USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume I > Part 32
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In 1840, over two hundred and fifty Whigs of this vicinity signed a petition to Congress to prohibit men of foreign birth from becom- ing citizens.
Although the Canal ticket of 1840 was comparatively small yet it served to split up both the Whigs and the Democrats in such a way that the Whigs really triumphed throughout the county. The vote for coroner in the county later served as an illustration of this fact and was as follows: Eri Reynolds, Whig canal candidate for coroner, received 427 votes; Lyman Butterfield, Democratic candi- date for coroner, 242; Edward Murphy, Irish candidate for coro- ner, 239; John K. Boyer, German candidate for coroner, 209. Reynolds received the Whig vote; Butterfield the native Democratic
334
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
vote; Murphy the entire Irish vote, and Boyer the whole foreign vote that was not Irish. The August election of 1840 was really a test of the foreigners against the native Americans on the question of naturalization.
At a big meeting of the Whigs held at the City Saloon on August 14, 1840, a Tippecanoe club was organized. At this meeting J. N. Balestier served as chairman. Grant Goodrich spoke to the assem- blage. The principal speech, however, was made by George C. Bates of Detroit. It was a splendid defense of the American credit system which had been destroyed by the Jacksonian Democracy. The American said: "Mr. Bates made one of the ablest and most eloquent addresses it has ever been our good fortune to hear." The paper ended by asking: "What has reared these live streets and these magnificent warehouses? What has peopled this beautiful city with an enlightened and enterprising population in so short a period? It was that great bugbear of the Locofocos, the Credit System." The officers of the Chicago Tippecanoe club were as follows: John Gage, president; A. N. Fullerton of the First Ward, J. O. Humphrey of the Second Ward, Charles Cleaver of the Third Ward, George Montgomery of the Fourth Ward, S. Gilbert of the Fifth Ward, and John Lang of the Sixth Ward, vice-presidents ; William Larrabee, secretary; L. B. Goodsell, treasurer; L. D. Boone, J. N. Balestier and Grant Goodrich, correspondence com- mittee.
During the fall of 1840, Whig and Democratic clubs were organ- ized in almost every precinct of the county. The Whig clubs were usually called Tippecanoe clubs and the campaign was characterized by torchlight processions and songs. In 1840 Judge John Pearson was a candidate for the United States Senate to supersede John M. Robinson, whose term would expire in March, 1841. On Septem- ber 24, an immense Harrison meeting was held in Chicago, on which occasion Hon. John T. Stuart, congressman, was the principal speaker. Salmon P. Chase, who happened to be present in the city, spoke at this meeting. The American of September 25, said: Mr. Chase, we learn, is a talented young lawyer of Cincinnati, from near the residence of the Old Hero. His happy and practical remarks, his interesting anecdotes of the Old Hero, drew forth frequent bursts of applause. We regret that we have not time to give a report of his speech. His figure, manner and voice are very commanding and mark him for an interesting and impressive stump speaker."
The American of September 8, said: "We recently visited the good Whig precincts of Salt Creek and Barrington, which did so nobly in August last-Hanover also. The western precincts of the county are enthusiastic in favor of Harrison, and they promise a large majority in November next."
During the fall of 1840 the Democrats of Chicago assembled in
335
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
the City Saloon rooms at the City hotel, while the Whigs met in their club room, Tippecanoe hall on the North Side. The election of November, 1840, was one of the most exciting ever held here. Captain Hunter, Col. James M. Strode, register of the land office, and John C. Wilson, ex-alderman, were put in jail on election day for resisting the sheriff. Judge Smith of the Supreme Court, armed with a pistol headed a mob that threatened to tear down the jail if these men were not released, but Ashbel Steele, the sheriff, pre- vented any serious trouble. The American of November 6 said :
"Atrocious Outrage .- Attack of a Supreme Court Judge on the Jail .- On the afternoon of Monday, the election day, a few persons were imprisoned by the sheriff in the jail of this city for breaches of the peace, Judge Smith of the Supreme Court placed himself at the head of a mob, went up to the jail and demanded of the sheriff that the prisoners should be released-that he would have them out or tear down the jail. He went up within a few feet of the door of the jail and said that he be damned if he would not have the prisoners out. The sheriff and some of the citizens resisted his attempts, and after the judge had flourished his pistols and a resort to some farce was had, the judge seeing that he could not compass his peaceful and lawful object went away with his mob."
