USA > Indiana > Vigo County > History of Vigo county, Indiana, with biographical selections > Part 42
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of the train, and this was all the explanation required. William E. Hendricks could not stand Grant a second term. He made a speech defining his position. An eccentric character, Mr. Fabricius, who ran the Banner, announced that on the night of October 4 he would answer Hendricks. Mr. Hendricks sought out Fabricius and arranged for a joint discussion. The discussion was in German, and it was conceded that Hendricks put his opponent's hide on a pole. B. Gratz Brown, the democratic candidate for vice-presi- dent, spoke here October 5, with him came Cassius Clay, Hons. John R. Eden and George R. Wendling, of Illinois. The speaking was at Early's grove at night, 1,700 men marched in torch- light procession. About this time the Congregational minister, Rev. Howe, presided at a republican meeting when Boutwell spoke. This was counted a standoff for Rev. Smith's "speeches at Bagdad." Hendricks beat Browne for governor by about 1,000. This was not definitely settled for about a week after the election, and in the mean- time the people of Terre Haute did little else than stand about the bulletin boards. The October elections then were conceded to be the turning point of the campaign, and here was a drawn battle in Indi- ana. The greatest surprise, however, was the defeat of Voorhees by Hunter for congress by about 700 votes. The democrats only suc- ceeded in electing one of their entire county ticket. Tennta beat Davis for prosecutor 54 votes; Scott for senator over Dunnigan, 356 votes; Edwards and Lee over Cookerly and Donham, for repre- sentatives, 466 and 366; Hull, for sheriff, 456; Rottman over San- key, for treasurer, 384; Rippetoe over Carico, for real estate appraiser, 435; Robbins and Felenzer over Kelley and Louis See- burger, for county commissioner, 455 and 311; Mull over Gerst- meyer, for coroner, 342; Cooper over Allen, for surveyor, 322.
The legislature of 1871-72 elected William Mack, speaker, so the ensuing legislature elected Col. W. K. Edwards, another Vigo man, speaker. Emory Beauchamp, who had been beaten for criminal prosecutor by Richard Tennant, was matle first assistant door-keeper. This legislature elected Oliver P. Morton United States senator over "Blue Jeans " Williams. R. W. Thompson was the only name mentioned against Morton, but he declined and this left the field clear to the war governor.
November 5, 1872, Greeley carried but six States: Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri and Texas. Grant carried Vigo county by over 800 and swept the State like a tornado. Mr. Voorhees resumed the law practice with Capt. John C. Briggs as partner. Miss Lydia Showalter was the first lady notary public in the State.
November 21, 1872, a case was on trial before Mayor Thomas. M. M. Joab was conducting the examination of a witness, and his
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partner, T W. Harper, interjected remarks which incited S. C. Davis, the opposing counsel to remark that he did not consider it gentlemanly. This brought the retort that Mr. Davis never was a gentleman, upon which the latter drew a pistol and fired, the bullet making a ragged hole in the ceiling. The weapon was taken from him and a fine imposed on Mr. Davis, and white-winged peace again brooded o'er the land.
Patrick Henry Lee (how revolutionary that name sounds ) was a member of the 1874 legislature, and was taken sick and returned to his home in Terre Haute, and died before the close of the session.
The democracy of Vigo was badly demoralized after the Greeley campaign, and probably partly from this cause just about that time Terre Haute had quite a craze on the subject of female suf- frage, as the Gazette said: "It sported the liveliest kind of a woman suffrage club of which O. J. Smith was the recognized head and front. "
A proposition to build a new court-house this year was defeated by a vote of 437 for, and 3,764 against.
The republican legislature redistricted the State, the democrats said jerymandered it. This congressional district was then com- posed of Vermillion, Parke, Vigo, Clay, Owen, Monroe and Law- rence-taking out Sullivan-and making it hopelessly republican. The legislature abolished the common pleas courts, and thus legislated Judge John T. Scott out of office. Vigo and Sullivan were made the Fourteenth Judicial circuit. John Lamb was then a clerk in Treasurer Sankey's office. Chief of Police Gilmore resigned in January, 1873, and the council elected George Shew- maker to fill the vacancy. He afterward committed suicide.
