USA > Indiana > History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916 > Part 104
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in the last three or four years. An additional high school building was erected in Spencer dur- ing the year 1914 at a cost of $40,000. This is a modern building in every respect and one of the most beautiful buildings in the State.
COUNTY OFFICERS. CLERKS CIRCUIT COURT.
John R. Freeland, first clerk.
Basil Meek, Democrat, 1854 to 1862.
Inman H. Fowler, Democrat, 1862 to 1870.
James S. Meek, Democrat, 1870 to 1878.
Noel W. Williams, Democrat, 1878 to 1882. James King, Democrat, 1882 to 1886. Winfield S. Johnson, Democrat, 1890 to 1894. Parks M. Martin, Democrat, 1894 to 1898. George W. Wark, Democrat, 1898 to 1902. Eph W. Cassady, Democrat, 1906 to 1910. Louis Schmidt, Democrat, 1910 to 1914. Joseph C. Clark, Democrat, 1914 to
AUDITORS.
Andrew J. Hays, Democrat, 1862 to 1866. George D. Phillips, Democrat, 1867 to 1871. William H. Troth, Democrat, 1871 to 1875. Frank H. Freeland, Democrat, 1875 to 1879. Nathaniel D. Cox, Democrat, 1879 to 1883. Thurston Dickerson, Democrat, 1883 to 1887. Samuel L. Wallace, Democrat, 1887 to 1891. Wilfred Hickam, Democrat, 1891 to 1895. Joseph B. Workman, Democrat, 1895 to 1899. William M. Free, Democrat, 1899 to 1903.
George W. Stwalley, Democrat, 1911 to 1915. Samuel M. Royer, Democrat, 1915 to -
RECORDERS.
David Harris, Democrat, 1855 to 1863.
Adam B. Conder, Democrat, 1863 to 1867.
David N. Horn, Democrat, 1867 to 1871. Emanuel Fulk, Democrat, 1871 to 1875. George W. Keller, Democrat, 1875 to 1879. Jacob Kiphart, Democrat, 1879 to 1883. Frank M. Staley, Democrat, 1883 to 1887.
Rankin McClaren, Democrat, 1887 to 1891. Lorenzo D. Coats, Democrat, 1891 to 1893.
Isaac N. Noel, Democrat, appointment, 1893 to 1894.
Sylvester E. Atkins, Democrat, 1894 to 1898.
Henry V. Dunkin, Democrat, 1898 to 1902.
George W. Parish, Democrat, 1906 to 1910.
Charles E. Carpenter, Democrat, 1910 to 1914. Charles P. Surber, Democrat, 1914 to
TREASURERS.
John Bartholomew, first treasurer, - to 1819. Philip Hart, to 1821.
George W. Moore, Democrat, - - to 1833.
George Parke, Democrat, 1847 to 1856.
George Dittemore, Democrat, 1856 to 1858.
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
James W. Dobson, Democrat, 1862 to 1864. Jacob V. Wolf, Democrat, 1864 to 1868. Vincent E. Williams, Democrat, 1868 to 1872. Daniel Harbaugh, Democrat, 1872 to 1876. George W. Ellis, Democrat, 1876 to 1880. William F. Megenhardt, Democrat, 1880 to 1884. William B. Halton, Democrat, 1885 to 1889. William F. Cassady, Democrat, 1889 to 1893. Robert W. Martin, Democrat, 1893 to 1897. Benjamin T. Fisher, Democrat, 1897 to 1901. William Gallimore, Democrat, 1901 to 1903. William Gallimore, Democrat, 1905 to 1907. Harry B. Williams, Democrat, 1911 to 1915. Charles E. Shultz, Democrat, 1915 to
SHERIFFS.
Andrew Evans, 1819 to 1822.
Thomas Allen, 1822 to 1826.
Samuel Scott, Democrat, 1833 to 1834.
Thomas Allen, 1835 to 1836.
Martin Snoddy, 1837 to 1839.
Lindsey C. Abrell, Democrat, 1843 to 1845. George Dittemore, Democrat, 1845 to 1846. John M. Coleman, Democrat, 1857 to 1861. Thomas I. Wells, Democrat, 1861 (died). Albert Childress, Democrat, 1861 to 1862. Richard T. Abrell, Democrat, 1862 to 1865. Isaac S. Lucas, Democrat, 1865 to 1869. Richard T. Abrell, Democrat, 1869 to 1874. Hamilton Moffett, Democrat, 1874 to 1878. Lycurgus H. Wood, Democrat, 1878 to 1882. Samuel N. Chambers, Democrat, 1882 to 1886. Alex Brice, Democrat, 1886 to 1890.
