USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > History of St. Joseph County, Indiana > Part 53
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" Fellow citizens, I have but to offer to your acceptance such common-place qualifications as a life of much vicissitude has engendered, and an assurance that the good of the district, the whole district, shall be my aim, should I be so fortunate as to gain your preference. But, fellow citizens, if in your better judgment you should prefer another, I must take this opportunity to assure you and him that he has my warmest wishes for his success in the furtherance of the welfare of this district.
CHARLES W. CATHCART."
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
In 1836 Martin Van Buren received the Democratic nomination for President, while William Henry Harrison was the candidate of the Whigs.
The year 1840 has a place in history as one in which the political excitement ran high. " William Henry Harrison, of Ohio, was again pitted against Martin Van Buren, of New York. The Whigs determined to make a grand effort to elect "old Tippecanoe and Tyler too." Hard cider, log cabins, and the singing of the multi- tude created an excitement never before known. In St. Joseph county as well as elsewhere, both parties were filled with enthu- siasm. Harrison received in this county 809 votes, and Martin Van Buren, 444.
" Fifty-four, forty, or fight" was the rallying cry of the Demo- crats in 1844, with James K. Polk as their presidential candidate. Henry Clay was the nominee of the Whigs, and James P. Birney, of the newly organized Free-Soil party. The latter polled in this county 33 votes, showing even at this early day a few who were not afraid of social ostracism on account of their opinions on slav- ery. Henry Clay had a majority in the county of 180 ont of a total of 1,579.
In 1845 Joseph G. Marshall was the nominee of the Whig party for Governor, James Whitcomb, of the Democrats, and Mr. Stevens, of the Free-Soil or Abolitionists, as they were called. Marshall received a majority of 53 over Whitcomb, but Lot Day, Jr., Demo- crat, was elected Sheriff by a majority of 36, over John H. Harper, Whig.
In 1846 quite an exciting campaign was held, Whigs, Demo- crats and Abolitionists all having full State and county tickets in the field. The majority for the Whig ticket was quite small.
In 1847 Daniel D. Pratt was the Whig, and Charles W. Cath- cart, the Democratic, candidate for Congress, the former receiving 167 majority in this county.
Zachary Taylor, Lewis Cass and Martin Van Buren were the respective candidates of the Whig, Democratic and Free-Soil par- ties. The contest was fought vigorously, each having State and county tickets in the field. A paper called the Free Democrat was started to advocate the election of Van Buren. Taylor received 817 votes, Cass 667, and Van Buren 332. The Whigs elected their entire county ticket, with the exception of Sheriff, Lot Day, the Democratic candidate, receiving a majority of 275.
In 1849 Thomas S. Stanfield, of this county, was nominated as the Whig candidate for Lientenant-Governor, running ahead of his ticket and receiving a majority of 320, against 141 for the Whig candidate for Governor.
In 1850 the Whigs were again triumphant, electing their entire ticket, with the exception of Sheriff.
In 1851 local issnes caused many split tickets to be voted, so that it is impossible to make a comparison of the political strength of the respective parties. For Congress Schuyler Colfax carried the
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
county by 330 majority; Thomas S. Stanfield, for Representative, was elected by 186 majority. Samuel McChord, Democrat, was elected Sheriff by 14 majority, while the Whig candidate for Treas- urer, Robert B. Nicar, had a majority of 11. This was the year in which Schuyler Colfax was a candidate for Congress for the first time. The convention by which he was nominated was held at Plymouth on the 28th day of May. The Democrats of the district had met a few days previously at the same place, and nominated Graham N. Fitch for re-election to Congress. To show the posi- tion of parties on public questions at this time, here are presented the resolutions adopted by the two conventions. The Democratic convention adopted as its platform of principles the following res- olutions:
Resolved, That the cardinal principles of the Democratic party are to be found in the resolutions of 1798, drawn by Jefferson and Madison, and re-affirmed by the National Conventions of 1836, 1840, 1844 and 1848; that we regard them as the touchstones of our political faith; that we will be governed by them in our political action, and that we place our nominee for Congress upon the broad platform thus enacted.
