A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 60

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273

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In the October election of 1853 the only officers elected were a reporter of the supreme court. a county auditor, and two commissioners. The field was yielded to the Democrats without a struggle.

In 1854 there arose new questions growing out of the Know-Nothing excitement, and the agitation which attended the passage of the Nebraska bill, and repeal of the Missouri com- promise. There was formed in LaPorte county as elsewhere what was called the People's party. The convention met at the court house on Sat- urday, September 16. N. W. Closser was chair- man, B. Elliott and S. M. Wilson vice presi- dents, and R. Holmes secretary. Jacob R. Hall was unanimously nominated for representative, E. S. Organ for county treasurer and collector, William H. H. Whitehead for sheriff, D. Mc- Leming for county surveyor, O. F. Piper for county commissioner for the first district, and H. W. Fox for coroner. The convention cor- dially approved and endorsed the platform of principles adopted by the state convention held at Indianapolis on the 13th of July preceding, and supported its nominees for state offices, and the district convention's nomination of Schuyler Colfax for Congress. The meeting was ad- dressed by John B. Niles and W. J. Walker, and adjourned. In the October election the Peo- ple's, or Anti-Nebraska-Bill, party swept the board.

In 1855 there were only a recorder and three commissioners to elect, little interest was taken, but few votes were cast, and the majorities were Democratic.

In 1856 the case was different. The anti- slavery sentiment of the country had become consolidated. For years the agents of the anti- slavery society had been at work. The LaPorte Herald had openly advocated mobbing them and driving them out of the county. But in spite of this their cause had prospered, and now there was a strong anti-slavery sentiment which took the form of opposition to the extension of slavery into the territories of the United States, and resulted in the organization of the Repub- lican party. On May 1, 1856, a mass conven- tion met at Indianapolis and organized the party in Indiana. The convention nominated O. P. Morton for governor, Conrad Baker for lieu- tenant governor, a full state ticket, and ap- pointed delegates to the Philadelphia national convention, which met in Philadelphia on the 7th of June following and nominated candidates for president and vice president. Prior to these

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dates there was no organized Republican party either in state or nation. There had been in In- diana a fusion party which was sometimes but not otten successful, but the Republican party had no existence before. The larger portion of the Whigs found themselves naturally in the new party, most of the Free Soilers united with it, and also the anti-slavery element of the Democratic party, which was considerable. The national convention nominated John C. Fre- mont for president, and William L. Daton for vice president. Buchanan and Breckenridge were the Democratic candidates for president, and Fillmore and Donaldson the Free Soil can- didates. The Republican candidate for Con- gress was Schuyler Colfax, and W. Z. Stewart the Democratic candidate. Morgan H. Weir was the Republican candidate for state sena- tor, and Herman Lawson the Democratic can- didate.

If space allowed, an interesting story might be made of the campaign in LaPorte county. When the county convention was held the court house would not begin to hold the people, and the meeting was adjourned to the public square. A. L. Osborne, T. S. Stanfield, D. Laird, J. B. Howe, J. E. White, and many others declined serving on the electoral ticket of the Free Soil party. Some of the strongest speakers of the country spoke here, among whom were O. P. Morton and Nathaniel P. Banks. On August 6 a meeting was held to organize a Fremont glee club. William P. Andrew was nominated and elected chairman. F. Roberts, J. B. Fravel and M. H. Weir were chosen a committee to select permanent officers, and the outcome was, William P. Andrew, president; M. Allen and T. Higday, vice presidents ; Richard Holmes, secretary ; F. Roberts, treasurer; D. G. Rose, A. H. Robinson, C. Frederickson, I. Moore, and William H. H. Whitehead, executive commit- tee. William P. Andrew addressed the meeting, and the club sang some of their soul-stirring airs. This was the campaign glee club that sang for Fremont in 1856.

