USA > Indiana > Cass County > History of Cass County, Indiana, from its earliest settlement to the present time; with Biographical Sketches and Reference to Biographies, Volume I > Part 36
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didates on the Greenback ticket, The Greenbacker, a weekly political paper, to advance the cause of that party, was started by the leaders. It was published for several months during the campaign. The press- work was done in one of the local printing offices and H. J. McSheehy was employed to do most of the writing.
KEY TO TRUTH
While Smithson College was in operation, T. E. Ballard and James A. Stoner established a weekly religious paper, The Key to Truth, in the interests of the Universalist church and Smithson College, which was controlled by that denomination, and which in the seventies occu- pied college hill with their buildings. The first number of Key to Truth was issued in August, 1874, and about a year later it was com- bined with Manford's Magazine, of Chicago, and Mr. Ballard continued as one of its editors for some time thereafter.
THE LOGAN CHIEF
On February 20, 1845, Messrs. Murphy and Keeler began the pub- lication of the Logan Chicf, with N. S. Stout as editor, but its circu- lation was limited and its last issue appeared October 11 of that year. This was an independent weekly newspaper.
MORNING LEADER .
In the latter part of the summer of 1894, J. O. Hardesty of Ander- son, Indiana, started the Morning Leader. The presswork was done by John M. Burrow, who, at that time, had a job printing office at 322 Broadway. This paper was in reality established by the Natural Gas Company to espouse the interests of that company during the contro- versy between the city and the gas company at that time, and S. P. Sheerin, who was at the head of the Natural Gas Company, was the financial backer of the Leader. The paper was published only for a few months and suspended, and its editor, Mr. Hardesty, returned to Anderson.
MEXICO HERALD
About 1896, J. E. Sutton started a paper called the Mexico Herald, a weekly paper for circulation in Mexico, Indiana. He employed a reporter in Mexico to write up the local news, but the paper was made up and published at the Reporter office in Logansport. This was a newsy little four-page paper, was published for six or eight years and then discontinued.
PLUCK
Willis Brown, formerly judge of the juvenile court at Salt Lake City, Utah, with the assistance of C. M. Cordell, Thad Plank and other local men, edited a monthly paper in pamphlet form, called Pluck, de- voted to the anti-cigarette and other moral reforms. The presswork was done by Longwell & Cummings. The paper had an extensive cir- culation all over the United States, 25,000 copies being issued monthly. The first number appeared in June, 1905. It was ably edited and espoused a worthy cause, but did not touch a responsive chord of the . popular amusement crazed world of today and was discontinued about the close of the year that gave it birth.
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DAILY REPORTER
The Daily and Weekly Reporter, an independent evening paper, was established October 1, 1889, by J. E. Sutton, who continued its successful publication at 218 Sixth street, and later in the Reporter building at 525-27 Broadway until his untimely death January 6, 1900, since which time the paper was managed and published by his widow, Inez Sutton, until the son, Lindley R. Sutton, became of age, when he assumed the management. During the political storms in the fall of 1912 the Reporter espoused the Progressive party movement, was reorganized and is now operated by a company or corporation in which Lindley R. Sutton still holds a large interest.
The first typesetting machine and the first perfecting printing press and folder to print from a continuous roll of paper, were purchased and operated by the Reporter.
RAMBLER
Some time in the seventies and early eighties there was a weekly paper called the Rambler published in Logansport. It was a society and literary paper issued on Sundays, but had a precarious and short life.
THE SPY
A Mr. Winton published the Logansport Weekly Spy for some time during the forties. It was an independent paper, similar to the present day Chronicle. The presswork was done at the Telegraph office on Commercial Row. After the suspension of the paper Mr. Winton moved to Crawfordsville.
SATURDAY NIGHT REVIEW
The Saturday Night Review was a literary and family paper pub- lished by Albert G. and Will R. Small. The first issue appeared Octo- ber 13, 1894. It was a newsy and high-toned paper, but there was not a large field for such a publication and it was discontinued with the issue of December 28, 1895. The presswork was done at one of the local printing establishments. By the courtesy of the Small brothers the Historical Society has a complete file of the Saturday Night Review.
LOGANSPORT DAILY STAR
The Daily Star was first issued February 27, 1873, by Ransom & Gordon as an advertising sheet, but later became a regular newspaper, and J. Harris Hall, son of S. A. Hall, founder of the Logansport Pharos, bought the paper and published the same until August 11, 1873, when Wm. H. Smith, a reckless but fluent writer, became associated with Mr. Hall and the paper was published under the firm name of Hall & Smith, although a stock company, consisting of T. C. Annibel, Allen Richardson, Frank Swigart, Harry Hall and W. H. Smith were the real owners.
