History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 77

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

USA > Indiana > History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916 > Part 77

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Among the old-time Democrats who served the party in years past as leaders and advisers, but who are not now living, may be mentioned the following: Henry Y. Morrison, who, while a member of the State Legislature in the session of 1869, introduced and secured the passage of the first law for the drainage of wet lands in the State, and thus became the father of the Indiana Drainage Law which has done so much to reclaim wet lands; David F. Clark of Madison township, a farmer and an able speaker at Democratic meet-

ings; Nathan B. Combs, Sr., of Washington town- ship, father of Judge Combs, and one of the Dem- ocratic pioneers, coming from Butler county, Ohio, in 1856; James S. McNutt of Washington town- ship and Trustee of that township from 1882 to 1886; Arthur J. Clendening, County Commis- sioner for two terms (yet living) ; David Slipher of Madison township, former County Commission- er; Philip P. Bailey of Perry township, former County Commissioner; Dr. Fisher of Rossville, Dr. Hiram Coon of Colfax, John Q. Garratt of Hillisburg and John Fleming of Warren town- ship, former County Treasurer.

The date of the first Democratic county organi- zation cannot be definitely fixed, but it was prob- ably just prior to 1860. The earliest Democratic County Chairman known was Franklin D. Cald- well, who served for three campaigns-1864, 1866 and 1868. From the year 1886 those who have served as county chairmen for the party are as follows; Elwood Avery, 1886; Dewitt C. Bryant, 1888; David F. Allen, 1890; William G. Morris, 1892; John W. Lydy, 1894; Benjamin P. Martin, 1896; Benjamin P. Martin, 1898; Benjamin P. Martin, 1900; John W. Hedgecock, 1902 and 1904; George Smith, 1906, 1908 and 1910; Paul Pence, 1912; John W. Hedgecock, 1914; John Mattix, 1916, and present County Chairman.

Two men while residents of Clinton county have been elected as representatives in the Na- tional Congress-Joseph B. Cheadle, elected as Republican in 1886 and 1888, and Martin A. Mor- rison, Democrat. Mr. Cheadle served in Con- gress for four years and was an honest and con- scientious official. He was a member of the G. A. R. and had a large personal following. About 1895, when the coinage question became promi- nent, he strongly espoused the doctrine of the free coinage of silver, and when Bryan was nomi- nated by the Democrats he became an ardent supporter of the Nebraskan in 1896, and in that campaign and again in 1898 he was the candidate of the Democrats for Congress in the Ninth con- gressional district, and in 1896 was defeated by a very narrow margin. He remained a loyal sup- porter of the Democratic party till the time of his death, in 1904.

Martin A. Morrison, the only Democrat elected to Congress from this county, was born April 15, 1862, and the son of Henry Y. Morrison. He was a graduate of the Frankfort high school, and also of Butler College and the University of Vir- ginia Law School, and admitted to practice at the bar of the Clinton Circuit Court in 1886. He early became prominent as a lawyer and was well known as a democratic speaker throughout the State. He defeated Charles B. Landis, Repub- lican, for Congress in the Ninth district in 1908

( 564 )

HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

and was the first Democrat elected in the district for many years. He was re-elected in 1910, 1912 and 1914, and has served with distinction in those sessions. He declined to be a candidate for re- election in the 1916 campaign. He is a strong character, a man of marked ability, and his rec- ord in Congress is of the best.

