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 33
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This meeting was an attempt to break away from the chains of the old parties. Among those who took part were Charles Walker, Thomas Church, Alexander Lloyd, William Jones, John Finnerty, James H. Rees, Henry Smith, Eldin Granger, P. J. Denker and W. E. Jones; also were present the following men, who served as committee on resolutions: J. Y. Scammon, Ebenezer Peck, B. W. Raymond, Thomas A. Stewart, Hiram Hugunin, Asabel Pierce, E. Granger, John S. Wright and William B. Ogden. Charles V. Dyer, Philip Maxwell, James H. Woodworth, L. D. Boone,
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4
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
Stephen F. Gale, Elisha Woodsworth and E. W. Tracy likewise took part in the proceedings. The Whigs in the spring of 1848 succeeded in electing their candidate, James H. Woodworth, for mayor. The Democratic candidate was James Curtiss. Wood- worth received 1,971 votes and Curtiss 1,361. Ambrose Burham, the Whig candidate for city marshal, was elected over Richard C. Ross, Democrat, by a vote of 1,973 to 1,265. Giles Spring, Whig candidate for city attorney, was elected over Patrick Ballingall, Democrat, by 1,912 to 1,312. The winning ticket in the spring of 1848 was called Independent.
The colored . article in the proposed new constitution was de- signed to exclude free negroes from settling in the state. In the spring of 1848 the majority for the new constitution was 324; major- ity against the negro clause, 886; majority for the 2-mill tax, 423.
The Democrat of April 5, 1848, edited by John Wentworth, said : "The Whigs of this city are at last exhibiting signs of sanity. At their late convention they passed a vote of thanks to Hon. John Wentworth for his opposition to the extension of slavery, the tea and coffee taxation and his advocacy of harbor and river improve- ments."
At an immense independent meeting held in 1848, on which occasion J. H. Woodworth, mayor, presided, the assemblage adopted resolutions declaring that the Cook county citizens were opposed to any extension of slave territory ; that slavery was a disgrace and a blot upon the good name of the country; that slav- ery should be excluded from Oregon, New Mexico, etc .; that Congress alone had executive authority to organize new territories and prohibit slavery therein; and that the pro-slavery attitude of the South meant the separation therefrom of the Northern wing of the Democracy. At this meeting the principal speakers were Henry Brown, Isaac N. Arnold, Thomas Hoyne, Dr. Daniel Brain- ard and George Manierre. This meeting was held on April 1, at the City saloon. The resolutions adopted favored river and har- bor improvements. As showing the importance attached to the proceedings of this meeting, it should be stated that 752 names were signed to the call for the meeting. The cry at this time, not only in Cook county but throughout the whole North, was "Free territory, Free soil, Free speech and Free men."
An important political event in April, 1848, was an extended debate between J. Y. Scammon and J. Lisle Smith, both Whigs, as to what attitude the Whig party should assume at the Baltimore convention. Scammon represented the Northern or McLean wing of the Whigs and Smith represented the Southern or Clay wing. Several speeches were made by each and much interest was elicited in the discussion.
In 1848 the Abolition vote in Cook county for congressman was 472. That number was polled in this county for Owen Lovejoy
1
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
for Congress. In the whole district Lovejoy received a total of 3,430 votes. The congressional campaign of 1848 was rendered noteworthy by the sharp contest between Wentworth and Scam- mon. In Cook county Wentworth received 2,183 votes and Scam- mon 1,921. The Democrat of September 12, 1848, said: "Preaching .- We have regular preaching every Sabbath after- noon-some of an apparently organized corps taking it upon them in turn to exhort the faithful and warn the unbelieving. The speeches are temperance, land reform, abolition, free trade and sailors' rights, just as the humor of the speaker leads him."
On July 30 the Whigs held an immense meeting to ratify the nomination of General Taylor for the presidency. Just returned from the Philadelphia convention were J. W. Norris, John J. Brown and Lisle Smith. This was an important meeting, as the Whigs practically adopted the national platform. Soon after the presidential nominations in 1848 the Whigs generally deserted Van Buren for Taylor and the Democrats deserted Van Buren for Cass. The Whigs took this course notwithstanding the fact that General Taylor was a heavy slave holder. Although the Whigs favored the Wilmot Proviso, yet they supported Taylor, who owned slaves. As a matter of fact the Whigs of this county in mass meeting assembled voted to lay the Wilmot Proviso on the table. John Wentworth declared that it was not right to bring slave labor in competition with white labor. Accordingly he fa- vored the free homestead law and advocated giving to each man a farm in usufruct so long as he continued unable to purchase. This amounted to continued or extended preemption rights, of which he must avail himself as soon as he was able. Wentworth also favored making all the offices of the general government elect- ive by the will of the whole people. The preemption right then existing was for one year.