The Star was independent in politics, but represented the Fitch faction of the Democratic party, as opposed to Rufus Magee, who con- trolled the Pharos.
September 20, 1876, the Journal bought the Daily Star and its sub- scription list, and it ceased to be published. It was, however, revived later, but finally suspended with the issue of April 9, 1878, the Pharos having purchased the office outfit.
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On January 1, 1874, a weekly edition of the Star was issued, which was discontinued with the daily. The Star office was located at 222 Fourth street.
THE LOGANSPORT SUN
This paper, under the management of the Democratic Publishing Company, was started January 4, 1872, and continued to be issued until the forty-ninth number, when it suspended, but was revived No- vember 18, 1873, and appeared weekly until the spring of 1875, when it was sold and the office fixtures were removed to Illinois. The Sun was practically owned and controlled by John T. Musselman, with Geo. W. Fender as business manager. Mr. Musselman in later years manifested some very marked eccentricities and published many edi- torials of a personal character, especially against Rufus Magee, then editor of the Pharos. Daniel Bennette, of Kokomo, Wm. C. Mareau and Samuel Jacobs were employed as editorial writers at different times. Mr. Mareau was a caustic writer and wrote a vitriolic editorial criticis- ing D. D. Dykeman for which cause the latter shot Mr. Mareau on Broadway near Pearl street, but did not seriously injure him. Mr. Mareau soon after went south. The Sun office was located at 214 Sixth street, in a building owned by Mr. Musselman.
SUNDAY CRITIC
On January 4, 1884, the Sunday Critic, a literary and family paper in magazine form was launched under the editorial management of Mrs. Sarah S. Pratt, wife of W. D. Pratt, then proprietor of the Jour- nal, and the presswork was done at the Journal office on Fourth street. In 1886 W. D. Owen and Walter K. Landis bought the subscription list and assumed the management and published the Critic for about one year, when it was discontinued. This was a popular literary paper and ably edited by both managements, but the demand for such a paper was not great.
TIMES.
The Galveston Weekly Times was established in March, 1886, by Isom N. Bell, who purchased the office equipment of John W. O'Hare of Galveston, Indiana. . After publishing the paper at Galveston a short time he removed the fixtures to Logansport and published the Times as a weekly Democratic paper, until September 10, 1886, when he sold out to the Times Company, which was organized with Thomas C. Barnes as editor and the Times became a Prohibition party paper. May 28, 1888, Chas. O. Fenton became exclusive owner of the Times, and since that time the Times has appeared with great regularity every Friday morning, espousing the cause of prohibition energetically and fearlessly, making continual warfare against the liquor traffic. Mr. Fenton was a forceful and fearless writer against the liquor traffic, and often indulged in poetic flights and fancies. He died October 31, 1912. and his widow and daughter, Sagie Velle Fenton, continue to pub- lish the Times in a building belonging to the proprietors at 218 Fourth street.
TRIBUNE.
On December 1, 1907, the Logansport Daily Tribune was launched on the sea of journalism, under the name of The Tribune Company, or- ganized as a stock company, with E. F. and Harry Metzger and O. A. Cummins as principal stockholders and business managers. The Tribune
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is a morning paper. The office is located at the northwest corner of Sixth and Broadway, and is fitted up with the most modern cylinder press and stereotyping apparatus. The press prints both sides of the paper, cuts and folds the paper at the rate of 5,000 or 6,000 per hour, and the Tribune has the most complete office outfit of any paper in the city, and its circulation is greater than any other Logansport daily at this time.
On October 5, 1912, the Journal and Tribune were merged together and since that date the paper is known as the Journal Tribune, with E. F. Metzger, president, and B. F. Keesling, secretary and treasurer of the corporation.
W HINNERY SWINE ADVOCATE.
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About the year 1900 Willis Whinnery came from Ohio and estab- lished the above-named paper, a monthly magazine the purpose of which, as its name indicates, was to encourage the breeding of improved stock and prevent the spread of hog cholera. Mr. Whinnery claimed to have discovered a preventive and a cure for hog cholera.
The Swine Advocate was published at the Wilson & Humphrey job printing house and was continued for several years, and died a natural death and Mr. Whinnery moved away.
LUTHERAN HERALD.
