Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 55

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1388

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The first step toward the erection of a new State Capitol at Springfield had been taken in an appropriation of $450,000, at the session of 1867, the total cost being limited to $3,000,000. A second appropriation of $650,000 was made at the session of 1869. The Constitution of 1870 limited the cost to $3,500,000, but an act passed by the Legislature of 1883, making a final appropriation of $531,712 for completing and furnishing the building, was ratified by the people in 1884. The original cost of the building and its furniture exceeded $4,000,000. (See State Houses.)

The State Convention for framing a new Con- stitution met at Springfield, Dec. 13, 1869. It consisted of eighty-five members-forty-four Republicans and forty-one Democrats, A num- ber classed as Republicans, however, were elected as "Independents" and co-operated with the Democrats in the organization. Charles Hitch- cock was elected President. The Convention terminated its labors, May 13, 1870; the Constitu- tion was ratified by vote of the people, July 2, and went into effect, August 8, 1870. A special provision establishing the principle of "minority representation" in the election of Representatives in the General Assembly, was adopted by a smaller vote than the main instrument. A lead- ing feature of the latter was the general restric- tion upon special legislation and the enumeration of a large variety of subjects to be provided for under general laws. It laid the basis of our present railroad and warehouse laws; declared the inviolability of the Illinois Central Railroad tax; prohibited the sale or lease of the Illinois & Michigan Canal without a vote of the people; prohibited municipalities from becoming sub- scribers to the stock of any railroad or private corporation; limited the rate of taxation and amount of indebtedness to be incurred; required the enactment of laws for the protection of miners, etc. The restriction in the old Constitu- tion against the re-election of a Governor as his own immediate successor was removed, but placed upon the office of State Treasurer. The Legisla- ture consists of 204 members-51 Senators and 153 Representatives-one Senator and three Repre- sentatives being chosen from each district. (See Constitutional Convention of 1869-70; also Con- stitution of 1870.)

At the election of 1870, General Logan was re- elected Congressman-at-large by 24,672 majority ; Gen. E. N. Bates, Treasurer, and Newton Bate- man, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

LEGISLATURE OF 1871 .- The Twenty-seventh General Assembly (1871), in its various sessions,

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spent more time in legislation than any other in the history of the State-a fact to be accounted for, in part, by the Chicago Fire and the exten- sive revision of the laws required in consequence of the adoption of the new Constitution. Besides the regular session, there were two special, or called, sessions and an adjourned session, cover- ing, in all, a period of 292 days. This Legislature adopted the system of "State control" in the management of the labor and discipline of the convicts of the State penitentiary, which was strongly urged by Governor Palmer in a special message. General Logan having been elected United States Senator at this session, Gen. John L. Beveridge was elected to the vacant position of Congressman-at-large at a special election held Oct. 4.

CHICAGO FIRE OF 1871 .- The calamitous fire at Chicago, Oct. 8-9, 1871, though belonging rather to local than to general State history, excited the profound sympathy, not only of the people of the State and the Nation, but of the civilized world. The area burned over, including streets, covered 2,124 acres, with 13,500 buildings out of 18,000, leaving 92,000 persons homeless. The loss of life is estimated at 250, and of prop- erty at $187,927,000. Governor Palmer called the Legislature together in special session to act upon the emergency, Oct. 13, but as the State was pre- cluded from affording direct aid, the plan was adopted of reimbursing the city for the amount it had expended in the enlargement of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, amounting to $2,955,340. The unfortunate shooting of a citizen by a cadet in a regiment of United States troops organized for guard duty, led to some controversy between Governor Palmer, on one side, and the Mayor of Chicago and the military authorities, including President Grant, on the other; but the general verdict was, that, while nice distinctions between civil and military authority may not have been observed, the service rendered by the military, in a great emergency, was of the highest value and was prompted by the best intentions. (See Fire of 1871 under title Chicago.)

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OF 1872 .- The political campaign of 1872 in Illinois resulted in much con- fusion and a partial reorganization of parties. Dissatisfied with the administration of President Grant, a number of the State officers (including Governor Palmer) and other prominent Repub- licans of the State, joined in what was called the "Liberal Republican" movement, and supported Horace Greeley for the Presidency. Ex-Gov- ernor Oglesby again became the standard-bearer

of the Republicans for Governor, with Gen. John L. Beveridge for Lieutenant-Governor. At the November election, the Grant and Wilson (Repub- lican) Electors in Illinois received 241,944 votes, to 184,938 for Greeley, and 3,138 for O'Conor. The plurality for Oglesby, for Governor, was 40,690.