Benjamin H. Johnson, Democrat, 1890 to 1894. Stephen D. Phillips, Democrat, 1896 to 1900. Stephen G. Summers, Democrat, 1900 to 1902. William P. Slinkard, Democrat, 1904 to 1908.
Tecumseh S. McNaught, Democrat, 1908 to 1912
William C. Robertson, Democrat, 1912 to 1916. Alex. Fulk, Democrat, 1916 to- -.
SURVEYORS.
John Getty, 1847 to 1851.
William McCormick, 1851 to 1854.
William H. Troth, Democrat, 1858 to 1860.
William M. Kinnerman, Democrat, 1860 to 1866. William H. Troth, Democrat, 1866 to 1868. James King, Democrat, 1868 to 1877. George D. Phillips, Democrat, 1877 to 1880. Joseph F. Rogers, Democrat, 1880 to 1882. George D. Phillips, Democrat, 1882 to 1890. Parks M. Martin, Democrat, 1890 to 1894. Louis L. Drescher, Democrat, 1894 to 1896. Clarence L. Day, Democrat, 1896 to 1898. Louis L. Drescher, Democrat, 1898 to 1900. Clarence L. Day, Democrat, 1900 to 1902. Temple G. Pierson, Democrat, 1902 to 1904. Emanuel Fulk, Democrat, 1904 to 1906.
Sylvester Atkins, Democrat, 1906 to 1908. Emanuel Fulk, Democrat, 1908 to 1910. Jason Stucky, Democrat, 1910 to 1912. Louis L. Drescher, Democrat, 1912 to 1914. Louis L. Drescher, Democrat, 1914 to 1916. Frank Hester, Democrat, 1916 to
CORONERS.
George J. Grimes, Democrat, 1840 to 1851. Anderson B. Mills, Democrat, 1851 to 1856. William E. Franklin, Democrat, 1856 to 1858. Anderson B. Mills, Democrat, 1858 to 1874. George W. Edwards, Greenback, 1874 to 1876. Nathaniel D. Cox, Democrat, 1876 to 1878. Samuel N. Chambers, Democrat, 1878 to 1880. Elisha N. Mullinix, Democrat, 1880 to 1884. Walker Schell, Democrat, 1884 to 1888. Caleb A. Pritchard, Democrat, 1888 to 1890. Fred V. Stucky, Democrat, 1890 to 1892. John J. Livingston, Democrat, 1892 to 1894. William H. Hixon, Democrat, 1894 to 1898. Boaz Yocum, Democrat, 1898 to 1900. Samuel N. Quillen, Democrat, 1900 to 1902. Ephraim Chenoweth, Democrat, 1906 to 1908. Fred V. Stucky, Democrat, 1908 to 1912. Francis E. Drescher, Democrat, 1912 to 1915. John W. Pryor, Democrat, 1915 to 1917. J. Fred Blair, Democrat, 1917 to
We here give a full list of the Senators and Rep- resentatives from an early date in Indiana legisla- tion to the present time, and if there are any other names of members of either branch of the General Assembly, they do no appear of record.
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS FROM OWEN COUNTY.
Knox, Sullivan, Daviess, Vigo and Owen-Wil- liam Polke, 1819-20, 1820-21.
Sullivan, Vigo, Greene, Owen and Pike- Thomas H. Blake, 1821-22.
Sullivan, Vigo, Greene, Owen, Parke and Put- nam-John Jenckes, 1822-23.
Vigo, Sullivan, Parke, Putnam, Owen, Greene, Wabash, Montgomery and Morgan-John Jenckes, 1823-24.
Vigo, Sullivan, Parke, Putnam, Owen, Greene, Wabash, Montgomery and Morgan-No Senator's name recorded. 1825 (Jan.).
Sullivan, Vigo, Parke, Montgomery, Vermilion, Clay, Owen, Putnam, Greene, Hendricks and Mor- gan-John M. Coleman, 1825 (Dec.).
Monroe, Owen and Greene-James Whitcomb, Democrat, 1830-31, 1831-32, 1832-33, 1833-34, 1834-35, 1835-36.
Owen and Greene-David M. Dobson, Democrat, 1836-37.
Owen and Greene and part of Jasper-Simon Terman, 1837-38.
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
Owen and Greene-David M. Dobson, Demo- crat, 1843-44.