February 18 the citizens voted on a proposition for a constitu- tional amendment prohibiting the State from resuming the Wabash & Erie Canal. The city vote was 1,539, all in the affirmative except eighteen.
The legislature passed the Baxter bill, which required a majority of the voters of each ward to sign a petition to the county commis- sioners, requesting them to issue a license to sell liquor. March 4, 1873, Capt. John E. Wilkinson was the first to appear with a peti- tion signed by three-fourths of the voters of the Fourth ward. About that time the Baxter bill supporters held a memorable meet- ing in the court-house. James Hooks presided, and Capt. Potter had charge of the resolutions. They commended the senator, Har- vey D. Scott, for his "patriotic support of the bill." And they did not mention Speaker Edwards at all, because he did not support the bill. The resolutions recited that those present would give the measure a hearty support. John T. Scott objected to some wording in the preamble to the resolutions, and this stirred up every hornet
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in the nest. The preachers were largely on hand, and entered the debate with great warmth. It soon grew quite personal, but "just before the battle, mother," there was a shaking of hands across the bloody chasm, and "the empire is peace."
Just then Nicholas Filbeck virtually served notice on L. A. Bur- nett, that he wanted to be postmaster, and for him (Burnett) to get out as soon as possible. This was a great post-office war between two old veterans "of the late," etc. It was charged against Burnett that he attended minstrel shows, while Filbeck always was at the wigwam, and was enjoying even the gloomiest political haranguing.
Congressman Hunter was looking out for himself, and ordered an election to decide who should be appointed.
This took place Saturday, March 8, 1873. Only republican patrons of the office were allowed to vote-polls open from 11 to 8 P. M. Capt. Potter kicked hard against not allowing the democrats to vote, and, as they were refused this right, he declined to act as inspector in his ward. Filbeck carried everything with a whoop. There were 1,181 votes cast, and Filbeck's majority was 557. Sep- ter Patrick was his principal opponent. He got 300 votes, 120 scattering.
In 1873 the democrats nominated John T. Scott for mayor, and for clerk, John Branch; marshal, A. J. Robinson; assessor, M. W. O'Connell. Nine days later the republicans nominated Alexander Thomas over Maj. O. J. Smith, for mayor; John Paddock, for treas- urer; Fred Smith, for marshal; Fred Schwingrouber, for clerk, and Jackson Stepp, for assessor. A large element not being satisfied with either ticket met in a workingmen's convention, and nominated for mayor Sergt. Noyes White. They nominated candidates for councilmen. The prominent leaders in this movement were W. B. Hendrickson, Jesse Robertson, Frank Smith and Septer Patrick- and the Gazette. A few days before the election White withdrew, and a second convention nominated S. K. Allen. In this triangular contest Thomas (R.) was re-elected. The vote was Thomas, 1,324; Scott, 1,242; Allen, 844. All the republican city ticket was elected. Schwingrouber's majority, 675; Schmidt's, 89; Stepp, 782. The democrats made no opposition to John Paddock. For council- men the republicans elected Carter in the First, Hager in the Second, and Hayward in the Fourth. The democrats and work- ingmen elected Smith in the Fifth. The new council elected George Boord street commissioner; Billy Van Brunt, fire chief; Emery Beauchamp, city attorney ; and Daniel Vickery, market mas- ter. Shewmaker was retained chief of police.
October 14, 1873, in the election for prosecuting attorney in Vigo and Sullivan counties, Samuel R. Hamill (D. ) was elected over George W. Buff (R.) by six votes. That year E. P. Beauchamp was appointed consul to Aix La Chapelle to succeed James Parks.