Governor Oglesby's second administration was of brief duration. Within a week after his in- auguration he was nominated by a legislative caucus of his party for United States Senator to succeed Judge Trumbull, and was elected, receiv- ing an aggregate of 117 votes in the two Houses against 78 for Trumbull, who was supported by the party whose candidates he had defeated at three previous elections. (See Oglesby, Richard J.) Lieutenant-Governor Beveridge thus became Governor, filling out the unexpired term of his chief. His administration was high-minded, clean and honorable. (See Beveridge, John L.)

REPUBLICAN REVERSE OF 1874. - The election of 1874 resulted in the first serious reverse the Republican party had experienced in Illinois since 1862. Although Thomas S. Ridgway, the Republican candidate for State Treasurer, was elected by a plurality of nearly 35,000, by a com- bination of the opposition, S. M. Etter (Fusion) was at the same time elected State 'Superintend- ent, while the Fusionists secured a majority in each House of the General Assembly. After a protracted contest, E. M. Haines-who had been a Democrat, a Republican, and had been elected to this Legislature as an "Independent"-was elected Speaker of the House over Shelby M. Cul- lom, and A. A. Glenn (Democrat) was chosen President of the Senate, thus becoming ex-officio Lieutenant-Governor. The session which fol- lowed-especially in the House-was one of the inost turbulent and disorderly in the history of the State, coming to a termination, April 15, after having enacted very few laws of any im- portance. (See Twenty-ninth General Assembly.)

CAMPAIGN OF 1876 .- Shelby M. Cullom was the candidate of the Republican party for Governor in 1876, with Rutherford B. Hayes heading the National ticket. The excitement which attended the campaign, the closeness of the vote between the two Presidential candidates - Hayes and Tilden-and the determination of the result through the medium of an Electoral Commission, are fresh in the memory of the present gener- ation. In Illinois the Republican plurality for President was 19,631, but owing to the combina- tion of the Democratic and Greenback vote on Lewis Steward for Governor, the majority for

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Cullom was reduced to 6,798. The other State officers elected were: Andrew Shuman, Lieu- tenant-Governor; George H. Harlow, Secretary of State; Thomas B. Needles, Auditor; Edward Rutz, Treasurer, and James K. Edsall, Attorney- General. Each of these had pluralities exceeding 20,000, except Needles, who, having a single com- petitor, had a smaller majority than Cullom. The new State House was ocenpied for the first time by the State officers and the Legislature chosen at this time. Although the Republicans had a majority in the House, the Independents held the "balance of power" in joint session of the General Assembly. After a stubborn and protracted struggle in the effort to choose a United States Senator to succeed Senator John A. Logan, David Davis, of Bloomington, was elected on the fortieth ballot. He had been a Whig and a warm personal friend of Lincoln, by whom he was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1862. His election to the United States Senate by the Demo- crats and Independents led to his retirement from the Supreme bench, thus preventing his appoint- ment on the Electoral Commission of 1877-a cir- cumstance which, in the opinion of many, may have had an important bearing upon the decision of that tribunal. In the latter part of his term he served as President pro tempore of the Senate, and more frequently acted with the Republicans than with their opponents. He supported Blaine and Logan for President and Vice-President, in 1884. (See Davis, David.)

STRIKE OF 1877 .- The extensive railroad strike, in July, 1877, caused widespread demoralization of business, especially in the railroad centers of the State and throughout the country generally. The newly-organized National Guard was called out and rendered efficient service in restoring order. Governor Cullom's action in the premises was prompt, and has been generally commended as eminently wise and discreet.

ELECTION OF 1878 .- Four sets of candidates were in the field for the offices of State Treasurer and Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1878 -Republican, Democratic, Greenback and Pro- hibition. The Republicans were successful, Gen. John C. Smith being elected Treasurer, and James P. Slade, Superintendent, by pluralities averaging about 35,000. The same party also elected eleven out of nineteen members of Con- gress, and, for the first time in six years, secured a majority in each branch of the General Assem- bly. At the session of this Legislature. in Jann- ary following, John A. Logan was elected to the

United States Senate as successor to Gen. R. J. Oglesby, whose term expired in March following. Col. William A. James, of Lake County, served as Speaker of the House at this session. (See Smith, John Corson; Slade, James P .; also Thirty- first General Assembly.)