The Rockford Free Press of April, 1849, contained the follow- ing notice : "It is a simple act of justice to Mr. Wentworth to say that his services to the cause of freedom, especially on the last night of the late session of Congress, are not and cannot be over- rated. To him more than to any other man are California and New Mexico indebted for the defeat of a proposition made a few hours before adjournment, which, if successful, would have bur- dened them with the curse of slavery. Who that loves freedom does not thank John Wentworth for this?"
The Democratic nominations in this county were as follows : Coroner, Patrick Kelly; county commissioner, Charles Santer ; sheriff, Isaac Cook; representatives, Francis C. Sherman and J. B. Witt. At this time Norman B. Judd was state senator for Cook and Lake counties. In 1848 Gerrett Smith was nominated for president by the Abolitionists. At first they were called Abolition- ists, but later National Reformers. Of this party the presidential
347
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
electors included the following from Cook county: Nathan H. Bolles, Mr. Nugent, Chauncy T. Gaston, Francis H. Taylor and Elias Smalley. At the convention which named these electors Nathan Bolles was chairman and F. H. Taylor secretary. The vote of the county by precincts at the November election of 1848 was as follows:
PRECINCTS.
Cass. 1,016
Taylor. 1,283
Van Buren . 1,543
Chicago
Athens
69
33
4
Bridgeport
26
11
26
Lyons
13
43
31
Des Plaines
107
64
41
Blue Island.
42
54
12
York
18
6
24
Monroe
62
27
50
Thornton
57
17
40
Barrington
7
43
64
Salt Creek
55
40
125
Summit
3
9
25
Hanover
39
18
34
Chicago precinct.
1
11
12
Lake
25
20
60
Gross Point
47
12
13
Totals.
1,587
1,691
2,104
Thus it will be seen that the Free Soilers' ticket represented by Van Buren had grown immensely at the expense of all other par- ties. It had swallowed up the Abolitionists completely and had drawn largely from the ranks of the Whigs and the Democrats.
The Whigs of this portion of the state no sooner came into power than, as might have been expected, they began to make many changes in government offices, particularly in the postoffice department. After a time the Democrat, no longer able to control its wrath, made the following outcry on June 5, 1849: "With lying promises on their lips, the Whigs have come into power to perpetrate the worst kind of outrages on the people. Look out for them on the mail routes and in the postoffices. Let our friends proclaim their abuses and keep up their fire for reform. Let every mail irregularity be published and every missing letter or paper be proclaimed to the world."
A spirited election for judge and prosecuting attorney occurred in April, 1849. For judge, George Manierre received 849 votes, J. B. Thomas 1,228, and Giles Spring 1,525. For prosecuting at- torney, Daniel McElroy received 1,890, C. Bentley 543, G. W. Gardiner 192, scattering 271. This was a Whig victory. So many postmasters were turned out of office in 1848 that Wentworth and other Democrats raised the cry of proscription. Thus in Chicago George W. Dole was appointed postmaster to supersede Mr. Wil- son of the Journal, but the friends of the latter for the time suc- ceeded in having the change revoked. In 1849 the Democrat favored the nomination of Thomas H. Benton, or "Old Bullion,"
348
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
for the presidency in 1850. At this time the Whigs, who sup- ported Taylor, and the Free Soilers, who supported Van Buren, were at war with each other.
"Only Man Certain .- The only man certain of election in Cook county is Mr. Township Organization. He is upon every ticket." -(Democrat, November 1, 1849.)
In 1849, upon the question of adopting a new constitution, Cook county voted as follows: For the constitution, 1,067 votes ; against the constitution, 384 votes. For the negro article of the constitu- tion, 400 votes; against the negro article, 1,084 votes. For a 2-mill state tax, 1,019 votes; against the 2-mill tax, 489 votes. . Although Cook county voted overwhelmingly against the negro article in the new constitution, it was adopted by a majority of nearly 30,000 votes in the state. The 2-mill tax carried by about 10,000 majority and the new constitution carried by nearly 40,000 majority.