Resolved, That we abide by the letter and spirit of the Constitution, and that we will stand by each and all of its compromises, and therefore recognize the binding force of every clause (the delivery of fugitives from labor included), and we regard any action from any quarter, North or South, that tends to weaken or estrange our high allegiance to its solemn provisions, as equally faithless and treasonable.
The Whig Convention adopted a much longer platform of prin- ciples. Their resolutions were as follows:
Resolved, That the Whigs of the Ninth Congressional District, in Convention assembled, tender to each other their pledge of fidelity to the cause and devotion to the principles for which they have so long labored.
Resolved, That our position remains unchanged; no interference with the domestic policy or peculiar institutions of sister States; no extension of slave territory ; no diffusion of an institution which it is believed tends to degrade labor and blight industry, over more of National soil than it now covers; no counte- nancing of disunion sentiments, whether at the North or South; but devotion, unfaltering and unconditional devotion, to our glorious Union, in any event, under all circumstances, despite all contingencies.
Resolved, That although we may not agree upon each and every one of the measures passed by the last Congress, known as the compromise measures, yet we regard them as designed to settle the questions specified in them, and that we are of the opinion that the good of the country requires that the settlement should. remain undisturbed until time and experience shall show that change or modifi- cation of them is necessary to avoid evasion or abuse; and that we hold, in the language of Henry Clay, on making his report from the committee of thirteen, that Congress ought, while on the one hand securing to the owner the fair restora- tion of his property, effectually to guard on the other against any abuse in the application of the remedy, being satisfied that it is not unsafe for either individuals or nations to rectify wrong by the substitution of right, and that the crowning glory of law is its protection of the rights of the weak as well as its enforcement of the just claims of the strong.
Resolved, That the thanks of the Nation are due Millard Fillmore and his cabinet for the promptness and efficiency with which they have maintained the public faith, and for their determination to execute the laws at every hazard, and preserve unsullied the honor and integrity of the Nation, and that this adminis- tration deserves the confidence and support of the Whig party.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
Resolved, That so far from the prosperity so confidently predicted by our opponents being realized by the working of the present tariff, we see, instead of the high prices for grain that were promised, a depression in rates almost unparal- leled; instead of an increase in the rewards of labor, factories and mills all over the land stopping, and thus operatives ceasing to purchase of the farmer, compelled to resort to agriculture themselves, and becoming rivals in producing instead of being consumers, thereby tending still further to depress prices by the super- abundance thus created; and balance of trade against us of $50,000,000 in a single year, and the shipment of over $3,000,000 per month of hard coin from but one port to Europe, saying nothing of the millions upon millions of bonds and loans negotiated abroad, all hereafter to be paid for in cash and nothing else, attest to every man willing to see, that all the avails of our hardy miners in California, with an amount equally large in addition, is taken from us for the benefit of foreign manufacturers, who rejoice and thrive over the prostration of our indus- trial enterprises.
Resolved, That Congress should, in arranging the details of a tariff, not only seek to raise sufficient revenue for the support of Government, but at the same time discriminate so judiciously in the duties upon foreign imports, as to promote all the industrial interests of our own country; that all legislation which tends to the development of our own resources, or the diversification of labor into different pursuits, or the building up of a home market for agricultural products on our own soil, or the carrying out of the emphatic declaration of Jefferson that to be independent for the comforts of life, we must fabricate them for ourselves; we must place the manufacturer by the side of the agriculturist, is eminently benefi- cial in its character and conduces to the prosperity, the progress, the wealth and the real independence of the Nation; and that the present tariff should be so modified, as recommended by President Fillmore and Secretary Corwin, as to make it conform to the above principles, and render it what the tariff of the United States should be-incidental protection to our own labor.
