History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 101

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104

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George Snyder, Ripley township. Dr. Howard, Ripley township.

The city of Crawfordsville has so many that have been fighting in the trenches that it would be an exhausting task to name them all, but brief mention should be given to Clyde H. Jones, can- didate for Congress; ex-State Senator Will H. Johnston, Mayor Murphy, Councilmen Frank Mc- Geath, Mart Burroughs, Henry Schenck, Carl Snyder and John Vanausdall, and the members- elect to the county offices.

The Democracy of Montgomery county is at present ably represented in news circles by the Crawfordsville Review. This paper has an hon- orable history in its fight for Democratic princi- ples that dates back to 1841. The starting of a paper came as a necessity in the days of pro- mulgating the doctrines of Van Buren and Jack- son. Bennett Engle, father of the present County Auditor, was the capitalist for the first newspaper venture in behalf of Democracy and Charles Bowen was the editor and mechanical chieftain of the sturdy little journal.

In 1862 the paper was purchased from these men and finally came into the hands of E. C. Voris and was successively owned in whole or in part by T. B. Collins, J. M. Miller, State Senator; James M. Seller, Hon. Bayless W. Hanna, later ininister to the Argentine; John E. Hanna, A. B. Cunningham and W. E. Henkel.

In March, 1900, the paper was sold to Samuel M. Coffman, then the proprietor of the Argus- News, a rival Democratic paper. The combined sheet was called the News-Review, but later as- sumed the name of the senior paper, the Review.

The paper was sold by Mr. Coffman to R. P. Carpenter, the present proprietor of the Nobles- ville Times, and postmaster at that place. Mr. Westlake purchased the plant and in turn sold it to G. H. D. Sutherlin and his partners, who incor- porated the company.

In 1913 George Harney assumed the editorial management of the paper and assisted materially in the splendid fight made by the Democrats of the city of Crawfordsville in the election held in the fall of 1913, at which time the Democrats won.

Under the present management the Review is a power for good in western Indiana. Its in- creased and growing circulation is confined to this and neighboring counties and circulates

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

among all classes of people. While not radical, it has constant and present opportunities to pro- mulgate party doctrines among the large class of intelligent people.

The following is a complete list of officeholders in Montgomery county, showing to what party they belong :

Judge Circuit Court (Twenty-second judicial district)-Jerre West, Democrat.

Clerk Circuit Court-Thomas E. Matthews, Democrat.

Assessor-George Welty, Democrat.

Auditor-Bennett Engle, Democrat.

Treasurer-O. P. Everson, Democrat.

Recorder-Henry D. Servies, Democrat.

Sheriff-James F. Wren, Democrat.

Prosecuting Attorney-Ira Clouser, Democrat. Coroner-Dr. Chester Howard, Democrat.

Superintendent of Schools-Karl C. James, Democrat.

Health Commissioner-Dr. H. W. Sigmond, Democrat.

Surveyor-M. L. Nees, Democrat.

County Physician-Dr. F. O. Schenck, Demo- crat.

County Road Superintendent-H. A. Chadwick, Democrat.

County Commissioners-First district, Q. E. Bundy, Democrat; Second district, L. R. Long, . Democrat; Third district, M. W. Hatton, Demo- crat.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF MORGAN COUNTY

T HE county of Morgan is in many respects one of the most favorably located tracts of country in the State of Indiana. The rich and fertile valley of the West Fork of White river enters the county at its northeast corner, at a point known as the Waverly Bluffs (which is said to be the geographical center of the State).

The capitol was once located at this point and a few buildings erected, but later was removed twelve miles north to Indianapolis, the county seat of Marion county. At that time Indianap- olis was a small village, but better located for a great inland city than the Waverly Bluffs.

The county was organized by an Act of the Legislature in 1821-22. This county, before the admission of the State in 1816, was the undis- puted home of the Miami tribe of Indians. After the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 the power of the Indians was completely crushed, which led to numerous treaties, whereby the Indians ceded to the government the land occupied by Morgan county, and it gradually became settled up from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY.