The first Democratic newspaper was published in Clinton county by Colonel Noah T. Catterlin, in 1839, and named the Frankfort Argus. Mr. Catterlin was one of the most prominent and en- terprising of the old-time Democrats. It was dis- continued in 1842. In 1843 G. Weaver Snyder established another Democratic paper, named the Frankfort Observer. It was discontinued during the summer of 1844. Three years later another Democratie paper was begun under the name of the Clintonian, by T. J. Taylor, but this lasted only a year. In June, 1849, Joseph R. Horsley began the publication of a Democratic paper called the Clinton News. This was the first per- manent newspaper established in the county, for though the name and editors have been changed, the paper still exists. In the fall of 1850 the paper was purchased by John Gamble and Hugh B. McCain and the name was changed to the Compiler. In 1851 Mr. Gamble purchased the entire interest, greatly enlarged and improved the paper and changed the name to the Frankfort Weekly Crescent. For the past sixty-five years the paper has still retained the name Crescent, although changed to a daily later and still later combined with another paper. In 1854 Mr. Gam- ble sold the paper to Leander McClurg and Jo- seph T. Pressly. The new owners were attor- neys-at-law and still engaged in the practice of their profession, but also edited and published the paper. They continued to publish the paper till June, 1855, when Pressly sold his interest to J. B. Newton of Delphi, Ind. In 1857 McClurg sold his interest to William H. Ghere and a year later Ghere sold his interest to Newton, who thereby became the entire owner. A year later Leander McClurg again bought a half interest and Mc- Clurg and Newton conducted the paper for four years, when. in 1862, they sold it to Franklin D. Caldwell of Killmore. Caldwell published the paper till March, 1863, when he sold it to Joshua N. . Armentrout, and he conducted it till April, 1867, when he sold it to Allen E. Paige. Paige controlled the paper till October, 1869, when he sold a half interest to Jabez T. Cox, and in Jan- uary, 1870, Cox bought the remaining interest of Paige. Cox continued the paper till February, 1872, when it passed into the hands of a joint stock company and under the new company it was conducted by W. H. Ghere and T. H. Palmer until June, 1872, when Erastus H. Staley was

employed as editor. A few months later Mr. Staley purchased a-controlling interest in the pa- per and continued to be owner and editor for nineteen years. Mr. Staley is the veteran editor and newspaper publisher of our county and in local newspaper circles is styled "father of the chapter." He is now nearly eighty-five years of age, but still active and contributes to our local papers.

In 1885 the Crescent was changed to a daily paper. Mr. Staley sold the Crescent to Eli W. Brown in 1891, an able newspaper man from Northern Irdiana, who conducted it till his death in 1895, when it was purchased by B. H. Dorner and Charles Fennell. In November, 1896, Fennell sold his interest to Bayard Gray, a son of Gov- ernor Isaac P. Gray, and Dorner and Gray pub- lished the paper till the death of Dorner in July, 1901. Gray continued to publish the paper till January, 1906, when it was taken over by a joint stock company with Jerome Clark, president, and J. A. Hedgecock, manager. Mr. Hedgecock died in the spring of 1907, and in June of that year Mr. Robert C. Houston, an experienced news- paper man of Marion, Ind., became editor and manager. This publication and management of the Crescent was continued till January, 1913, when the stockholders of this paper and the own- er of the News, the local Republican paper, Mr. William G. Hendricks, combined the two papers into one, under the name of Crescent-News, of which company Markwood Slipher is president and William G. Hendricks, business manager. It has the united press telegraph service and is a splendid newspaper enjoying a large circulation.

Prior to the breaking out of the war in 1860 the county was normally Democratic, but the war brought about some change, and for a few years following that time the county was slightly Re- publican, but the margin was always narrow either way. Since about 1865 to 1885 the county was generally Democratic, with an occasional Re- publican clected on the county ticket, but the State and Presidential election showing a Demo- cratic majority. President Cleveland carried the county in 1884 by about 250, the majority for Tilden in 1876 being still larger. But in 1886 the county went Republican on both the State and county tickets, and this occurred again in 1888 when President Harrison carried the county by about 250 and the Republicans electing all of their county ticket. But in 1890 it changed again, the State ticket being almost a tie vote, and the Dem- ocrats electing all of the county ticket but three men. In 1892 it changed back to Republican, Harrison again carrying the county by about 220, and the Republicans electing all of their county

( 565 )

HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

ticket. In 1894 there was a Republican landslide and the county went Republican by 600 on the State ticket, also electing all of the county ticket. In 1896 there was another change to the Demo- crats, Bryan carried the county by about 135, and the Democrats elected all of the county ticket but treasurer. In 1898 there was a slight change back to the Republican party, on the State ticket the county . giving about 100 majority for the Republicans, but the Democrats secured nearly all of the important county offices, on account of having a strong local ticket.

In 1900 it was again a very close race on the State ticket with a divided county ticket. In 1902 there was a decided. change to the Repub- lican party, the Republican State ticket having about 420 majority, and they also elected their entire county ticket, but some by very narrow margin. In 1904 there was an overwhelming Re- publican majority, Roosevelt carrying the county against Parker for President by over 900 majori- ty, but the Democrats succeeded in pulling their candidate for sheriff through, electing John W. Haggard for sheriff by about 60 majority. This was the high tide of Republican victories in the county, and from then on their majorities all along, from that of President down to all local tickets, gradually fell off, till the county became strongly Democratic. The first change came in 1906, when Charles F. Cromwell for Auditor broke the hitherto strong Republican machine in both Center and Kirklin townships, he carrying every precinct in both of these Republican strong- holds, and was elected by over 300 majority, and carried three others of the county ticket with him. Two years later, in 1908, the Democrats carried

their State and Presidential tickets in the county by a little less than 100, gave Morrison for Con- gress nearly 800 and carried all of their county ticket but two men.

