USA > Iowa > Floyd County > History of Floyd County, Iowa : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 33
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At this latter place the convention assembled pursuant to ad- journment, but even here no agreement could be reached between the factions. After a six days' meeting Stephen A. Douglas was nominated for President and Benjamin Fitzpatrick, of Alabama, for Vice-President. The nomination of Douglas was received with very great enthusiasm. Mr. Fitzpatrick declining, Herschel V. Johnson, of Georgia, was substituted. Mr. Johnson accepted the nomination.
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A portion of the convention seceded, and, holding another con- vention, June 23, nominated John C. Breckenridge, of Kentucky, for President, and Joseph Lane, of Oregon, for Vice-President. A "Union " Convention met, at which John Bell, of Tennessee, was nominated for President, and Edward Everett, of Massachu- setts, for Vice-President.
With four presidential candidates in the field, the exciting ques- tions growing out of the institution of slavery, and the threats of disunion by a portion of the South, in the event of the election of Lincoln, tended to make the campaign one of great interest. " Wide-Awake " clubs and organizations of "Hickory Boys," on the part of Republicans and Douglas Democrats, respectively, tended to increase the excitement. Large and enthusiastic meet- ings were held by each party in all the leading towns and cities, and even in many of the smaller villages. The names of the "Rail Splitter" and the "Little Giant" evoked the greatest en- thusiasm.
The Republican State Convention met in Iowa City, May 23, nominated a State ticket, and adopted a platform endorsing the action of the National Convention at Chicago, endorsing its nomi- nations, and favoring rigid economy in State matters. The Dem- ocratic Convention met at Des Moines, July 12, nominated a State- ticket, and passed resolutions endorsing Douglas and Johnson. The "Union ticket " was strongly condemned.
Pursuant to notice, the Republicans of Rock Grove met April 4, 1860, in the evening, and organized in the following order: Township Committee-Josephus Cooper, Ira Dean, David Hard- man, F. L. Benedict, Lyman Gaylord; Vigilant and Correspond- ing Committee-Christopher Wamsley, Wm. Dean, T. T. Gilbert, Daniel Whitesell, W. P. Gaylord. Messrs. W. P. Gaylord, T. T. Gilbert and A. J. Cottrell were appointed a committee to draft. and present resolutions, which were reported and adopted, favor- ing a tariff sufficiently protective to invite capital in manufacturing necessary articles, favoring improvements of navigation by the General Government, opposing the introduction of slavery into free territory, denouncing the fillibustering of young Crittenden in Cuban waters and the attempted insurrection of John Brown, de- nouncing the Democratic party as pro-slavery and as threatening secession, etc. The two remaining resolutions, which we have not summarized above, we give in full below, on account of their raciness: "That we consider the ' woolly-heads' those who breed
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the wool; the 'amalgamationists' those from whom spring the Creole; the 'octaroon ' and the ' nigger party ' those whose scent is so keen as to scent a negro 3,000 miles, and whose affection for them is so strong that they will have them even if they have to steal them!" "That we are in favor of the foreign-born citizen having the same rights as ourselves, after having been fully naturalized, Gen. Cass' letter to Le Clerc to the contrary notwith- standing, the question with us being not where a man comes from but where is he going to."
Republicans, reported at the number of 3,000, assembled at St. Charles City on the 10th of July following, pursuant to a call by the Central Committee of the Fortieth Senatorial District, to ratify the National and State nominations of their party. Hon. John Porter, of Hardin County, was elected chairman of the convention; Rev. J. G. Witted implored the divine blessing, and speeches were made by Hon. Reuben Noble, of Clayton County, Hon. C. A. New- comb, of Fayette County, J. O. Crosby, of Clayton County, Wm. B. Fairfield, of Floyd County, O. P. Harwood, of Osage, Hon. E. G. Bowdoin, of Rock, and C. E. Berry, of Howard County. L. L. Huntley favored the convention with lively songs, and immense enthusiasm was manifested. The report of this mass meeting oc- cupies a little more than a page of that large sheet, the Intel- ligencer.
On the evening of the 28th of the same month a very enthusiastic impromptu meeting was held in St. Charles City. Campaign docu- ments were widely circulated by both parties, reading rooms opened, public speeches made, and the press actually " pressed " to overflowing. The election in this county resulted in an average Republican majority of about 350.