The Republicans were victorious. The vote was the largest that had ever been cast in the county, the total being four thousand five hundred and sixty-three. The Republican can- didates ·were all elected by majorities ranging

from fifty to one hundred and forty-nine. After the county election the campaign for national of- ficers was continued, and in November the county cast a still larger vote than in October, the whole number of votes being four thousand eight hundred and (seventeen. Daniel D. Pratt was the Republican elector, and Orpheus Everts the Democratic elector. Pratt's majority was two hundred and ninety-four. Only forty-five votes were cast for the Free Soil electors, show- ing the decadence of that party, which did not again put a ticket in the field. Fremont was not elected, but he would have been if all coun- ties had been like this one.

The election of 1857 was without special incident ; it was for county officers and judge of the circuit court. But in 1858 the political pot began to boil again. The people were in- terested in "Kansas," "Border Ruffianism," "The Lecompton Constitution," "The Freedom of the Territories," "The non-Extension of Slavery," and "The Dred Scott Decision." All these entered into the campaign. All the state officers except governor were to be elected, and the Republicans gained the day by heavy major- ities in every instance. The off year of 1859 brought out a light vote, only three local offices were to be filled, of which the Republicans cap- tured two and the Democrats one.

In 1860 the country was becoming deeply stirred over the issues between the north and the south. The storm had been gathering ever since the repeal of the Missouri compromise. The troubles in Kansas had intensified the feel- ings of the northern people, and John Brown's attempt upon Harper's Ferry had aroused and heated the people of the south. The north had determined that slavery should not be extended into the territories, and the south, seeking an enlargement of political power, had determined that it should not be restricted. Thus the north and the south were becoming more and more hostile to each other, and all things were point- ing to war. In this state of the publc mind the Republican party met in national convention in Chicago, and nominated Abraham Lincoln for president, and Hannibal Hamlin for vice presi- dent. The Democratic party met at Charleston, South Carolina, and the extreme element of the south broke up the convention. The party

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afterwards met in Baltimore, and there the same element divided the convention, and the result was the nomination of two Democratic tickets. Stephen A. Douglas and Herschel V. Johnson were the presidential candidates of the Union Democrats, and John C. Breckenridge and Joseph Lane were the presidential candidates of the secession Democrats. Besides these there was. at that time a Union party which had put John Bell and Edward Everett in the field. Thus there were four presidential tickets.'

In the October election the Republicans elected every candidate; their average majority on the state ticket was nine hundred and eighty- five, on the county ticket from seven hundred to one thousand. Colfax's majority for Con- gress was one thousand and five. Egbert's majority for judge was four hundred and sev- enty. Teegarden's majority for the state senate was one thousand and three. But the great event, the presidential election in November, was still to occur. And when it did occur the Re- publican majority over all was one thousand and seventy-one, over the Douglas-Democratic elec- tors it was one thousand five hundred and sixty- six, over the Breckenridge-Democratic electors it was two thousand four hundred and ninety-two, while the Bell-Union electors received only twen- ty-five votes. On the night of the election a great crowd assembled at Huntsman's hall to receive the dispatches, and as telegram after telegram came, showing how the election had gone, there was enthusiastic and wild rejoicing.

The election of 1861 was not very important ; the attention of the people was fixed on the war. The election of 1862 was more important. The Union arms had met with reverses, a gloomy feeling pervaded the minds of the people, and when the election came party lines were again closely drawn. County and state officers, except governor and lieutenant governor, were to be elected, and also a representa- tive to Congress. Schuyler Colfax and David Turpie were the candidates, both fine speakers. Turpie especially was a man of great edu- cation and culture. They both canvassed the district thoroughly. Charles W. Cath- cart identified himself with the Republi- can party because of its staunch and pronounced Union principles ; he made campaign speeches,

and, as he was a power on the stump and had great influence in the county, it was largely through his efforts that Mr. Colfax received his majority of three hundred and fifty-eight in the county.

In 1863 the people of the county gave more thought to the war and its prosecution than to any other subject. The political questions were such as grew out of the great rebellion and the method the government was pursuing to crush it out and restore peace and unity. In the election the Republicans secured .all the offices -circuit judge, sheriff, recorder, appraiser, and county commissioner.

