USA > Indiana > Daviess County > History of Daviess County, Indiana : Its people, industries and institutions > Part 9
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On the second day of the January term, 1840, the firm of Berry & White- head was paid seven hundred dollars, per order on the treasury, the last in- stallment, on contract, for woodwork on the court house.
At the March term, 1841, the board ordered the submission of sealed proposals for the sale to the county "of 40, 80 or more acres of land in Daviess county, suitable to be converted into a farm for the support of the paupers of said county."
During the June (1841) session of the board of justices, the township of Harrison was created out of parts of Veale and Reeve townships. The elections were ordered held at the house of Jeremiah Allen, and that person was appointed inspector of elections for the newly-created township.
At the September term (1841) of the board of justices, on petition of
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citizens of Madison and Barr township, namely: Henry O'Neal, Pleasant Franklin, James M. O'Neal, Charles Ledgerwood, Thomas W. Hughes, William Roach, Charles Kilgore, Hezekiah Blevins, William D. Farrell, James B. Wood, John Adams, Wesley D. Kaggs, Stephen Kilgore and others, a new township was laid off, out of territory within the confines of the town- ships named, and was called Van Buren.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AGAIN.
A special session of the board of justices was held on the 5th of August, 1842, and after certain important affairs of the county were given proper attention the board ceased its functions and adjourned sine die. On the 5th of September, following, the newly-elected board of commissioners organized and took up the duties of its office. The personnel of the board follows: Hiram Palmer, first district; James P. McGaughey, second; Charles D. Mor- gan, third.
CHAPTER VI.
POLITICAL HISTORY.
In this chapter there is presented a list of the county officials of Daviess. county from the year 1816 to the year 1915, together with a list of state senators and representatives in the Legislature from the beginning of the. county government to the present date, closing with a statement of the official vote of the county in all presidential campaigns from the year 1844, the first year in which the records of such vote are available.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
From 1817 to 1820-William Ballow, John Aikman, Ephraim Thomp- son; 1821-William Ballow, John Aikman, James C. Veale; 1822-William Ballow, James C. Veale, William Wallace ; 1823-24-James C. Veale, Will- iam Wallace, Joseph Brown. From September, . 1824, to September, 1831, a board of justices was the governing body of the county. At the date last mentioned the county again elected a board of commissioners, whose names follow : 1831-Samuel J. Kelso, David Crabs, Alexander English; 1832-33 -Samuel J. Kelso, David Crabs, Joseph Brown; 1834-Joseph Brown, David Crabs, Benjamin Godwin; 1835-David Crabs, Alexander English, David Crabs. In the month of August, 1835, Jacob D. Crabs resigned and John M. Horrall was appointed by the circuit court to fill vacancy. In 1836 the board of justices was re-established and performed its functions as the business agent of the county until in September, 1842, when the board of county commissioners once more came into its own. 1842-43-Hiram Palmer, James P. McGaughey, Charles D. Morgan; 1844-Hiram Palmer, Charles D. Morgan, John D. Mccluskey ; 1845-Charles D. Morgan, John D. Mccluskey, Hamlet Sanford : Mccluskey resigned and J. P. McGaughey was appointed to fill the vacancy ; 1846-Hamlet Sanford, William H. Houghton, John Lester ; 1847-H. Houghton, Hamlet Sanford, Henry Taylor ; Sanford resigned before the expiration of his term and John English was appointed to fill the vacancy ; 1848-49-H. Houghton, Henry Taylor, David M. Hix- son ; 1850-David M. Hixson, H. Houghton W. H. Wells; 1851-H.