CAMPAIGN OF 1880 .- The political campaign of 1880 is memorable for the determined struggle made by the friends of General Grant to secure his nomination for the Presidency for a third term. The Republican State Convention, begin- ning at Springfield, May 19, lasted three days, ending in instructions in favor of General Grant by a vote of 399 to 285. These were nullified, however, by the action of the National Conven- tion two weeks later. Governor Cullom was nominated for re-election ; John M. Hamilton for Lieutenant-Governor; Henry D. Dement for See- retary of State; Charles P. Swigert for Auditor ; Edward Rutz (for a third term) for Treasurer, and James McCartney for Attorney-General. (See Dement, Henry D .; Swigert, Charles P .; Rutz, Edward, and McCartney, James.) Ex-Sena- tor Trumbull headed the Democratic ticket as its candidate for Governor, with General L. B. Par- sons for Lieutenant-Governor.

The Republican National Convention met in Chicago, June 2. After thirty-six ballots, in which 306 delegates stood unwaveringly by Gen- eral Grant, James A. Garfield, of Ohio, was nominated, with Chester A. Arthur, of New York, for Vice-President. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock was the Democratic candidate and Gen. James B. Weaver, the Greenback nominee. In Illinois, 622,156 votes were cast, Garfield receiv- ing a plurality of 40,716. The entire Republican State ticket was elected by nearly the same plu- ralities, and the Republicans again had decisive majorities in both branches of the Legislature.

No startling events occurred during Governor Cullom's second term. The State continned to increase in wealth, population and prosperity, and the heavy debt, by which it had been bur- dened thirty years before, was practically "wiped out."

ELECTION OF 1882 .- At the election of 1882, Gen. John C. Smith, who had been elected State Treasurer in 1878, was re-elected for a second term, over Alfred Orendorff, while Charles T. Strattan, the Republican candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was de- feated by Henry Raab. The Republicans again had a majority in each House of the General Assembly, amounting to twelve on joint ballot. Loren C. Collins was elected Speaker of the

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House. In the election of United States Senator, which occurred at this session, Governor Cullom was chosen as the successor to David Davis, Gen. John M. Palmer receiving the Democratic vote. Lieut .- Gov. John M. Hamilton thus became Gov- ernor, nearly in the middle of his term. (See Cullom, Shelby M .; Hamilton, John M .; Collins, Loren C., and Raab, Henry.)

The "Harper High License Law," enacted by the Thirty-third General Assembly (1883), has become one of the permanent features of the Illi- nois statutes for the control of the liquor traffic, and has been more or less closely copied in other States.

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OF 1884 .- In 1884, Gen. R. J. Oglesby again became the choice of the Republican party for Governor, receiving at Peoria the conspicuous compliment of a nomina- tion for a third term, by acclamation. Carter H. Harrison was the candidate of the Democrats. The Republican National Convention was again held in Chicago, meeting June 3, 1884; Gen. John A. Logan was the choice of the Illinois Repub- licans for President, and was put in nomination in the Convention by Senator Cullom. The choice of the Convention, however, fell upon James G. Blaine, on the fourth ballot, his leading competitor being President Arthur. Logan was then nominated for Vice-President by acclama- tion.

At the election in November the Republican party met its first reverse on the National battle- field since 1856, Grover Cleveland and Thomas A. Hendricks, the Democratic candidates, being elected President and Vice-President by the nar- row margin of less than 1,200 votes in the State of New York. The result was in doubt for sev- eral days, and the excitement throughout the country was scarcely less intense than it had been in the close election of 1876. The Green- hack and Prohibition parties both had tickets in Illinois, polling a total of nearly 23,000 votes. The plurality in the State for Blaine was 25,118. The Republican State officers elected were Richard J. Oglesby, Governor; John C. Smith, Lieuten- ant-Governor; Henry D. Dement, Secretary of State; Charles P. Swigert, Auditor; Jacob Gross, State Treasurer; and George Hunt, Attorney- General-receiving pluralities ranging from 14,- 000 to 25,000. Both Dement and Swigert were elected for a second time, while Gross and Hunt were chosen for first terms. (See Gross, Jacob, and Hunt, George.)