Unfortunately on account of a fire in the court house in the early sixties, the tally sheets of pre- vious elections were destroyed, and the writer, who was born in the county in 1833, can only give the political result of elections from boyhood memory and conversation with pioneer settlers, all of whom are long since dead. His father was an ardent and leading Henry Clay Whig up to the death of the Whig party in 1854. The writer became of age in 1854 and cast his first vote for the Democratic party against Knownothingism, but was completely snowed under in his first vote in the county by the secret, oath-bound Know- nothing party that had swallowed up the Whig party. The county from 1824 to 1840 was slight- ly Democratic in national elections, but mixed in the selection of local officers.

The campaign of 1840, the most memorable in the history of politics to that date, between the Whigs and Democrats in this county, was known as the "Log-cabin and Hard-cider campaign" be- tween William Henry Harrison and Martin Van Buren. It was a singing, shouting and pole-rais- ing campaign. It has been said that the Whigs sung and shouted General Harrison into the pres- idential chair. The tidal wave for "Tip and Ty- ler" gave the Whig party complete control of the local government of the county by small majori- ties, which they again lost in 1844. This was an

exciting political battle nationally between James K. Polk and Henry Clay. Many fights occurred that became the conversation at musters and ral- lies for years afterward. One worthy of men- tion, spoken of today by old people, of the cam- paign of 1840 follows:

Men were measured in those days more by their muscular strength than by their power to grasp fundamental issues of national questions. A quadruple of Whigs, on returning to their homes in the evening (all slightly tee-ed up) met in the road a man and his wife in a covered wagon moving from Indiana back to Ohio. The horse- back Whigs hollered "Huzzah for Harrison," the mover and his brave wife hollered for Van Buren. The horseback Whigs faced their horses around to the wagon, and the spokesman, who prided himself on his fighting qualities, said, "Then you are a Democrat?" "I am a Jackson Democrat." "Well, we have got some Whig whisky here and .you'll have to take a drink of Harrison whisky." "No," he said, "I have a bottle of Van Buren liquor; you must drink Democratic whisky with me." "No, you have to drink Harrison whisky or take a licking." "Well," said the mover, "a licking is something I have never yet taken." "If you'll get out I'll d-d quick give you one," the other replied. He passed the lines to his wife and commenced getting out. She threw the lines down, picked up a revolver and got out herself. All dismounted and tied their horses to the bushes by the roadside. When all was ready for the fight she cocked her revolver and said: "Gentlemen, this has got to be a fair fight. I will shoot dead the first one who interferes until one of these men hollers 'enough.'" "Oh, madam, we are all gentlemen; have no fears of foul play." "All right, Jack, remember I am here." Everything being ready, the combatants faced each other and began knocking. Newton, the Whig bully, was six feet four, with long arms. Jack, the Demo- crat, was five ten, built from the ground up and as active as a wild-cat. Newton was placing his blows scientifically and out of reach of Jack. His wife saw his disadvantage and cried out, "Jack, clinch him." Jack sprang at least ten feet, dodg- ing a terrible blow, clinched Newton, and with a dexterous trip threw him on his back in the road, falling on top of him and pounding him right and left, with blow after blow well placed. His friends said, "Let's separate them." "No," said Jack's wife; "not unless you gentlemen acknowl- edge he is whipped." "We confess it, madam." "Then separate them." After they had washed

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

the blood off in a ditch by the roadside they all took a drink from the Democratic bottle and the Whig bottle and shook hands as friends. Mr. Newton then said: "I live but half a mile back, have a good barn and comfortable house, plenty to eat, and as the weather is bad and the river rising rapidly, turn your wagon around and go back with me and remain until the weather changes and the river falls so it will be safe to cross." The mover begged to be excused, but Newton would accept no excuse, as it would be unsafe to cross the river. He turned around and went back with his Whig friend and remained for several days, until a change in the weather came. These two men corresponded by letter and were warm friends for the remainder of their lives. Mr. Newton told the writer years afterward that he was whipped, but would have died in the road before he would have cried "enough." He said the sweetest music he ever heard was when his brave wife said: "If you gentlemen acknowledge he is whipped, then you may part them."

In 1844, under the leadership of James K. Polk, the Democrats gained control of the local government of the county, but by small majorities up to 1854, the date of the death of the Whig party and the organization of the Knownothing party, who succeeded through a secret oath-bound organization in an off presidential year in sweep- ing the county as they did many counties of In-

diana, but that party was short-lived, as the Democracy again came back into power in 1856.