The American of November 4, said: "At Dutchman's Point, Lake precinct, all the Harrison votes sent out from the city to this precinct were smuggled the fore part of the day and toward night were thrown out of the window. Had it not been for the vigilance of George Chacksfield and W. H. Davis, of this city, the Locos by fraud and trickery would have had the precinct all their own way."
Both Chacksfield and Davis corrected the American. By mistake no tickets were sent to Dutchman's Point, Lake precinct. It was not until the arrival of S. W. Sherman, one of the judges, that the names of the electors were learned. All tickets were then written out by hand and no others were issued during the day. The presidential vote by precincts, Cook county, in 1840, was as follows :
PRECINCTS.
Harrison. (Whig.)
Van Buren. (Dem.)
Gross Point
14
54
Thornton
46
. 69
Monroe
49
47
Saganaskee
35
12
Bridgeport
5
27
Salt Creek
67
50
Des Plaines
54
63
Lake
33
56
Athens
57
500
Lyons
25
19
Summit
27
285
Chicago
622
807
Hanover
No vote
Barrington
No vote
1,034
1,989
336
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
The American of November, several issues, said: "Never in the history of elections has there been such an excitement as the present for election news. . Whose Fault Is It? Owing to the culpable negligence of somebody there were no election notices put up in Hanover and Barrington precincts in this county and the polls were not opened. Is there no penalty for such neglect? ·
Not to Be Cheated .- The staunch and indomitable Whigs of Hanover and Barrington precincts in this county were determined not to be disfranchised because through Locofoco negligence or fraudulent design no polls were opened. They went to Dundee, Lake precinct, and the result is declared. Those two precincts would have given us a handsome Whig majority, which would have still more reduced the Locofoco majority in this county."
In the spring of 1841 the Democrats elected Francis C. Sherman, proprietor of the Sherman house, Mayor of Chicago. Henry G. Hubbard was appointed clerk of the circuit court in March, 1841, by Judge Smith, vice R. J. Hamilton. The death of President Harrison in 1841 was duly observed in Chicago. The Whigs of 1841 demanded: 1. A solvent specie paying national bank; 2. The passage of a land bill; 3. A general bankrupt law; 4. Pro- tection to American industry; 5. Fair prices for home products ; 6. Better times; 7. Higher prices for wheat, etc. From 1837 to 1848 the Democrats of this county were intensely bitter against any national banking law. In fact the teachings of the Jacksonian ad- ministration had rendered odious any banking law whatever. Par- ticularly was John Wentworth, editor of the Democrat, the enemy of all banking institutions; a national bank in his estimation was the basest crime against commercial and material prosperity. In those days people were not so well posted as at present; thousands of farmers did not take a newspaper and what they learned of public affairs was hazy and more or less erroneous. Many of those who did take a county paper were unduly influenced in favor of their own party and against the opposition. They were taught to believe that the opposition were rascals of the deepest dye.
"The Chicago Democrat was the first paper I ever remember seeing and my first political impressions were received from it. It was customary in those days as now to berate the Whigs in the Democrat, and I verily believed they were a set of banditti seeking the country's ruin. I had no more idea a Whig could be an honest man than I had that a robber could be honest."-(Lang Syne in Democratic Press, April 17, 1854.)
Thus during the period from 1837 to 1848 the bankers had a sorry time of it.
At a Whig meeting held September 30, 1841, at Tippecanoe hall, the Republican headquarters on the North Side, John Gage served as chairman and W. M. Larrabee as secretary. J. N. Balestier, J. H. Kinzie and A. M. Fullerton were appointed a committee on resolu-
-
.
CHARLES W. PETERS.
WILL T. DAVIES.
CHRISTOPHER STRASSHEIM.
HENRY SPEARS.
L. A. BRUNDAGE.
339
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
tions. The principal speakers were Grant Goodrich and Buckner S. Morris. James H. Ralston was the Democratic candidate for Con- gress and John M. Stuart the Whig candidate; Ralston was elected. The latter received about 810 votes in Cook county and Stuart about 500. For school commissioner, Church, Democrat, received 823 votes and Goodsell, Whig, 456-these figures showing the majority throughout the county. At the August election of 1841 Frederick Collins, Abolition candidate for Congress, received in Cook county a total of 35 votes.
In November, 1841, Governor Carlin visited Chicago. He was met at the Summit by a delegation among whom were John Went- worth, Benjamin W. Raymond and R. J. Hamilton and escorted to the city by a cavalcade of about sixty citizens. Upon his arrival here he held a public reception at the City Hall. He was tendered a bountiful dinner at which numerous patriotic and business toasts were drunk. At this time the canal began again to interest Chica- goans. It had lain dormant for some time and was destined to lay dormant still longer. Chicago, of course, was anxious for its com- pletion and here the canal question was probably the most important from a political standpoint.