In 1910 the tendency was still strong toward the Democrats, they electing nearly all of the county ticket and showing a majority on the State ticket. In 1912 there was a complete land- slide, Wilson for President and Ralston for Gov- ernor having about 1,000 plurality, and the Demo- cratic county ticket all elected by majorities rang- ing from 500 to 1,200, and the first time since 1882 when the Democrats had carried all of the county ticket. In 1914 there was a heavy falling off in the Democratic plurality, the State ticket dropping down to 250 plurality, and the Repub- licans succeeded in electing three men on their county ticket. There was an unprecedented amount of "scratching" on the local ticket, the Republicans electing one man by 150 plurality, and the Democrats having more than 900 plurali- ty on some of their ticket. An analysis of the votes cast during the last ten years shows that there is getting to be a very large independent vote, especially in all local contests. Twenty years ago this was not so, and a man to be elect- ed, no matter how worthy or popular, must be on the ticket having a majority for the State and National offices, or else he was defeated. But this is no longer the case. The independent vote is in- creasing every year and it is becoming more and more apparent at every election that if a party wants to be successful it must put forth can- didates who are in every way well qualified, and who will meet with popular approval.

( 566 )

HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY

C RAWFORD COUNTY is one of the smallest in the State. It lies midway from east to west and where the "Le Belle Riviere" makes that grand sweeping circle called Horse- shoe Bend, giving the county twenty-four miles of river border. Its verdure-clad hills afford as grand scenery as can be found in the State, and its great underground caverns have been visited by people from all parts of the world.

Perhaps its people are not as cultured as those who live nearer to the great centers of art, and science and commerce, but nowhere can there be found more hospitable people, truer friends, warmer hearts, more sterling, rugged, honest men and splendid women, than in this old river county where they are born, and live, and grow, close to Nature.

The county was formed from parts of Harrison, Orange and Perry counties by an Act of the .Legislature of 1817-18, and was named in honor of William H. Crawford of Georgia, who had many admirers in that session. The Legislature appointed a Board of Commissioners who or- ganized the county early in the spring of 1818 and selected Mt. Sterling, then the only village in the county, as the county seat. Governor Jennings appointed the following officers to start the governmental machinery of the new county: William Samuels, Clerk and Recorder; Daniel Weathers, Sheriff and Treasurer; Cornelius Hall and John Samuels, County Commissioners; Hon. Davis Floyd, Presiding Judge, and Henry Green and James Glenn, Associate Justices. The first term of court was held at Mt. Sterling in De- cember, 1818.

Almost all of the early settlers came from the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. They were strong anti-federalists and were great admirers of Jefferson, Monroe and Jackson. They were imbued with the spirit of the then Far West, and upon the formation of the Democratic party the county cast its vote for Jackson. Ever since that time it has remained reliably Demo- cratic upon State and National issues, and but few times in its history has it defeated Demo- cratic candidates on the local ticket. The county has had eleven auditors, three of whom have been Republicans; nineteen treasurers, four of whom have been Republicans; fourteen recorders, three of whom have been Republicans; fourteen clerks, four of whom have been Republicans; seventeen sheriffs, four of whom have been Republicans. Only one Republican has been elected to the Gen- eral Assembly from the county.

The following incident of the pre-election days of 1832 showed Jackson's popularity in the county at that time and also illustrated the almost pro- verbial ignorance of the early Hoosier.

An early circuit rider spent a week in a certain community preaching at the different homes. On Saturday night he closed his week's work with a very earnest and urgent invitation to those pres- ent to affiliate themselves with the followers of Wesley, but no one responded to his appeal. Be- ing somewhat disappointed and discouraged by the indifferent attitude of his congregation towards things spiritual, he said:

"Brothers and sisters, I have labored among you for a whole week trying to show you the way unto salvation, and now, when you have an op- portunity to accept Christ as your Savior, you refuse; and it seems that all my labor in your behalf has been in vain. Is there one present who believes in Jesus Christ ? If so, let him arise!" No one arose. Not entirely discouraged, he made another appeal: "Is there one, JUST ONE, in this congregation who believes in Jesus Christ and his teachings? If there is, let him stand!" His appeal was not in vain this time. A great, rough fellow from the hills for which the county is famous, being evidently aroused by the rebuke that had been administered because of their indif- ference, arose and addressed the man of God thus: "Stranger, we all have enjoyed your speeches and we feel that you have done us a whole lot of good; and we all believe in Jesus Christ, all right, but so far as principles and teachings are concerned we want you to under- stand that, by the eternal, we are going to stay with Old Hickory this time."