Greene and Owen-Jesse I. Alexander, Demo- crat, 1850-51, 1851-52.
Greene and Owen-Andrew Humphreys, Demo- crat, 1853.
Greene and Owen-J. I. Alexander, Democrat, 1855 to 1857.
Greene and Owen-Jason N. Conley, Democrat, 1859 to 1863.
Greene and Owen-George W. Moore, Demo- crat, 1863 to 1867.
Greene and Owen-John Humphreys, Demo- crat, 1867 to 1871.
Greene and Owen-Wiley E. Dittemore, Demo- crat, 1871 to 1875.
Owen and Clay-Morgan Bryan Ringo, Demo- crat, 1875 to 1877.
Owen and Clay-Inman H. Fowler, Democrat, 1877 to 1881.
Owen and Clay-Isaac M. Compton, Democrat, 1881 to 1895.
Owen and Clay-Inman H. Fowler, Democrat, 1885 to 1889.
Owen and Clay-George A. Byrd, Democrat, 1889 to 1893.
Owen and Clay-Samuel R. McKelvey, Demo- crat, 1893 to 1897.
Owen and Clay-Frank A. Horner, Democrat, 1897 to 1901.
Owen and Clay-A. H. Wampler, Democrat, 1901 to 1905.
Owen and Clay-Ralph W. Moss, Democrat, 1905 to 1909.
Greene, Owen and Monroe-James H. Humph- reys, Democrat, 1915 to 1917.
Morgan, Owen and Sullivan-Thomas J. Hud- gins, 1917 to -.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM OWEN COUNTY.
Combs, William, Democrat, 1861.
Dittemore, Wiley E., Democrat, 1869 to 1885. Dobson, David M., Democrat, 1848-49.
Dobson, James W., Democrat, 1846-47, 1847-48, 1851-52.
Downey, Luther U., Democrat, 1897.
Duncan, John L., Democrat, 1893 to 1895.
Eckels, Delana R., Democrat, 1836-37.
Franklin, William M., Democrat, 1850-51.
Guthrie, Walker D., Democrat, 1871.
Hauser, Frederick (?), 1844-45.
Hays, Benjamin F., Democrat, 1867.
McKelvey, Samuel R., Democrat, 1889.
Montgomery, John D., Democrat, 1855.
Montgomery, John S., Democrat, 1883 to 1887.
Moore, George W., Democrat, 1833-34, 1834-35, 1835-36, 1839-40, 1842-43, 1843-44, 1845-46, 1857. Reno, Jesse H., Democrat, 1873, 1875, 1877.
Schweitzer, Bernard, Democrat, 1879 to 1881.
Smith, James L., Democrat, 1891.
Snoddy, Martin (?), 1841-42.
Stuckey, John M., Democrat, 1865.
Wolfe, Jacob V., Democrat, 1863.
Wooden, Robert M. (?), 1831-32, 1832-33.
JOINT REPRESENTATIVES.
Clay and Owen Counties :
Downey, Luther U., Democrat, 1899.
Duncan, John Mason, Democrat, 1911-13.
Horsfield, J. R., Democrat, 1901.
Hickam, Hubert, Democrat, 1915.
Lewis, Tenney P., Democrat, 1903.
Mugg, Benjamin F., Democrat, 1909.
Pierson, Temple G., Democrat, 1905-07.
Greene and Owen Counties:
Adams, Thomas F. G., Democrat, 1827-28.
Dixon, Eli (?), 1826-27, 1829-30.
Young, John M. (?), 1828-29.
Greene, Owen and Morgan Counties: Dixon, Eli (?), 1821-22, 1823-24.
Harris, Daniel (?), 1825 (Jan.).
Greene, Owen and Monroe:
Dixon, Eli (?), 1822-23 (unseated Hugh Barnes Dec. 5, 1822).
Greene, Owen, Morgan and Clay: Sims, John (?), 1825 (Dec.).
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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF PARKE COUNTY
From the Parke County Centennial Memorial, 1916
P ARKE COUNTY at the time of its organi- zation included most of its present 440 square miles and all of Vermilion county, west of it. In common with other portions of the Hoosier State, Parke county had her pioneers, giants in stature and muscle, lions in courage to do and dare, and possessed of sublime patience to endure the hardships and privations of the early settlers of a forest frontier. On the last day of the leg- islative session of 1820-21, January 9, 1821, an act was passed for the foundation of a new coun- ty north of Vigo, and Parke county thus came into existence. The county was named in honor of Benjamin Parke, major in the Tippecanoe campaign, first Territorial Representative in Con- gress and U. S. District Judge.
