities and policy became those of his former party ; and as a party, with many individual excep- tions, they became his supporters and his strength.
The Democrats re-nominated Jackson in 1832, while in December preceding the National Republicans nominated Henry Clay. The hero of New Orleans was elect- ed a second term by a goodly majority.
The Democracy being in power, the fol- lowers of Clay gradually adopted the name of Whigs, which was suggested by the fact that in England the opposition to the Gov- ernment was known by that appellation. Hence, more than any one man, Henry Clay is looked upon as the founder of the Whig party, which played an important part in American politics for some twenty years. In 1836 they nominated General William Henry Harrison, who was defeated by Martin Van Buren, the choice of the Dem- ocratic party. In the closing year of Jack- son's administration, however, a step had been taken which ultimately brought about the temporary downfall of his party. This step was the distribution of revenue among the States in 1837, which was designed to enhance the value of the State stocks held by the United States Bank. The result was far different, however, and thousands are still living who can tell of the financial crisis of 1837 and the general stringency following.
It is natural for the people to charge fi- nancial and other troubles, from war down to crop failures, upon the party in power. So it was in those times, and the result was the ascendency of the Whigs after the next election, in 1840. On the Whig ticket,
General Harrison, of Ohio, was the candi- date for President, and John Tyler, of Vir- ginia, for Vice-President. Mr. Clay, the most prominent Whig in the country, was not deemed available, and the leading men in the party were again put aside to make room for a military man, a step prompted by the example previously set by the Dem- ocrats in the case of General Jackson. The men who managed presidential elections believed then as now that military renown was a passport to popularity and rendered a candidate more sure of election. The contest before the people was a long and bitter one, the severest ever known in the country up to that time, and scarcely equaled since. The whole Whig party and the large league of suspended banks, headed by the bank of the United States making its last struggle for a new national charter in the effort to elect a President friendly to it, were arrayed against the Democrats, whose hard-money policy and independent treasury schemes were met with little favor in the then depressed con- dition of the treasury. The Democrats worked for the re-election of President Van Buren, with Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky, as Vice-President, but the Whigs were ultimately successful.
The question of extending slave territory by the annexation of Texas was the prin- cipal one in the campaign of 1844, and avowedly so in the platforms. The De- mocracy nominated James K. Polk for Pres- ident and George M. Dallas for Vice-Presi- dent. The Whigs nominated their great leader, Henry Clay, with Theodore Fre- linghuysen for Vice-President. Owing largely to the influence of a third party, the Free-Soilers, Clay was defeated in one of the closest elections ever held.
Another presidential year brought for- ward new men and new issues. The Dem- ocrats nominated General Lewis Cass for President, and General William O. Butler
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POLITICAL HISTORY.
tor Vice-President. The Whigs took ad- vantage of the popularity of General Zachary Taylor, for his military achieve- ments in the Mexican war, just ended, and his consequent " availability," nominated him for the presidency over Clay, Webster and Scott, who were his competitors before the convention. The party which had been made by the greatness of the latter won an easy victory.
The presidential election of 1852 was the last campaign in which the Whig party ap- peared in national politics. It nominated a ticket with General Winfield Scott as its candidate for President. His opponent on the Democratic ticket was General Frank- lin Pierce. A third ticket was placed in the field by the Abolition party, with John P. Hale as its candidate for President. The political see-saw now brought the Demo- crats in power again.
