USA > Illinois > Williamson County > Historical souvenir of Williamson County, Illinois : being a brief review of the county from date of founding to the present > Part 3
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being mustered out : and Jesse Bishop, who had been a politician in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and also had taken some interest in politics in Mclean County in this State, came to this County in 1864, and was the guiding star in directing and conducting the political cam- paign of 1864, and when the sol- diers returned from the War, they were influenced, in a great measure, by such men as John A. Logan, who then resided at Carbondale, and Major A. J. Kuykendall, at Vienna, and General Green B. Ranm, who lived at Harrisburg, and Captain Isaac Clements, of Carbondale, snp- plemented with such positive char- acters as Captain Francis M. Nor- man, Geo. W. Sisney. David G.
Young, William N. Mitchell, Geo. W. Young and numerous others, that had been conspicuous in the army and during the War aligned themselves with the Republican par- ty: and the inside history shows that on the 30th day of September, 1865, there were thirteen of the ex- soldiers and Union men met in the rear room of the drug store of Dr. Isaac M. Lewis, on the south side of the Public Square, in the old frame building, corresponding with the store room owned by Dr. Casey at this time, and they then and there proceeded to nominate and make up the first Republican ticket that was ever placed before the people of Wil- liamson County at the general elec- tion. The names of those individu- als were as follows: Dr. Isaac M. Lewis, Dr. Geo. L. Owen, Samnel W. Russell, Dr. S. M. Mitchell, Cap- tain Francis M. Norman, Geo. A. Willeford, James M. Edwards, Cap- tain Geo. W. Sisney, Robert P. Er- win, A. J. Lewis, Addison Reese, Jesse Bishop and Geo. W. Young. This caucus proceeded to nominate candidates for the different County offices, to be voted for at the coming November election. For County Judge, Robert L. Pulley; Associate Justices, Jonathan Impson and Ad- dison Reese; for County Clerk, Cap- tain William N. Mitchell; for Super- intendent of Schools, Captain David G. Young: for County Treasurer, Joseph W. Hartwell, of the 31st Illi- nois. On the 2 Ist of October follow- ing, Robert L. Pulley died, and at the suggestion of Jesse Bishop, who was then regarded as the head of the party, Isaac M. Lewis was placed on the ticket to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Pulley.
There being no printing office un- der the control of the Republicans
RESIDENCE OF JO VICK. Herrin, Illinois.
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Reading from left to right the Board of Education is as follows: Top row-Ed Spilled. E. E. Deni- son, W. G. Cochran, Dr. A. M. Edwards. 2nd row-J. M. Burkhart, Geo. H. Goodall and W. J. Aikman.
With the steady advance in improvements in all matters pertaining to education, a change from the old system of control under the old law was inevitable, and it came in 1898. The Board of Education was organized at that time, and its first members were: W. H. Bundy, its first president, W. W. Clemmens, Judge W. W. Duncan, Dr. A. M. Edwards, J. . M Cline, W. J. Aikman and J. H. Burnett. They were di- vided into one, two and three year members, and the President and two members are elected every year. The two new members of the present Board are E. M. Stotlar, President, and J. M. Dold.
at that time, Captain David G. Young and Joseph W. Hartwell rode through the country on horseback to Desoto to have the tickets print- ed to be voted at the coming elec- ion. The election came off on the 7th day of November, 1865. The whole Republican ticket was elected hy good majorities, being the first Republican ticket and the first Re- publicans that were ever' elected to any office in Williamson County.
The next year, 1866, was the first general State and Congressional election that came off after the close of the war. Geo. W. Sisney was candidate for Sheriff on the Re- publican ticket, and Samuel S. Vick was candidate on the Democratic ticket. The lines were drawn, and the tickets were prepared on sepa- rate pieces of paper by hoth parties: Captain Sisney and the other Re- publicans were elected by a major- ity less than one hundred.
In 1867, T. P. White was elected Assessor and Treasurer on the Re- publican ticket. In 1868, being the first Presidential election after the close of the War, General Grant, Republican candidate for President, carried the County by 68 majority. electing Hardin Goodall Sheriff and all the rest of the Republicans on the ticket.