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The year 1874 was noted for its temperance crusade inaugurated in Terre Haute. It was the Baxter bill men on one side, and its opposers on the other to commence with. The Germans held a large meeting in Dowling Hall-denounced the Baxter bill roundly in speeches and resolutions. The following Sunday a temperance meeting was held in the Congregational Church, which resolved not only to support the Baxter bill, but to go to work systematically in the cause of temperance. To this end the temperance women of the city organized, and got up petitions to the council to impose a
license of $500 on all saloons. By way of retaliation the liquor men held a meeting, and resolved not to support or patronize any one " who is now, or shall in the future, engage in breaking down our legitimate business." The author of the bill, William Baxter, came and made several speeches in Terre Haute in April. The temperance people failed before the council in raising the license to $500, and this seemed to dampen much of their previous ardor. But here and in other towns the crusade movement went on cour- ageously for some time.
The municipal election in the May following was of course a mixed affair. The workingmen's ticket was the first in the field. At the election in the First ward Philip Schloss (D.) beat W. H. Valentine for the council by 291 majority; S. R. Henderson was elected in the Second ward over J. J. Cronin (D. ) and John G. Heinl (Cit.). In the Third ward Micheal Lamb, father of John E., defeated the citizens' candidate, W. M. Barr, by 67. Jacob W. Miller (D.) defeated M. Bridenthal in the Fourth by 61 votes, and J. W. Haley was successful over John Garretson (D.) in the Fifth by 28. Micheal Lamb died the August following, and in the elec- tion to fill the vacancy Roderus (D. ) defeated Gilman by 152 votes. The new council elected Stephen Mahoney chief of fire department.
The Baxter bill sent the German votes generally in the State and county to the democrats in the election of 1874. The State and county, therefore, went democratic. The temperance crusade was the principal cause of the State going democratic by about 20,000.
The republican ticket in Vigo county was crushed from top to bottom. Saturday preceding the election the Germans held a meet- ing, presided over by Max Joseph and addressed by W. E. Hen- dricks, Herman Hulman and F. V. Bischowsky. The republican party was denounced for its fanatical tendencies, and the meeting, in the resolutions, endorsed the Democratic ticket.
The democratic majority on the State ticket in the county was 840. The other majorities were: Hamill over Hays for circuit prosecutor, 165; Kelly over Tennant for criminal prosecutor, 790; Carico over Hull for sheriff, 207; Royse over William Paddock for
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auditor, 1,076; Sankey over Roy for treasurer, 335; Pritchard over Septer Patrick for recorder, 640; Gerstmeyer over Christy for coro- ner, 642; Lewis L. Weeks over H. E. Bentley for county commis- sioner, 789. B. F. Havens and Joseph Gilbert beat D. C. Greiner and John V. Carr for the legislature. For township trustee Fred Fischer had thirteen majority over George W. Naylor. G. F. Cook- erly, George P. Wolf, Martin Grace and R. Wharry were elected justices over A. Nehf, L. B. Denehie, Zenas Smith and Luther Gil- more. Judge Thomas B. Long was elected unanimously.
The legislature met January 7, 1875. Its chief business being to elect a United States senator, D. W. Voorhees was a candidate. But before the caucus he withdrew, and the race was between Mc- Donald and Holman. The republicans, in their caucus, split up between Pratt and Col. R. W. Thompson. McDonald was elected United States senator.
In the city election in Terre Haute in 1875 the democrats nom- inated Editor James B. Edmunds, the old war horse who had so vig- orously fought Greeley and coalition. The republicans nominated W. S. Clift against him, but he declined, and G. W. Naylor was substituted. Edmunds was elected by 398 majority. Fred Schmidt, for marshal, beat Barney Dougherty (D.), 400; and William Greenleaf (Cit.), 400. John B. Tolbert (D. ) beat Fred Schwin- grouber (R. ) for clerk 265 votes, and John Paddock (R. ) had 1,106 majority over Louis Seeburger for city treasurer. For councilmen : C. M. Carter (R.) over Ezra Reed in First ward, 35 majority; J. G. Heinl (R.) over J. M. Kyle in the Second, 53 votes; J. F. Reo- del (D.) over T. R. Gilman (R.) in the Third, 11; E. M. Gilman (R.) over Patrick Osborn in the Fourth, 28; Frank Smith (D.) over C. W. Duddleston in the Fifth, 40. This made the council a tie, with a democratic mayor to give the deciding vote.