Four years prior to 1849 John Wentworth, alone of the Illinois delegation in Congress, stood in favor of the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, in favor of the Wilmot Proviso and of the internal improvements. In 1849 he was sustained in these views by half the Illinois delegation in Congress and by a large portion of the Legislature.
The municipal election of March, 1849, was remarkable owing to its lack of political excitement-not a convention to nominate candidates was held, the candidates announcing themselves inde- pendently and the people voted for whom they pleased without being influenced by public meetings or conventions. For mayor, James H. Woodworth received 2,668 votes, Mr Wait 399, Mr. Kercheval 245, and Mr. Childs 22. It was noted at the time that it was a singular election and the question of slavery was held to be responsible. The old parties were breaking up on that question and already were laying the foundation of the new Republican party. Under the law of 1849-50 it was provided that every voter must reside in the town where he voted and must have been one year in the state.
A large meeting of citizens opposed to slavery was held on February 21, 1850. Mayor James H. Woodworth presided. The committee on resolutions were Thomas Hoyne, J. Y. Scammon, Mark Skinner, C. DeWolf, A. G. Throop, Thomas Richmond, E. B. Williams, James Breck, Jr., and George Manierre. The secretaries of the meeting were J. L. Scripps, D. M. Bradley, H. Krieze, Joseph Pollock and W. H. Bushnell. The vice-presi- dents were Henry L. Rucker, Daniel Brainard, J. Y. Scammon, Owen McCarthy, F. C. Sherman, James Curtiss, Andrew Smith, Peter Cure, E. C. Larned, A. Lloyd, Mark Skinner, I. N. Arnold, W. B. Snowhook, Grant Goodrich, P. L. Updike, Sylvester Marsh, Dr. Helmuth, C. Stoce, Dr. C. V. Dyer and N. B. Judd. The resolutions adopted opposed any concessions in Congress to the
349
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
slave power. They opposed the act of Senator Douglas, who advo- cated leaving the question of slavery to be decided by the territories themselves, and favored the suppression of slavery in the District of Columbia. Very strong speeches were delivered by J. Y. Scam- mon, Thomas Hoyne, Doctor Maxwell, I. N. Arnold, Thomas 1
Richmond, C. DeWolf and Dr. C. V. Dyer. Two of the resolu- tions adopted were as follows:
"Resolved, That we regard this question (slavery) as the ques- tion of paramount importance-one in which we forget all minor differences of party and opinion and hereby uniting as one man express our utter abhorrence of all compromises whereby the future extension of human slavery may be allowed or secured.
"Resolved, That there can be no compromises upon this question which do not involve crime upon the part of the North; and every Northern representative who hesitates to give his vote and influ- ence at this crisis in favor of freedom's proviso or deserts his post knowingly misrepresents his constituents and betrays his trust."
In the spring of 1850 the Whigs nominated James Curtiss for mayor. The Democrats nominated L. D. Boone, and the Aboli- tionists or Free Soilers nominated L. C. Kercheval. At this time there were nine wards. Curtiss received 1,697 votes, Boone 1,227, and Kercheval 805. Thus the city was strongly Whig.
The Democrat of April 6, 1850, said: "We never knew such excitement in this region upon the slavery question, and this ex- citement is not confined to the districts of Congressmen Baker and Wentworth, but reliable men from other parts of the state assure. us that the spell by which the politicians of the center and southern parts have held the noses of the people to the grindstone of slavery propagandism is broken. One of the causes of this excitement is the deception which has been practiced upon the people of the North by Northern men of Southern sympathies and principles." The people of Cook county were intensely interested in the proceed- ings of Congress on the slavery question. A Peace convention was held here in April, 1850. Mr. Wentworth refused longer to be a candidate for Congress. The Journal said: "The Wentworth dynasty is at an end." Dr. Richard S. Moloney was nominated by the Democracy for Congress to take the place of Mr. Went- worth. The latter in Congress voted against the fugitive slave law, while Daniel Webster stood alone of all the New England senators against the Wilmot Proviso. This act of Mr. Webster was declared to be his bid for the presidency. Churchill C. Coffing was the Whig candidate for Congress. W. B. Ogden was first nominated but withdrew before election. The Whigs were so broken up late in 1850 that they ran no regular ticket except for congressman and sheriff. In Cook county, Moloney, Democrat, received 2,863 votes; Coffing, Whig, 1,880, and Collins, Abolition- ist, 110. The reason for the withdrawal of Mr. Ogden from the
350
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
contest for Congress was owing, as he stated, to the little differ- ence between himself and his opponent. The real question at issue was the slavery question, and the Democrats and Whigs at this time were nearly united. The consequence was that Moloney, him- self a Free Soiler, was supported by many Whigs as well as by the Democrats.