In 1869, the Democracy lined up in good shape for the contest. Schisms had gotten into the Repub- lican ranks, and the result was that the Democrats carried the County, electing all of their officers by ma- jorities ranging from 30 to 120. In 1870, the County went Repuhhcan, electing A. N. Owens for Sheriff by
majority less than 100. In 1871,
the County went Democratic hy a small majority. In 1872, being the second Presidential election after
the close of the War, party spirit
ran high. The Democrats and the
liberal Republicans, who joined forces, nominated Horace Greeley as
RESIDENCE OF J. M. BURKHART, Southwest corner North Market Street and Bonlevard.
SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
4
M. A. FELTS, Reporter Egyptian Pres ...
MARTIN V. FELTS, Farmer.
their candidate for President, and the regular Republicans renominat- ing General Grant for President. The campaign was bitter and excit- ing, and every effort was put forth by the respective parties to carry the election. The result was, that while General Grant carried the County by 12 majority, the Democrats elect- ed their County ticket by majori- ties ranging from 35 to 200. In 1873, the Republicans were success- ful by a small majority. In 1874 was the great land slide in favor of the Democracy, being the first that had come over the country since the close of the War. The Democrats carried almost everything, not only in Williamson County, but in the country at large. N. E. Norris was elected Sheriff by a majority of something over 200. In 1875, the Republicans carried the County by a small majority. In 1876, being the third presidential campaign af- ter the close of the War, and the old
parties being lined up on the issues growing out of the results of the War, the Republicans nominated Rutheford B. Hayes for their candi- date for President; and the Demo- crats nominated Samuel J. Tilden for their candidate for President. The Republicans won, electing all their County officers. M. S. Strike was elected Circuit Clerk by 12 ma- jority. W. J. Caplinger was elected Sheriff by 120 majority. Hayes car- ried the County by 28 majorty.
In 1877, the Republicans elected their ticket by majorities ranging from 39 to 113. In 1878, was a Congressional election, in which John R. Thomas, Republican, was pitted against William J. Allen. It was a war of giants, and very excit- ing and much interest manifested. Captain Thomas carried the County over William J. Allen by 143 ma- jority. James H. Duncan, Demo- crat, defeated W. J. Caplinger, Re- publican, by 78 majority.
OLD SCHOOL BUILDING.
PROF. C. C. DENNEY, Marion High School.
In 1879, the Republicans elected their candidate by 173 majority. In 1880, the Republicans elected their ticket, except the States' Attorney; W. W. Clemens defeated John W. Peebles by 94 majority. In 1881, the Republicans elected their County Commissioner by 155 majority. In 1882, being a general election for State Treasurer, State Superintend- ent of Schools, State Senator, Mem- ber of Congress, Member of Legisla- ture, and County Officers, the Demo- crats elected the Coroner, County Treasurer, County Clerk, Sheriff, County Judge and County Commis- sioner. The Republican candidate for Congress had 56 majority: Re- publican candidate for Superintend- ent of Schools had 58 majority; the Democrats elected everything else. In 1883, Reuben Borton, Democrat, defeated John Scoby, Republican, for County Commissioner, by 58 ma- jority. In 1884, being a Presiden- ital election, the Republicans nomi- nated James G. Blaine and the Dem- ocrats nominated Grover Cleveland for President. Blaine carried the County by 272 majority, and all the Republicans in the County were elected by majorities ranging from 135 to 272. In 1885. the Republi- cans elected their County Commis- sioner by a small majority.
In 1886 was the most hotly con- tested campaign that had taken place between the two parties since 1868. In this campaign, the Dem- ocracy rallied the old guard as if for a final struggle. They put forth their strongest and hest men, and this campaign was for years after referred to as the "Cat and Dog Fight." It was pre-eminently the boodle campaign of the County. In no campaign prior thereto was there anything like the amount of money
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
R. O. CLARIDA, Superintendent of Schools.
spent by the candidates among the voters as there was in this campaign. Both parties were equally guilty of the abominable and corrupt practice, and the campaign of 'S6 is referred to at the present time as being the initial campaign for the corrupt use of money by candidates in elections. The Republicans were successful, and this campaign broke the back- bone of the Democracy. They have never rallied or been able to pnt forth a successful campaign since. The fact is, that the Democracy have never nominated a ticket com- posed of men who were willing to spend their money in 'procuring votes to that degree of . liberality that the Republicans have. The use of money in elections has be- come so corrupt and notorious that two years ago, twenty-four men, mostly Republicans, were indicted for the infamous crime of bribery in elections. There have been sev- eral convictions, and some of the cases are still pending.