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Houghton, W. H. Wells, William McCormick; 1852-W. H. Wells, William McCormick, J. C. Steen; 1853-56-William McCormick, J. C. Steen, H. K. Brown; 1857-J. C. Steen, William McCormick, Bazzel Liles, vice Brown, removed; Richard B. Dobbyn, vice McCormick, Bazzel Liles, vice Brown, B. Dobbyn, Thomas McCracken; 1859-Richard B. Dobbyn, Thomas Mc- Cracken, Owen O'Donald; Jacob C. Dillon, vice O'Donald; 1860-62- Thomas McCracken, Richard B. Dobbyn, David Solomon; 1863-John C. Dillon, Thomas McCracken, John McCory; 1864-John McCory, John C. Dillon, William Seals; 1865-William Seals, John McCory, William T. Dickinson, Stephen D. Wright to fill vacancy created by the removal from the county of McCory ; 1866-same; 1867-Stephen D. Wright, William T. Dickinson, William Kline;“ 1868-69-William Kline, Stephen D. Wright, John Ferguson; 1870-72-John Ferguson, Elliott Chappell, Peter Honey ; 1873-Peter Honey, John Ferguson, William Kline; 1874-75-William Kline, Peter Honey, William Boyd; 1876-John Ferguson, John F. Frank- lin, John R. Wedding ; 1877-78- John F. Franklin, John R. Wedding, J. M. Boyd; 1879-J. M. Boyd, Peter Honey, William Kline; 1880-81-Peter Honey, William Kline, John Clark; 1882-85-John Clark, John Fanning, Francis Zinkans; 1886-87-John Fanning, Francis Zinkans, Thomas J. Payne; 1887-88-John Fanning, Thomas J. Payne, Joseph C. Allison; 1888- 89-Joseph C. Allison, Thomas J. Payne, William Kline; 1889-90-Joseph C. Allison, Thomas Bennington, William Kline; 1890-91-William Kline, Thomas Bennington, Andrew Lillie; 1891-92-Thomas Bennington, Andrew Lillie, Frank Lamb; 1892-93-Andrew Lillie, Frank Lamb, Peter McArtor; 1893-94-Frank Lamb, Peter McArtor, James Porter; 1894-95-Peter Mc- Artor, James Porter, James R. Steen; 1895-96-James Porter, James R. Steen, James H. Daugherty; 1896-97-James R. Steen, James H. Daugh- erty, Hugh McKernan; 1897-98-James H. Daugherty, Hugh McKernan, George W. Wilson; 1898-99-Hugh McKernan, George W. Wilson, John W. Daugherty ; 1899-Hugh McKernan, George W. Wilson, W. H. McCarter ; 1899-1900-George W. Wilson, William C. McCarter, O. M. Vance; 1900-0I -W. H. McCarter, O. M. Vance, R. D. Smith; 1901-02-O. M. Vance, R. D. Smith, W. H. McCarter; 1902-03-J. G. Shanks, R. D. Smith, W. H. McCarter ; 1903-04-W. H. McCarter, J. G. Shanks, H. H. Sefrit; 1904-05 -John G. Shanks, Henry H. Sefrit, W. H. McCarter; 1905-06-John G. Shanks, H. H. Sefrit, William F. Killion; 1906-07-H. H. Sefrit, William F. Killion, John G. Shanks; 1907-08-William F. Killion, John G. Shanks, H. H. Sefrit; 1908-09-John G. Shanks, H. H. Sefrit, William F. Killion; 1909-10-H. H. Sefrit, William F. Killion, Robert J. Barr; 1910-II-Will-
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DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
iam F. Killion, Robert J. Barr, Richard McDonald; 1911-12-Robert J. Barr, Richard McDonald, James T. Sause; 1912-13-Richard McDonald, James T. Sause, James M. Meads; 1913-14-James T. Sause, James M. Meads, Thomas H. Arvin; 1914-15-James M. Meads, Thomas H. Arvin, James T. Sause; 1915-Thomas H. Arvin, James T. Sause, L. S. Horrall.
AUDITOR.
The office of county auditor, as such, was not established in Daviess county until after several years of its history had been made. The clerk of the county board was, however, to all intents and purposes the county auditor, and the first person to hold this position in this bailiwick was Emanuel Van- Trees, a very versatile and capable public servant, notwithstanding his evident lack of a college education. Emanuel VanTrees was a community builder. He knew what he wanted and was alive to the interests of Daviess county, for which he gave the best that was in him in his official capacity. While not familiar with the rules of orthography nor the "art of speaking the English properly," yet the early records of the proceedings of the board of commissioners, in his handwriting, show plainly that he knew how to make himself understood. This valued pioneer frontiersman and town-builder kept the records of the board from 1817 to 1824, in which latter year John VanTrees began his ministration of the office and continued the same until 1845. In the latter year Matthew L. Brett was elected county auditor and remained in the office four years. His successors follow, namely : 1859-67 -R. N. Read; 1867-74-N. G. Read; 1874-82-T. J. Lavelle; 1882-90- James C. Lavelle; 1890-94-Elijah H. Tomey; 1894-98-Robert Russell; 1898-1902-Robert Russell; 1902-06-Thomas Nugent; 1906-12-Thomas Nugent; 1912-16-Lew S. Core, the present incumbent; 1916, Jacob G. Clark.
CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT.