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About 1891 the English Lutheran church, under the editorial man- agement of the Rev. A. B. McMackin, who was then pastor of that church, started the Lutheran Herald, a religious publication to advance the church's interests. It was a monthly publication and was success- fully issued for about three years. The presswork was done at the Journal office.
UNION LABOR GAZETTE.
In the fall of 1892 the labor unions of Logansport started a paper under the editorial management of O. P. Smith, in the interests of labor and to advance the cause of labor unions. The Labor Gazette, while it represented a worthy cause, yet was short-lived and suspended after four or five issues. The presswork was done by the Journal, then lo- cated at 3171/2 Fourth street.
REASON.
During the campaign of 1904 when Mr. Parker was the Democratic candidate for president, Charles E. Carter published a small four-page paper, Reason, to endeavor to show the inconsistency of the Gold Dem- ocrats in opposing Mr. Bryan in the previous campaigns. It was a weekly paper and discontinued after the November election. The presswork was done at the Journal office.
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CHAPTER XXIII POLITICS AND PARTIES
FEDERAL-DEMOCRATIC-WHIG-REPUBLICAN-KNOW NOTHING OR AMER- ICAN-GREENBACK OR PEOPLES-PROGRESSIVE OR BULL MOOSE-CAM- PAIGN OF 1840-FIRST GLEE CLUB-FIRST REPUBLICAN TICKET, 1856- CAMPAIGN OF 1860 TO 1876-GLEE CLUB, 1876-CAMPAIGN, 1880- DE MOTTE'S DEFEAT-CAMPAIGNS, 1884 TO 1912-VOTE OF CASS COUNTY, 1828 TO 1912-PERSONALITY AND PARTY-AUSTRALIAN BAL- LOT-ORIGIN OF PARTY EMBLEMS-POLITICAL INCIDENTS.
Prior to the Revolutionary war there were no political parties in this country. As the discontent with the mother country grew, people divided into Whigs and Tories; the Whigs being in favor of resistance to England and the Tories in favor of submission. After the colonies gained their independence the Whigs became divided into two factions although not strenuously opposed to each other at first. They were known as the Federal and Republican parties. The Federal party of whom Alex- ander Hamilton was the leader and Washington in sympathy with him, believed in a strong centralized government. The Republican party with Thomas Jefferson as leader, maintained extreme state rights' views.
The War of 1812 largely obliterated these parties and James Monroe, Republican, was elected over Rufus King, Federalist, the latter receiving only the votes of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Delaware. This was the end of the Federal party and Monroe was re-elected in 1820 with but one opposing vote for John Quincy Adams.
Up to 1824 there were still no definitely organized political parties and the presidential conflict that year was a personal one. There were four candidates: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Wm. H. Craw- ford and Henry Clay. No one had a majority of the electoral votes and the election was thrown into the house of representatives and by a coali- tion of Clay and Adams the latter was elected. During these years the Whig party had been forming as a successor to the Federal under the leadership of Henry Clay and the votes cast for him were the nucleus of the new party.
In the campaign of 1828 the Democratic party came into being as the successor of the original Republican or Jeffersonian party under the lead- ership of Andrew Jackson, who was elected to the presidency that year, and the Whig party formally came into being under the leadership of Henry Clay. The name Whig, is of Scottish origin and was at first a nickname for the peasantry and was later applied to the Covenanters, who took up arms against the oppression of the government. Since Jack- son's first election, 1828, when the Democratic party came into being under that name, it has had a continuous existence until the present day, showing a greater tenacity and power of endurance than any other party in the history of our country. Although defeated, time and time again, at the polls, yet it comes up smiling at the next election and main- Vol. 1 -18
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taining a solid front, manifesting an untiring pluck and courage worthy of the highest commendation. The Whig party that had its beginning in 1824 but not regularly organized until 1828 maintained its organiza- tion until 1854 when it was succeeded by the Republican party, which has had a most wonderful career down to the present day.
The Know-Nothing or American party who were opposed to foreigners voting until they were twenty-one years a resident of our country, was organized in 1852, and in 1856 Millard Filmore became their candidate for the presidency, but the party fell to pieces in the next campaign and never elected an officer.
Greenback Party. After the resumption of specie payments in 1873, those opposed to that measure organized the Greenback party and at the next election put a ticket in the field but never were successful and later was merged into the Peoples party and National party, neither of which were successful and have ceased to exist. In 1872 the Prohibition party was organized, with a view of prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, and has maintained an active organiza- tion ever since, and although it has never been successful as a party yet it is doing a grand work in educating the people to higher moral and political standards. Its principles are right, no one can deny, and what is right will eventually prevail. For the past twenty years there . have been various parties organized by the labor unions and others under different names, "Labor Party," "Union Labor Party," "Socialist Party," "Socialist Labor Party," "People's Party," etc., none of which have received any following to speak of.
