USA > Indiana > History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916 > Part 79
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1827-Horace Bassett, James T. Pollock, Ezekiel Jackson, Joel De Coursey.
1828-Horace Bassett, James T. Pollock, Arthur St. Clair, George H. Dunn.
1829-30-Horace Bassett, James T. Pollock, Thomas Given, Walter Armstrong.
1830-James T. Pollock, Walter Armstrong, Ezra Ferris, Samuel H. Dowden.
1831-David V. Culley, William Fleke, Warren Tebbs.
1832-George H. Dunn, David V. Culley, Oliver Heustis.
1833-George H. Dunn, Thomas Given, David Guard.
1834-Nelson H. Horbet, James Walker, Thom- as Howard.
1835-Henry Walker, Thomas Howard, Milton Gregg.
1836-David Guard, Pinckney James, John P. Dunn, Abel C. Pepper.
1837-George Arnold, Abram Ferris, Enoch W. Jackson, Alexander E. Glenn.
1838-39-George Arnold, Jacob W. Eggleston, William Conaway, Ebenezer Dumont.
1839-40-Amos Lane, William Lanius, William Conaway, William Perry.
1840-41-Abijah North, John B. Clark, Isaac Dunn, William R. Cole.
1841-Ethan A. Brown, James P. Milliken, James Rand.
1842-43-Ethan A. Brown, John Lewis, James P. Milliken.
1843-44-Pinckney James, David Macy.
1844-Oliver Heustis, John Lewis, William Lan- ius.
1845-46-George Cornelius, Richard D. Slater.
1846-47-A. G. Tebbs, John D. Johnson.
1847-George W. Lane, Richard D. Slater.
1848-John D. Johnson, Alvin J. Alden, George M. Lozier.
1849-50-Daniel Conaway, Joseph A. Watkins. 1850-Ebenezer Dumont (speaker of house), John B. Clark.
1850-(Special session) Oliver B. Torbett, Wil- liam S. Holman.
1853-Oliver B. Torbett (speaker of house), Noah C. Durham.
1855-Alvin J. Alden, John Crozier.
1857-John Lewis, George W. Lane.
1858-Noah C. Durham, Warren Tebbs.
1859-Warren Tebbs, Noah C. Durham.
1861-Omer F. Roberts, Charles Lods.
1863-Omer F. Roberts, Alfred Brogan.
1865-John C. Stenger, Richard Gregg.
1867-Edward H. Green, Warren Tebbs, Jr. 1869-71-Warren Tebbs, Jr.
1872-73-(Special session) Noah S. Givan.
1875-Columbus Johnston.
1876-78-Columbus Johnston.
1878-80-A. J. Alden.
1880-82-Edward Jackson.
1882-84-Hugh D. McMullen.
1884-86-Hugh D. McMullen.
1886-88-Hugh D. McMullen.
1888-90-Joseph Vandolah.
1890-94-John W. Johnson.
1894-98-John Feist.
1898-1902-Omer F. Roberts.
1900-04-Charles H. Conaway.
1904-08-Victor Obertine.
1909-10-Warren N. Hauck.
1910-12-Cassius W. McMullen.
1912-14-Edgar Sale.
1914-16-Edgar Sale.
BOARD OF MAGISTRATES
(Justices of peace sitting as board now corre- sponding to county commissioners. Records prior to 1826 destroyed in court house fire of that year.)
1826-Mark MeCracken, president; John Por- ter, James Lewis, William Brundye, Loban Bram- ble.
1826-Mark MeCracken, Cornelius S. Folkner, Job A. Beach.
1828-Philip Eastman, James Murry, Delia El- der, Isaac Colwell, John Godley, James W. Hunter, Martin Stewart, William Flake.
1829-David Bowers, John Glass, Israel W. Bonham.
1830-Joseph Wood, Ulysses Cook, John Colum- bia, John Neal.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
1831-First election under new law creating of- fice: Joseph Wood, one year; Mark McCracken, two years; George Arnold, three years.