The campaign of 1864 was one of much earn- estness and depth of feeling. Lincoln and Johnson were the presidential candidates of the Republican party. Oliver P. Morton, elected by the Republicans lieutenant governor in 1860, had become governor by the election of Henry S. Lane to the senate, and was now the Repub- lican candidate for re-election. McClellan and Pembleton were the Democratic presidential candidates, Joseph E. McDonald the Demo- cratic candidate for governor, while Colfax and Turpie were again the congressional candidates of their respective parties. The Republicans were overwhelmingly .successful in both the October and November elections.

The off year of 1865 was unimportant but Republican. The election of 1866 had for its. issues the questions growing out of the recon- struction of the south; party feeling ran high. State officers, except governor and judges, were to be elected, a member of Congress, and county officers. Colfax and Turpie were again pitted against each other. The Republicans were wholly victorious. The Republicans gained the day also in the unimportant election of 1867. The year 1868 brought with it another presiden- tial campaign. Grant and Colfax were the Re -. publican candidates for the presidency, Seymour and Blair were the Democratic candidates. Jas- per Packard took the place of Mr. Colfax on the Republican ticket as the nominee for Con- gress. Opposed to him was M. K. Farrand. Morton was the Republican candidate for gov- ernor, Hendricks the Democratic candidate. The Republicans elected all the national, state and county officers by small majorities in every case,

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except that the Democrats elected Simon Wile state representative by twenty majority, and Truman T. Harris county treasurer by five majority. The next general election was in 1870, when a full state and county ticket, except governor and lieutenant governor, was elected and every Republican candidate received a large majority.

And now we behold a most remarkable thing. LaPorte county which from the beginning had been generally Whig and then Republican, sud- denly became Democratic and has remained gen- erally Democratic ever since, though surrounded by Republican counties. In 1872 candidates for all the state offices-except judges of the su- preme court-for judge of the common pleas court, for prosecutor of both courts, for state senator, for two congressmen-at-large, for rep- resentative in Congress of the eleventh district, for state representative, joint representative, and for all the county officers, were to be voted for. It was also the year of the presidential election. All the Democratic candidates were elected, and that too with generally large majorities. The presidential election was the only exception, which was won by the Republicans; but even that was with a decreased majority-one hun- dred and twenty. It was a great and sudden reverse.

In the election of 1876 the Democrats of the county won by large majorities on the county, state and national tickets. The Democrats of the county again secured every office in the state and county election of 1878, with the exception that the Republicans elected William H. Calkins representative to Congress, and J. H. Smart state superintendent of public instruction. And now, with great jumps, as with the fabled seven- leagued boots, we may get the general run of political events in the county from that day to this.

In 1880 the Democrats swept the board as to the national, state and county offices ; in 1882 they did the same as to state and county. In 1884 the county went Democratic for president, congressman, prosecutor, clerk, sheriff, treasurer, coroner, surveyor, state senator, representative, and commissioners of first, second and third dis- tricts. In 1886 the Democrats elected the sheriff, treasurer, and surveyor, but the Re-

publicans gave Governor Noble two hundred and fifty-seven majority. In 1888 LaPorte county Democracy won on the national, state and county tickets. In 1890 the Republicans secured the first and fourth districts of the county council, sheriff, representative joint representative, joint senator, governor and president. The Democrats got all the rest.

In 1892 the outcome was mixed. The Dem- ocrats of the county elected Cleveland for presi- dent, with one thousand one hundred and fifty- five majority ; Matthews for governor, with one thousand and sixty-seven majority; Mortimer Nye lieutenant governor, with one thousand and seventy-four majority ; C. G. Conn to Con- gress, with one thousand and ninety-four major- ity; M. O. Cunningham prosecuting attorney, with nine hundred and seventy-eight majority; J. B. Collins joint representative, with one hun- dred and twenty-three; and H. W. Salwasser clerk, with four hundred and ninety-two.

The Republicans of the county elected J. W. Crumpacker to the state senate, with one hun- dred and twenty-one majority; John C. Richter state representative, with one hundred and seventy ; A. J. Henry sheriff, with seventy-three : H. A. Schwager treasurer, with two hundred and twenty-five; George S. Dennison commissioner of second district, with two hundred and seven- teen : Robert Ansley surveyor, with thirty-four : E. Z. Cole coroner, with eighty-three ; and W. W. Fuller assessor, with eighty-seven.