When the campaign of 1861 began the war for the Union was in progress, and issues growing out of that war were forming. The Republicans were first to meet in convention, assembling in Des Moines, July 31, and nominated a candidate for Governor and other State officers, and adopted a platform heartily supporting the Gov- ernment in its assertion of the right to coerce, denouncing the doctrine of secession, maintaining the supremacy of the Constitu- tion, and declaring in the most forcible language that the Rebellion should be put down at any cost. The Democratic State Conven- tion passed resolutions also, unequivocally condemning the action of the seceding States, but declaring it to be the legitimate result of the successful teaching of the "irrepressible conflict," and also
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denying in toto the right of the Government to perpetuate the Union by force of arms. State sovereignty was endorsed, and the opposite doctrine declared to be fraught with disastrous conse- quences. The result in this county does not indicate the political strength of the parties, the Democrats making but little effort to be successful. A fusion meeting was held at Charles City on the 27th of July, this year. The average majority on general officers of the Republican party was 340.
In 1862 the Union army had met with several reverses during the year, and a gloomy feeling pervaded the minds of the people, having its effect upon the canvass for State officers. The Demo- crats met in convention at Des Moines, and adopted a platform, in which they expressed themselves as in favor of using all constitu- tional means for the suppression of the Rebellion and opposed to any scheme of confiscation and emancipation; opposed to a sus- pension of the writ of habeas corpus; declaring superiority of the white over the black race, and opposed to the purchase of the slaves. The Republicans, in their platform adopted at Des Moines, resolved that it was the duty of every man to help maintain the Government, condemned the course of secession sympathizers, and asked all favorable to giving the national administration honest support to co-operate with them. The Republicans were again successful in this county. For Congressman, Wm. B. Allison had 450 to 142 for Mahoney. Feb. 25 preceding, a special election was held for State Senator, when G. W. Howard was elected by 230 votes, against 12 for David Wiltse; no contest.
In 1863 the Democrats met in convention at Des Moines and nominated a candidate for Governor and other State officers. Ques- tions growing out of the war still afforded issues between parties. The writ of habeas corpus had been suspended by the President; martial law had been declared in some of the border States not in rebellion, and the Proclamation of Emancipation had been issued. These measures the Democracy in convention and by resolution opposed, while the Republican Convention, which convened June 17, favored each. Thus were the issues defined. William M. Stone and James N. Tuttle were the Republican and Democratic candidates respectively for the office of Governor. The Republi- cans had everything in their own hands. The majorities ranged from 350 to 375 on officers where there was opposition.
The year 1864 brought with it another presidential election. Abraham Lincoln was re-nominated by the Republicans, and asso-
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ciated with him on the ticket was Andrew Johnson, the Union Governor of Tennessee. The Democrats put in nomination Gen- eral George B. McClellan for the presidency, and George H. Pen- dleton for the vice-presidency. The Republicans of Iowa held a convention at Des Moines, July 7, and adopted a platform confirm- ing the re-nomination of Abraham Lincoln, and paying high trib- utes of praise to the loyal soldiers' and sailors' wives whose sacri- fices were saving the Union. The Democratic State Convention met at Des Moines, July 16, selected a State ticket, but adopted no platform. A peace convention, however, was held at Iowa City, Aug. 24, which adopted resolutions denouncing the war and its further support, and rejecting the equality of the negro with the white man. Lincoln carried the county by a majority of 402 votes. On the general ticket there was little scratching of tickets. On the county ticket, J. V. W. Montague, for Clerk, received a major- ity of 533, and G. B. Eastman, for Recorder, 319.
The campaign of 1865 was commenced by the Republicans, who met in convention at Des Moines, June 14, and nominated a ticket and adopted a platform. The Union Anti-Negro Suffrage Party met at the capitol, Aug. 23, and nominated a ticket, and adopted a platform in which they resolved to sustain the administration of Andrew Johnson; that they were opposed to negro suffrage; that the soldiers of the late war deserved well of their countrymen, and that their sympathies were with them. The Democrats met in convention the same day, but made no nominations, the party sup- porting the Soldiers' ticket as it was known. In this county Col. Abner Root had no opposition. The Republicans were successful in every instance.