1832-William Conway.
1833-Charles Dashiell.
1834-George Arnold.
1835-John Neal.
1836-Benjamin Sylvester.
1837-David Nevitt and William Conway.
1838-David Walser.
1839-Aaron B. Henry.
1840-William S. Ward.
1841-Charles Dashiell.
1842-John Columbia.
1843-William S. Ward.
1844-David Walser.
( 575 )
HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
1845-James Grubbs.
1846-Daniel Taylor.
1847-Martin Treater. 1848-Jonathan Hollowell.
1849-William S. Ward.
1850-Zera Vinson.
1851-Jonathan Hollowell.
1852-John Heinberger.
1853-Benjamin Burlingame.
1854-Mason J. McCloud.
1855-Asabel Tyrrel.
1856-Benjamin Burlingame.
1857-John Anderagg.
1858-Asabel Tyrrel.
1859-Francis Buffington.
1860-John Anderagg.
1861-Charles Briggs.
1862-Francis Buffington.
1863-Charles Briggs.
1864-John Anderagg.
1865-Francis Buffington.
1866-Frederick Souders.
1867-Smith Platt.
1868-Asabel Tyrrel.
1869-Frederick Souders.
1870-John C. Stenger.
1871-Asabel Tyrrel.
1872-Frederick Souders.
1873-James Grubbs, Smith Platt.
1874-Frederick Slater.
1876-Michael Hoff, Abraham Briggs.
1877-Frederick Slater.
1879-Abraham Briggs, Michael Hoff.
1880-Garrett Bosse.
1882-Charles Lods (to fill vacancy death of Hoff), Henry Bulthaup (to fill vacancy death of Bosse) ; T. T. Annis, John Buchert, Henry Bult- haup elected.
1883-Charles Fisk, John Feist (fill vacancy death of Buchert).
1885-Nicholas Vogelsang, George A. Swales.
1886-George W. Johnston.
1887-Nicholas Vogelsang.
1888-George A. Swales.
1889-George W. Johnston.
1890-Joseph Buchert.
1891-John Axby.
1892-Eben T. Heaton.
1897-Frederick Albers.
1898-John Reuck, three years; Rufus Abbott, two years.
1899-Fred Albers, three years.
1901-John Reuck.
1903-John E. Heustis.
1904-George W. Brown.
1905-Henry J. Meyer.
1906-John E. Heustis.
1907-Ralph Conaway.
1908-Henry J. Meyer.
1909-Edward Baker.
1910-Ralph Conaway.
1911-George T. Wolf.
1912-Edward Barker.
1913-John Nolte.
1914-George T. Wolf.
1915-Frank Bittner.
COUNTY TREASURERS
1829-Daniel Hagerman (died 1829).
1829-31-Thomas Palmer.
1831-36-Walter Armstrong.
1836-38-Robert Moore.
1838-40-William G. Monroe.
1840-45-Ebenezer Dumont.
1845-47-Nelson S. Torbet.
1847-50-Cornelius O'Brien.
1850-53-Noble Hamilton.
1853-55-Strange S. Dunn.
1855-57-Thomas Johnson.
1857-61-Francis M. Jackson.
1861-63-Marcus Levy.
1863-65-William F. Crocker.
1865-70-Thomas Kilner.
1870-74-Francis Lang.
1874-78-Charles Lods.
1878-82-William H. Kyle.
1882-86-James D. Gatch.
1886-90-John Probst.
1890-94-Michael Maloney.
1894-98-William Wulber.
1898-1902-Henry Fangman.
1902-C. William Fangman (unexpired term).
1903-06-Enoch McElfresh.
1906-10-C. William Fangman.
1910-14-Andrew Burk.
1914-John A. Bobrink.
COUNTY AUDITORS
1841-46-George W. Lane.