As the Hon. Jonathan William Crumpacker here comes to view, we give a biographical sketch. He was born in New Durham township, LaPorte county, September 6, 1854. His father was the late Shepherd Crumpacker, and he was named after his grandfather, a Quaker preacher. He had always lived in this county except during the time of his service as judge in New Mexico, a period of four and a half years.

His education was commenced in the local country schools and continued in the Westville high school and Prairie Home Academy, in Henry county, Illinois, and he graduated in the civil engineering department of the University of Michigan. He subsequently entered the law department of the same institution but withdrew before completing the course and went into the office of Judge Talcott at Valparaiso. For a

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few years he taught a country school and served as a civil engineer on the Canada Southern and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, then, April 1, 1875, he opened a law office at Westville and was ad- mitted to the bar September 6 following, that being the day he attained his majority.

From the beginning Judge Crumpacker showed remarkable ability in his chosen profes- sion and in 1877 he was invited to a partnership with S. E. Williams, this relationship lasting through fourteen years. Since 1891 he has had no partner until recently, when his son became associated with him.

September 17, 1881, Mr. Crumpacker was married to Miss Maggie Regan, who died in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in May, 1898. Two children were born to this union, Katherine and Thomas, both of whom survive their parents. After remaining a widower more than a year he married Miss Margaret Murray, of Wood- stock, Canada, who is left to mourn his loss.

Throughout his adult life Mr. Crumpacker was affiliated actively with the Republican party, and enjoyed the confidence of the local, and later of the state, leaders of that party. At the outset of his professional career he declined a nomination for prosecuting attorney, but in 1882 he was persuaded to become a candidate for mayor, being defeated by a greatly reduced ma- jority. In 1888 he was a delegate to the national convention of his party at Chicago. In 1892 he was nominated for state senator and elected, running 1,300 votes ahead of his ticket, and he was the first Republican senator elected in the county in twenty-eight years. In the general assembly at the sessions of 1893 and 1895 he was recognized as one of the leaders on his side of the chamber and the record he made was a good one. Indeed he possessed ability which if he had held other things subservient to it might have enabled him to attain to almost any honorable and responsible office in the gift of his country. The Republicans of the county had confidence in and submitted to his leadership.

In November, 1897, President Mckinley honored Mr. Crumpacker with an appointment as associate justice of the territory of New Mex- ico. This position he held with honor until the early part of last year, when he returned to this city to resume the practice of law. Shortly

after his return, however, his health began to fail and he did not establish himself in an office or engage in business to any large extent. As a lawyer he was employed in many prominent cases and as a judge he rendered numerous de- cisions of note, particularly those involving ques- tions growing out of the old Spanish land grants that have given rise to so much import- ant litigation.

Judge Crumpacker was a member of the several Masonic bodies in this city, also of the Elks, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows. He was a genial, liberal, big-hearted man, always good natured and generous to a fault. He made many warm friends and never forgot an obliga- tion. In business he was faithful to the inter- ests placed in his charge and his integrity was never questioned. He died at noon, March 15, 1904, at his late residence in LaPorte after a brave struggle with a lingering illness, and re- ceived the honorable burial which was befitting his rank and station.

In November, 1894, the Republicans gained everything ; national, state, and county. There was a general reaction against the administra- tion of President Cleveland, and even the char- ter elections in this and other counties were gained by the Republicans. In 1896 the Demo- crats carried everything again, except that the Republicans of the county gave a majority to President Mckinley and Governor Mount. And here be it remembered that in this chapter we deal with the results in LaPorte county alone, not those in the state or nation. In 1898 the Dem- ocrats carried everything except F. H. Doran, auditor, and John C. Richter, judge of circuit court, who were elected by the Republicans. In 1902 the Republicans secured the county council of the fourth district, and the Democrats all the rest in state and county. Since 1880 the county and state elections have occurred in November, as the national election does.