In February, 1842, the Whigs nominated Benjamin W. Raymond for mayor and William H. Davis for city marshal. Augustus Gar- rett was the Democratic candidate for mayor and Henry Smith the Abolition candidate. The following was the vote polled :
-
B. W. Raymond. A. Garrett. (Whig) (Dem.)
Henry Smith. (Abol.)
PRECINCTS.
First ward:
162
96
21
Second ward.
110
168
21
Third ward ..
26
18
1
Fourth ward
13
16
0
Fifth ward ...
52
35
0
Sixth ward
127
99
10
Totals
490
432
53
.
During the municipal campaign of 1842 Seth Johnson, who was nominated for alderman on the Abolition ticket, declined the honor, saying that he was not a political Abolitionist, but one from prin- ciple. The Temperance party at this time began to make a strong showing in local politics. Col. Lewis C. Kercheval was elected by the Temperance people, a justice of the peace, to fill a vacancy. Cook county in the fall of 1842 gave John Ford a majority of about 700 votes over his opponent, Mr. Duncan, for the governorship. The Abolition candidate for Governor received in Cook county a total of thirty-seven votes. In August, 1842, the American accused Dr. Murphy, Democratic representative, with having forced through the Legislature the bill which reduced the school fund of Cook county in favor of the counties which had been carved from Cook. At this time Samuel Hoard represented Cook and Lake counties Vol. I-20.
-
340
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
in. the Senate and H. L. Stewart, Lot Whitcomb and I. N. Arnold were representatives. The actual vote for Governor in 1842 in Cook county was: Ford, Democrat, 1,328; Duncan, Whig, 625. At previous elections the result for Governor and President was as follows: In 1838 Carlin, Democrat, received 1,664 votes and Ed- wards, Whig, 832. Thus the county still maintained its accustomed Democratic majority during those years.
In June, 1842, ex-President Martin Van Buren visited Chicago. He was formally received by the city. On July 19, the Whig county convention assembled at the City Saloon; F. T. Miner was chairman and S. F. Gale and E. K. Rogers were secretaries. John Blackstone of Blue Island and B. W. Raymond and John Gage of Chicago were nominated for representatives. James A. Smith was nominated for sheriff. At this time the tariff bill of 1842 was elab- orately discussed here.
The act of March 1, 1843, authorized the county commissioners to increase the number of places for holding elections in the Chicago precinct in said county to any number not exceeding five as would be most convenient for the voters.
In June, 1843, George W. Dole was chairman of the Whig county committee and S. Lisle Smith secretary. The Whig county convention this year was held at Spencer's hall, Cazenovia, on July 8. John Wentworth was the Democratic candidate for Congress and was elected by a majority of 1,610 in the whole district. Cook county gave him a majority of 281. Giles Spring was the Whig candidate for Congress and received 891; Henderson, the Abolition candidate, received 132 votes; scattering votes were three; total 2,198.
In February, 1844, Augustus Garrett received the unanimous nomination of the Democrats to succeed himself as mayor. George W. Dole was the Whig candidate for mayor; Garrett received 805 votes ; Dole 798 votes and H. Smith, Abolitionist, 193 votes ; for city marshal, Henry Rhines, Democrat, received 386 votes; Orson Smith also Democrat, 779 votes; P. Dean, Abolitionist, 405 votes and M. S. Wood, Independent, 72 votes. This election showed a con- siderable increase in the number of Abolitionists in the city.
In January, 1844, citizens of Chicago petitioned Congress not to admit Texas into the Union. This petition was presented to the House by Mr. Wentworth. In 1844 Wentworth received 1,736 votes for Congress, and B. S. Morris, his Whig opponent, received 792 votes. Thus the district was strongly Democratic as was also Cook county. John Wentworth favored the repeal of the protective tariff law of 1842. His opponent, B. S. Morris, like all Whigs, fa- vored the law and therefore favored a protective tariff. Morris op- posed the annexation of Texas and Wentworth favored the same; in that respect the latter sided with his party, although at a later date he opposed any extension of slave territory. The Whig candidates
341
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
for county offices were G. A. O. Beaumont for Senator; William Devol for county commissioner at Chicago, and A. Clybourn for sheriff.