The Progressive party sprang suddenly into being in the summer of 1912, largely through the wonderful and magnetic influence of Theodore Roosevelt, who failed to secure the Republican nomination for president at the regular Republican convention that met in Chicago in June of that year, and in the following August a convention met in Chicago and nomi- nated Roosevelt and Johnson as their standard bearers, who polled a larger popular vote than the regular Republican ticket. What the future of this party, vulgarly called the "Bull Moose" party will be, remains to be determined.
The Democrats were successful in 1828-1832 under Jackson's lead- ership, and also in 1836 when Martin Van Buren was elected. The campaign of 1840 was the most exciting and enthusiastic of any election up to that date, when the Whigs were successful, their candidate, Gen. William Henry Harrison, beating Van Buren, who was up for re-election.
The Democrats taunted the Whigs, calling Harrison a backwoods log-cabin candidate, and the latter took up the appellation and made their campaign largely on that issue. Great rallies were held with long processions, in which were miniature log cabins hauled on wagons with live coons and barrels of hard cider. The Democrats accused General Harrison of cowardice at the battle of Tippecanoe (falsely), and as an emblem of weakness and cowardice they introduced a red petticoat and carried it in their processions, which often led to bad blood and fistic encounters. The Whigs held a great rally at the Tippecanoe battleground and large delegations from Cass county attended and thousands from all over Indiana were present, with log cabins, coons and barrels of hard cider. Their campaign slogan was, "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too," and their glee clubs sang many inspiring songs, of which the following are samples:
"The fame of our hero grows wider, And spreads the whole continent through, Then fill up a mug of hard cider And drink to old Tippecanoe."
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Another song ran thus:
"Join the throng and swell the song, Extend the circle wider, And lead us on for Harrison, Log cabin and hard cider."
The following doggerel from the pen of our friend, Robert Reed, resounded throughout Cass county during that memorable campaign :
"Come all ye log cabin boys, we're goin' to have a raisen; We have a job on hands that we think will be plaisen.
We will turn out and build 'Tip' a new cabin, And finish it outside with chinkin' and dobin'.
And the fourth of next March 'Old Tip' will move in it,
And then little Martin will have to shin it.
One term has proved ample for Martin Van Buren,
The thefts he has winked at are past all endurin'."
From this we would judge that public officials were not exempt from accusations of wrong-doing in pioneer days any more than they are today.
Harrison died about a month after his inauguration and John Tyler, the vice president, became president and "Tylerized" the Whig party so that they lost the election in 1844, the Democrats electing James K. Polk. In 1848, however, the Whigs ran Gen. Zachariah Taylor, the hero of the Mexican war, and were successful, but in 1852 Franklin Pierce (Democrat) was elected, and the Whig party went to pieces and the Republican party came into being in 1854, and in 1856 an animated campaign was prosecuted with John C. Fremont as the first Republican presidential candidate, with the slogan: "Free men, free territories, free speech and Fremont." During this campaign the first political glee club in the county played an important part. It was composed of David E. Bryer, James T. Bryer, Allen Richardson and E. S. Rice, all of whom are now dead. The writer well remembers hearing this glee club sing political songs composed by D. E. Bryer, in which the Democratic party was represented as an old gray horse long fed at the public expense, while the young and active mustang pony on which General Fremont made his western explorations was the insignia of the Republican party, as indicated in the following stanza :
"The old gray horse is a well-known hack. Do da, do da dah! He goes 'round and 'round in the same old track. Do da, do da dah! We're bound to work all night, we're bound to work all day,
I'll bet my money on the mustang pony, who dare bet on the gray."
Dr. G. N. Fitch was a candidate for Congress and he had written a letter to Mr. Pomroy explaining his position on the slavery question, which he later desired to recall or deny, and Mr. Bryer, in his songs, .had something like the following:
"The man who wrote the Pomroy letter, His pills are nasty and he's no better."
The campaign was spirited and eminent men of national reputa- tion spoke for their respective parties in Cass county. Thomas A. Hendricks on the part of the Democrats and Anson Burlingame for the Republicans, and one of the mottoes on a banner when the latter spoke here was:
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"Good game-Burlingame." Although the Republicans made a hard fight, yet they were defeated and James Buchanan was elected to the presidency.