CHICAGO ELECTION FRAUDS .- An incident of this election was the fraudulent attempt to seat

Rudolph Brand (Democrat) as Senator in place of Henry W. Leman, in the Sixth Senatorial Dis- trict of Cook County. The fraud was exposed and Joseph C. Mackin, one of its alleged perpe- trators, was sentenced to the penitentiary for four years for perjury growing out of the investiga- tion. A motive for this attempted fraud was found in the close vote in the Legislature for United States Senator-Senator Logan being a candidate for re-election, while the Legislature stood 102 Republicans to 100 Democrats and two Greenbackers on joint ballot. A tedious contest on the election of Speaker of the House finally resulted in the success of E. M. Haines. Pending the struggle over the Senatorship, two seats in the House and one in the Senate were rendered vacant by death-the deceased Senator and one of the Representatives being Democrats, and the other Representative a Republican. The special election for Senator resulted in filling the vacancy with a new member of the same political faith as his predecessor; but both vacancies in the House were filled by Republicans. The gain of a Repub- lican member in place of a Democrat in the House was brought about by the election of Captain William H. Weaver Representative from the Thirty-fourth District (composed of Mason, Menard, Cass and Schuyler Counties) over the Democratic candidate, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative J. Henry Shaw, Democrat. This was accomplished by what is called a "still hunt" on the part of the Repub- licans, in which the Democrats, being taken by surprise, suffered a defeat. It furnished the sen- sation not only of the session, but of special elec- tions generally, especially as every county in the District was strongly Democratic. This gave the Republicans a majority in each House, and the re-election of Logan followed, though not until two months had been consumed in the contest. (See Logan, John A.)

OGLESBY'S THIRD TERM .- The only disturbing events during Governor Oglesby's third term were strikes among the quarrymen at Joliet and Lemont, in May, 1885; by the railroad switchmen at East St. Louis, in April, 1886, and among the employés at the Union Stock-Yards, in November of the same year. In each case troops were called ont and order finally restored, but not until sev- eral persons had been killed in the two former, and both strikers and employers had lost heavily in the interruption of business.

At the election of 1886, John R. Tanner and Dr. Richard Edwards (Republicans) were respec- tively elected State Treasurer and State Superin-

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tendent of Public Instruction, by 34,816 plurality for the former and 29,928 for the latter. (See Tanner, John R .; Edwards, Richard.)

In the Thirty-fifth General Assembly, which met January, 1887, the Republicans had a major- ity in each House, and Charles B. Farwell was elected to the United States Senate in place of Gen. John A. Logan, deceased. (See Farwell, Charles B.)

FIFER ELECTED GOVERNOR. - The political campaign of 1888 was a spirited one, though less bitter than the one of four years previous. Ex- Senator Joseph W. Fifer, of McLean County, and Ex-Gov. John M. Palmer were pitted against each other as opposing candidates for Governor. (See Fifer, Joseph W.) Prohibition and Labor tickets were also in the field The Republican National Convention was again held in Chicago, June 20-25, resulting in the nomination of Benjamin Harrison for President, on the eighth ballot. The delegates from Illinois, with two or three excep- tions, voted steadily for Judge Walter Q. Gresham. (See Gresham, Walter Q.) Grover Cleveland headed the Democratic ticket as a candidate for re-election. At the November elec- tion, 747,683 votes were cast in Illinois, giving the Republican Electors a plurality of 22, 104. Fifer's plurality over Palmer was 12,547, and that of the remainder of the Republican State ticket, still larger. Those elected were Lyman B. Ray, Lieutenant-Governor; Isaac N. Pearson, Secre- tary of State; Gen. Charles W. Pavey, Auditor; Charles Becker, Treasurer, and George Hunt, Attorney-General. (See Ray, Lyman B .; Pear- son, Isaac N .; Pavey, Charles W"; and Becker, Charles.) The Republicans secured twenty-six majority on joint ballot in the Legislature-the largest since 1881. Among the acts of the Legis- lature of 1889 were the re-election of Senator Cullom to the United States Senate, practically without a contest : the revision of the compulsory education law, and the enactment of the Chicago drainage law. At a special session held in July, 1890, the first steps in the preliminary legislation looking to the holding of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in the city of Chicago, were taken. (See World's Columbian Exposition.)