Thus at the beginning of the civil history of Black Hawk County the Democrats were in control, with Franklin Pierce as President, and the Whig party was disin- tegrating as a national organization. The citizens of Black Hawk County having come from those Eastern States where the Whigs were strongest, retained their poli- tics after settling here, so that this was a Whig county during its infancy. There was, however, never a fair test of strength, for in local elections personal popularity went much farther than partisanship, and before the county's politics was settled by a presidential election, the death of the Whig party was an accomplished fact, and a new organization, the Repub- lican party, arose from its ashes. Hence- forth the giant parties were Democrats and Republicans, the latter absorbing all the elements then existing opposed to the further extension of slavery. The new party was born in a number of places al- most simultaneously, but in each case with the same motives and with similar constit-
uent elements. The movement assumed definite shape in the summer of 1854, when for Governor of this State James W. Grimes was nominated by the Republicans, to oppose Curtis Bates, the choice of the Democracy. Iowa had hitherto been under the control of the latter party, but the Re- publicans now carried it, in their first cam- paign, and it has since remained in the ranks of Republicanism, by majorities sometimes running as high as 80,000. Mr. Grimes's personal ability had much to do with the successful organization of the Republicans in Iowa. Black Hawk County gave Grimes 191 votes and Bates 153; Republican ma- jority, 38. The county's part in politics since has been in the same line. It has been monotonously faithful to the Repub- licans. It has here never been a question of which party, but merely how much ma- jority. The county officers elected in April, 1855, were a prosecuting attorney and drainage commissioner, John Randall and Thomas R. Points being chosen. At this election also, the county-seat contest between Waterloo and Cedar Falls was settled in favor of the former, by a vote of 388 to 260. In August, 1855, a county judge, recorder and treasurer, sheriff, sur- veyor and coroner were chosen, the majori- ties ranging from 42 to 90 in a total vote of about 600. In April, 1856, a recorder and treasurer, school fund commissioner, dis- trict court clerk and prosecuting attorney were elected by varying majorities, over 700 votes being cast.
The first national convention of the Re- publican party nominated John C. Fremont for President and Wm. L Dayton for Vice- President. Its platform consisted of a series of resolutions, of which the most important was the following :
" That we deny the authority of Congress, of a Territorial Legislature, of any individ- ual or association of individuals, to give legal existence to slavery in any Territory
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
of the United States, while the present Constitution shall be maintained."
The Democratic convention nominated James Buchanan for President and John C. Breckinridge for Vice-President. It adopted a platform which contained the material portions of all its previous platforms, and also defined its position to the new issues of the day, and declared (1) that the reve- nue to be raised should not exceed the actual necessary expenses of the Government, and for the gradual extinction of the public debt; (2) that the Constitution does not confer upon the General Government the power to commence and carry on a general system of internal improvements ; (3) for a strict construction of the powers granted by the Constitution to the Federal Government; (4) that Congress has no power to charter a national bank ; (5) that Congress has no power to interfere with slavery in the States and Territories, the people of which have the exclusive right and power to settle that question for themselves ; (6) opposition to Americanism.
That Buchanan was elected was in no degree due to Black Hawk County, which gave Fremont some 200 majority (the pre- cise figures are not on record). At the August election of the same year the Re- publican majority for congressman was 262. The other majorities were in the neighbor- hood of 200.
In April, 1857, an assessor was elected for the county by a close vote. S. D. Mc- Dowall received but twenty-four majority over Myron Smith. In August of the same year there were five county officers elected, the majority ranging from sixty-eight, on surveyor, to 498, on coroner. In October, 1857, the Republican majority for Governor was 167, in a vote of 785. This relation was little changed in October, 1858, but a year later, at the general election, there was cast the largest vote yet recorded, 1,365, and the party lines were drawn unus-
ually close. For Governor, Kirkwood's majority over Dodge was 265, and on the other officers the vote was very nearly the same. Seven county officers were elected. The people having suffered from too many elections, it was resolved to hold but one general election each year- in October three years out of four, and in November in Presidential years. This rule was followed for the next twenty-five years.