But Alderman Miller was taken sick before the democrats got possession, and this gave the preponderance in the council to the republicans. On the night of Mayor Edmunds' inauguration the republicans tried to elect officers. The four democratic aldermen (Schloss, Roedel, Smith and Seeburger) bolted the meeting, and this destroyed a quorum. The republicans then claimed that a motion to adjourn till the following Monday night was carried, but the mayor and clerk did not so understand it, and refused to allow the record to show it. The republican members united in a request to the city marshal to summon the mayor and members to attend this Monday night meeting. When the night came the mayor looked down upon the five republicans only as present. The democrats again, by staying away, broke the quorum.
The Sixth ward had just been made by splitting the Fifth ward in two. Alderman Scholoss notified the republicans he would
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meet with them if they would agree not to elect officers. This they refused, and things continued in this way a week or ten days. In the meantime the democrats wanted an election ordered in the new Sixth ward.
At last the mayor called a special meeting for the purpose of ordering an election in the Sixth ward. All the members attended except Miller, the sick member.
The election in the Sixth came on June 1. The vote stood G. M. Cookerly (D.) 246 votes, James M. Kyle (D.) 232; Joshua Glover (R.) 252; J. W. Shepherd (R.) 241. Cookerly and Glover were elected, and this left the party division in the council the same as before.
After much time a compromise was finally made by the terms of which the council elected the following:
J. G. Williams (D.) city attorney; Stephen Mahoney (D.) fire chief; A. P. Voorhees (R.) street commissioner; R. A. Mott (D.) station house keeper; D. Vickery (R.) market master. The po- lice board to be two republicans and one democrat, but the force continued republican, with Shewmaker as chief.
Councilman Miller resigned on account of his health, and Au- gust 2 an election was held in the Fourth ward. T. J. Gist (R.) beat C. R. Pritchard (D.) 27 votes.
John E. Lamb received the appointment of circuit prosecutor on the death of S. R. Hamill.
At the May election, 1876, Philip Schloss (D.) defeated Craw- ford Fairbanks (R.) 144 votes in the First ward; L. G. Hager (R.) defeated Dr. R. Van Valzah (D.) 58 votes in the Second; T. R. Gilman (R.) had 34 majority over Eilert Harnes in the Third; Thomas Dowling (D.) had 65 votes more than T. J. Gist (R.) in the Fourth; James Harris (R. ) had 77 majority over A. R. Link in the Fifth and P. C. Mohan (D. ) beat James Mccutcheon 12 votes in the Sixth-three democrats and three republicans, leaving the council a republican majority. On May 8 the mayor, as custom- ary submitted his list of standing committees, but the republicans overruled him and named their caucus list. This created some feeling and the democrats for a while refused to serve on commit- tees. The council elected Henry Ramme chief of the fire de- partment, and James P. Johnson chief of police.
The democrats this year nominated for congress Col. W. E. McLean at their convention in Terre Haute May 18, on the fifth ballot over Hostetler, Jump and Knight. The democratic county convention endorsed A. B. Carlton for judge of the supreme court, and John E. Lamb for the circuit court. The Vigo County Re- publican convention declared for Oliver P. Morton for President.
In this campaign there was a controversy between O. J. Smith
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and Nicholas Filbeck. Smith was running on the greenback ticket and Filbeck was postmaster and somewhat running the republican party. The sparring and kicking at each other of these two men was fast and furious at times, but ended without personal harm to either one.