In 1860 there was a very exciting campaign be- tween the Democrats and the Republicans, Lincoln and Douglas being the standard-bearers. Lincoln carried the county by 162 votes that swept into of- fice the entire local ticket, except the writer, who was elected County Treasurer by twenty-five ma- jority, the real beginning of his long and eventful political career.

The Civil war came on after the inauguration of President Lincoln and for a quarter of a cen- tury the Republicans controlled almost unbroken- ly the local government of the county.

In 1884, in the Cleveland and Blaine campaign, this county became Democratic locally. Since then it has been an uncertain county politically, but principally Republican up to 1910. In the middle of President Taft's administration the disaffection began to show itself in the ranks of the Repub- lican party, which culminated in 1912 in the local government of the county falling entirely into the hands of the Democracy. In this county, like many others in Indiana, the party robes rest loosely on the voter; much criticism can be heard of "boss rule," "machine politics," "public extrav- agance," "failure to carry out platform prom- ises," etc., etc. The safe thing is to make no written predictions of the future standing of the politics of Morgan county.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF NEWTON COUNTY

N EWTON COUNTY is the youngest in its political organization and probably the latest in settlement of all the counties in the State. Geographically, it comprises ranges eight, nine and fractional range ten, bordering the Illinois State line, and extends north through townships twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty- nine, thirty, thirty-one and at its northeast ex- tremity into township thirty-two; the north boundary line being irregular and limited to the sinuous course of the Kankakee river. It com- prises about 420 square miles in area and is di- vided into three natural subdivisions, the valley of the Iroquois, the Beaver Creek valley and lake basin, and the Kankakee valley.

Prior to its organization this territory was a part of Jasper county, and in 1857 the inhabitants thereof presented a petition to the board of com- missioners of Jasper county, asking for the estab- lishment of a new county, and on December 7,. 1857, this petition was granted. Zachariah Spit- ler, John Darroch and David Creek were ap- pointed a committee to establish the boundaries of the proposed new county. In March, 1860, Gov- ernor Willard appointed Thomas R. Barker or- ganizing sheriff, who called an election early in April for the purpose of electing county officers. The men chosen at this election met on April 21, 1860, at the town of Kent, now Kentland, were installed in their respective offices and thereupon the county of Newton was declared to be estab- lished and organized.

Of those participating in the establishment and organization of the county, Thomas R. Barker, Zachariah Spitler and John Darroch were Demo- crats and for many years afterwards were recog- nized leaders in the councils of the party. Thomas R. Barker is deserving particular mention. He was an Englishman by birth, came into this terri- tory when a mere boy and lived among the Indians and acquired his knowledge of life from the In- dians; was otherwise uneducated and yet pos- sessed of such a powerful intellect and forceful character that he was recognized by all who knew him as a leader of men, and accepted as a loyal companion and entertainer for the most talented and highly educated. I remember to have heard him tell of being at Danville, Ill., in 1832, where he met a Mr. Forbes, collector of tax for the dis- trict extending north to the north boundary of the State, and that Forbes paid the tax on the city of Chicago because it was less than the expense to him of making the trip there to collect it. It was Barker who named this county "Newton" to

further perpetuate the historical friendship of Jasper and Newton.

The first Democratic convention was held at the Darroch school house, then located in the south- west corner of section 28, Beaver township, and as I now recall there was present at this mass convention not to exceed twenty-five men. The candidates were selected by ballots, hats were used for receiving the votes. The nominees 01 that convention were as follows: For clerk of the circuit court, Zachariah Spitler; for treas- urer, Samuel Mccullough; for recorder, John Darroch; for sheriff, Elijah I. Shriver; for auditor, Alexander Sharp; for surveyor, Adam Shideler, and for county commissioners, Thomas R. Barker, William Russel and Michael Coffelt. These candidates were all elected but one. John Ade, Republican candidate for recorder, was elected.

The total population of the county at the time was about 2,300. Close upon the political organi- zation of the county came a change in the national administration. Then came the Civil war, and the cause of Democracy in this, as in all other locali- ties of the North, suffered. Some there were who trailed then, as they always trail, with the domi- nant party. Others there were who confounded a principle with a name and went off after false policies of government on account of prejudice acquired against the word "Democrat."