The four years of Buchanan's adminis- tration were rife with political discussions on the slavery question, the status of the negro, and the troubles in Kansas. The Southern Democrats, true to the supposed interests of their section, became more ag- gressive in their demands in behalf of sla- very, while their brethren in the North fol- lowed the lead of Douglas in endeavoring to compromise the slavery question. The two wings differed more and more widely, and in their national convention at Charles- ton were unable to agree upon a platform or a candidate, so that the Southern Dem- ocrats withdrew in a body. The conven- tion re-assembled at Baltimore, and after a protracted struggle nominated Stephen A. Douglas and Herschel V. Johnson. Their platform declared that the decisions of the Supreme Court, respecting the status of slavery in the Territories, should be re- spected. The Southern Democrats, how- ever, held another convention and nomi- nated John C. Breckinridge and Joseph Lane. The platform adopted contained in regard to the main question at issue the statement that slaves in the Territories should be recognized by the Government as property.
The Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin, and resolved that Kansas should be admitted as a free State, and that the Government should ef- fectually prohibit slavery in the Territo- ries. A so-called Constitutional Union
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POLITICAL HISTORY.
Convention was also held, which nominated John Bell and Edward Everett.
The conclusion of this many-sided politi- cal fight was the election of Lincoln, who received, however, but two-fifths of the popular vote. In this county the canvass was exceedingly warm, and nearly 1,700 votes were deposited, two-thirds of them being for Lincoln, who received 1, 122 votes; Douglas, 557; Bell, 17, and Breckinridge 4. The third and fourth parties received very little favor here. The Republican strength steadily grew for fifteen years more, in this county, before beginning a slow decline, which seems to have been the rule for the last ten years.
In the State and county election of 1861 a full vote was drawn out, but there was a vast amount of "ticket-scratching," .and scarcely any two received like majorities, these ranging from twenty-five to 820. For Governor, Kirkwood's majority over Mer- ritt was 620, nearly half the total vote. The principal contest was for the counties. In 1862 a congressman, district attorney and district judge were elected by about 400 majority with a light vote. The war seemed to strengthen the Republicans in this State so that it was almost perfunctory that any other party made nominations. Colonel William M. Stone had made him- self so popular by his services in the field that in the summer of 1863 he was nomi- nated for Governor against James M. Tut- tle. Not a very full vote was cast in Black Hawk, but this was more than three to one in favor of the Republicans. Stone received 1,137 votes to 432 for Tuttle, or a majority of 705. Even this was the small- est majority given any man on the ticket, the county officers being elected by about 1,000, on the average. A. C. Bunnell's vote for recorder and treasurer was 1,497, against 264 for L. A. Cobb.
In 1864 the war was being waged on a scale never before seen in history, at vast
expense, and it was uncertain how long the Confederacy could maintain armed resist- ance. The Republicans were generally unanimous in supporting the coercion pol- icy of the Government, while the Demo- crats, on the other hand, were in favor of a change of policy, and of peace on any terms that would save the Union. The Republican convention of 1864 therefore re-nominated Abraham Lincoln by a unan- imous vote, save Missouri, whose delega- tion voted for Ulysses S. Grant. Andrew Johnson was nominated for Vice-President. The platform approved the emancipation proclamation, declared slavery dead, pledged support for the further prosecution of the war, and demanded the unconditional surrender of the rebellious States. The Democratic convention nominated George B. McClellan and George H. Pendleton, and adopted a platform criticising the methods of the administration. Lincoln received 212 electoral votes to McClellan's. twenty- one, the people indorsing the old maxim " that it is dangerous to swamp horses while crossing a stream." In Black Hawk County the Lincoln ticket received a ma- jority of 1,056.
Equally one-sided was the general elec- tion of 1865 for State and county officers; but in certain respects things were rather " mixed." Governor Stone, a candidate for re-election, was so pronounced in favor of Negro suffrage that he ran behind his ticket, and in this county received 1,240 votes, against 373 for T. H. Benton, while for Lieutenant-Governor, B. F. Gue re- ceived 1,329 votes, to 223 for W. W. Ham- ilton. The straight Democratic vote was almost annihilated in this part of Iowa, and had dwindled to only about one-seventh the Republican strength. The county offi- ces, as usual, were sought by men whose followings were largely independent of party restrictions, and the winners received all sorts of majorities. For three offices
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
no contest was made. By the following year the Democracy was more systemati- cally organized, though even now they polled but one-fourth the total votes. The majorities of the victors were all between 1,100 and 1,200. In 1867 the Democrats made a further gain, bringing the majorities down to about 700 for county officers, and Soo on the State ticket. The forces of the two parties were well trained, and gener- ally voted "straight."