Again the Vigo county democrats made nearly a clean sweep for its ticket at this election. The majorities being Williams for Governor over Harrison 248; Hunter beat McLean in the county 67 votes; I. Donham (D.) over T. E. Knox for State senate 113; Buff (R.) over Lamb for circuit prosecutor 859; Carlton (D.) and Connelly (D.) over Pierce and Casto for representative 248 and 201; Kelly (D.) over Danaldson (R.) for criminal prosecutor 287; Durkan (D.) over Grenier (R.) for clerk 62; Carico (D.) over Hall for sheriff 351; Rogers (D.) over Duenweg for treasurer, 158; Boston (D.) over McCaskey for coroner, 160. Hunter defeated McLean for Congress. Jolin E. Lamb was elected prosecutor.
The presidential vote a month later in the county was as fol- lows: Tilden, 3,747; Hayes, 3,550. The greenback vote was 2,000. They had a full ticket in the field.
The spring elections of 1877 resulted in a substantial demo- cratic success. Edmunds was again elected mayor, beating Luther G. Hager (R.) and William Druesicke (national) ; Edmunds' plurality was 159. J. B. Tolbert (D.) elected clerk by 70 majority over J. M. Wildy (R.) and J. P. Brennan (N.). Hugo Duenweg (R.) had 261 plurality for treasurer over T. B. Snapp (D.) and C. W. Ross (N.). Al Buckingham (R.) was elected marshal by 48 over Dan Fasig (D.) and B. F. Reagan (N.). In the council, First ward, Scudder (D.) 95 over Foster (R.) ; in the Second, Slaughter (N. and supported by democrats) 25 over Jeffers (R.) ; Third, Coffin (D.) 42 over Estabrook (R.); Fourth, Clutter (D.) 142 over Gilman (R.) and Piper (N.); Fifth, Smith (N. and D.) 8 over Samuel McKeen; Sixth, Handick had 27 over Glover (R.) and Tressle (N.). The new council being democratic promptly turned out the old republican appointees. Schell was fire chief; Harper, city attorney; Stack, chief of police; Cox, street commissioner; Thomas, station-house keeper, and Maehler, market master. Marshal Buckingham appointed Vandever his duputy; Bill Howard, a colored man, was made a policeman. Mayor Edmunds died nearly two months after his re-election. In the election to fill the vacancy, Henry Fairbanks (R. ) was elected over Asa M. Black by 8 votes. Councilman Schloss acted as mayor during the vacancy. Six ex-mayors acted as pall-bearers at the Edmunds funeral. After serving nine months of his term Mayor Fairbanks died, April 8, 1878.
At the township elections, 1878, the nationals began to show
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great strength. Maj. Smith, of the Express, was overjoyed when the nationals gave the county a surprise by electing a township trustee. His seconds in celebrating the event were Hooks, Hudson, Holmes and Reif. A local paragraphist described their celebrat- ing the victory as "marching up Main street two abreast and one deep, singing glory hallelujah songs." The vote for trustee was B. J. Abbott (N.) 1,797; Fred Fisher (D.) 1,653; Michael Byers (R.) 1,007; Abbott's plurality 144. Jehu Johns had a small plurality over Patrick Osborn (D.) for assessor. Two nationals and two democrats were elected justices. The next month the jubilant nationals elected Joseph M. Wildy mayor to fill the va- cancy caused by the death of Fairbanks. The vote stood Wildy (N.) 1,628; W. K. Edwards (R.) 1,605; A. R. Link (D.) 1,462. But the democrats elected four of the six councilmen. Vote in the First ward, Schloss (D.) 365, McKeen (R.) 337, McElfresh (N. ) 224; Second, Cruft (R.) 368, Dickons (D.) 213. Reichart (N.) 120; Third, Apman (D.) 392, Polk (N.) 368, Feltus (R.) 116; Fourth, White (D.) 323, Walker (N.) 257, Briggs (R. ) 249; Fifth, Harris (N.) 297, Grace (D.)246, Holmes (R.) 112; Sixth, Mohan (D.) 362, Owen (N.) 260, Lockard (R.) 82. The republicans had but one member in the council, nationals three and democrats eight.