The clerk of the county board also acted as clerk of the circuit court. Emanuel VanTrees first performed the duties of this office and was succeeded by John VanTrees about the year 1824. The latter was succeeded in 1857 by John S. Berkshire, whose incumbency terminated in 1863. Then fol- lowed, in 1863-70, Mike Murphy; 1870-78-George Walters; 1878-82- Joseph Wilson; 1882-90-Joseph J. Lacy; 1890-98-Thomas D. Slimp; 1898-1902-Thomas Harris; 1902-12-William A. Wallace; 1912-16- William H. Kiefer; 1916-Edwin E. Meade.
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DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
SHERIFF.
1816-17-Ovid Flint, appointed by the governor of the state to organize the county ; 1818-24-Daniel Comer ; 1824-26-George A. Waller ; 1826-31- Richard Palmer; 1831-35-George A. Waller; 1835-38-Robert Raper ; 1838-40-Andrew Martin; 1840-43-F. Wilhite; 1843-47-B. Goodwin ; 1847-51-R. B. Sutton; 1851-54-B. Goodwin; 1854-56-Isaac W. Mc- Cormack; 1856-60-B. Goodwin; 1860-62-Joseph Brown; 1862-64- Michael Nash ; 1864-68-Isaac W. McCormack ; 1868-72-James M. Graves ; 1872-76-Isaac W. McCormack; 1876-78-N. G. Read; 1878-80-Zachariah Jones; 1880-84-Francis A. Ward; 1884-88-John A. Bair; 1888-1892- Charles Colbert; 1892-96-John G. Leming; 1896-98-William Bowman; 1898-1900-Jabez A. McCord; 1900-04-John D. Morgan; 1904-08-Milton Fitzgerald; 1908-12-Fielding Colbert; 1912-16-George W. Harmon; 1916-Christopher D. Guthrie.
TREASURER.
Most of the county officials were appointed by the county governing body and for many of the first years of the county's existence this custom obtained in the selection of the county treasurer.
Ebenezer Jones was appointed by the board of county commissioners, in 1817, to the office of county treasurer for one year, and was regularly re- appointed for the term of one year until 1821, in which year Hezekiah Ragdill became treasurer. Then again came Jones, who remained in charge of the county's strong ( ?) box until 1831. In the year last mentioned, John W. Waller was appointed, succeeding himself in 1832. George Roddick was the incumbent in 1833, William Brutton in 1834 and John W. Waller in 1835. The latter resigned the office in September, 1836, at which time Emanuel VanTrees was appointed, remaining in the office a number of years. From 1852, during which period Abraham Perkins was the treasurer, the following named persons have served the county in this responsible position : 1854-56-John Thompson ; 1856-60-William Sanford; 1860-64-B. Good- win; 1864-67-William Sanford; 1867-70-George W. McCafferty; 1870- 74-William Kennedy; 1874-78-John B. Spaulding; 1878-82-H. C. Brown; 1882-86-R. H. Greenwood; 1886-90-Joseph B. Smith; 1890- 92-Robert J. Barr ; 1892-96-Henry Aikman ; 1896-98-John Wadsworth ; 1898-1900-Albion Horrall; 1900-02-George B. McWilliams; 1902-06- Hilary C. Truelove; 1906-10-George Godwin; 1910-12-Theodore T.
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DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
Jones, who died in 1811, John Clark being appointed to fill the vacancy ; 1912-14-John Clark; 1916-Elmer Buzan.
RECORDER.
1824-29-J. H. McDonald; 1829-36-J. Calhoun; 1836-40-John M. Waller; 1840-47-John Hyatt; 1847-1854-John S. Berkshire; 1854-62- William R. Berkshire; 1862-70-Enoch Barton; 1870-78-A. J. Smiley; 1878 -- 82-Solomon Williams; 1882-90-John H. Kidwell; 1890-94-John Dosch; 1894-1900 -- Francis G. Lutes; 1900-1904-Friend B. Colbert; 1904- 08-William P. Smoot; 1908-12-Henry H. McCracken; 1912-16-Harry P. VanTrees; 1916-Thomas C. Singleton.
SURVEYOR.