The object of Clay's dromedary bill was thought here to be in- tended to extend slavery to New Mexico, Utah, etc. It was con- sidered that all who favored it would repudiate the Wilmot Pro- viso, the Nicholson letter and the long-established doctrine that all countries are free until slavery should be established by positive law. People here believed that it meant the extension of slavery to all parts of the Union. Hence it was bitterly opposed. The Legislature of Illinois in 1850 instructed its delegation in Congress to vote for the Wilmot Proviso. They did so in a test vote on Clay's dromedary bill. When it was moved to insert in that bill the following amendment Douglas and Shields voted for it: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude otherwise than as a punishment for crime shall be allowed in either of the territories of Utah and New Mexico." All the South voted against this amendment and Cass, Clay and Webster voted with the South. Had six free state senators voted for it, it would have carried by twenty-nine to twenty-seven. On the same day the Senate passed the following as a part of the dromedary bill: "But no law shall be passed interfering with the primary disposition of the soil nor establishing or prohibiting African slavery." Both Douglas and Shields voted against the amendment. They also voted against slavery in California and against the peon servitude clause. It was now clear to the people of Cook county that the South was so far wedded to the institution of slavery that they were willing to enslave poor white debtors.
In the spring of 1851 the Whigs decided not to nominate a regu- lar ticket for the municipal election. At the spring election of 1851 for the first time at Chicago many voters were refused tickets ; the voters had not fully complied with the new law. At this time Mr. Judd was senator and Messrs. Maxwell and Dyer were repre- sentatives. Walter S. Gurnee was elected mayor by the popular vote of all parties. Probably as many Whigs as Democrats voted for him. It amounted to a Whig victory and was so regarded. W. S. Gurnee received 3,032, James Curtiss 1,001, E. B. Williams 1,092, and J. Rogers 226. It was stated that 150 votes were refused in the First ward alone owing to irregularity. At this time the Journal was in favor of the nomination of Seward or Scott for the presidency in 1852. The people of this county at this time also were greatly interested in the fight in Congress on the Harbor bill. It was passed by the Senate and Fillmore prom- ised to sign it if it passed the House. The real fight occurred in
351
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
the latter. In 1851 the country began to look to Senator Douglas as a probable Democratic nominee for the presidency. Douglas himself took an active interest in local politics because he realized that if he desired the nomination for the presidency he should have the backing of his own community. In June, 1851, Mr. Skinner, Whig candidate for county judge, received 1,413 votes and Mr. Wilson, Democrat, 1,224 votes. The Democrat in 1848 and 1849 favored the nomination of Senator Benton for the presi- dency by the Democracy, but in 1851 came out for Senator Douglas.
The Temperance party in 1851-52 was strong in this vicinity, many in the old parties temporarily deserting the same to assist the new movement. At a convention of members of all parties held to nominate a Temperance ticket the following preamble and resolutions were passed :
"WHEREAS, The city of Chicago is now suffering deeply from pauperism, misery, crime, and enormous taxation, the direct, inevita- ble and legitimate result of retailing intoxicating drinks, therefore,
"Resolved, That the traffic in spirituous liquors as a beverage is dishonorable and immoral and should be treated as such.
"Resolved, That the citizens of Chicago now assembled in mass convention recommend the nomination and election of such men to fill the city offices for the ensuing year as will refuse to grant a license to any man to directly or indirectly injure his neighbor by selling him intoxicating liquors."
The Democrat of February 2, 1852, said: "The latter gentle- man (Dr. Davis) gave instances of poverty, starvation and death which came under his observation the past season, all of which might be traced to the practice of candidates for offices freely pay- ing out large sums of money for liquors with which to treat inde- pendent voters."