In 1878 occurred the memorable judicial contest, which was a fierce wrangle among the democrats. The circuit then was Vigo and Sullivan counties, and as Vigo was politically nearly a stand- off between the two parties, and Sullivan was always sure of a good democratic majority, there was not, if things ran smoothly among the democrats, much for the republicans to do but to stand off and look on. Sullivan county had no candidate, and so there were two Vigo democrats aspiring-Chambers Y. Patterson and Sidney B. Davis. Sullivan appointed its delegates first by primary election, and it instructed for Patterson and the delegation to vote as a unit. This was a red rag to the Vigo friends of Davis, and they fixed up the delegation from Vigo, as they supposed, solidly for Davis. But a portion of the Vigo delegation went over to Patterson and therefore, in the organization of the nominating convention, by these four or five Vigo men acting with the solid Sullivan delegation, had control. Judge Carlton was chairman of the convention and John E. Lamb, secretary. A more turbulent judicial convention probably never assembled in the circuit. Each side was full of men who were now profoundly aroused, and the moment the hall was filled all were watching for some advantage-anything of which they could seize and use as a weapon (parliamentary) to overwhelm the other side. And the battle opened in the preliminary proceedings. One of the Patterson men from this county, Martin Hollinger,
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though not a delegate, was seen on the floor at the start leading the Sullivan crowd. When he was arraigned as not being a delegate, he produced his proxy from a Sullivan delegate and kept his place in the body of the convention. The excitement quickly culminated in wild confusion-every man and most of the audience were on their feet, and it is said that those who had not drawn their pistols, had them handy in their hip pockets. The Davis men saw they were outwitted, and failing in a confused motion to adjourn, they rose up and marched out of the convention, accompanied by their president and secretary. The dissenters went to another hall, leaving four or five Vigo delegates, and soon organized and unani- mously nominated Davis. The part remaining-all of Sullivan and some of Vigo-now settled into the utmost quiet and harmony, and unanimously nominated Patterson, and both sides returned to their homes, shouting lustily for their man, each side denouncing the other as irregulars, etc. And thus the campaign among the dem- ocrats opened at a white heat. Both conventions nominated J. P. Patton for prosecuting attorney. So evenly seemed to be the division in the ranks of the democrats that the republicans figured out that there was now a chance for them, and they then held a convention and put up John T. Gunn as their candidate, making no nomination against Patton. The intensity of this contest among the democrats was a type of Vigo county politics, when all men are politicians who go into a campaign with their coats off and sleeves rolled to the tops of their shoulders; men who never get tired, and who, it would seem, never sleep until the last vote possible is in the box, and then, whether triumphant or over- whelmed, are coming up smiling the next day, eager for the next contest. Nothing can demoralize them, so far as hope and hard work goes, in the next election. If they meet a Waterloo to-day, they only smile in anticipation of paying it back with compound interest on the enemy at the next political battle, and what is abso- lutely amusing about it, they generally do. In April, 1890, the democrats carried Harrison township, including Terre Haute, by about 1,000 majority, and in May following the republicans carried the city election for councilmen by nearly 1,200 majority. Perhaps if next month they could have a whack at each other the democrats would regain all lost ground, and more, or if it would turn out a 'alf and 'alf affair (about an even divide) no one would be at all surprised. Judge Patterson was elected by a small plurality.
In the township election, 1880, the vote for trustee stood: Kinzer (D.) 1,815, Finkbiner (R.) 2,131, Abbott (N.) 1,171. Finkbiner's plurality, 315. Abbott's plurality two years before was 144. This probably is the gauge of the decline of the green- back party in Vigo; Kercheval beat O'Reilly for assessor 103 votes
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