History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 111

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

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At the election of 1912 two South Benders headed the electoral tickets of their respective parties-Aaron Jones, Sr., that of the Roosevelt and Parker ticket, John B. Stoll that of the Wilson and Marshall ticket. Owing to the Republican split the Wilson ticket was elected by an unprece- dented plurality-119,883. Mr. Stoll was dele- gated to convey the result of the Indiana election to the secretary of the Senate at Washington. In 1896 Mr. Stoll headed the Bryan and Sewall elec- toral ticket, which was defeated by about 18,000.

St. Joseph county has two cities-South Bend with a population of between 60,000 and 70,000, and Mishawaka with about 15,000 inhabitants. There is but little difference between the ages of the two places. In 1835 a town organization un- der the name of the St. Joseph Iron Works was authorized. In 1838 a reorganization was ef- fected by combining the four different organiza- tions into one. The name Mishawaka was given the merged corporations. For over sixty years this sort of local government was maintained. Early in 1899 a movement was inaugurated to convert the town into a city. There was strong opposition to this movement, but an election or- dered to determine for or against the change rc- sulted thus: For city government, 702; against, 336. This test of public sentiment was made Feb- ruary 20, 1899. An election for city officers was thereupon ordered to be held May 2, 1899. It re- sulted in the election of Manuel M. Fisher as mayor, Henry C. Eggleston as clerk, William M. Clark as treasurer, Charles H. Doolittle as street

commissioner and Grant Needham as marshal. After this election the board of town trustees met for the last time on May 8, 1899, to close up town affairs and turn over the government to the city officers. A cash balance of $10,746.75 was turned over to the newly installed city treasurer. There- upon the board of trustees of the town of Misha- waka, after a government extending from Janu- . ary 31, 1835, to May 8, 1899, adjourned sine die, and Mishawaka auspiciously entered upon its ca- reer as a city.

May, 1902, Mayor Fisher was succeeded by Mel- ville W. Mix, who subsequently was re-elected in 1904. In November, 1905, Charles Frank suc- ceeded to the mayoralty, and he in turn was suc- ceeded by John A. Herzog, now postmaster of Mishawaka. In 1913 Ralph W. Gaylor, running as the nominee of a citizens' combination, was elected over Melville W. Mix, the Democratic nom- inee. Fisher, Frank and Gaylor were affiliated with the Republican party; Mix and Herzog are Democrats. For many years E. Volney Bingham served efficiently as member of the school board. Before his election to the state senate he held the position of town attorney. Frank P. Christoph, now generally considered the Democratic wheel- horse of Mishawaka, was in the fall of 1917 the nominee of his party for mayor, with the present incumbent as his successful competitor.

Besides the two cities of South Bend and Misha- waka there are five incorporated towns in St. Jo- seph county, viz: Walkerton, New Carlisle, North Liberty, Lakeville, Wyatt.

The newspaper field has been well filled from an early period of the county's existence. As fi"- tingly observed by Judge Timothy E. Howard, "The history of our newspapers is co-eval with that of South Bend itself. The editors, in the main, have been intelligent and broad-minded, and have acted on the assumption that their readers were all people of refinement and intelligence. Appeals to passion and prejudice have been the exception. The appeal has been rather to reason, morals, patriotism and good citizenship and the general welfare of the country."

The first paper ventured in the county was called the Northwestern Pioneer. It was estab- lished November 16, 1831, by John D. and Joseph H. Defrees. There was at that time no paper pub- lished north of Indianapolis or west of Detroit. Even Chicago was without a newspaper. Six months later the name was changed to the St. Joseph Beacon. In 1833 Joseph H. Defrees sold his interest to his brother and moved to Goshen, where he engaged and prospered in the mercan- tile business, was repeatedly elected to the Gen- eral Assembly of Indiana, and in 1864 was made a member of Congress for the Fort Wayne district,

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serving one term. John D. Defrees abandoned the South Bend field and moved the Beacon to White Pigeon, Mich., where he disposed of the plant to a Mr. Gilbert. Returning to South Bend a short time afterward, Defrees equipped himself for the practice of law, acquired a lucrative practice, was elected to the State Senate, became editor of the Indianapolis Journal and was by President Lincoln appointed public printer at Washington. Several years after the war Mr. Defrees modi- fied his political views and in 1872 vigorously sup- ported Horace Greeley for the presidency as against Grant.