REPUBLICAN DEFEAT OF 1890 .- The campaign of 1890 resulted in a defeat for the Republicans on both the State and Legislative tickets. Edward S. Wilson was elected Treasurer by a plurality of 9,847 and Prof. Henry Raab, who had been Super- intendent of Public Instruction between 1883 and 1887, was elected for a second term by 34,042. Though lacking two of an absolute majority on

joint ballot in the Legislature, the Democrats were able, with the aid of two members belonging to the Farmers' Alliance, after a prolonged and exciting contest, to elect Ex-Gov. John M. Palmer United States Senator, as successor to C. B. Farwell. The election took place on March 11, resulting, on the 154th ballot, in 103 votes for Palmer to 100 for Cicero J. Lindley (Republican) and one for A. J. Streeter. (See Palmer, John M.)

ELECTIONS OF 1892 .- At the elections of 1892 the Republicans of Illinois sustained their first defeat on both State and National issues since 1856. The Democratic State Convention was held at Springfield, April 27, and that of the Republicans on May 4. The Democrats put in nomination John P. Altgeld for Governor; Joseph B. Gill for Lieutenant-Governor; William H. Hinrichsen for Secretary of State; Rufus N. Ramsay for State Treasurer; David Gore for Auditor; Maurice T. Moloney for Attorney-Gen- eral, with John C. Black and Andrew J. Hunter for Congressmen-at-large and three candidates for Trustees of the University of Illinois. The can- didates on the Republican ticket were: For Gov- ernor, Joseph W. Fifer; Lieutenant-Governor, Lyman B. Ray; Secretary of State, Isaac N. Pear- son; Auditor, Charles W. Pavey; Attorney-Gen- eral, George W. Prince; State Treasurer, Henry L. Hertz; Congressmen-at-large, George S. Willits and Richard Yates, with three University Trus- tees. The first four were all incumbents nomi- nated to succeed themselves. The Republican National Convention held its session at Minneapo- lis June 7-10, nominating President Harrison for re-election, while that of the Democrats met in Chicago, on June 21, remaining in session until June 24, for the third time choosing, as its standard-bearer, Grover Cleveland, with Adlai T. Stevenson, of Bloomington, Ill., as his running- inate for Vice-President. The Prohibition and People's Party also had complete National and State tickets in the field. The State campaign was conducted with great vigor on both sides, the Democrats, under the leadership of Altgeld, mak- ing an especially bitter contest upon some features of the compulsory school law, and gaining many votes from the ranks of the German-Republicans. The result in the State showed a plurality for Cleveland of 26,993 votes out of a total 873,646- the combined Prohibition and People's Party vote amounting to 48,077. The votes for the respec- tive heads of the State tickets were: Altgeld (Dem.), 425,498; Fifer (Rep.), 402,659; Link (Pro.), 25,628; Barnet (Peo.), 20, 108-plurality for Altgeld, 22,808. The vote for Fifer was the high-

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est given to any Republican candidate on either the National or the State ticket, leading that of President Harrison by nearly 3,400, while the vote for Altgeld, though falling behind that of Cleveland, led the votes of all his associates on the Democratic State ticket with the single exception of Ramsay, the Democratic Candidate for Treas- urer. Of the twenty-two Representatives in Congress from the State chosen at this time, eleven were Republicans and eleven Democrats, including among the latter the two Congressmen from the State-at-large. The Thirty-eighth Gen- eral Assembly stood twenty-nine Democrats to twenty-two Republicans in the Senate, and seventy-eight Democrats to seventy-five Republic- ans in the House.

The administration of Governor Fifer-the last in a long and unbroken line under Republican Gov- ernors- closed with the financial and industrial interests of the State in a prosperous condition, the State out of debt with an ample surplus in its treasury. Fifer was the first private soldier of the Civil War to be elected to the Governorship, though the result of the next two elections have shown that he was not to be the last-both of his successors belonging to the same class. Governor Altgeld was the first foreign-born citizen of the State to be elected Governor, though the State has had four Lieutenant-Governors of foreign birth, viz. : Pierre Menard, a French Canadian; John Moore, an Englishman, and Gustavus Koerner and Francis A. Hoffman, both Germans.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 55

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1388

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1388