Both parties desired to nominate Gen- eral Grant in 1868, but the Republicans stole a march on their opponents by hold- ing their convention first. Schuyler Col- fax was named for Vice-President. The Democratic convention was for a long time unable to decide between Pendleton, Han- cock, Hendricks and others; but on the twenty-second ballot Horatio Seymour, whose name had been scarcely mentioned before, was unanimously nominated, to- gether with Francis P. Blair for Vice-Presi- dent. An active canvass followed, in which the brief expression, "Let us have peace," in Grant's letter of acceptance, was liber- ally employed by Republican journals and orators to tone down what were regarded as rapidly growing race and sectional differ- ences, and with such effect that Grant carried all of the States save eight, receiv- ing an electoral vote of 214 against 80. His majority in this county was the largest given any ticket before or since, being 1,739. He received 2,580 votes, to 841 for Seymour. This was the largest vote, up to this time cast, by about 1,300.
The Democrats seemed again demoral- ized in 1869, casting only about 200 votes. Little interest was taken in the election, and it was a general " stay-at-home " year, although a full list of State and county offi- cers were to be elected. In 1870 the Demo- crats made no nominations for county offices, but the returns showed that they polled 608 votes in Black Hawk County
for congressmen, or about one-fourth of the total vote. In 1871 they nominated a full ticket, and showed about the same strength, while the Republican majorities ranged from 1,000 to 1,300. The year 1872 brought another presidential campaign.
An issue raised in Missouri gave imme- diate rise to the Liberal Republican party, though the course of Horace Greeley had long pointed toward the organization of something of the kind, and with equal plainness it pointed to his desire to be its champion and candidate for the presidency. In 1870 the Republican party in Missouri, then in control of the Legislature, split on the question of the removal of the disquali- fications imposed upon rebels by the State Constitution during the war. Those favor- ing the removal of disabilities were headed by B. Gratz Brown and Carl Schurz, and they called themselves Liberal Republicans. Those opposed were called and accepted the name of Radical Republican. The former quickly allied themselves with the Democrats, and thus carried the State, though Grant's administration "stood in" with the Radicals. The Liberal movement rapidly spread, and its leaders at once began to lay plans to carry the next presi- dential election. Horace Greeley was nominated for President and B. Gratz Brown for Vice-President. The Demo- cratic convention indorsed these nomina- tions, but a few dissatisfied Democrats named Charles O'Conor and John Quincy Adams. The Republicans re-nominated General Grant, with Henry Wilson for Vice-President. The Republicans were overwhelmingly successful, not so much from the popularity of Grant as from the unpopularity of Greeley. This stay-at- home tendency was strikingly illustrated in Black Hawk County, where about 3,300 votes were cast, when there should have been over 4,000. Grant received 2,479 votes ; Greeley, 809 ; O'Conor, 23.
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HISTORY.
POLITICAL
From this time the Democratic strength has slowly increased in this county. In 1873, with a long list of officers to be elected, they made but two nominations, but on a light vote they polled 740 votes for Governor. The election of 1874 brought substantial encouragement to the minority party, which cast about 1,300 votes. The Republican majorities were from 300 to 900. These proportions were unchanged in 1875, save a slight Democratic gain. On a fuller vote than in the year previous, the Republicans led by from 500 to 900 ballots.