1824-52-W. H. Root; 1852-56 -- John P. Agan; 1856-60-John Cas- sidy; 1860-62-J. C. Spink; 1862-66-W. P. Boyden; 1866-68-William Shanks: 1868-72-D. H. Kennedy; 1872-76-William Shanks; 1876-88- T. J. Smiley ; 1888-92-Grant Faith : 1892-94-Thomas Nugent; 1894-96- Edward C. Faith; 1896-98-Alexander C. Swickard; 1898-1900-Nelson C. Adkins: 1900-02-Thomas J. Smiley; 1902-04-Franklin L. Snider ; 1904-06-George L. Harris; 1906-08-George A. Faith; 1908-10-Albert F. Annen: 1910-14-Michael T. Madden; 1914-William J. Shanks.
CORONER.
1818-26-Joseph Daugherty; 1826-31-P. Blackburn; 1831-39-Joseph Daugherty: 1839-41-Samuel A. Rodarmel; 1841-45-Thomas Brown; [845-49-Joseph Daugherty; 1849-51-J. D. Tremor; 1851-52-James Martin ; 1852-54-B. F. Meredith; 1854-56-T. P. VanTrees; 1856-57-A. G. Williams : 1857-60-Thomas Brown; 1860-62-James Solomon; 1862-64 -I. T. Morgan: 1864-66-W. E. Hopkins; 1866-68-August Kauffman; 1868-70-John Stevens: 1870-74-D. R. Agan; 1874-76-Warren Hart; 1876-80-Elias Grace; 1880-84-Jesse Winterbottom; 1884-86-W. C. Slater ; 1886-88-James F. Parks: 1888-90-Charles P. Scudder ; 1890-96- Charles C. McCown; 1896-98-Milton P. Tolliver; 1898-1900-Chauncey E. Trainor ; 1900-02-Ora K. McKittrick; 1902-08-Clifford O. Bonham; 1908-10-Union H. Holder; 1910-12-Tie between Holder and Orris E. Lett; on a recount Holder being declared re-elected. 1912-14-Orris E. · Lett; 1914-Huette Poindexter.
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DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY.
1886-88-James D. Laughlin; 1880-90-Lewis Stephens; 1890-92- William Heffernan; 1892-94-James M. Huff; 1894-96-Peter R. Wads- worth; 1896-98-James B. Marshall; 1898-1904-Alvin Padgett; 1904-08- Edgar T. Laughlin; 1908-10-Elmer E. Hastings; 1910-14-Flavian A. Seal; 1914-Charles M. Mears.
STATE SENATORS.
William Polke, 1817-21, with Knox and Sullivan counties; Frederick Sholtz, 1821-25, with Knox, Sullivan and Greene; John Ewing, 1825-33; William Wallace,. 1833-34, with Knox, Sullivan, Vigo and Owen; Henry M. Shaw, 1835-36; Thomas C. Moore, 1836-39; Robert M. Carman, 1839-41, with Knox and Martin; Abner M. Davis, 1841-44; Elijah Chapman, 1844- 46; Richard A. Clements, 1846-47; Aaron Houghton, 1847-50; William E. Niblack, 1850-51, with Martin; William E. Niblack, 1851-52; G. G. Barton, 1853-55; John P. Freeland, 1855-57, with Knox and Martin; James D. Will- iams, 1859-67 and 1871-73; W. S. Turner, 1867-69, with Knox; Andrew Humphreys, 1875-77; David J. Hefron, 1877-83; J. P. McIntosh, 1883-87, with Greene: George W. Alford, 1887-91, with Martin; William Kennedy, 1891-95, with Martin; H. Q. Houghton, 1895-99, with Martin; Eph Inman, 1899-1903, with Knox: Richard Milburn, 1903-07, with Dubois; Ezra Matt- ingly, 1907-II, Henry Gers, 1911-15, James Porter, 1915, with Pike.
REPRESENTATIVES IN THE LEGISLATURE.