Resolved, That it is the duty of Congress to make liberal appropriations for the improvement of rivers and harbors of the West, as well as for those of the South and East; that our internal commerce floating on fresh water, should have equal benefits and equal protection with that extended so liberally to the external, or salt water commerce of the country; and that no false excuses about a bill includ- ing worksof a local character will be any justification of the people of the West, for denying them that, which, though long and justly claimed, has been so often defeated by the vetoes of Democratic administrations, or the more recent willful factiousness of Democratic Senators; that this District has peculiar claims upon the National Legislature in this respect, being directly interested in the harbors at Michigan City and St. Joseph; and that it should send a member to represent their claims who can have personal influence with his colleagues sufficient to pro- cure for them the vote of at least one other member of his own party from his own State.
Resolved, That we deprecate all those contrivances, whether under or without the cover of law, which wink at the pilfering of the Government treasury under the pretense of constructive mileage, long mileage, Ritchie claims, and other kindred absorbents; that constructive mileage should be abolished totally and forever; the present exorbitant rate of mileage, so greatly disproportioned to the expense of travel, reduced at least one-half, and computed, not by the easiest but by the nearest route; and public contractors compelled to live up to their obliga- tions without importunate appeals to be allowed hundreds of thousand of dollars in addition.
Resolved, That we are in favor of reducing letter postage to a low rate, and the entire abolition of the franking privilege, leaving the Government and Congress- men to pay their own postage the same as private citizens.
Resolved, That as Whigs, we sympathize with the struggles of the masses now going forward in the old world, to throw off the shackles which have so long bound them, and to assert that equality and independence which we regard as man's birthright.
Resolved, Unanimously, that we recommend to the voters of this Congressiona District Schuyler Colfax, the candidate this day nominated, with the assurance to all that he is honest, and would scorn to betray them, or violate pledges which he may make, capable, possessing talents and a zeal in their exercise which must be valuable to the District, and creditably to the councils of the Nation should he
550
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
be elected, and faithful to the constitution of the country, regarding its observance as the bond of our Union, the guarantee of our National welfare, and the means of promoting internal peace, and hushing the voice of faction and discord amongst our jarring members.
The resolutions of the two parties as given exhibit the issues which divided them this year and also in the Presidential campaign that was soon to follow.
In 1852 the State and county elections were held in October for the first time. The county went Democratic this year for the first time in its history. In October J. A. Wright, Democrat, had a majority over Nicholas McCarty, Whig, of 51, though the Whig candidate for Representative had 111 majority. Franklin Pierce, Winfield Scott and John P. Hale were the nominees for President of the Democratic, Whig and Free-Soil parties. Pierce carried the county by 54 majority.
No interest was manifested in the election in 1853, there being but 837 votes polled in the entire county, the polling place in Madison township not being even opencd.
New questions now arose, growing out of the Know-Nothing excitement, and the agitation attending the passage of the Nebraska bill, and the repeal of the Missouri compromise. The interest in this county was high, and a full vote was polled at the October election, 1854. The opposition to the Democracy took the name of People's party, or Anti-Nebraska party. Schuyler Colfax was the nominee of this party for Congress, and Norman Eddy by the Democracy for the same position. Colfax's majority in the dis- trict was 1,765, and in this county, 616. Every nominee on the People's ticket in this county was elected by majorities ranging from 517 to 625.
In 1855 the Democrats were victorious, receiving large majori- ties for the various county offices to be filled, with the exception of Auditor. This was the first year in which the newly organized Republican party had a ticket in the field, and the campaign was run principally on the merits of the respective nominees or their personal popularity.
The Republican party was first organized in 1854, but its organi- zation did not extend in all the various States where it was permit- ted an existence until 1856. In this year John C. Fremont, " the Pathfinder," was nominated for President against James Buchanan, Democrat, and Millard Fillmore, American. The anti-slavery sen- timent of the country became consolidated in this new Republican party. The larger portion of the Whigs found themselves naturally in the new party, most of the Free-Soilers united with it, and also the large anti-slavery element of the Democratic party. Oliver P. Morton was the nominee of the Republicans for Governor, and Ashbel P. Willard, of the Democrats. W. Z. Stewart was the Democratic candidate for Congress, and Schuyler Colfax was nomi- nated by the Republicans for re-election. Great interest was man- ifested in this election and the Republicans were victorious. The
551
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
vote in October was the largest ever cast in the county, the total number being 3,250. This'was increased in November at the Pres- idential election to 3,327.