1846-55-Reuben Rodgers.
1855-64-Elias T. Crosby.
1864-68-Richard D. Slater, Sr.
1868-75-Richard D. Slater, Jr.
1875-79-Myron Maynes.
1883-87-Julius Severin.
1891-95-Frank R. Dorman.
1898-1906-Charles M. Beinkamp.
1906-14-William S. Fagaly.
COUNTY CLERKS
March 7, 1803, to September 6, 1813-Samuel C. Vance.
September 6, 1813, to death in 1838 (when his son, Alexander Dill, was appointed pro tem. to va- cancy) -James Dill.
1839-51-William V. Cheek.
1851-56-Cornelius O'Brien.
1856-61-Samuel L. Jones.
( 576 )
HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
1864-68-John F. Cheek.
1868-78-John A. Conwell.
1878-86-Warren Tebbs. 1886-94-John H. Russe. 1898-1906-John Uhlrich. 1906-14-George Fahlbush.
1914-James G. Mckinney.
COUNTY RECORDERS
March 7, 1803, to August 30, 1803-James Dill. August 30, 1803, to February 14, 1817-James Hamilton.
1817-31-James Dill.
1831-34-Thomas Porter.
1834-Asa Smith.
1835-55-Thomas Palmer.
1855-Tobias Finkbine.
1855-63-John Heinberger.
1863-67-Alvin J. Alden.
1867-71-Alfred Brogan.
1871-79-Francis M. Johnson.
1879-85-George C. Columbia.
1885-95-John S. Prichard.
1895-1903-George W. Turner.
1903-11-Edward C. Fox. 1911-Clifford Haynes.
SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS
1873-75-George C. Columbia.
1875-87-Harvey B. Hill.
1887-93-Samuel J. Houston.
1893-1908-Sol K. Gold.
1908-14-George C. Cole.
COUNTY ASSESSORS
1891-1900-Francis M. Johnson. 1900-14-William H. Nead. 1914-William Westcott.
COUNTY SHERIFFS
1803-04-David Lamphere.
1804-16-James Hamilton.
1816-18-John Hamilton.
1818-William Hamilton.
1818-22-Thomas Longley.
1822-26-John Spencer.
1826-28-Thomas Longley.
1828-32-John Spencer. 1832-William Gregg. 1832-37-William Dils.
1837-41-John Weaver.
1841-45-Samuel Osgood.
1845-49-Thomas Roberts.
1849-53-Frank M. Riddle. 1853-58-John Brumblay. 1858-60-John Boyd.
1860-64-Edward A. Conger.
1864-68-Richard Charles Arnold.
1868-72-Frank R. Dorman.
1872-76-Lewis Weitzel.
1876-80-Elijah Christopher.
1880-84-John C. Sims.
1884-88-Daniel M. Guard.
1888-92-Hezron Haynes.
1892-96-Henry Buethaup.
1896-98-Wm. E. Teke.
1898-Ira Miller. 1898-1902-Marion Laws.
1902-06-John Axby.
1906-10-Richard White.
1910-14-Ora N. Slater.
1914-18-Daniel McKinzie.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS
1850-54-Strange S. Dunn.
1854-58-William Patterson.
1864-68-Hugh D. McMullen.
1868-78-George R. Brumblay.
1878-80-Addison Williams.
1880-86-Robert E. Slater.
1886-88-Edward H. Green.
1888-96-Redman L. Davis.
1896-1902-Harry R. McMullen.
1902-04-Theodore Wulber.
1904-06-Frank D. Johnston.
1906-14-John H. Russe.
1914-18-Willard Dean.
COUNTY CORONERS
1845-58-Daniel Edwards.
1848-52-James D. English.
1852-56-William R. Green.
1856-60-Major R. Slater.
1860-66-William Green.
1866-68-Frederick Rectanus.
1868-76-Daniel M. Skinner.
1876-80-Robert H. Davis.