The first Democratic paper, the Newton County Democrat, was established in August, 1862, by William C. Rose, a young lawyer of much promi- nence and ability, but of very poor health, and by reason of which, in the following spring, John McCarthy became the editor for a time. In 1867 John B. Spotswood became the editor of this paper and, with some interruptions in name and pro- prietorship of short duration, Mr. Spotswood con- tinued as the editor of this political organ until his demise in 1893. It was then known as the Kentland Democrat and under that title is now edited by Edward Steinbaugh. Mr. Spotswood was a bachelor, a descendant of the noted Spots- wood family of Virginia, a man well educated, versatile and of marked ability as an editorial writer.

Until about the campaign of 1884 the political organization of the county was nominal rather than practical and effective and not until later years, when the practice of recognizing young men as the working force and casting upon them the burden of campaign, putting them forward

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

not only as members of the organization with par- ticular duties to be performed, but as delegates to the various conventions and as candidates for the various offices, did the party begin to realize sub- stantial gains.

In 1908 the Republican majorities on the state and national tickets ranged from 232 on the gov- ernor to 455 on Republican electors, and in 1908, the Republican boom campaign, the majorities ran from 804 to 852 in a total vote as between the two parties of about 2,700, while in 1912, on ac- count of the better organization of the Democrats and the defection in the Republican party through the progressive movement, the Democrats carried the county by majorities from 89 to 174, and in 1916, with the progressives and stand-patters practically reunited, their majorities on state and national delegates fell below 200, while the Demo- crats elected the auditor, treasurer and sheriff by substantial majorities.

The political party in the minority locally is not usually productive of local politicians, and more especially is this true where the volume of the vote is small, and no doubt but that, politically,

Newton county "has its mute, inglorious Miltons" and guiltless Cromwells.

Of all our Democrats Patrick Keefe came near- est, perhaps, to the attainment of some distinction as a politician. He was born in Ireland, educated at Thurles, and came to America in 1865. Always active in local politics, in 1896 he came to be rec- ognized as a campaign orator. In 1904 he was a candidate for presidential elector for the Tenth Indiana District, but unfortunately on July 4 of that year, while on his way to the national Demo- cratic convention at St. Louis, lost his life in a train wreck at Litchfield, Ill. Mr. Keefe was quite popular among the Democrats in Indiana and Illinois and was recognized in the councils of the party, state and nation.

A becoming modesty, as well as a proper sense of personal security forbids that any living active member of the party should be made the subject of special mention in this article, and the purpose of it forbids that the entire roll of honor be here recorded. Let it be sufficient, therefore, to say that Newton county Democracy is organized, act- ive and efficient and its history is yet to be made as well as yet to be written.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF NOBLE COUNTY

By Joseph C. Kimmill

N OBLE COUNTY was organized in 1836. It was included in Allen county from 1824 to 1836. The Democratic central commit- tee was organized in 1868 with Hon. J. B. Stoll as county chairman. The following gentlemen have served as county chairman since that time: H. Wakeman, Owen Black, E. B. Gerber, James M. Denny, David Hough, Charles K. Greene, Wil- liam N. Showalter, Dr. John W. Morr, J. Frank Stanley, George D. Gaby and John C. Cleland.

Noble county has always been evenly divided politically and neither party has elected the entire ticket save in two or three instances.

The following Democrats have served in the Indiana legislature: David B. Harriman, Henry C. Stanley, Eli B. Gerber, Norman Teal, James Roscoe, James E. McDonald, J. C. Kimmell, Joseph T. Stahl and Marion Franks. In 1906 Dr. John W. Morr of Albion was the Democratic candidate for Congress, but he was defeated by a small ma- jority by Clarence Gilhams of LaGrange. J. B. Stoll was candidate for State Auditor in 1872 and was the party's nominee for Congress in 1878 but unfortunately he met defeat upon both occasions. O. H. Downey was a candidate for State Statis- tician and Henry G. Zimmerman was nominated for Appellate Judge but these gentlemen both met defeat with the balance of the State ticket. David B. Harriman of Northport represented Noble county in the State Legislature for a number of years and was a member of the constitutional con- vention in 1851.