The Supreme Court of the State has upheld the constitutionality of the bribery in election law . In this connection, it might be proper to add that any elector who shall so- licit, request, demand or receive, di- rectly or indirectly, any money, in- toxicating liquor, or other thing of value, or the promise thereof, either to influence his vote, or to be used, or under the pretense of being used to procure the vote of any other per- son or persons, prior to or on the day of an election for or against any candidate for office, or for or against any measure or question to be voted upon at such election, shall be guilty of the infamous crime of bribery in elections.
The Statute also further provides that solicitation by any person of a loan of money, or the purchase of anything of value, or of liquor by the drink or treat, to influence or ef- fect his vote, or any other subter- fuge, shall be deemed a violation of the Statute. The man who pays the money is not culpable, but by the law is made a witness against the inan who receives the money. The penalty is disfranchisement for not less than five years, and imprison- ment in the County jail for not less than three months, and to stand im- prisoned until the costs of the pros- ecution are paid.
It is to be hoped that all good citi- zens will unite in the strict enforce- ment of this law; and in this con- nection, it might be proper to add that if the law could be amended in such a way that the voter who re- ceives the money could be made a witness against the man who pays the money, it would decidedly ele- vate the morals of the politics of our country.
At the Presidential election of 18SS, the Republicans carried the County by majorities ranging from 178 to 328. At the next Presiden- tial election in 1892, the Republican majority was 151, the lowest, and 386, the highest. The next Presi-
NEW SCHOOL BUILDING.
PROF. TURNER. Teacher.
dential election, in 1896, the Repub- licans carried the County by majori- ties ranging from 433 to 510. At the election for County Commis- sioner in 1899, the Democrats broke the record, and for the first time since 1883, they elected E. H. Bul- linger County Commissioner by ma- jority of 73 votes. At the Presiden- tial election of 1900, the Republi- cans elected their whole ticket by majorities ranging from 854 to 1018. This brings us up to the last Presidential election, and by way of explanation, it would be proper to say that the majorities spoken of really represent pluralities, as there has always been (especially in Pres- idential years) from three to five tickets in the field, but the votes cast for any other ticket besides the reg- ular nominees on the Republican ticket and Democratic ticket, are comparatively insignificant, and do not represent an important factor in the politics of the County.
A very noticeable feature con- nected with the history of the poli- tics of Williamson County is the strict adherence and intense loyalty of the partisans of the two dominant parties, the Republican and the Democratic. This grows out of the fact that in the early formative period of the Republican Party in the County, there was a breaking up of old party lines and political doctrines growing out of the Civil War. It was brought about by the alignment of the War Democrats on the side of the Union, or for the Union cause, and against secession and rebellion; this will be the more noticeable when we observe that at the election of 1860, Abraham Lin- coln receivel only 173 votes out of a total cast of 2214. being 40 for Breckenridge, Bell 166. Lincoln
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
-
PROF J. W. ASBURY, Superintendent of. City Schools.
W. A. COOK, Principal of Marion High School.
JAMES A. CRAIN, Architect and Civil-Engineer.
HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1904.
Top row, from left to right .. . Martha Hunter, Florence Oberdorfer, Celeste Benson, Val., Estelle Bur- nett, Sal., Effie Jeter, Rosanna Whittington, Pres. Second row-Velce Warder, Nellie Rich, Lois Ben- son, Fay Goodwin, Mabel Dunaway, Sec., Hortense Campbell. Third row-Harry Roach, Lawrence San- ders, Claude Phillips, Vice-Pres., Oscar Dodd, Albert Reidell, Treas.