The Temperance people nominated A. G. Throop for mayor. B. W. Raymond had first been nominated by the Temperance party, but for reasons unknown withdrew in favor of Mr. Throop. The contest was an exciting one owing to the fight made by the liquor interests. At the nominating convention of the Temperance party the principal speakers were C. J. Hull and Thomas Dyer. The latter explained how the license clause had been clandestinely inserted in the law. He denied that the charter had contained such clause at the time he voted for it. Doctor Davis, William Bross and Doctor Palmer were appointed a committee to prepare an address to the people of Chicago. The Democrats nominated for mayor Peter Page. James Curtiss was an Independent candi- date for mayor. The local issues in the spring of 1852 were as follows: 1. Temperance; 2. Reduction of taxes; 3. No increase of city debt; 4. No gratuities to lawyers; 5. No connection of the city government with private corporations; 6. All elections by the
352
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
people. A. Burnam was the Temperance candidate for marshal, E. C. Stowell for treasurer, Grant Goodrich for city attorney, James Fitzsimmons for collector, and J. E. Thompson for sur- veyor. The license clause in the new charter was declared to have been surreptitiously inserted by Ebenezer Peck, although the latter denied the charge. At this time the practice of devoting money to buy liquor for voters was roundly denounced by the Temperance people. It was said during the campaign that one candidate for mayor in 1851 had given $3,000 for the purpose of buying liquor for voters.
The Democrat of February 4, 1852, said : "Candidates are abandoning the practice of buying men to go about for signers to call them to come out for office. This practice did very well for a respectable humbug when new. It is now old and is the meanest kind of humbug. It is to get men pledged on paper so that they cannot back out if a man that would suit them better should come out." The Democrat of February 5 said: "Since the friends of Temperance have resolved to support an independent ticket for city officers all the candidates are taking the pledge and you cannot get one of them within the smell of ardent spirits." The Democrat of February 9 said: "The Temperance ratification meeting was the largest and most enthusiastic ever held in our city. The meet- ing was the more crowded because it was understood that the high taxation and endless debt party in our city found Mr. Raymond's nomination in the way of their future financial schemes. Mr. Raymond accepts the nomination-not that he wants the office, but for the sake of carrying out important principles. This announce- ment was made amid immense applause." The Democrat of Feb- ruary 10 said: "Everyone knows that when the new charter was obtained it was obtained in order to allow a new increase of taxa- tion so as to get us out of debt. No one suspected that our ex- penses were to be increased. It is not the new charter but extravagance that is to be censured." The Democrat of Feb- ruary 10 also said: "Heretofore candidates have been known by their drinking-now they are known by their refusing to drink. We declined to drink with a man yesterday and it was noised all over town that we were out for mayor." The Democrat of Feb- ruary 11 said: "City Retrenchment .- This is the question. There can be no other. Shall the people be taxed for gratuities to broken down politicians, for money to lay idle as deposits in bank- ing institutions, or for anything else but an economical administra- tion of the city government ?" The Democrat of February 12 said : "Got Him Off at Last .- Those who wished to speculate on our city finances, those who never opposed taxation and endless debts, have proven too strong for the Sons of Temperance. Mr. Raymond has been frightened off the track. He is no longer a candidate for mayor." The Democrat of February 26 said: "It is proposed
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
to add to our city debt $350,000 for hydraulic purposes and quite a large sum in addition for sewerage. This infant city of ours will soon be in debt $500,000. This before we have 50,000 popu- lation, making $10 to every man, woman and child within the city. Our debt is increasing every year and we see nothing in the future but insolvency and repudiation." The Democrat of February 27 said: "The City hall was crowded last night. The speaking was alternately eloquent and sarcastic. The dancing and drinking can- didates were cut all to pieces. Rich stories of how certain bankers had tried to get the Temperance candidates to withdraw were told and also of how brandy drank in the room of Alderman Dodge was charged to lake shore protection." "Never before has such a delay (to publish statement of city finances) been made, and never before were there so many reasons for promptness. But it has been kept back. A lot of bankers are struggling to get a loan of $350,000 in order to get the deposits. They dare not have the true condition of our city finances known lest it might defeat their plans. Peck & Company ordered it kept back. There is but one great game on foot and that is to blind the eyes of the capitalists and our citizens to the awful condition of our city finances until a loan of $350,000 is obtained and divided up as deposits among the bankers and their attorneys, who have already silenced most of the presses in this city and are daily at work with money and liquor to carry our elections." "Our city bonds have been sold within a short time for 82 cents on the dollar. If they are 82 cents now, what will they be when $350,000 more is added to our debt ?"
The vote for mayor in the spring of 1852 was as follows: Gurnee, Democrat, 1,741; Throop, Temperance, 1,153; Curtiss, Independent, 1,295; Page, Mechanics' candidate, 271. Concern- ing this election the Democrat of March 4 said: "It is due to Mr. Gurnee to state that he is the only man in the whole state that could have been elected under the same circumstances." At this election the citizens of Chicago were called upon to vote on the first water works bonds-520 votes were polled against such an issue and 2,769 were for it.
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