From 1821 to 1852 Daviess county had a joint representative with Mar- tin county. Following are the names of representatives for that period, and the year in which each served :
James G. Reed, 1821 ; William H. Routt, 1822-23 ; James G. Reed, 1823- 24; William Wallace, 1825-26: James G. Reed, 1826-31; William Wallace, 1831-32-33; Erasmus McJunkin, 1832; David McDonald, 1833-34; Patrick M. Brett, 1834-35; Josiah Culbertson, 1834-35; Lewis Jones, 1835-36; James Breeze, 1836-37; Abner M. Davis, 1837-38; John Flint, 1838-40; Samuel H. Smyth, 1840-41 ; Richard A. Clements, 1841-43; Silas T. Halbert, 1843- 44; James P. McGawhey, 1844-45; Richard A. Clements, 1845-46; Zacha- riah Walker, 1846-47; Elias S. Terry, 1847-48: Benjamin Goodwin, 1848-51 ; (8)
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DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
John Scudder, 1851-52; Rowland Sutton, 1853; James McConnell, 1855; T. A. Slicer, 1857; Richard A. Clements, Jr., 1859; Mathew L. Brett, 1861; Noah E. Given, 1863; Howard Crooke, 1865; John H. O'Neal, 1867; John Hyatt, 1869; Robert Haynes, 1871; Mathew L. Brett, 1873; Harvey Taylor, 1875; Patrick H. McCarty, 1877; Samuel H. Taylor, 1879; Clement Lee, 1881; Haman Woodling, 1883; Samuel H. Taylor, 1885; Oliver H. McKitt- rick, 1889; Henry Aikman, 1891; Josiah G. Allen, 1893-95; Sanford Patter- son, 1897; James M. Hough, 1899; James F. Parks, 1901; Aikman Carna- han, elected in 1902, died before the meeting of the Legislature; Paris A. Hastings, elected at a special election to fill the vacancy, served in the Legis- lature of 1903; Harry H. Crooke, 1905; Thomas D. Slimp, 1907; Charles A. Banta, 1909; Solomon L. McPherson, 1911; John Hoddinott, 1913; George L. Harris, 1915.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, 1844 TO 1912.
The early elections returns of presidential elections, prior to 1844, in which Daviess county participated are missing from the county records, but the following will be sufficient to show the political drift in the county since that date, and also the general result in some of the most important and most exciting political contests in national history.
It is said that no election ever caused more disappointment, both to the victors and the vanquished, than that of 1840. General Harrison had been elected by the Whig party, over Martin Van Buren, the Democratic candi- date, by an overwhelming vote. This result was a surprise to both parties. The Whigs were greatly elated and the Democrats were correspondingly de- pressed ; they were puzzled, they were grieved, they were angry. The dis- appointment of the Whigs came afterward and was of a different character. One month after General Harrison was inaugurated he died, and John Tyler, the vice-president, became president. The death of Harrison was a sad disap- pointment to the Whigs, but the succession of Tyler, and his adoption of a diverse administration policy, was regarded as a party calamity.
In 1844 the Democrats failed in their effort to re-nominate Van Buren, after an exciting convention contest, and, for the first time in political con- vention history, a "dark horse." in the person of James K. Polk, of Tennessee, was made the party candidate. Henry Clay was the candidate of the Whig party. The Daviess county vote on these two candidates, at the election held in November, 1844, was: Clay, 807: Polk. 764. Indiana gave its twelve electoral votes for Polk, with a popular vote of 70,181 for Polk, and 67,867 for Clay. In the national electoral vote, Polk received 170, and Clay 105.
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DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
THE ELECTION OF 1848.
The candidates for president in 1848 were, Zachary Taylor, Whig; Lewis Cass, Democrat, and Martin Van Buren, the candidate of what was known as the "Free Soil" party. In this contest the Whig party was again successful, electing its candidate by a total electoral vote of 163 to 127 for the opposing candidate. Indiana gave its twelve electoral votes to Cass, the popular vote being 74,745 for Cass; 69,907 for Taylor. Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate, received 8,100 votes in the state. In this election, Daviess county gave 735 votes for Taylor, 708 for Cass and 2 for Van Buren.
THE ELECTION OF 1852.
The death of Taylor, soon after his accession to the presidency, was the second disappointment of the kind experienced by the Whig party. The agitation of the slavery question, and policies for the extension or restriction of slave territory, had become a prominent political issue. On this question the Whig party was divided, the northern wing being anti-slavery, or, at least, opposed to the extension of that institution into the free territories ; the south- ern wing of the party holding to opposite views on this question. Though General Taylor was a Southerner, and a slaveholder, he was supported by the northern contingent of the party, although with some misgivings. Tay- lor lived long enough to make it evident that slavery, as a political power, could not rely on him to assist it in its struggle with Northern sentiment. His death was a grievous disappointment of these hopes. Fillmore, the vice-president, who succeeded Taylor, became an active agent in promoting the compromise measures, which the anti-slavery contingent of the Whig party abhorred.
In 1852 the Whigs nominated General Winfield Scott, as their candi- date for president, but the convention that nominated Scott was not char- acterized by political harmony. The advocates of the respective sides of the dominant issue, the slavery question, were much in evidence. The Demo- crats nominated Franklin Pierce as their candidate. John P. Hale was the candidate of the anti-slavery faction of the Democratic party, known as the Free Soil Democrats. Of the total electoral vote, Pierce received 254, and Scott, 42. Indiana gave its 13 electoral votes to Pierce ; the popular vote for the several candidates was : Pierce, 95,340; Scott, 80,901 ; Hale, 6,929. The Daviess county vote was : Pierce, 720; Scott, 826; Hale, 6.