The campaign of 1866 was fought on the issue of re-construction in the Southern States. The Republicans in convention resolved that the people who subdued the Rebellion and their representa- tives in Congress had the right to re-organize the States that had been in rebellion. This was denied by some of the Republicans and the entire Democratic party. The conservative Republicans, or those who were opposed to Congressional action, met in con- vention and nominated a State ticket. The Democratic Conven- tion adopted a platform, nominated two candidates, and resolved to support the ticket of the Conservatives. The Republican State officers received a majority of about 590 in this county. The Re- publican candidate for Clerk of the District Court had 627 major- ity, while their candidate for Recorder had 695 majority.
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In 1867 the general issues were the same as in 1866, with simi- lar results.
The year 1868 brought with it another presidential campaign. The Republican National Convention met in Chicago and placed in nomination Ulysses S. Grant, the victorious Union General, associating with him Schulyer Colfax, of Indiana. The Demo- cratic National Convention nominated Horatio Seymour and Francis P. Blair, Jr., for President and Vice-President. The financial question began to be a leading issue, especially with ref- erence to the payment of the bonds in coin or greenbacks, the Re- publicans favoring the payment in coin, the Democrats opposing. The latter also by resolution favored the abolition of the national banking system, and the substitution of United States notes for those of national banks. This was opposed by the Republicans. Full State and county tickets were nominated, and the largest vote was polled ever cast at any election in the county. The Republi- cans succeeded in giving each candidate on their ticket a majority.
During the years 1869, 1870 and 1871, political excitement did not run very high, and a rather light vote was cast. These were the years when H. O. Pratt was rising into political prominence.
The movement known as the Liberal Republican, in 1872, had a large influence, politically, this year, having virtually dictated the Democratic nomination for the presidency, and the platform of principles on which the campaign against the Republican party was dictated. The Liberal Republicans were those connected with the Republican party who were opposed to any extreme measures in the reconstruction of the Southern States, and who believed the time had come when past issues should be forgotten, and new issues formed; that the hand of reconciliation should be offered the South, and a united country, working together to build up the waste places of the South. Many of the most able men of the Republican party, including Horace Greeley, Charles Sumner, Lyman Trumbull, John M. Palmer and others, united in this movement. In May a National Convention was held by the Liberal Republicans, in Cincinnati, which nominated Horace Greeley for President, and B. Gratz Brown for Vice-President. The following is a synopsis of the resolutions adopted :
1. Equality of all men before the law; equal and exact justice to all, without regard to race, color or previous condition.
2. Opposition to the re-opening of all questions settled by the XIIIth, XIVth and XVth amendments to the Constitution.
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3. Demand for the immediate and absolute removal of all disa- bilities imposed on account of the Rebellion.
4. Local self-government; supremacy of the civil over the military; and demand for the largest individual liberty consistent with public order.
5. Denunciation of the existing system of civil service.
6. Demand for a system of Federal taxation which should not unnecessarily interfere with the industries of the people; reference of the tariff to the congressional districts.
7. . Demand for civil service reform, and for the election of President for a single term only.
8. Maintenance of public credit and denunciation of repudia- tion,
9. A speedy return to specie payment.
10. Thanks to the citizen-soldiers and sailors of the Republic.
11. Opposition to further grants to railroads.
12. Cultivation of friendship with all nations; regarding alike dishonorable, either to demand what is not right, or to submit to what is wrong.
The Democracy in convention ratified the nominations of Gree- ley and Brown, and adopted the platform of the Liberals. The Republicans renominated President Grant, and associated with him on the ticket Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts, for Vice-Presi- dent. The disaffection among the Democrats in consequence of the nomination of Horace Greeley, a life-long political enemy, was so great that a third ticket was nominated, at the head of which was Charles O'Conor, the distinguished lawyer of New York.
The Democrats and Liberal Republicans met in State Conven- tion and nominated a ticket composed of two Democrats and three Liberal Republicans, and passed a resolution endorsing the nomi- nation of Greeley. The movement was organized in this county with high hopes of success, and a convention was held at the office of J. P. Taylor, in Charles City, pursuant to notice. Dr. J. W. Smith was elected Chairman, and H. A. Humphrey, Secretary. The object of the meeting was the election of delegates to the Con- gressional Convention to be held at Mason City, Sept. 4, and Judi- cial Convention at Charles City, Sept. 5.