South Bend was not to be without a newspaper any length of time. In 1836 William Milligan established the Free Press. This paper was fairly well supported, but in 1845 the plant was transferred to Albert W. West and Schuyler Col- fax. These gentlemen established the St. Joseph Valley Register, the first number of which made its appearance September 12, 1845. It grew rap- idly in popular favor. On the slavery question it opposed both abolition and slavery extension. The conservative middle ground on that "burning is- sue" was chosen and steadfastly maintained, though the editor was uncompromisingly opposed to every scheme for the extension of human slav- ery into any new territory. After seven months Mr. Colfax became sole proprietor. In 1851 he re- ceived his first nomination for Congress, but was defeated at the election. He fared better later on, being first elected in 1854 and thereafter re- elected for seven consecutive terms. In 1869 he became Vice-President of the United States. Dur- ing his first congressional campaign a bright law- yer and vigorous writer named James Davis occu- pied the Register's editorial chair. During his second race Alfred Wheeler wielded the editorial pen. In April, 1857, Mr. Wheeler became a part- ner, and later on sole owner. In November, 1865, Archibald Beal, who for eight years had been the publisher of the Mishawaka Enterprise, pur- chased the Register in partnership with C. E. Fuller. Two years afterwards Alfred B. Miller and Elmer Crockett, who had been engaged on the paper, purchased Mr. Fuller's interest, and the firm became Beal, Miller & Co. In January, 1872, Mr. Beal purchased the Miller and Crockett in- terests, and in 1873 Daniel S. Marsh became as- sociate editor. In February, 1874, D. J. Benner acquired a half interest in the Register and be- came one of the editors, Mr. Marsh remaining but a short time longer in that capacity. In August, 1875, The Register Company was formed with Mr. Beal as president. Several changes in manage- ment occurred thereafter, but the establishment in 1872 of the Tribune by Alfred B. Miller, Elmer Crockett, James H. Banning and Elias W. Hoover

had so undermined the old Register that in 1887 it finally yielded to the inevitable and was merged into its more successful and prosperous rival. The Tribune was established March 9, 1872. May 28, 1873, a daily issue was added. The publication of the weekly was abandoned after it had been demonstrated that the people in the "rural dis- tricts" were desirous of being served daily in- stead of weekly. The Tribune experienced its greatest "lift" during the Mckinley campaign in 1896. Mr. Crockett was a member of the Repub- lican state committee and was made chairman of the publicity bureau. There being no limit to Republican campaign funds that year, it was an easy matter to "introduce" the Tribune into prac- tically every household in the county for mission- ary purposes. Besides this very substantial finan- cial reinforcement, Mr. Crockett had for four years been enjoying the emoluments of the South Bend postoffice. All in all, the Tribune fared ex- ceedingly well during these years of Democratic tribulation.

Upon the death of Alfred B. Miller, in the fall of 1892, his son, Fred A., became editor-in-chief. The paper is still owned by Miller and the two Crocketts. Its business is quite prosperous.

During the campaign of 1840 Dr. E. W. H. Ellis, publisher of the Goshen Democrat, conducted a paper at Mishawaka in the interest of Martin Van Buren. The venture failed to prove remuner- ative.

In 1841 Wilbur F. Storey, who in later years gained national fame as an editor, established the Mishawaka Tocsin. A short time thereafter Storey sold the paper to George Merrifield, who in 1845 unloaded it on Thomas Jernegan. The Tocsin was moved to South Bend, where it peace- fully passed away. Storey, upon leaving Misha- waka, located in Laporte, where he engaged in the drug business and acquired an interest in the Herald, of which he became editor. He did not cut much of a figure in the newspaper field at Laporte, but later on gained quite a reputation as editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press. Shortly before the Civil war he got hold of the Chicago Times and made quite a paper out of it. On account of some disloyal utterances in 1863 the Times was temporarily suppressed by order of General Burnside. This gave that paper much notoriety, just what Storey wanted. About the time Vallandigham proclaimed his New Depart- ure, early in the seventies, Storey renounced his fealty to Democracy and made the Times ram- pagiously independent. He branded the Demo- cratie party "a putrid reminiscence" and viciously opposed Greeley's candidacy in 1872. The Chi- cago Tribune, then edited by Horace White, on the other hand, earnestly supported Greeley. These

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departures in newspaper attitudes proved highly beneficial financially to Storey. He became a very rich man-and correspondingly foolish. A gro- tesque matrimonial venture unbalanced his mind. At enormous expense he built a castle on a fash- ionable boulevard of Chicago. It was never en- tirely finished. A few years later it was torn down. Some of the stone and marble of which the palace had been built was brought to South Bend by heirs of the Storey estate.