1880-84-C. J. B. Ratjen.
1884-95-Albert D. Jackson.
1895-96-Hanson G. Freeman.
1896-98-Frederick Mauntel.
1898-1900-F. H. Sale, Jr. 1900-02-F. H. Sale, Jr.
1902-04-F. H. Sale, Jr.
1904-06-George F. Smith.
1905-10-Wilson H. Swales.
1910-15-G. Johnston.
COUNTY SURVEYORS
1846-52-George Moore.
1850-56-Samuel M. Kennedy.
1856-57-Jesse L. Holman.
1857-62-Samuel M. Kennedy.
1862-64-Hugh D. McMullen.
1864-66-Samuel Allen.
1866-74-Samuel M. Kennedy.
1874-78-Samuel Allen.
1878-80-Samuel M. Kennedy.
19-History
( 577 )
HISTORY. INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
1880-82-Emanuel Allen.
1882-1902-Albert T. Gridley.
1902-12-Charles H. Gore.
1912-15-Albert Karstetter.
Of Dearborn county men in United States offi- ces, may be mentioned:
Jesse L. Holman, Judge United States District Court of Indiana.
Horace Bassett, Clerk United States District Court of Indiana.
Abel C. Pepper, United States Marshal, State of Indiana.
Thomas Porter, Receiver United States Land Office, Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Arthur St. Clair, Register United States Land Office, Indianapolis.
John Spencer, Receiver United States Land Office, Ft. Wayne.
Abel C. Pepper, Indian Agent.
David V. Culley, Register United States Land Office, Indianapolis.
B. T. W. S. Anderson, United States Mail Agent.
D. M. Skinner, United States Mail Agent.
Servetus Tufts, Assistant Doorkeeper, United States Congress.
Samuel J. Johnson,
Assistant Doorkeeper, United States Congress.
R. D. Slater, Sr., Assistant Doorkeeper, United States Congress.
George W. Lane, Superintendent United States Mint, Denver, Colorado.
Benjamin F. Spooner, United States Marshal, State of Indiana.
R. DeLoss Brown, Assistant Doorkeeper,
United States Congress.
James J. McConnell, Assistant Doorkeeper, United States Congress.
Jason D. Brown, Secretary of Wyoming Terri- tory.
Henry W. Blasdal, Governor of Nevada Terri- tory.
Benjamin F. Spooner, James I. McConnell, Henry W. Blasdal and B. T. W. S. Anderson were the only Republicans in this list.
Dearborn county citizens in state offices: Jesse L. Holman, Judge State Supreme Court.
George H. Dunn, Treasurer of State.
John P. Dunn, Auditor of State.
James H. Lane, Lieutenant Governor.
R. DeLoss Brown, Librarian.
E. G. Collins, Secretary of State.
James De Sano, Librarian.
Ebenezer Dumont, President of State Bank.
William H. O'Brien, Auditor of State.
( 578 )
HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF DECATUR COUNTY
By John F. Russell
T HE time of the birth of Democracy in Deca- tur county is obscured in a maze of tradi- tion. Historical Democracy began at a time when the foundations of the present splendid civilization was being laid, but its principles lived in the thoughts and deeds of men long before they were grouped and classified under a conven- tional party name.
When Whig and Union party were aligning themselves upon the issues in the beginning of Decatur county political history, Democracy in its plasmic state was ready to be evolved from the lives of such men as Doddridge Alley and Joseph V. Bemusdaffer. Alley was the pioneer Democrat of Decatur county. He was temperamentally just such a man as would espouse the cause of Jeffer- son without pressure or persuasion, because he was spontaneously and by nature a Democrat.
He was elevated to office before the Democratic party had fully matured at the first regular elec- tion after the organization of the county in 1822, defeating his opponent for Sheriff by twelve votes. He served four years as Sheriff and was then in 1826 elected State Representative. The next year he was defeated by Thomas Hendricks, but in 1831 he was returned to the Legislature and remained one year.