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
W. F. WRIGHT, Alderman Fourth Ward.
D. T. HARTWELL, City Attorney.
1835. The Southern wing of the Democratic party caused eleven of the Southern States to secede, and passed ordinances of secession. This brought such men and promi- nent Democrats as John A. Logan, John H. White, Geo. W. Goddard, William A. Looney, Francis M. Norman, and many others, who espoused the cause of the Union, and thereby lined themselves as ad- vocates of the policy of the Repub- lican party, and the result was that Williamson County sent 1400 sol- diers into the Union army to fight. The stand taken by the Northern Democrats as to the War policy of the Southern Democrats caused political lines to be established in such a way that, while the Demo- cratic party in the North, in the main, were loyal to the Govern- ment, and was opposed to seces-
sion and bitterly opposed to rebel- lion and insurrection, yet the lead- ers of the Democratic party were opposed to the War policy that was pursued and advocated by the Re- publicans; and in this way, the two parties were pitted against each other in all of the political contests that were waged during the War and during the period of reconstruction after the close of the War, which extended from 1865 to 1884.
About the year 1886, the rich coal beds that underlie the North and West portions of the County began to attract the attention of Eastern capitalists. Investments hegan to be made for the develop- ment of the coal interest. A new tide of immigration set in, bringing a new generation, new blood, new associations, new ideas, new theo-
BA
RESIDENCE OF W. F. WRIGHT . ALDERMAN FOURTH WARD.
I. A. SINKS. Court Reporter.
ries, new politics. This, together with the fact that the sons of vete- rans had grown up to be voters, a large per cent. of this class of our people, of course, voted the way their fathers had voted before them, and the patriotic and senti- mental politics hecame merged with speculative polities, and the two forces combined for the devel- opment of the coal industry, and the American idea of protection and sound money and internal im- provements, all had their effect to strengthen and solidify the Repub- lican vote, so that now the labor classes, who are at work in the de. velopment of the mines of the County, go along with the capital- ists, who are making their iuvest- ment, and they, in turn, stand in with the Republican law makers that enact aud execute laws for the protection of the capitalists and the industries which make the combi- nation a very formidable one for the utilizing of the natural re- sources of the county, and the solid- ifying and holding together of the Republican vote, re-enforced by the laboring vote that follows in the wake.
With the establishment of the Gold Standard and the new era of prosperity and development of our coal industries, and the liberal use of money in elections since 1896, the Republican party of the County has been. firmly intrenched in all the public offices and in the public favor of a large majority of the people of the County.
The Socialistic Party.
The astounding gains of this party in the United States within a very brief period as shown by the last Presidential vote bring the
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
ED GILL, Architect and MARION'S STATE AND SAVINGS BANK.
sober citizen to the serious contem- plation of its possible, even prob- able, triumph in the near future. and to a consideration of the con- dition of the country in that event.
As a faithful historian of passing events in this county, our chosen field for recor1, it is impossible to pass this disturbing element by in silence: it has suddenly leaped into a prominence which perforce com- mands the closest scrutiny. What- ever may be thought of the system, it is manifest that it cannot longer be ignored. The official count makes the total vote of the country in 1900 to he 96,361 and in 1904 408,230. The Illinois vote for the same periods was 9,687 and 96,225. The vote for Williamson County was 11 for 1900 and 363 for 1904. These figures, it is recognized, do not represent the sum total of all helievers in Socialism in the United
ROBERT H. PRIDE, Contractor and Builder of the firm of Pride and Gill.
J. V. GRIDER, Ex-City Marshall.
States, probably not even the half, but they are startling enough to set people to thinking.
Prior to the last election this party had no organization in this County. The eleven votes repre- sented but a small portion of the real believers in the system, as shown by the great increase in the next four years. And if the same rate of increase is kept up, this county will cast nearly 12,000 votes for Socialism in 1908. It is need- less to say that the same rate of increase throughout the country elects the next president. Truly the issue is upon us. Nothing can be more important therefore at the
COUNTY JAIL AT MARION, ILL.
present time than to fully under- stand the principles and purposes of the party. Nothing is more com- mon than to revile that of which one is ignorant, and ignorance of the new untried is inevitable. The words of Jesus have hal a constant and world-wide application and ful- fillment, "They hated me without a cause." But every candid and thoughtful mind will give every im- portant question a fair and thor- ough investigation before deciding pro or con.
We have a duty to do, therefore, on behalf of the readers of the Souvenir-to make as fair and full a statement of the issue before us as the limits of our space will per- mit.
What then do they propose?