Among the prominent Noble county Democrats the name of Hon. J. B. Stoll, editor of the His- tory of Indiana Democracy, stands at the head. As founder and publisher of the National Banner he contributed more to the Democratic party than perhaps any one man. His fearless editorials did more to mold public opinion than any other medium. I would place the late James E. Mc- Donald, his successor as editor of the Banner, next in the list. No one ever doubted where Jim McDonald stood on any public question. No one ever doubted his sincerity. He was, like his pred- ecessor, an able writer and he enjoyed a wide acquaintance. He was a member of the Indiana State Senate and was one of the leaders in that body. He served as Postmaster at Ligonier dur- ing Cleveland's first term and was a member of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture for near- ly twenty years. Henry C. Stanley of Green township, David Hough, Eli B. Gerber, Charles

V. Inks, Dr. A. S. Parker, William S. Kiser, Charles K. Greene, George Keehn, James Sweet, David Law, M. M. Merriam, N. P. Eagles, Henry G. Zimmerman, Michael Beck, Samuel E. Alvord, James M. Denny and many others have served their party in various capacities and have held prominent positions in the official life of Noble county.

One of the most remarkable feats in Noble county politics was pulled off in 1870 when James Stewart of Noble township was defeated for the nomination for County Auditor by the Repub- licans and a week later he was nominated for the same office by the Democrats and triumphantly elected at the ensuing election. He served two terms and remained a Democrat until his death. His son, Virgil, is a resident of Albion and is at present Justice of the Peace of Albion township.

There are two Democratic newspapers in the county, the Ligonier Banner, published by W. C. B. Harrison, and the Albion Democrat, edited by W. H. McEwen. The Banner was founded by the Hon. John B. Stoll of South Bend and was for a . number of years called the National Banner. He sold the Banner to ex-Senator James E. McDon- ald, who published it until his death. This paper can boast of having had two of the ablest editors in the State of Indiana. The Albion Democrat had a stormy career until the present manage- ment purchased it and it is now one of the best county newspapers in Northern Indiana. The Kendallville News, published for several years by the late A. S. Parker, was merged into the Stand- ard-News and is run as an independent paper. Noble county Democracy owes much of its success to the efficiency of the press.

The Noble county court house is practically filled with Democrats at the present time, there being but one Republican on the county pay-roll.

Hon. Luke H. Wrigley was re-elected Judge of the Thirty-third Judicial Circuit at the last elec- tion. George A. Young, the efficient Auditor, as- sumed the duties of his office January 1 of this year; William H. Favinger is Clerk of the Noble Circuit Court, Wilbert T. Hines is County Treas- urer; John C. Cleland, the genial County Sheriff, is completing his second term. Jacob C. Lindsey divides his time between the duties of the County Assessor's office and his favorite pastime-fishing. Edwin Smith, one of the stiffest Democrats in the county, is the Recorder, while Cecil V. Kilgore is

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

filling the office of County Superintendent of Schools. Noble county never had a more efficient Board of County Commissioners than William Peiper, Amon Spurgeon and Daniel D. Stump. As a fitting recognition of their services the voters of the county have elected each of them to a third term, a new precedent in Noble county politics. The excellent services rendered by the Democratic office-holders has been in a large measure the means of keeping Noble county in the Democratic column.

The Democrats of Noble county are firm be-

lievers in the doctrine that a public office is a public trust and it may be said to their credit that no Democratic official ever betrayed the trust imposed upon him. When the party went down in defeat the unfortunate candidates accepted their defeat gracefully and when victory perched on their banner they accepted their official posi- tions as a sacred trust, believing that he who serves the people best, serves his party best. Noble county can boast of clean politics and honest elec- tions and the Democrats have done their share toward bringing these conditions about.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OHIO COUNTY

E NVIRONMENT and association may have a great deal to do with the shaping of one's political ideas and acts, as well as in other things of life. For instance, in her earlier days, in fact from 1803 to 1844, Ohio county was a part of good old Democratic Dearborn. It was almost impossible even to think in terms other than Dem- ocratic. While the Republican minority kept on voting, they never showed any accomplishments for all their labors. They merely voted as a mat- ter of form and "sort of" to preserve an organi- zation, never having enough of a chance of suc- cess to make them even hope for such a thing.

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History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 101

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926 Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104