A number of prominent Democrats being present it was moved and carried that all in sympathy with the Liberal movement, be invited to participate in the organization of the new party.
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Brief speeches were indulged in by R. W. Humphrey, J. S. Root, J. W. Smith, A. G. Case, and H. A. Humphrey. Mr. R. W. Humphrey asserted that the issues upon which the Republican party was formed are obsolete, that it was no longer a party of freedom even of opinion. That there was now but a single test of Republicanism, and that was Grant, and but one animating pur- pose, and that was to perpetuate in power, a person who has no just conception of the principles of government, and who seems to re- gard presidential appointments and privileges as personal per- quisites, bestowing them without regard to fitness upon family favorites, or as official compensation for gifts.
Dr. Smith, in his remarks, admitted that in some respects Grant was the superior of Greeley-as a judge of fast horses, a dog-fight, and infinitely his superior as a judge of whisky and to- bacco. More extended remarks were made by Root, Case and others. A committee of six were appointed by the chair, to or- ganize for the campaign, composed of Messrs. J. S. Root, R. W. Humphrey, A. G. Case, C. Merckel, Sr., J. P. Taylor and John Mohara. The committee were instructed to appoint sub-com- mittees in each township in the county, and to take such measures as they deemed expedient for a thorough organization of the party. The following resolutions,"written by A. B. F. Hildreth, were unanimously adopted :
Resolved, That we hail with gratitude and joy the many indi- cations that a spirit of political reform is abroad in our land.
2. That the present caucus system of the Republican party of this country is corrupt and infamous, and ought to be over- thrown.
3. That men, who have never shown qualification or fitness for conducting any legitimate business of their own, are not proper men to be entrusted with the business of the public.
4. That electors 'should rigidly apply to all candidates for of- fice the old Jeffersonian test, viz .: " Is he capable, is he honest? " before giving him their suffrages.
5. That the practice of filling our county and other offices with mendacious men at high salary and then employing cheap boys to do their work for them, simply that they (the office holders) may perambulate the streets and peregrinate the county on their private speculations, or for political chicanery, is reprehensible, and must and shall be abolished.
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HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
6. That if we must support the horde of political paupers, who manifest such eagerness to gain access to the public crib, we will see that ample provision is made for them at the county poor-house and farm.
7. That the levy and collection of a tax in this county, amount- ing in the aggregate to more than one hundred thousand dollars, is a burden upon our industry, a robbery of our property holders, and an outrage upon common sense.
8. That voters should closely scan the character and quali- fications of every candidate for office before giving him their sup- port, in order to attain that great desideratum in our local politics of retrenchment and reform.
The proceedings of the meeting were ordered furnished to the county papers, with a request for their publication; also, that a copy of the same be sent to the Dubuque Herald.
H. A. HUMPHREY, Sec'y.
The peculiarity and importance of this reactionary movement against certain principles of Grant's administration deserves here the further notice of a "people's mass meeting," held on the public square, Charles City, June 19, 1873. A. B. F. Hildreth was elected Chairman, and spoke at some length upon the grievances of the people, the corruption of political parties, and the necessary steps to be taken by the people to remedy existing evils. J. R. Waller was elected Secretary; and by motion, the following persons were appointed by the chair as a committee on resolutions: J. R. Waller, Scott; Wm. Morse, Floyd; C. Kilbourne, Riverton; W. A. McNaughton, Pleasant Grove; Edson Gaylord, Rock Grove; - Swayne, Rudd; J. W. Smith, St. Charles; S. H. Cutler, Rock ford; H. Wady, Union; A. H. Bailey, Ulster; Geo. Taylor, Niles; A. Schermerhorn, Cedar.
The committee reported the following resolutions, which were taken up singly and adopted almost unanimously:
Resolved, That the interests of the people should be recognized as paramount to the interests of any political party or organization of capitalists.
2. That we feel humiliated as American citizens at the recent exhibitions of social, political and financial corruption in the county, State and nation, and call upon all good citizens to lay aside former differences and work together to correct the evils, and to avert still greater and threatened evils in the future.