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DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
THE ELECTION OF 1856.
The election of 1852 gave the death-blow to the Whig party. It had served its purpose, if it had any, and had outlived its usefulness. It was unable to cope with the one vital issue of the day, that of slavery in the terri- tories. A remnant of the Whig party formed a combination with the Amer- ican, or "Know-Nothing" party, under the name of American-Whig party, and presented Millard Fillmore as its candidate for president, in 1856. The Democratic candidate was James Buchanan. The new Republican party made its first appearance in this year with John C. Fremont as candidate for president. The result of the election was 174 electoral votes for Buchanan, 114 for Fremont and 8 for Fillmore. Buchanan received the thirteen elec- toral votes of Indiana. The popular vote was: Buchanan, 118,670; Fre- mont, 94,375; Fillmore, 22,386. The Daviess county vote was: Buchanan, I,II5; Fillmore, 939; Fremont, 26.
THE ELECTION OF 1860.
In this election it was the Democratic party that was affected by dissen- sion and division, due to the efforts of contending factions to control the con- vention, and dictate the party policy regarding the slavery question. The result of this dissension was the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas, by the northern wing of the party; and John C. Breckinridge, by the southern fac- tion. The Republican party, which had now become a strong, aggressive organization, presented Abraham Lincoln as its candidate. The Constitu- tional Union party, composed of remnants of the American and Whig parties, had John Bell as their candidate. All these candidates received a share of the electoral vote in the general election, as follow: Lincoln, 180; Breckinridge, 72; Douglas, 12; Bell, 39. Indiana's thirteen electoral votes were counted for Lincoln. Of the popular vote of the state, Lincoln received 139,033; Douglas, 115,509; Breckenridge, 12,295; Bell, 5,306. In Daviess county Lincoln received 934; Douglas, 749; Breckenridge, 529; Bell, 133.
THE ELECTION OF 1864.
The secession of several of the Southern slavery states, and the result- ing Civil War, following the election of Lincoln, form a chapter in American history that is beyond the scope of a work of this character. There was a new alignment of political parties in consequence of the rebellious action of
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the Southern states. Many of the leading Democrats of the North came to the support of Lincoln. Among the first, and most prominent of these, was Stephen A. Douglas, Democratic candidate in opposition to Lincoln in the election. The death of Douglas, soon after the inauguration of Lincoln, was a serious loss to the latter's administration and the cause of the Union. Political lines, however, were not wholly obliterated on account of distrac- tions of the Civil War. While the Democratic party was seriously disrupted, because of the large Southern element that had left it, yet it still was an aggressive, militant party, a party to be reckoned with in the election of 1864. In that year the Democrats had for their candidate General George B. Mc- Clellan, a brilliant soldier, and very popular. The Republican party renom- inated Lincoln. A fraction of the Republican party, who were dissatisfied with Lincoln's administraton, nominated John C. Fremont, but he afterward withdrew from the canvass, and left the contest between Lincoln and Mc- Clellan. The result of the election was a decided endorsement of Lincoln's administration. Of the total electoral vote, Lincoln received 212, McClellan, 21. The thirteen electoral votes of Indiana were given to Lincoln. The popular vote was: 150,422 for Lincoln; 130,233 for McClellan. Daviess county gave Lincoln, 1,227, and McClellan 1,299.
THE ELECTION OF 1868.
General Ulysses S. Grant was the Republican candidate for president in 1868; Horatio Seymour was the Democratic candidate. The military achievements of Grant, and his great popularity, especially among the soldiers who served in his command, made his election a foregone conclusion. The voting was a mere formality. Of the electoral vote Grant received 214; Seymour, 80. Indiana gave thirteen electoral votes to Grant, and a popular vote of 176,552. Seymour's Indiana vote was 166,980. Daviess county gave Grant 1,682, Seymour, 1,732.
THE ELECTION OF 1872.
The campaign for the presidency in 1872 was characterized by some- thing in the nature of political freaks. General Grant was the necessary and logical candidate of the Republican party, but there was a considerable disaffection in that party. Several leading Republicans had been in disagree- ment with certain features of Grant's administration policies, and refused to support him for re-election. Among the leaders of the opposition was
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