In the year 1853 Ariel Euclid Drapier and his son, William H., established the St. Joseph County Forum in South Bend. This was the first attempt at conducting a regular Democratic newspaper in St. Joseph county. Under the lead- ership of Schuyler Co'fax the Whig and later the Republican party were so strongly intrenched in popular favor as to render the Drapier venture ex- ceedingly hazardous. The Drapiers were forceful writers, but their path was strewn with so many obstacles that success proved to be unattainable. On account of some indiscreet utterances regard- ing the Civil war the Forum was for a time sup- pressed by order of Gen. Milo S. Hascall of Goshen. Some time afterward the plant was sold to Edward Molloy, who had rendered gallant service in the Union army, and who gave the new enterprise the suggestive name, The National Union. The paper prospered fairly well. It was ably edited under the wise guidance of Col. Nor- man Eddy, who at that time held the office of collector of internal revenue by appointment of President Andrew Johnson. In 1870 the Union passed under the control and ownership of Judge James D. Osborn, an able Democratic lawyer of Goshen, and an exceedingly forceful political writer. He associated with himself Herbert S. Fassett, up to that time foreman of the Ligonier Banner, owned by John B. Stoll, and who "stood good" for a Campbell power press stipulated to be installed as Fassett's interest in the establish- ment. About two years later Judge Osborn, hav- ing tired of unremunerative newspaper life, sold his interest in the Union to John Brownfield, Jr., and returned to Goshen. In compliance with persistent clamor for a German newspaper in South Bend, Brownfield and Fassett, in 1873, es- tablished Der Indiana Courier, with John B. Stoll as editor-in-chief and Gustav Fikentscher as local editor. For six months Mr. Stoll came from his Ligonier home to South Bend the middle of each week to supervise the issuing of the new candidate for popular favor. In course of time Der Courier was transferred to Fikentscher & Troeger. In later years various forced changes took place in the management of Der Courier, which finally was gently put to sleep by Otto

Sandmayr some time during the first decade of the present century.

About a year after the breaking out of the dis- astrous panic of 1873 the Union was purchased by Charles L. Murray of Goshen, who placed the establishment in charge of his son, Charles T., an exceedingly vigorous and versatile writer. The name of the paper was changed to the Herald. So vigorously did young Murray wield his pen that he was shot in the abdomen by a man named Palmer, but luckily not killed. In 1876 the senior Murray moved to South Bend and took personal charge of the Herald. He made it an exceed- ingly interesting publication, but early in the eighties sold the plant to Henry A. Peed, who came very near playing havoc with the staid old Plymouth Democrat. Before locating at Ply- mouth Peed had been a state senator from the southern part of Indiana and had acquired some distinction by ostentatiously attempting to imi- tate the majestic tread of Daniel W. Voorhees. Peed had but little money and bought the Union mainly on credit, pledging the plant as security. Unable to meet his obligations, foreclosure of the mortgage became inevitable. The well-worn type and presses were turned over to Murray, who used the same to publish a prohibition paper called the Sun, which a few years later was moved to Indianapolis and issued under the name of The Indiana Phalanx.

Peed retained the Herald subscription list, which incautiously had not been covered by the mortgage. Meanwhile Peed had organized a stock company to purchase a new outfit wherewith to publish a new paper. He named the paper South Bend Times. Every particle of stuff in the shop was mortgaged to Marder, Luse & Co., in Chi- cago. Poorly conducted as it was, the Times failed utterly to ingratiate itself in popular favor. Peed made a desperate effort to find a purchaser. For months he bombarded John B. Stoll to take the concern off his hands. Besides the Ligonier Danner Mr. Stoll had a newspaper on his hands in the city of Elkhart. Notwithstanding the ample- ness of these burdens, Mr. Stoll finally consented to take the bankrupt publication off Peed's heavily burdened shoulders. Peed said all he asked was that he be paid for the stock that he personally held in the concern and that in turn he would see to it that all the other stockholders turned their valueless certificates over to the purchaser of the plant. In accordance with this proposition Mr. Stoll went to Chicago and had the mortgage held by Marder, Luse & Co. assigned to him, paying spot cash for the entire claim. Included in this deal was Peed's stock which he represented to hold in his possession. Stopping off at South Bend on his return trip, Mr. Stoll, by appointment, met