Governor Jonathan Jennings appointed James Barnes of Owen county, Richard Palmer of Da- viess, George Ewing of Knox, Andrew Wilkins of Sullivan and John M. Coleman of Vigo com- missioners to "convene at the home of Samuel Blair, in the said county of Parke, on the third Monday of February, 1822, to fix a seat of jus- tice, to be moved as the court may direct, until a permanent seat of justice is established." The first court was held at Roseville, which town did not long hold the county seat, for that distinction was enjoyed by both Armiesburg and Montezuma before the location of the permanent seat at Rock- ville. As this was in 1822, none of these other places could have held the honor very long. The history of the location of the county seat at Rock- ville brings to mind some picturesque scenes in our early history. General Joseph Orr, General Arthur Patterson and Colonel Thomas Smith had been appointed commissioners to locate a perma- nent county seat. They came to the county in 1824 and began to view eligible sites for this pur- pose. The settlers at Ray's Tavern, as Rockville was then known, invited them to come before making their decision. "On a gloomy day, about the 1st of February," said Beadle, "the commis- sioners, wet and muddy, reached the hospitable tavern of Andrew Ray and were royally enter- tained for those times. What personal induce- ment was offered we cannot guess, but by break- fast time this spot was chosen. The three offi- cials and five male citizens emptied a bottle of old whisky, broke the bottle on the big rock at the highest point of the site, and baptized the town of Rockville, county seat."
Parke county started its career with the pic-
turesque election of 1821. The Jackson men, or Democrats, won the first election, and they re- tained their majority with the exception of an office here and there, for about fifteen years after the organization of the county. By that time im- migration had brought a large Whig element, principally Quakers, into the politics and from 1836 to 1856 the county was sometimes Whig and sometimes Democratic in the various elections. It is probable that the influence of Tilghman A. Howard and Joseph A. Wright as leaders of the Democratic party, not only in Parke county, but in the State, served to offset a Whig immigration that otherwise would have controlled the county at all times. Here, as everywhere in the State, the Democrats took pride in every honor that came to these two men. Howard was elected to Congress, was appointed by President Jackson to settle the claims to Indian lands now embracing the city of Chicago, was the Democratic candi- date for Senator in 1839, being defeated by only one vote. The next year he twice headed the Dem- ocratie ticket: as candidate for Governor in Au- gust and elector-at-large in November. He died as minister to negotiate with the republic of Texas for its admission into the Union. Joseph A. Wright, after being repeatedly elected to Con- gress, was elected Governor in 1849. He was re- elected to this high office, being the last man in Indiana elected for two terms; was appointed minister to Berlin, and upon his return was ap- pointed United States Senator. Judge William P. Bryant was appointed Chief Justice of Oregon. John G. Davis, after serving twenty years as County Clerk, was elected and re-elected to Con- gress, and William Nofsinger was elected Treas- urer of State.
In 1855 came the complete overthrow of the Democratic party in Parke county. The repeal of the Missouri Compromise and passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act brought the new Repub- lican party to the front and they made a clean sweep of all county offices, except Treasurer, to which John R. Miller (John R. Miller was Dick Miller's uncle) was elected, and then re-elected, the last Democrat to carry the county until twen- ty years afterward, when John T. Collings and O. P. Brown were elected Commissioners. For forty years, from 1856 to 1896, no Democrat rep- resented Parke county in the Legislature. "Sil- ver Dick" Miller broke the record in 1896 and . George W. Spencer was elected in 1912, so that
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
during a period of sixty years only two Demo- crats had the honor of representing their county.
The politics of Parke county since the war pre- sents many interesting features, many incidents worthy of note, and would make a volume if everything connected with that period was duly considered. It should be remembered that during the war the Republican party was known as the Union party and as such embraced hundreds of "War Democrats," not to mention the many Dem- ocrats who became Republicans on the issues aris- ing immediately before and during the war. The Union majority, therefore, was overwhelming.
It was not until 1870 that the first break in the Republican lines came, although as early as 1868 such Republicans as Samuel T. Catlin, Joseph L. Boyd, Captain John T. Campbell and others be- gan to distrust their party on the money question. The Republican State platform that year declared in favor of the greenback, but there was an ele- ment opposed to the platform declaration. By 1870 there was a decided deflection from the Re- publicans. That year John S. Dare, who had been a Republican, and George W. Collins established the Parke County News, which was an advocate of greenback currency. Captain John T. Camp- bell, who had been County Treasurer, led the re- volt by becoming a candidate for the State Sen- ate. He was defeated, but Moses T. Dunn, the Republican candidate for Congress, was defeated by Daniel W. Voorhees, the loss of Greenback Re- publicans being the principal cause.