Some of the prominent pioneer politicians of Cass county were : Democrats, Cyrus Taber, George W. Ewing, Chauncey Carter, Dr. G. N. Fitch, Gen. John Tipton. Whigs, Hyacinth Lasselle, Daniel D. Pratt, Horace P. Biddle, John B. Dillon, John S. Patterson, Williamson Wright, William Palmer. 1856. FIRST REPUBLICAN TICKET. THE CONSTITUTION AND THE UNION. For Governor OLIVER P. MORTON. For Lieutenant Governor CONRAD BAKER. For Secretary of State JOHN W. DAWSON. For Treasurer of State
WILLIAM R. NOLLSINGER. For Auditor of State E. W. H. ELLIS. For Superintendent of Public Instruction CHARLES BARNES. For Attorney General JAMES H. CRAVENS. For Reporter of Supreme Court JOHN A. STEIN. For Clerk of Supreme Court JOHN A. BEAL. For Congress SCHUYLER COLFAX. For State Senator CHARLES D. MURRAY.
For Judge of Court of Common Pleas L. CHAMBERLAIN. For Prosecuting Attorney Common Pleas Court NATHANIEL McGUIRE. For Prosecuting Attorney Circuit Court CHARLES S. PARISH. For Representative T. H. BRINGHURST. For Sheriff JOB B. ELDRIDGE. For Treasurer THOMAS TOMLINSON. For Clerk J. M. WARREN. For Commissioner JOHN MYERS. For Coroner J. W. McGAUGHEY. For Surveyor W. P. THOMAS. For Assessor JORAN GRABLE.
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The first national Republican convention met at Philadelphia in 1856 and was presided over by Henry S. Lane of Indiana, who was a mag- ·netic speaker.
The Republican party was organized to check the advance of slavery and prevent its spread into the territories, and the debates of Lincoln and Douglas in 1858 brought the former prominently before the whole country. Judge D. B. McConnell had the honor and pleasure of hearing one of Lincoln's speeches in that memorable campaign, and Daniel D. Pratt acted as secretary of the Chicago convention that nominated Lincoln in 1860. Mr. Pratt was a large man with a fog-horn voice, who could make himself heard in every corner of the large hall, and was complimented on his efficiency as secretary of the convention.
CAMPAIGNS OF 1860 TO 1876
The campaign of 1860 was a triangular fight. The Democrats being divided into the southern and northern wings, represented by Brecken- ridge and Douglas, respectively. The Republican party, made up of anti-slavery Whigs, Free Soil Democrats, anti-Nebraska Democrats and old line Abolishionists, waged an aggressive campaign in Cass county. They held immense rallies, addressed by men of national reputation, in which great torchlight processions and "wide awake" marching clubs, floats with Lincoln's picture, full size, in the act of splitting rails, par- ticipated. Also floats with flat-boats, rail-splitters at work and other designs representing the early life of Lincoln.
The old glee club did effective work and aroused great enthusiasm as they sang :
"Awake, awake, and never sleep, all ye wide-awake boys, Until you elect the big rail-splitter from Illinois."
The Republicans were victors in the nation, and Cass county also gave a majority for Lincoln.
During the Civil war, from 1861 to 1865, Cass county and the whole state and nation were in a constant state of political turmoil. Many Democrats espoused the cause of the Republican party, which was then known as the "Union party," who believed in maintaining the Union undivided. In the off year of 1862 the Democrats were in the majority both in this county and state, owing largely to the soldiers being away from home, the majority of whom belonged to the Union party. The legislature, being Democratic, would not endorse Governor Morton's policy and resigned without making the necessary appropriations, and embarrassed the state, but the great war governor, Morton, was equal to the occasion and borrowed money to carry on the state government for the time and eventually triumphed. In the campaign of 1864, Mr. Lincoln was triumphantly re-elected over Gen. George B. Mcclellan, although Cass county gave a majority for the latter. During that cam- paign the Union party held a grand rally in Logansport, at which Andrew Johnson, their candidate for vice president, spoke. During all the exciting political scenes in Cass county during the Civil war, the county as a whole was loyal to the government. Men differed as to measures, and occasionally an extreme partisan would let his partisan- ship overcome his better judgment, and would say and do things that did not accord with true patriotism, yet on the whole Cass county was loyal. During the dark days of the Civil war there were some lodges of the Knights of the Golden Circle instituted in Cass county. This was an organization opposed to Mr. Lincoln's policy of carrying on the war
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