The first party organization dates back almost to the formation of the party, but the names of the members who composed it can not be obtained. The following have served, in the order named, as chairman of the county central committee, or as head of the county organization: John H. McMickle, John Benz, W. S. Ross, Martin J. Miller, J. R. Duffing, S. A. Beals, C. A. Roberson, J. E. Jones, Charles Rogers, T. B. Sonner, B. T. Mc- Farland and G. B. Hammond. The first named served uninterruptedly for more than twenty-five years. Under their leadership the county has given Democratic candidates a majority, except in two or three instances, of from fifty to five hundred. The last named is the present chairman of the county central committee.

The following residents of the county have been

( 567 )

HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

elected to the General Assembly: Jesse E. Cre- celius, John K. Landis, Henry Jenkins, John L. Bates, W. M. Ellsworth, Houston Miller, Edmund Hostetter, Hamilton C. Hammond, David T. Ste- phenson, Clark F. Crecelius, Charles T. Myler, John Benz and Sam Benz. While none of them attained national prominence, yet they all served the State with much honor and their constituents with great fidelity. Not one of them was the au- thor of any great act of constructive legislation, but every one was always at his post of duty and always voted, as he thought, for the best interests of the State and his community.

John Benz served as coroner and school trustee previous to his election to the General Assembly in 1874, 1878 and 1906. While the State capital was at Corydon the early members of the Legis- lature had not far to go to attend the sessions, but for some years after it was removed to Indianapolis the trip was a difficult one. The southern counties were an almost unbroken forest and John K. Landis and other early members rode horseback to the capital.

Clark F. Crecelius was Recorder of the county from 1870 to 1878 and Treasurer from 1878 to 1882. He served as a member of the Legisla- ture in the general and special sessions of 1885 and was appointed as postmaster at Marengo, Indiana, in 1886, which position he held for four years. He served as Clerk of the Ways and Means Committee of the Legislature of 1891 and was appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for the seventh district July 22, 1885, but declined the appointment. Later he removed to Floyd county and was elected as Representative from that county at the November election, 1914. His son, C. F. Crecelius, Jr., is Secretary of State of Kentucky.

Following the names of some old-time Demo- crats who for many years marshalled the Demo- cratic hosts of the county and led them to victory: James M. Mansfield, John B. Pankey, Esau Mc- Fall, Samuel E. McFall, Edmund Hostetter, John K. Landis, Elijah Roberson, Thomas Myler, Thomas Fleming, W. T. Carr, W. T. Beasley, Caleb Longest, John Gregory, J. A. Hughes, Jacob Tucker, George W. Cuzzort, John Benz, W. M. Ellsworth, James C. McClain, Harrison Scott, Martin Scott, Dr. H. H. Setser, Dr. G. W. Bayler, William Merrilees, Wilson Gregory, W. C. Froman, M. C. Froman, Samuel P. Batman, H. K. Jenkins, D. T. Stephenson, C. F. Crecelius, Jesse E. Crecelius, W. S. Ross, John H. McMickle, Thomas P. Ellsworth, C. D. Luckett, Burton J. Brown, Joshua Hollen, Elias Romaine, Jacob

Partenheimer, William L. Temple, Peter Gottfried, John L. Bates, and Houston Miller.

John H. McMickle was a Justice of the Peace for more than forty years and as has been stated, the chairman of the central committee for twenty- five years.

Thomas P. Ellsworth was appointed and served as Clerk in the Weather Bureau at Washington, D. C., during Cleveland's second administration.

"Senator" Benz, as he was familiarly called, was for years a noted figure in Indiana politics. It was one of his proud boasts that from the time he became a voter until the time of his death he had not absented himself from a Democratic State convention. After his death in 1908, his son, Samuel Benz, was chosen to succeed him at a special election held September 17, of the same year.

Martin Scott was foreman of the first grand jury impanelled in the county.