In the Greeley campaign of 1872 the Republic- ans had a walkaway, despite the fact that the Democratic candidate had for years been the idol of the radical Republicans of the county: The campaign was a hot one. The Republicans had one or two enormous torchlight processions and the Democrats one rousing rally when Voorhees spoke in the court house yard. Many of the Greenbackers voted for Greeley, but many more Democrats did not.
By 1874 the Greenback party had grown con- siderably. That year nominations were made for county offices and on some of the candidates the Democrats and Greenbackers united. Dr. Har- rison J. Rice of Rockville was Democratic candi- date for Congress, but was defeated. The Green- backers were mostly recruited from the Republic- ans, the defection from the Democrats being slight in comparison.
In the meantime the mines had been opened at Sand Creek, and a large increase in the vote re- sulted. While the miners were not all Republic- ans, that party gained almost as many from the influx of miners as it lost to the Greenbackers, but twenty or twenty-five years after the war Parke county was, on a basis of its citizenship
as it existed before and during the war, probably Democratic, for at that time on the issues of the tariff and currency many of the Democrats had returned to their party and the prohibition move- ment had taken from the Democrats many of their Quaker voters, who ultimately became Democrats, and during the transition period exerted a great influence on the young men of the county, who from independent voters became Democrats. But new mining fields were developed, and at one time there were over two hundred negro voters in the county, all Republicans. From the miners and the enfranchisement of the negroes the Republic- ans recruited enough to hold the county most of the time, in spite of the losses mentioned.
The memorable campaign of 1876 has no paral- lel in our political history save the equally spec- tacular campaign twenty years later. It was called the "Bloody Shirt Campaign." Thomas N. Rice was a candidate for the Republican congres- sional nomination, but lost to Morton C. Hunter. Noval W. Cummings was a candidate for Treas- urer of State, and likewise lost. Although the State went Democratic, Parke's Republican ticket was elected.
In 1878 the Republicans suffered their first set- back after the Civil War period. The contest started in a three-cornered fight, but a fusion was afterward partially effected. Morton C. Hunter, Republican; A. J. Hostetler, Democrat, and Hen- ry A. White, Greenbacker, were candidates for Congress and Hostetler won in spite of the third party candidate. O. P. Brown and John D. Col- lings, Democrats, were elected Commissioners, and George W. Collings, Democrat, defeated John H. Burford of Montgomery county for Prosecut- ing Attorney. It was known that Daniel W. Voorhees would be the Democratic candidate for United States Senator, as he had already been appointed to the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Morton, so the loss of both Senator and Representative in Parke county was a serious one, indeed, for the Republicans. The campaign was wholly devoid of pyrotechnics, and few speeches were made by prominent men of either party.
In 1880 Republican enthusiasm was somewhat revived, but compared with 1876 it was very mild. This was the last year the State voted in October. In Parke county the campaign was livened up somewhat by a new Democratic paper, The Sig- nal, edited by A. J. Cunningham, who came from Crawfordsville, where he was known by the name of "the raw beef editor." He dealt largely in personal attacks on the Republican candidates, hurting Democracy, and the entire Republican ticket was elected by a greatly increased vote.
The campaign of 1882 was known as the "Lamb Campaign" owing to the advent of John E. Lamb
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
of Terre Haute, the brilliant young protégé of Senator Voorhees. Mr. Lamb was nominated for Congress at Rockville where the convention was held in Parke county's beautiful new court house, Mr. Lamb being elected in spite of his youth. R. C. McWilliams was nominated for Senator and John H. Beadle for Representative. The former withdrew in favor of Claude Matthews of Ver- milion county and the latter withdrew in favor of Samuel T. Catlin, but at the election Mr. Cat- lin was defeated by William Knowles, but by eight votes only !
In the campaign of 1884 Mr. Lamb was defeated by a small margin, while the State went Demo- cratic.
In 1886 the State was re-districted and Sullivan county was put with Parke and Warren taken out, making, as was supposed, a safely Democratic district. However, John E. Lamb had wobbled somewhat on the tariff question. The "John E. Lamb Protective Tariff Club" had been organized in Terre Haute, which did not look at all good to the more than one thousand Free Traders who had supported him, and he was defeated. The Democrats, however, elected Samuel T. Catlin Auditor, a defeat which utterly demoralized the Republicans.