In the spring of 1844 D. Walker, J. Kelly, R. J. Hamilton, D. L. Roberts, Ira Miltimore, J. Robinson, T. B. Bridges, S. R. Ball, V. H. Freeman, J. Row, C. Sweet and J. A. Oliver were Abolition candidates for aldermen. Ira Miltimore was elected and the Demo- crats accused him of having voted for Rhines for the office of mar- shal and declared that Rhines was "a notorious negro catcher." The Abolition ticket was called the Liberty ticket and Miltimore became the Liberty alderman. In 1843 the Abolition vote of Cook county for Henderson, congressman was 132. In 1844 the Abolition vote of Cook county was 317. The following is the vote at the presi- dential election of November, 1844:
Polk (Dem.). Clay (Whig). Birney (Abol.).
North Chicago
270
127
36
South Chicago
388
203
100
East Chicago.
550
431
66
West Chicago
168
80
20
Athens
80
11
6
Barrington
21
28
7
Blue Island
23
19
1
Des Plaines.
80
42
15
Gross Point
74
12
0
Hanover
23
12
9
Lyons
33
25
8
Lake
98
41
12
Monroe
51
28
15
Summit
33
7
1
Salt Creek
71
30
4
Thornton
28
12
10
York
33
11
7
Totals
2,074
1,119
317
The result of the municipal election in the spring of 1844 was the complete success of the Democratic party. Augustus Garrett was reëlected by a small majority and the Democrats also elected eight of the twelve aldermen. The . Democrat said: "We claim this under all the circumstances as one of the most decisive and glorious victories ever achieved in our city. We have accomplished what the Democratic party in this city when in the least divided or rent in twain was never able to do, viz .: The election of two-thirds of the aldermen, together with the mayor and a Democratic marshal." The popularity of Mr. Dole enabled him to come within seven votes of as many as were received by Augustus Garrett. Had he received eight votes more he would have been elected mayor.
Mayor Garrett in his inaugural address in March, 1844, referring to the past year, said that expenses had been swelled during 1843 by the purchase of hydrants and hose, building the cemetery fence, constructing the Clark street sewer and making crossways-all costing about $2,500. But notwithstanding this extraordinary
342
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
expense there was enough balance left to pay arrearages of interest on the city debt and to pay $1,000 of the principal due Stracham & Scott. During the whole year city orders had been kept at par, thus enabling the city to do business on a cash basis. For 1844 the Fort Dearborn addition and the canal lots sold in October, 1843, would become taxable, thus insuring an increase in revenue. The enhanced value of real estate would also add to the revenue. But rigid econ- omy should be practiced, and the debt of the city would be wiped out within two years, thus presenting "the spectacle of the city of 9,000 inhabitants free from debt, with credit restored and equal to any city in the world." The Mayor said: "The thanks of the citi- zens are due to the whole fire department for the untiring exertion used in cases of fire and their vigilance in guarding against it. During the past year considerable improvements have been made in this department, especially in the purchase of hydrants and hose. It however becomes imperatively necessary that the city should pur- chase a new engine of the most approved plan. We have not now a perfect engine in the city, and the cost is nothing in comparison with the property at stake. I regret to say that depredations have been committed from time to time by the disinterment of bodies from the cemetery, in the grossest violation of private feeling as well as public decency. I would urge the most constant vigilance to pre- vent such occurrences in the future, and the offering of large rewards for the detection of the offenders." During 1843 the ex- penses of the bridges were about $1,500. It was suggested that as soon as the canal was opened and stone could thus be easily and cheaply procured, the streets should be macadamized as an experi- ment. Packers who had been fined for maintaining nuisances asked to have a free tract designated where slaughtering would not be a nuisance. Trouble having arisen over the street lines of lots, it was advised that the Legislature be asked to pass an act for a new sur- vey to define lot boundaries, etc. Complaint was also made that the poor man was required to pay as much road tax as the rich man and this was declared not fair-three days' labor were required. In regard to the public schools, the Mayor said: "Under an able board of inspectors and a skillful agent the schools have continued to flourish and the number of scholars to increase during the past year. Such has been the addition of scholars that it becomes neces- sary to increase the number of schools and form new districts. A plan has also been proposed to establish a high school in addition to the district schools. I recommend that an immediate examina- tion should be made upon the subject, with a view to the improve- ment of their organization, the system of instruction, and the num- ber of districts and district schools, and the school tax for the pres- ent year be raised to the former rate of one mill, for the purpose of effecting the improvements now needed, and that should it be neces- sary a temporary loan for a few months in anticipation of the pay-
,
343
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
ment of school tax should be made. . .