The election in 1857 was only for County Commissioner, and John Hammond was elected withont opposition.
Political excitement became warm again in 1858. The terms that were heard most in the party language of the day were "Lecompton Constitution," "Kansas," "Border Ruffianisın," " Freedom Shriekers," "Dred Scott Decision," "Freedom of the Territories," " Non-Extension of Slavery," "Squatter Sovereignty," "Nigger Sovereignty." All the State officers, except Governor, were to be elected, a member of Congress, and county officers. The vote of this year was an increase over 1856, being a total of 3,655. Schuyler Colfax and John C. Walker were the opposing candidates for Congress, and the former's majority in the county was 481. The Republicans elected every county officer by majorities ranging from 325 to 471.
The " off year " of 1859 failed to bring out the full vote of the county, though some interest was manifested in the election of county officers. The Republicans were again victorious, electing their entire ticket by majorities ranging from 249 to 485.
The country was now becoming deeply moved over questions which stirred the popular heart as none had ever done before. The storm had been gathering ever since the repeal of the Missouri compromise, the struggles in Kansas had deeply intensfied the feel- ing of the people of the North, and John Brown's attempt upon Harper's Ferry had been skillfully managed so as to arouse and lieat the people of the South. That the Territories of the United States should be forever consecrated to freedom was the solemn determi- nation of a large majority of the people of the North, and that the boundaries of the institution of slavery should not be further enlarged. The South, seeking its perpetuation by means of enlarged political power, determined that it should not be restricted, but should have enlarged privileges. The questions dividing parties were thus chiefly sectional, and pointed directly to war. In this state of the public mind, the Republican party met in National Convention at Chicago, and nominated Abraham Lincoln for Pres- ident and Hannibal Hamlin for Vice-President. The Democratic party met at Charleston, South Carolina, and the Southern element broke up the Convention. The party afterward met in the city of Baltimore, and there the same turbulent element divided the con- vention, and the result was the nomination of two Democratic tick- ets-Stephen A. Douglas and Herschel V. Johnson for President and Vice-President on the one side, and John C. Breckenridge and Joseph Lane on the other. Henry S. Lane stood at the head of the Republican State ticket, as candidate for Governor, and Thomas A. Hendricks, at the head of the Democratic ticket. In the Ninth District, Schuyler Colfax was again the Republican candidate for Congress, and the Democrats pitted against him Charles W. Cath- cart. The position which the Republican party maintained on
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
slavery questions may be seen in the following resolutions, found in the State Republican platform of that year:
Resolved, That we are opposed to the new and dangerous doctrine advocated by the Democratic party, that the Federal constitution carries slavery into the public Territories, and that we believe slavery cannot exist anywhere in this Government, unless by positive local law, and that we will oppose its extension into the Terri tories of the Federal Government by all the power known to the constitution of the United States.
Resolved, That we are opposed to any interferenee with slavery where it exists under the sanction of State law, that the soil of every State should be protected from lawless invasion from every quarter, and that the citizens of every State should be secured from illegal arrests and search, as well as from mob violence.
Resolved, That we regard the preservation of the American Union as the highest object and duty of patriotism, and that it must and shall be preserved, and that all who advocate disunion are, and deserve the fate of, traitors.