In 1888 Dr. W. H. Gillum of Parke was a candi- date for Congress, his opponent being Judge Mc- Nutt of Terre Haute. The contest deadlocked the convention until the Parke county delegation, en- raged by the unjust treatment accorded Dr. Gil- lum by the friends of Judge McNutt, threw their votes to E. V. Brookshire of Montgomery county, who was elected over James T. Johnson by a very close majority. The Democrats might have car- ried their whole ticket in 1890 had it not been for the fact that their apparent strength brought many rival candidates. The inevitable soreness followed, which lost the county ticket enough votes to defeat every candidate with the exception of Samuel T. Catlin, who received a majority of one hundred and eleven.
In 1892 the entire Republican county ticket was elected, but by small pluralities. The election of 1894 was not a landslide, but an avalanche. Many of the Democrats in Parke county were disgusted with the financial policy of the Cleveland adminis- tration, and never before were there so many on the poll books marked "D" who failed to vote.
The campaign in Parke county in 1896 was the most remarkable in the history of the county. This was the time of the first silver movement and the silver men dominated the campaign. Five Democrats or silver men were elected-"Silver" Dick Miller, for Representative; William Raw- lings, Treasurer; C. R. Hanger, Sheriff; John Huxford and Henry A. Myers, Commissioners. The
Democratic vote was increased 1,014 over the previous two years.
Previous to the beginning of 1898 it looked as if the Democrats might carry the election. The gold discoveries in the Klondike had not yet in- creased the volume of money to any great extent, and things were hardly better than in 1896, but the Spanish war came, and with it the Republican appeal to stand by the administration, which, with the impetus given business, made for Republican success.
In 1900 the Republicans were very active and the entire ticket was elected by a majority of 508. This was also the case in 1902 and 1904. At this election, in spite of large Republican pluralities, Mr. John S. McFaddin's vote for Judge was 2,804, 800 more than Parker's, while his opponent de- feated him by but a single vote.
July 28, 1906, the Democratic county convention was held and the following ticket was nominated: Representative, Thomas Trueman; Auditor, James E. Elder; Treasurer, Marion Martin; Recorder, A. S. Russell; Sheriff, Alfred S. Boyd; Coroner, C. W. Overpeck. In this campaign the Repub- licans electioneered Democrats and thus the elec- tion was carried by them.
For the first time in eight years the Democrats evinced great enthusiasm in 1908. It was evident that the national convention would consider no other candidate but Bryan, which was very pleas- ing to the Parke county Democrats. At their county convention the nominations were as fol- lows: Walter Fink, Representative; George L. Laney, Clerk; George W. Spencer, Treasurer; Guy Alden, Sheriff; Dr. C. W. Overpeck, Coroner, of which they elected the Clerk, Treasurer and Coroner. Both parties increased their vote over two years before, but the Republicans lost in relative strength.
The year 1910 brought the first real general success of the Democratic party in the State since 1892, a period of 18 years. The Parke county Democrats held their convention September 10, naming the following candidates: Representative, Fred W. Leatherman; Auditor, James E. Elder; Treasurer, George W. Spencer; Sheriff, Guy Alden; Recorder, Hugh Banta, which was de- feated with the exception of Auditor and Treas- urer.
In 1912 the Democrats nominated the follow- ing ticket: Geo. W. Spencer for Representative; Wm. E. Hawkins for Clerk; Harvey Rush for Treasurer; Charles Smith for Sheriff. Of these George W. Spencer and Harvey Rush were elected. In 1914 the following were nominated:
Representative-Fred Clark.
Auditor-James E. Elder. Treasurer-J. Harvey Rush.
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
Sheriff-R. A. Connerly. Recorder-Hugh Banta.
Of these only the Treasurer was elected.
Among the early Democrats who played a prom- inent part in the county affairs were: Austin M. Puett resided in the county from its earliest days to the Civil War, when he moved to Putnam coun- ty. Mr. Puett married a sister of Jos. A. Wright, and he was not only active but most aggressive in politics and threw all of his energy and en- thusiasm into every fight waged by either Gen- eral Howard or Governor Wright, who regarded him as the faithful and efficient follower he was. He was a leader in the practical work of every campaign, always fighting for the Democratic party, and also filled various public offices-Sher- . iff, Treasurer, Canal Trustee and State Senator.
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