Do they intend, as is commonly alleged, to forcibly take possession of all the property in the United States and divide it up pro rata? Do they propose thereafter to dump the proceeds of the earnings of the whole people into a common fund and let every fellow help himself? I am safe in saying that no intelli- gent Socialist ever entertained so palpable an absurity. It is a com- mon error to class Socialists with Anarchists, the enemies of all gov- ernment, the assassins of rulers, the arch plotters against the peace, or- der and happiness of mankind. But a very slight inquiry will expose the unjust accusation to the con- tempt it deservs. That their pur- poses are radical and revolutionary to the extreme limit, they them- selves freely avow. They propose no less than the complete abolition of private property, in the means of production, land, machinery and all tools used for the production of wealth. They offer as a proper and just substitute the joint-ownership
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
BENJAMIN B. GRIGGS.
MRS. SARAH MARGARET GRIGGS Deceased Wife of Benj B. Griggs.
SYDNEY C. GRIGGS, Of Griggs Bros., Brickmakers.
by the whole people of these things, the means of subsistence.
Socialists reason somewhat after this sort. Every person born into the world is by that fact entitled to a place to live without getting the consent of another to do so, that is to land enough for a home. But if he is the exclusive owner of that bit of land. that is, has an exclusive title in fee simple, he can exclude all others therefrom. Therefore, private property in land should be abolished, and none permitted the control of more than he can use, and control should cease with use. Land should no more be bought and sold than air and water, but be jointly held by the nation at large for the use and benefit of all, only the right to use as a perpetual pos- session. and when vacated, should revert again to the public.
In like manner, if a man has the right to live he has the right to the means of subsistence. But as all property is the product of labor, and labor only, no man has the right to anything he does not in some way produce. If his sub- sistence is to be drawn from the sea, he must have a net, but his right to live does not give him the right to compel another, who has an equal right, to furnish him with a net. He must produce a net him- self or give to him who does so the full equivalent of the labor required. "If he will not work, neither shall he eat." But the price he is compelled to pay for the means of subsistence is the amount of labor required, to furnish that means and that only, as every one has a right, a natural and inattain- able right. to the full product of
RESIDENCE OF BENJ. B. GRIGGS. East College St. Erected in 1900.
his toil. The creator has a right to whatever he creates. Therefore, he who produces nothing has a right to nothing. Now, if our civiliza- tion has reached that condition of development wherein men can only secure subsistence by co-operating with others and make use of tools which require many hands to op- erate, then those tools should justly be the property of all and free to all, as much, and for the same rea- son that the land and water and the air is free. Private ownership of these gives the few power to compel all others to toil for and enrich the owners, and is robbery. It is this power that has enablel John D. Rockefeller to accumulate a prop- erty so vast that his annual income is $100,000,000, and is swiftly in- creasing. What is known as profits is but the surplus arising from the sale of the products of labor for more than it costs to produce them. By the private ownership of all the oil-producing territory of this coun- try John D. Rockefeller has ac- quired the power to set any price he pleases on the product and prac- tically to enslave a nation. Further, the right to buy and own every species of property, including land, has compelled Rockefeller and others to seek other fields for in- vestment until a handful of such men will, in a very short time, own the earth and all it contains.
Their money has been accumu- lated by confiscating a part of the products of every man's toil. no wrong will therefore be done if the nation calls a halt, and putting a stop to the further exploitation of labor, turn over to the public all the machinery of production for the benefit of all. This is what the Socialist is trying to bring about, not by bullets but by ballots. and it is hoped by many and expected
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
BENJAMIN EURA GRIGGS, Of Griggs Bros., Brickmakers.
JOHN C. LEE, Farmer.
SAMUEL B. BAKER, West Frankfort, Ill.
by not a few that he will presently succeed.
To give a full and authoritative expression of the plans and policy of this new power in American poli- tics, we append the party platform for preservation and reference: I.
The Socialist party, in convention assembled, makes its appeal to the American people as the defender and preserver of the idea of liberty and self-government, in which the nation was born; as the only politi- cal movement standing for the pro- gram and principles by which the liberty of the individual may be- come a fact; as the only political or- ganization that is democratic, and
that has for its purpose the dem- come the mere agencies of great ocratizing of the whole of society.
To this idea of liberty the Re- publican and Democratic parties are equally false. They alike struggle for power to maintain and profit by an industrial system which can be preserved only by the complete overthrow of such liberties as we already have, and by the still fur- ther enslavement and degradation of labor.
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