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Peed and told him he was ready to close the deal upon Peed's turning over his certificates of stock. Going to the Times office, Peed went to the little unlocked safe and for quite a while fumbled around, ostensibly to find "his" certificates. Hav- ing completed his aimless and fruitless search, he turned around and blandly remarked to Mr. Stoll: "I just happened to remember that I hypothe- cated this stock to Marder, Luse & Co. for addi- tional security." To this Mr. Stoll replied that he was fully aware of all this. He then drew the certificates out of an envelope in his coat pocket and showed them to Peed. Unabashed by this dis- closure, Peed complacently urged that the deal be closed, nevertheless, as he had proposed. Mr. Stoll replied that in point of fact Peed had no claim whatever on the concern. "Notwithstand- ing all that," Mr. Stoll said, "I am going to pay you dollar for dollar for the stock bearing your name, although as a matter of fact I have already bought it from Marder, Luse & Co. and paid them for it." This was done, and early in April of 1883 Mr. Stoll took possession of the shop, placing Charles A. McDonald in charge until removal to South Bend could be effected. In order to give the institution some standing and prestige, many debts owed by Peed were liquidated by Mr. Stoll, although the latter was under neither legal nor moral obligations so to do. These and other acts of kindness were rewarded later by Peed institut- ing suit against his fellow stockholders in the sum of $1,300 for editorial service. Needless to say that Judge pro tem. Lucius Hubbard uncere- moniously kicked this absurd case out of court as soon as the facts in the premises had been laid bare. A daily edition of the Times was launched December 3, 1883.

Of the Times under Mr. Stoll's management Judge Timothy E. Howard in his St. Joseph County History speaks thus on page 469:

"In the spring of 1883 the controlling stock in this corporation was transferred to the Hon. John B. Stoll, the brilliant editor of the Ligonier Ban- ner, which Mr. Stoll had made 'the ablest Demo- cratic paper in Indiana,' as William S. Holman declared to the writer years afterwards. Of the succeeding history of the Times it is perhaps suf- ficient to say that the Democrats of the city and county soon became satisfied that they had in that paper one of the very best in the country and in its editor-in-chief one of the ablest and wisest editorial writers in the United States. Closely as- sociated with Mr. Stoll, from 1883 until his la- mented death, December 15, 1906, was Charles Albert McDonald. But better than mere party service, however desirable that may be, the Times and its accomplished editors had and still have a constituency far beyond all partisan lines. The paper has been in the best sense independent in politics and in all other matters affecting the public welfare. The independence of the press is one of the chief safeguards of the liberties of the

people; and this truth the people themselves are quick to recognize. It does not follow that the independent paper does not sometimes make mis- takes, grievous mistakes occasionally; does not at times do violence to the feelings and convictions of its readers and particularly its party support- ers. This, however, is far better in the end than to take a cowardly part in the discussion of public questions. Party principles, as in the case of all other principles, must of course control in large degree the sentiments of a party newspaper; any other course would be dishonest with its readers. But within the lines there is ample room for a free and manly course, as was exemplified in the career of Peter Stirling. In this best sense the Times has been an independent party paper; and the people, without respect to party, have appreci- ated the strong, manly course pursued by the Times and have accorded to it a most generous support. There is indeed no town in the State, perhaps in the whole country, that has two better newspapers than the South Bend Times and the South Bend Tribune."

The most trying period through which the Times passed was during the free silver agitation in 1896. Nearly the entire local business element of the Democratic party arrayed itself against the 16-to-1 propaganda and the candidacy of Mr. Bryan.

The Sunday News was established in April, 1887, by Chauncey N. Fassett, who had previously been editor of the old Register. In course of time, late in the nineties, a morning paper called the News was launched in connection. This venture was largely engineered by William A. McInerny and one other member of the Fogarty administra- tion. Failing to make it a financial success, Mc- Inerny in the summer of 1911 induced Gabriel R. Summers, a wealthy patent medicine man, at present a state senator, to acquire the South Bend Times and merge the two plants into one. Sum- mers was already principal owner of the News. The morning and evening editions of the News- Times are issued from the Times building on Col- fax avenue. Under the present management and the editorship of John Henry Zuver, these papers espouse the cause of prohibition, woman suffrage and mildly the initiative and referendum, govern- ment ownership of public utilities and kindred "progressive" doctrines. The war policy of Pres- ident Wilson has from the beginning had this pa- per's unstinted support. McInerny and his im- mediate followers eliminated themselves from the News-Times nearly two years ago. Then Fas- sett also severed his connection with the News- Times and is now a feature writer on the Tri- bune.