The Crawford Democrat, the first Democratic newspaper in the county, was established at Leavenworth by John P. Cozine in 1869. It was owned and published by Robert L. Peed, Thomas K. Van Sant, John T. Crecelius and M. M. Monk, successively, until 1879, when it was purchased by W. M. Ellsworth and son, who established the Crawford County Democrat and continued as its owners and publishers until 1905. In that year it was purchased by D. W. Flanigan, the present owner. It is one of the best local papers in the State.

The Marengo Observer, owned by Elmo Wilson, is also a splendid local Democratic newspaper.

Other Democratic newspapers were established at English at various times and in succession by Claude D. Douglass, W. J. McDermott, John Benz, Jr., Benjamin Baker and J. R. Pro, but none of them survived.

The present Democratic officials are Hon. Sam Benz, Joint Representative for the counties of Crawford and Perry; Charles T. Brown, Prosecut- ing Attorney for the counties of Harrison, Craw- ford and Perry; Henry W. Mock, Clerk of the Cir- cuit Court; A. H. Flannigan, County Treasurer; Iny Dooley, County Recorder; Jesse C. Ewing, Sheriff; S. A. Beals, County Superintendent of Schools; Thomas Cunningham, Surveyor; W. J. Trusty, Coroner, and Jerry Batman, C. J. Tucker and James P. Culver, County Commissioners.

The Democracy of the county has never been favored with a federal appointment except such as have been made on the basis of a civil service examination.

( 568 )

HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF DAVIESS COUNTY

By A. O. Fulkerson, Washington

D AVIESS COUNTY came into existence on February 15, 1817, by an act of the Legis- lature, approved on December 24, 1816, by Jonathan Jennings. Previous to this time it had been a part of Knox county. Its boundaries then included all of the county as now constituted and all of Martin county north of Lick creek, all of Greene county east of the west fork of White river, and all of Owen county east of the west fork of White river. The formation of Martin county in 1820 and of Greene county in 1821 cut Daviess county down to its present boundaries.

Probably a majority of the early inhabitants of the county were of southern extraction. These, in the main, were Democrats. The majority of the early settlers who came from the East were Whigs and later Republicans. Later a number of Irish and Germans settled in the county. They and their descendants, to a large extent, have sup- ported the Democratic ticket. The later settlers in the main were Whigs or Republicans. These different elements composing the voting popula- tion of the county have made it rather close po- litically.

When the Democrats of the county formed their first political organization is not a matter of record, but it is certain that they took a promi- nent part in the organization of the county. James G. Reed, a Democrat of state-wide reputation, was one of the first judicial officers of the county and represented the county in the State Legisla- ture in 1821, 1823, 1825 and 1831 and was the Democratic candidate for Governor in 1832 and again in 1834.

From the organization of the county until the 80's the Democrats, in a very great majority of cases, elected their county ticket, although the Whigs carried the county for Clay by 43 in 1844, for Taylor in 1848 by 27, and for Scott in 1852 by 106. The Republicans carried the county for Lincoln in 1860 by 185 and for Grant in 1872 by 296. The Democrats carried the county for Bu- chanan by 176, for MeClellan by 72, for Seymour by 50, for Tilden by 324, for Hancock by 67, for Cleveland in 1884 by 202. The shops of the Balti- more & Ohio Southwestern Railway, which were built at Washington, the county seat of the coun- ty, in the 80's, brought men to Washington, a ma- jority of whom were Republicans. After this the Republicans succeeded more frequently. The Democrats carried the county for Bryan in 1896

by 258 and in 1900 by 126, and for Wilson in 1912 by 754.

A long line of Democrats has represented the county in the State Legislature. Richard A. Clements was State Senator in 1847. In 1853, Gaylord G. Barton, a Democrat of more than local prominence, was elected to the State Senate. He was a vice-chairman at the State convention in 1870. William S. Turner, a Democrat from Daviess county, represented the senatorial district from 1867 to 1869. Later Turner was a candi- date for the Democratic nomination for State Auditor. David J. Hefron, prominent in Demo- cratic politics for more than a quarter of a cen- tury, was elected State Senator in 1877. The sena- torial district of which Daviess county was a part was represented by William Kennedy of Daviess county from 1891 to 1895. This district was again represented in the State Senate by a Daviess county Democrat from 1899 to 1903 by Ephraim Inman, now of Indianapolis. Henry Gers, a prominent German Democrat of Daviess county, was elected State Senator for the term beginning in 1911.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 77

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