Even the charter elections have followed largely the trend of the county. For instance, the charter election was held in LaPorte in August, 1852, and William J. Walker was elected the first mayor by the Whig party, which controlled the city till 1856, when the Democrats elected Benjamin Kress mayor. In 1857 the Democrats were again successful and elected

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Frederick McCollum mayor, and Benjamin Kress city judge. Then the Republicans gradu- ally gained control, many Whigs and others coming to their support, and in 1859 they elected William H. H. Whitehead mayor, and got control of the city council. Daniel Noyes was next chosen mayor by the Democrats, since which time the city has been mostly under Democratic control. Occasionally there has been a turning over, as in 1894, when the Democrats elected only the marshal, and even him by the narrow majority of fifty-eight. Occasionally the Repub- licans have decreased the Democratic majority, as in 1900; or gained a councilman, as in '92 and '94. Occasionally also the results have been mixed, as in 1875. But in general the city holds Democratic.

The kind of candidates nominated in former times may be seen by the following LaPorte Re- publican ticket of 1857 :-

For city judge, Ferdinand Roberts; for mayor, Benjamin P. Walker; for marshal, Charles Cochran ; for treasurer, Derrick Brinker- hoff ; for clerk, W. B. Biddle; for assessor, J. P. Boyd; for engineer, E. L. Bennett ; for city attorney, A. L. Osborn; for councilmen, fourth ward, N. T. Place, Samuel Organ; for school trustees, G. Hathaway, A Clark.

There was a splendid ticket! The very best men in the community were drafted in those days to serve the public .. Benjamin P. Walker, the candidate for mayor, was the son of one of the first settlers of LaPorte; W. B. Biddle, after- wards able lawyer, major in the army, city at- torney, judge; A. L. Osborn, a leading attorney of the LaPorte county bar, member of state su- preme court, consulting counsel for the Michi- gan Central Railroad; N. T. Place, prominent railroad official and enterprising citizen ; Gilbert Hathaway, shining light at the bar, lover of literature, brilliant speaker, gallant colonel in the army, who bravely gave up his life for his country.

In reviewing the political history of the coun- ty, which we have been able to give only in out- line, it presents a subject well worthy the study of the profoundest minds. The sudden, general , and persistent change in the politics of the coun- ty in the early seventies, must have some good cause. What is it? We do not feel competent

to say positively, but may venture an opinion.

First, there was at that time much dissatis- faction with the administraion of President Grant, who, great man though he was-and his greatness is hardly appreciated-nevertheless had too much confidence in his political friends, and was too ready to take and act upon their advice, instead of seeking, as Lincoln did, to learn the sentiment of every section of the country, and then form his own conclusions. The consequence was that the Republicans had much soiled linen to wash.

Again, the Democratic press was a great power. The LaPorte Argus, especially, gave forth no uncertain sound. Its blows were the re- peated, unremitting, strong, sledge-hammer blows of a stalwart. It had brains, and it never compromised, never was afraid of speaking out for fear of losing favor. We may see here a lesson as to the utility of an astute, assertive, uncompromising, fearless party paper.

Whether the removal of the railroad shops at that time had any effect to change the political current of the county, is a question. But proba- bly the main cause is to be found in the temper- ance crusade. At that time an intensely enthu- siastic anti-saloon wave swept over the middle west. Ladies knelt and prayed on the sidewalks and on the pavement in front of the saloons, they crowded around the doors of the saloons and sang hymns, they invaded the saloons and im- portuned the proprietors to stop their business. The bartenders could not avoid nor overcome them, the police could not deal with them; they were too many and too respectable. These things happened right here in the towns and cities of LaPorte county. Prominent citizens and Republicans took the matter up and espoused the cause of the ladies. Meetings were held in public halls, which were addressed by influen- tial citizens, and not always wisely. There was a strong effort to commit the Republican party to the cause of the temperance crusade. Now La -. Porte county has and always has had a large German vote. Moreover, the Germans love their beer, they see no harm in it. To their beer gar- dens they take their wives, daughters and sweet- hearts, and this is far preferable to the English and American clubs where the members do not take their wives, daughters and sweethearts.

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A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 60

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1273

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273