In those days of imperfect transportation fa- cilities and impossible highways, Alley was obliged to ride horseback to Indianapolis, a dis- tance of approximately fifty miles. When he reached the State House it occurred to him that he had forgotten his credentials. In the excite- ment incident to his departure on his first mission of State he had neglected to include this docu- ment in his baggage. So he rode back to Greens- burg that night and returned to the Capital the following morning. The long and tortuous ride over indifferent roads left him in a condition which only those who have remained hours in the saddle are in a position to appreciate. But the unwritten annals of Decatur county record that he stood during the first day of the session.
Alley is credited with being the author of a law empowering Sheriffs to perform marriages. The reason assigned for this law was that while ministers of the gospel were scarce in eastern Indiana there were Sheriffs in every county. Al- ley introduced a bill providing for the annexation of eighteen sections of Shelby county. He pointed out artlessly that Shelby county was very un-
healthful and for that reason the people living within the territory comprised in the eighteen sections wished to "get out of it" and become citizens of Decatur county.
Since 1835 Democracy has intermittently found expression in a partisan press. William Vallette Coleman of Brookville started the Greensburg Courier in that year and remained here until the spring of the following year when he moved his printing plant to Shelbyville. For a period of five years thereafter local Democracy was with- out an "organ," but in 1841 Peter J. Bartholomew began the publication of the Chronicle of the Times, which had a brief career. Upon the death of Bartholomew, Philander Hamilton and James M. Talbot changed the name of this paper to the Decatur Sentinel, but a year later the name was again changed to the Decatur Phoenix, with Israel T. Gibson editor. In 1843 it was merged with the Repository, a paper of opposite political views.
In the same year Oscar B. Hord and Charles R. Hobbs started the Greensburg Gazette. Two years later the Gazette was succeeded by the Democratic Rifle, which shot bullets of invective into the enemy as accurately and deadly as the old flint-lock after which it was named. Bernard Mullen was editor of the Rifle. Following the death of Mullen's paper, John B. Covington in 1856 started a Democratic paper which history has failed to name. It survived three years and was sold by the Sheriff for $25.25. The Decatur Democrat, Dr. W. H. Van Horn, editor, was in existence in 1858. . It was opposed to slavery, but beyond that little is known of its history. In 1863 the Greensburg Fact was launched by Burnham & Howell. It had a brief and apparently unevent- ful career. In 1869 Martin Zorger and Martin Blair started the New Era, which later passed to James E. Mendenhall. In 1892 Allen W. Clark, the son of a Baptist clergyman, bought the New Era of Mr. Mendenhall and remained as its editor until 1897, when the paper was disposed of to W. H. Glidewell, who finally sold it to J. W. Rucker & Company.
Early in April, 1910, Walter A. Kaler launched the Weekly Democrat and Evening Times, and a year later sold these papers to the Greensburg Democrat Company, Alex. Porter, president; John F. Russell, vice-president, and Charles H. Ewing, secretary and treasurer. The Democrat and Times survive as the recognized exponents of Democracy in the county.
( 579 )
HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
It is interesting to note, in contemplating the rapid growth of population during the interven- ing years, that only 144 votes were cast in this county at the first Presidential election held No- vember 6, 1824. Of this number Andrew Jackson received 55, John Quincy Adams 17, and Henry Clay 72. It will be seen that the sum of the votes cast for Jackson and Adams equaled that cast for Clay.
At subsequent Presidential elections Decatur county voted as follows:
1828-John Quincy Adams, 346; Andrew Jack- son, 292.
1832-Henry Clay, 539; Andrew Jackson, 405.
1836-Wm. H. Harrison, 950; Martin Van Buren, 513.
1840-Wm. H. Harrison, 1,294; Martin Van Buren, 759.
1844-Henry Clay, 1,275; James K. Polk, 1,091.