The troubles in the South and the al- most general overthrow of the "carpet bag " governments impressed all with the fact that the presidential election of 1876 would be exceedingly close, and the result confirmed this belief. The Republicans nominated Rutherford B. Hayes and Will- iam A. Wheeler, and the Democrats, Sam- uel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hendricks. A third party had sprung into existence, called at first " Greenbackers," but latterly " National Greenbackers," who desired to relieve the financial crisis of 1873 and the hard times following by a large issue of irredeemable paper money. They nomi- nated Peter Cooper and Samuel F. Cary. After a contest for months over the returns of this election, Hayes was declared elected. The vote in this county was : Hayes, 2,980; Tilden, 1,592; Cooper, 40. The average Democratic vote throughout the ticket was 1,600 ; Republican, 3,000.
In 1877, for State and county officers, about 3,250 votes were cast in the county. Both parties made full lists of nominations, and the Republican majority ranged from 700 to 1,000. Judge Foote, running for au- ditor, received 1,264 votes more than his competitor. In 1878 the highest majority was 908, which C. B. Stilson received for recorder. In 1879 about 3,800 votes were cast for a full ticket of State and county officers, and the Republican plurality 54
ranged from 1,160 to 1,435. The National party, or Greenbackers, for the first time made nominations for the leading county offices. Their highest vote was 192, for treasurer. For State officers the Prohibi- tionists also had a ticket in the field, which received 144 votes in this county.
The year 1880 brought with it another presidential election. The nominees were: Republican, James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur; Democratic, Winfield S. Han- cock and William H. English; National Greenback, James B. Weaver. The Re- publicans won, largely owing to the issue . of a protective tariff. The vote in Black Hawk County was 4,650, Garfield's plural- ity being 1,455. The National vote was 70, and that of the Prohibitionists 5.
A full ticket of State and county officers was before the people in 1881, and although an active canvass was made, but half the voters came to polls. The Republican plu- rality was 958, for Governor and about the same throughout the list. At the special election in June, 1882, for the prohibition amendment, Black Hawk County gave an affirmative majority of 471. In November, 1882, the Democrats made astonishing gains throughout the Northern States, and in a less degree here. Though only a con- gressman, two district officers and two coun- ty officers were to be chosen, 4,000 votes were cast; the Republican plurality for congressman was 1,093. There was no op- position for county officers. In the sum- mer of 1883 occurred the memorable joint canvass of the three candidates for Govern- or-Sherman, Kinne and Weaver. A full vote was brought out, and yet the Repub- lican plurality was reduced to 701, the low- est for many years at a general election. - Seven county officers were chosen by ma- jorities ranging from 469 to 931.
For 1884 the nominations for President and Vice-President were: Democratic, Grover Cleveland and Thomas A. Hen-
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY.
dricks; Republican, James G. Blaine and John A. Logan; National, Benjamin F. But- ler; Prohibition, John P. St. John. The campaign was a very bitter and disagree- able one, and will be remembered with lit- tle pride. The issue was partly personal, but Cleveland was elected principally on demand for civil-service reform. Blaine has always been very popular in Iowa, and hence the Republicans gained considerably over the Isso vote, giving Blaine a plurali- ty of 1,073. The total vote was 5,254, of which Blaine received 3,157; Cleveland, 2,084 ; St. John, 8; Butler, 5. The insignif- icance of the National and Prohibition vote is worthy of remark.
The Republican plurality for Governor in 1885 was 839, a very large vote being cast. The county officers received slightly better figures, Auditor Foote's majority, the high- est of the list, being 1,008.
Elections in Black Hawk County have been uniformly orderly, and the political campaigns conducted in a manner which, while in no means perfect in decorum and propriety, is rarely seen in other counties of equal population and containing such heterogeneous elements of population.
ABSTRACT OF ELECTION RETURNS.
On the following pages are given the election returns from 1854 to 1885, showing the vote for all candidates for county and district offices, as also for the head of the State ticket, and for President :
AUGUST, 1854.
Governor.
James W. Grimes. 191
38
Curtis Bates. 153
Senator.
William W. Hamilton. 177
IC
Representative.
J. W. Rogers. 188
M. V. Burdick.
143
Congressman.
James Thornton. . 191
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