Within a single year,
our citizens from poverty and bankruptcy have again become pros- perous and are again rising in affluence."-(Chicago Democrat, March 13, 1844. )
The Democrat of April 4 had the following spicy paragraph : "Matrimony .- The Abolitionists and Whigs have been hugging, kissing and courting long enough and we think they had now better marry. The public are anxious to see the children of the two col- ored parties."
The Journal of August 14, 1844, said: "We hope that those of our Whig friends who are Abolitionists will learn wisdom from the recent election. The Loco Abolitionists talk Liberty partyism but they do not vote it. Before the election many Locofocos pretend to be in favor of political Abolitionism, but when the day of elec- tion comes, they vote for the whole Locofoco ticket-John Went- worth and all."
The most important political questions before the people of Cook County early in 1845 were the following: 1. War on the national bank. 2. A sub-treasury system. 3. Canal ticket excitement. 4. A state bank. 5. County and state taxation. 6. The tariff of 1842.
In the spring of 1846 the Democrats nominated Mr. Follansbee for mayor, the Whigs nominated Mr. Chapin, and the Abolitionists nominated Mr. Carpenter. Mr. Follansbee received 677 votes, Mr. Chapin 1,104 and Mr. Carpenter 229. This result was caused by a split in the ranks of the Democracy. The vote for interest on the school fund was as follows: For 12 per cent interest, 443 votes; for 10 per cent, seven votes; for 8 per cent, four votes. The Cook county vote for congressmen in 1846 was as follows: For Went- worth, Democrat, 2,412; for Kerr, Whig, 776; for Lovejoy, Aboli- tionist, 481. It should be added here that Mr. Wentworth was the only Illinois representative in Congress who in 1846 voted for the Wilmot Proviso.
Of course the most important question before Cook county in 1847 was the River and Harbor convention held here that year. In importance to Chicago then and ever since it overshadowed every other consideration at that time. However, the question of a new constitution was also considered at this date.
It was in 1847 at the time the Wilmot Proviso was considered by Congress that many leading men connected with the Democratic party left the same, owing to the manifest determination of the South to use that party in extending slavery to new territory. Mr. Wentworth, although a Democrat, came out in April, 1847, in favor of putting the words of the Wilmot Proviso in the proposed new State Constitution. For -his course he received the abuse of the slavery wing of his own party.
In July, 1847, the Liberty party nominations in Cook county were
344
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
as follows: For county clerk, James Kelly; recorder, James B. Doggett; probate justice, W. P. Caton; assessor and treasurer, T. P. Hamilton; surveyor, Robert White. The convention which nominated these candidates was held at the City Saloon, Chicago. The Democrat said in regard to this ticket: "It is no use, gentle- men, there were by far too many intelligent men at the Elgin con- vention who clearly saw the lamentable corruption of your party and your party leaders, to allow the faintest hope of your casting a respectable vote in any future election. The scheme con- templates no less than filling the recorder's office with a most unprin- cipled 'bolter' and also filling the county clerk's office with a most unscrupulous and reckless Whig partisan. We urge and beseech our friends to veto this nefarious design." All parties appointed vigilance committees to attend the polls, and a fund to prosecute any man who should vote twice was raised. James A. Rees was the Whig candidate for recorder and Dr. E. S. Kimberly the Demo- cratic candidate for the same office. Kimberly received 1,852 votes; Rees 419 votes and Egan, Whig, 746. For county clerk Davis, Democrat, received 1,842 votes and Wilson, Whig, 1,068 votes; for school commissioner Manierre received 2,580 votes and Cushing his opponent four votes.
The Democrat on December 21, 1847, said of the Peace conven- tion here, held at the Tabernacle Baptist Church: "It has been called by a few foreigners (not citizens) and Abolitionists who under the pretext of being the friends of peace, have taken this course to give vent to their hostility to the government. Chicago has done nobly in raising troops for the war, and it is really too bad that she should be disgraced with such a meeting."
On March 11, 1848, an immense assemblage of the citizens gath- ered at the City Saloon to celebrate the non-partisan triumph of the municipal election. One of the ten resolutions adopted was as follows :
"Resolved, That we have met together as free men and as free men we will hereafter act; and that in our municipal elections neither the chains of party caucuses nor the mandates of tyrannous demagogues shall bind us; but we will make our selections and cast our votes irrespective of party politics-owing no allegiance but to the right-no fealty but to conscience."
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