One of the early statesmen who has left his impress upon the political life of the county was Colonel James B. Foley, 1807-1886. Mr. Foley was elected to Congress in 1856, defeating the brilliant Will Cumback, who was then in Con- gress. He was a farmer statesman and a man of peculiar natural gifts. Prior to his election to Congress, Foley was made brigadier-general of militia by Governor Wright. In 1874 he was again importuned to run for Congress, but de- clined.
A feature of the Foley campaign was a barbe- cue which has found its way into history. Strange- ly enough this big Democratic demonstration was marred by none of the outbreaks of hoodlumism which were of frequent occurrence in those days of bitter political strife. Democrats are now liv- ing who recall this feast in a grove in the heart of the city as it now stands. This grove later became the site of an orphans' home, which a few years ago was dismantled to make way for the handsome new high school building.
Royal B. Cobb was the candidate for Judge and Jack De Armond was an aspirant for the Legis- lature. Joseph V. Bemusdaffer, a pioneer Demo- crat, was one of the speakers. The slogan of this meeting was "Buchanan, Cobwebb and De Ar- mond."
Conspicuous among the men who have contrib- uted to Democratic history in county and State are James Gavin, elected to Congress in 1863; Oscar B. Hord, elected Attorney-General in 1862 and author of Gavin & Hord's Indiana Statutes; Joseph V. Bemusdaffer, elected to the State Leg- islature in 1863, defeating the spectacular D. R. Van Buskirk by 142 votes in a campaign which has become memorable; Alex. L. Underwood, elected to the Legislature in 1853; John W. Shaw, elected to the Legislature in 1875; Oscar L. Pulse,
who served in the Legislature, 1883-4; Colonel B. C. Shaw, who was elected Treasurer of State at the close of the Civil War; Judge Andrew Davi- son, brilliant lawyer, who was elected to the Su- preme Bench in 1852 and again in 1858, retiring in 1864; John S. Scobey, who served in the State Senate and was a Presidential elector in 1872 and again in 1876; Robert W. Miers, who was a can- didate for Secretary of State in 1886. Mr. Miers later moved to Bloomington, Ind., where he was thrice elected to Congress and is now on the Cir- cuit bench.
Democracy has been tirelessly championed by the Reilly, Ewing, Denniston, Sefton, Foley, De Armond, Kincaid, Miers, Barnes and Bracken families, whose descendants have adhered closely to the traditions and defended the fundamental principles which have made the party a vital force in the economy of present-day society.
Cortez Ewing, 1837-1882, was one of the many Democrats who became a national figure. He served in the general land office in Washington under Thomas A. Hendricks, who was then com- missioner, and from 1874 to 1878 was a trustee for the State institution for the blind. James K. Ewing, a lawyer in actual practice for fifty years, represented this district in the national Demo- cratic convention in St. Louis in 1888. He was also on the bench in this judicial circuit from 1893 to 1895. Morgan L. Miers was a delegate to the national convention in St. Louis in 1904.
John E. Osborn was chairman of the old sixth district, of which this county was a part, from 1908 to 1911.
George P. Shoemaker was elected in 1912 to represent the Fourth Congressional District in the electoral college. Mr. Shoemaker had the peculiar honor of being a member of the electoral college which made Woodrow Wilson President. This was the first time since 1876 that Decatur county gave a Democratic Presidential candidate a ma- jority. Tilden carried the county by sixteen votes. The Democrats received a majority in the county at the Presidential election in 1856. .
Men who have served the party as county chair- men are legion. Prominent among them are John L. Bracken, who served from 1876 to 1878. Then follow John H. Bobbitt, Samuel H. Logan, Rus- sell Sawyer, Cortez Ewing, James E. Mendenhall, Alex Porter, Will Ryan, W. J. Kincaid, George E. Erdmann, Cicero Northern, Edward Kessing and George Menzie. James E. Mendenhall also served as Clerk of the committee on public lands in the fiftieth Congress and later was named without so- licitation by Congressman Holman as secretary of the committee on Indian affairs and 'served throughout the fifty-third Congress.