Other questions formed issnes between the parties, but the chief and most important by far, the overshadowing ones, were those growing out of the institution of slavery and the attitude of the South in respect to it, and also toward the Union. Threats of secession in case of the election of Mr. Lincoln were freely made, and the leaders in the violence which characterized the proceedings in the South, were more deeply in earnest than the people of the North generally supposed. The campaign was distinguished, besides the nsnal processions and speeches, by a Republican organ- ization known as " Wide Awakes," which adopted a simple uniform, and were provided with torch lamps, fixed on poles, and thus added much to the interest of night meetings. Many of the companies of Wide-Awakes were drilled in the manner of handling their lamp sticks according to the mannal of arms. In . one year from that time many of the same persons were drilling with arms, preparatory to fighting the battles of the nation against a section of country which had wantonly risen in rebellion. The political pulse beat high in the Republican and Douglas wing of the Democratic party in this county; great political gatherings were frequent, and pro- cessions and enthusiasm filled up the days and the nights. At length the day of the October election came, and the Republicans were completely successful, the majorities on the various officers ranging from 679 to 892. But the great event was still to occur-the Presidential election in November. At this election there were four electoral tickets in the field, those lieaded by the candidates already named, and the Union party ticket, headed by John Bell and Edward Everett. Three thousand eight linndred and eighty votes were polled, Lincoln's majority over Donglas being 874.
No interest whatever was manifested in the election in 1861. The Democrats made no nominations. Only 584 votes were polled.
The election of 1862 was a more important one, and almost a full vote was polled. County and State officers were to be elected, except Governor and Lieutenant-Governor. The opposition to the Democracy assumed the name of Union party. During this year the Union arms had met with reverses, and a somewhat gloomy feeling pervaded the minds of the people. When the election came
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HISTORY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY.
each party stood firmly by its candidates, for the campaign had aroused party feeling intensely. Schuyler Colfax and David Turpie were the candidates for Congress. They were both fine speakers and made a thorough canvass of the district. The Republicans this year carried the county by majorities ranging from 222 to 469.
The year 1863 was an " off year," but in 1864 the campaign was one of much earnestness and feeling. Abraham Lincoln was the Republican candidate for re-election to the Presidency, and associ- ated with him as candidate for Vice- President was Andrew Johnson, the distinguished Unionist of Tennessee. Oliver P. Morton, elected by the Republicans Lieutenant-Governor in 1860, had become Governor by the election of Henry S. Lane to the United States Senate, and was now the Republican candidate for the office which he had acceptably filled. George B. McClellan and George H. Pen- dleton were the Democratic candidates for President and Vice- President, and Joseph E. McDonald for Governor. Colfax and Turpie were again candidates of their respective parties for Con- gress. The Republicaus were again successful, both in the October and November elections.
In 1866 the issues which divided parties arose from the work of reconstruction of the States lately in rebellion. The election was an important one, and party spirit once more ran high. Colfax and Turpie were for the third time pitted against each other by their respective parties as candidates for Congress, and they made a very thorough canvass of the district, part of the time in joint dis- cussion. Colfax majority in this county was 850. The Republican county officers were all elected by majorities ranging from 766 to 805.
In 1867 only county officers were to be elected. The Democracy placed no ticket in the field and there was no interest felt in the result.
The year 1868 brought with it another Presidential campaign. The Republican National Convention met in Chicago and nomi- nated Ulysses S. Grant, associating with him Schuyler Colfax, who had for so many years represented the ninth district in Congress. This necessitated the nomination of a man for Congress by that party in this district. The choice fell upon Jasper Packard, of La Porte county. The Democratic National Convention nominated Horatio Seymour and Francis P. Blair, Jr., for President and Vice- President, and the District Convention of that party nominated Melford K. Farrand as the candidate for Congress. Each party had in the field a full State ticket. Conrad Baker was the Republican candidate for Governor, and Thomas A. Hendricks the Democratic candidate. The campaign was one of great activity. Each party was well organized and both had great hopes of success. In the October election for State and county officers a total of 5,149 votes were polled, a large increase over any previous year. The Repub- licans were successful in this county, the least majority received by any candidate being 650, and the highest 709. In November Grant had a majority over Seymour of 826.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
The next general election did not occur until 1870, when a full State ticket, except Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, candidates for Congress and for county officers were to be voted for. Jasper Packard was a candidate for Congress for re-election, and arrayed against him Samuel L. Anthony, Democrat. Thomas S. Stanfield, of South Bend, was the Republican candidate for Circuit Judge, and J. Bradley, the Democratic candidate. The Republican candi- date for Representative was elected by a majority of 458 votes, the lowest number received, while the candidate for Sheriff had 1,105 majority, the highest.
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