About two years ago there was established in South Bend a new German paper called Germa- nia. Its publisher is J. Baumbach. He came from Milwaukee, but had previously had some newspaper experience in Iowa.

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The New Era was originally established in South Bend by Ralph E. Hoyt. March 27, 1880, it fell into the hands of Benjamin F. Shively, who devoted its columns to a vigorous advocacy of the principles of the Greenback party. Shively ran as the Greenback nominee for Congress in 1882, and turned the paper over to D. M. Eveland, in whose hands it gave up the ghost in 1883. Its subscription list was transferred to the Times.

Early in the nineties a Michigander named Brown started a morning paper in South Bend that was called the Post. He held out about a year, when he unloaded in order to go South for the benefit of his wife's health. The paper passed through several changes and finally gave up the ghost while in the keeping of John W. O'Bannon. The material of this plant was sold to the Times during the latter part of the century.

The Mishawaka Enterprise was established in 1853, first under the name Free Press. Connected with its publication at various times were D. C. Ireland, L. A. Elliott, Archibald Beal, S. T. Mont- gomery and Norman V. Brower. In 1872 the En- terprise became the property of its present owner, Edward A. Jernegan. He has proved himself a capable newspaper man.

A second paper called the Democrat was estab- lished in Mishawaka . in 1891 by William P. O'Neill, who later on was elected Lieutenant- Governor in 1912. The paper at no time became remunerative or profitable.

Weekly papers are published at Walkerton and North Liberty. They have been in existence for quite a number of years and seem to be doing fairly well-as well as can reasonably be expected in limited fields.

THE JUDICIARY.

St. Joseph county has been singularly for- tunate in the quality and caliber of its judicial officers. The first presiding judge was John R. Porter, 1832. His successors on the bench were Gustavus A. Evarts, Samuel C. Sample, Ebenezer M. Chamberlain, Albert G. Deavitt, Thomas S. Stanfield, John B. Niles, Andrew S. Osborn, Dan- iel Noyes, Lucius Hubbard, Walter A. Funk. Niles, Osborn and Noyes were residents of La- porte.

The Superior Court, established in 1907, was first presided over by Vernon W. VanFleet, who

was succeeded by the present incumbent, George Ford.

PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN EARLIER YEAR ..

In 1832 Henry Clay, Whig, was credited with having received 123 votes, as against 121 cast for Andrew Jackson, Democratic Republican. No record has been found of the vote cast in 1836, when Martin Van Buren and William Henry Har- rison were rival candidates for the presidency. Subsequent votes of the county follow:

1840-Martin Van Buren, Dem. Rep., 444; Wil- liam Henry Harrison, Whig, 809.

1844-James K. Polk, Dem., 683; Henry Clay, Whig, 863; James G. Birney, Abolitionist, 33.

1848-Lewis Cass, Dem., 667; Zachary Taylor, Whig, 817; Martin Van Buren, Freesoil, 332.

1852-Franklin Pierce, Dem., 1,052; Winfield Scott, Whig, 998; John P. Hale, Freesoil, 174.

1856-James Buchanan, Dem., 1,509; John C. Fremont, Rep., 1,812; Millard Fillmore, Ameri- can, 6.

1860-Stephen A. Douglas, Dem., 1,489; Abra- ham Lincoln, Rep., 2,363; John C. Breckinridge, Secessionist, 23; John Bell, Constitutional Union, 5.

1864-George B. McClellan, Dem., 1,558; Abra- ham Lincoln, Rep., 2,188.

1868-Horatio Seymour, Dem., 2,249; Ulysses S. Grant, Rep., 3,075.

1872-Horace Greeley, Liberal Rep. and Dem., 2,402; Ulysses S. Grant, Rep., 3,426; Charles O'Connor, Bourbon Dem., 13.

THE BEST-MANAGED CAMPAIGN IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY.

It is the consensus of opinion among those quali- fied to judge of such matters that the best-man- aged campaign on the Democratic side of the house was made in 1884. Four years before the Republicans had carried the county for General Garfield over the gallant Hancock by 498 major- ity. By compact organization and by painstak- ing supervision of public speaking, together with vigorous yet judicious newspaper support, the county was carried for Cleveland, Hendricks and Gray by almost identically the same majority. No speaker from abroad was permitted to be as- signed to St. Joseph county until pronounced "sane and safe" by the local management. By superb generalship the St. Joseph county Democ- racy achieved a signal victory in 1884.

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History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 111

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