W. J. Kincaid was elected State Representative
( 580 )
HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
in 1912 and again in 1914. George E. Erdmann was appointed Postmaster at Greensburg, and Cicero Northern, before his term as county chair- man expired, accepted an appointment in the in- ternal revenue service. Edward Kessing, follow- ing the election of 1914, became a traveling rep- resentative of the federal census bureau.
The writer, who has been a member of the county organization for years, has been fittingly
recognized by the State administration. On August 1, 1914, he was appointed by Governor Ralston on the board of trustees of the Southeast- ern Hospital for the Insane at Madison, and on August 1, 1918, was re-appointed by Governor Goodrich for another four years.
In 1916 he had the honor of representing the Fourth Congressional District as a delegate to the National Democratic Convention at St. Louis.
( 581 )
HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF DEKALB COUNTY
T \HE good people of Dekalb county saw to it in the beginning that this particular por- tion of the earth was made safe for democ- racy. It has remained more than reasonably so ever since. In state campaigns all political par- ties look to Dekalb county as sure to return a big Democratic majority.
The county was organized under an act of the Legislature passed in the winter of 1836-7, and named in honor of Baron DeKalb, who enlisted in the American army of the revolution and was commissioned a general, losing his life fighting for American independence at the battle of Cam- den in August, 1780.
Immediately upon the organization of the county a lively scrap was precipitated for the location of the county seat. On this, as on all other matters political, the final struggle demon- strated that the people were almost unanimous, and they selected Auburn. This has remained the seat of the county government ever since.
The first regular election after the organiza- tion of the county was held on the 6th of August, 1838, a board of commissioners having been rather informally chosen in 1837. The 1838 elec- tion named Luther Keep for commissioner, Wes- ley Park for sheriff, Lott Herrick for school commissioner and Robert Work for coroner. Da- vid B. Herriman was given a majority of 14 for representative.
The first presidential election in which this county participated as an individual unit was in 1840, when the Western States were arrayed against the East in proposing the election of Wil- liam Henry Harrison. This is one of the rare occasions when this county did not return a big Democratic majority. Of 334 votes cast 177 were for Harrison and 167 for Van Buren.
It must be noted that while state pride suc- ceeded in getting a majority of 10 for Harrison at the election in November, 1840, the vote on state and county officers on the 3d of August the same year showed a large majority for all the Democratic candidates, in some instances there being no opposition whatever. Tightman A. Howard, the Democratic candidate for governor, defeated Samuel Bigger, the Whig candidate.
In the county election of 1841 out of a total of 245 votes cast the Democratic candidates re- ceived 240 to 244. In August, 1842, the Demo- cratic majority was about the same. Samuel W. Sprott, Democratic candidate for clerk, received 273 votes without opposition, while Aaron Hague
received 243 votes and John Rose, the Whig can- didate, received 1 vote.
In the election of August, 1843, when a govern- or was to be chosen, with all state officers, the vote was more evenly divided, but at the same time it was safely Democratic. James Whit- comb, Democratic nominee for governor, received 290 votes, while Samuel Bigger, his Whig op- ponent, was given 212. The returns on all the offices show that in those days there was not much "scratching." The straight party ticket seemed to have been the rule.
The vote seemed to grow quite rapidly from year to year, and in August, 1844, Jacob Helwig, the Democratic nominee for representative, re- ceived 304 votes, while his Whig opponent, Ariel Walden, was given 254. Always a safe major- ity for Democracy.
The national election of 1844 was one very bit- terly fought. Henry Clay of Kentucky was nom- inated in that year as the Whig candidate against James K. Polk. The number of votes cast was about double that of 1840, Polk receiv- ing 327 and Clay 269, a Democratic majority of 58.
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