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3. That the State and General Government should guard with care the increasing tendency of concentrated capital to insure its franchises granted by State and Government.
4. That we favor the State and General Government taking the necessary measures to increase the facilities and cheapen the cost of transportation from the Mississippi to the sea-board.
5. That we hold in disrepute the too lavish granting of patents, and are opposed to the renewal of any after a reasonable term of years.
6. That we demand and insist upon economy in our expenditures and on the reformation of the abuses, deceptions and corruptions in our political arena.
The following gentlemen were called for: B. F. Wright, Dr. J. W. Smith, R. W. Humphrey, H. Wilbur, J. S. Root, John Wal- lace, J. W. Merrill and J. R. Waller, and each responded in words showing that the people were awakening; that a better and a purer political atmosphere was soon to be breathed if the people will get together.
It was moved that a county central committee be appointed with power to appoint township committees, and take such measures as shall be deemed best; for the best interests of the people. The following gentlemen were appointed as said committees: J. W. Smith, St. Charles; Wm. Morse, Floyd; A. H. Bailey, Ulster; D. Butler, Riverton; S. H. Cutler, Rockford.
Moved that the Charles City Intelligencer and other Floyd County papers, and the Nashua Post, be requested to publish the proceedings of the meeting.
The ides of November arrived, the forces were massed to the ballot box, the mouth piece for the people's edict, and yet only one vote in five was given for Liberal Republicanism. But this was no wonder to anybody.
In 1873 the question of Capital v. Labor now engaged the at- tention of the people. The Republican State Convention met at Des Moines, June 25, and after nominating candidates adopted resolutions declaring against monopolies, and urging that the ser- eral States should carefully restrict the powers of the railroad com- panies and other monopolies. Class legislation was also demanded. The Democratic party of the State made no regular nominations this year, but generally supported the Anti-Monopoly ticket. A convention was held at Des Moines, Aug. 12, nominated candidates and adopted resolutions declaring that the old party organizations
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were no longer useful, denouncing corruption in Government af- fairs, and urging the necessity of political honesty. The move- ment was not so strong in this county as in many others in the State, giving only about one-tenth of all the votes cast.
In 1874 the issues were the same as in 1873. A very light vote was cast in Floyd County by the Anti-Monopolists.
In the fall of 1874 an independent county ticket was nominated at Charles City, for the purpose, mainly, of retrenching public ex- penses. R. W. Humphrey was chairman of this convention, and Ira K. Lee, secretary. Resolutions were adopted, and for Clerk of the Courts, Wm. L. McEwen, of Ulster Township, was nominated; for Recorder, John R. Waller, of Scott; and for Supervisors, Ira K. Lee, of St. Charles, and David S. Wood, of Rudd. The com- mittee on resolutions comprised J. S. Root, H. A. Humphrey and A. B. F. Hildreth. Jackson Wood, Wm. Morse and Mr. Lee were appointed the central committee, and the convention adjourned without day. The election returns, on a subsequent page, show how this movement resulted. .
A convention was called to meet at Des Moines, June 24, 1875, composed of Democrats, Anti-Monopolists and Liberal Republi- cans. Assembling, a ticket was nominated headed by Shepherd Lefler, for Governor, and a platform of principles adopted covering the principal ground of belief of the three elements represented. The Republicans met in convention and nominated S. J. Kirk- wood, for Governor. A Temperance Convention was also held and Rev. John H. Lozier nominated for Governor, but in Floyd County the Temperance ticket was not represented.
In this county Hervey Wilbur opposed the nomination of women to public office, and therefore opposed the election of Mrs. Helen R. Duncan to the office of County Superintendent of Schools, claiming that in strict logic she could not be a nominee of any Re- publican convention, as that party had never committed itself to woman suffrage, and Mrs. Duncan, not being a voter, could not be a Republican. Mr. Wilbur received twenty-two votes in the nom- inating convention, and claimed, therefore, to be the regular nom- inee, and thus went before the people as a candidate. He dre w a large vote (233), considering his anomalous position, but not enough for election.
The election in 1876 was for national, State and county officers. Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. Wheeler were the Republican candidates for President and Vice-President, while Samuel J. Tilden
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