USA > Indiana > History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916 > Part 80
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Congressmen and county officers were again to be elected in August, 1845. Andrew Kennedy, the Democratic nominee for congress, received 316 votes against 237 cast for his Whig op- ponent, L. G. Thompson. Clark Powers was chosen representative, John W. Dawson prose- cutor, Amzi Seely commissioner, Miles Water- man auditor, William P. Means assessor, I. C. George school commissioner and David Weaver coroner.
In August, 1846, James Whitcomb, being nomi- nated by the Democrats to succeed himself as governor, was this time opposed by Joseph G. Marshall. Dekalb county contributed her portion of the state majority by giving to Whitcomb 366 votes against 219 for Marshall. Whitcomb's ma- jority was 147. The largest endorsement given any Democrat in the county was to David Weaver for coroner, he receiving all the votes cast for that office-306.
In the August election of 1847 William Rock- hill, Democratic nominee for . congressman, re- ceived 406 votes against 341 votes cast for his opponent, William G. Ewing. In this election the Democrats named for prosecutor Reuben J. Daw- son, he receiving 446 votes against 10 for the op- position.
In August of 1848 the local election for repre- sentative gave Reuben J. Dawson 586 votes
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against 343 for his opponent, C. Luce, the Demo- cratic majority being 243. Some of the county offices in this same election were also almost unani- mous.
Two months later in the November presidential election of 1848, party divisions were again close- ly drawn. Cass and Butler, the Democratic nom- inees, received 968 votes, Taylor and Filmore, the Whig candidates, 577, while Van Buren and Adams, representing the Free Soil movement, which in this part of the country had received con- siderable support, were accorded 347 votes. Cass and Butler's plurality was 391.
Lacking the excitement of a presidential cam- paign, the contest for election of governor, con- gressmen, state and county officers, showed con- siderable falling off in the total vote in August, 1849, when Joseph A. Wright, the Democratic nominee, was given 568 votes in Dekalb, his op- ponent, John A. Matson, the Whig nominee, re- ceiving 298. The Wright majority in Dekalb county was 270, while in the state his majority was 9,768.
The Democratic majority from August, 1849, to August, 1850, grew quite materially. In the election on the latter date Robert Work, Demo- cratic nominee for senator from Dekalb, received 665 votes, while Ephraim Walters, his Whig op- ponent, was given 104, Work's majority being 561. The Democratic majorities in this election showed no lower than 200, the highest being 997. For representative Edward R. May was chosen. For associate judges Gilman C. Mudget and Abraham Cope were elected. Commissioner from the first district was Oliver B. Keep; from the second dis- trict William Showers, who received a majority of 997. For sheriff William K. Straight received the smallest Democratic majority on the ticket, 200. Albert B. Mott was elected prosecutor, Miles Waterman auditor, Samuel W. Ralston treasurer, and John McCune recorder.
One year later Samuel W. Brenton, Democratic nominee for congress, was given a very close race by James W. Boardman. Brenton receiced 485 votes, while Boardman received 474, the Dem- ocratic majority being 11. The rest of the county ticket was elected without serious opposition, in several instances the Whig party making no nom- inations.
The next year brought elections both for pres- ident and governor, the state election having been changed from . August to October, where it re- mained for a number of years. In October of 1852, Joseph A. Wright was the Democratic nom- inee to succeed himself as governor. Dekalb again contributed her share by giving Wright 684 votes against Nicholas McCarty, who received
386. Wright's Democratic majority was 298. His majority in the state was 8,935,
On the Democratic ticket at the same election A. P. Willard, candidate for lieutenant-governor, received a majority of 295 in Dekalb. For con- gressman E. M. Chamberlain, Democrat, had a majority of 220. E. A. McMahan, candidate for circuit judge, had no opposition and received 692 voles. J. M. McConnell for prosecutor had a ma- jority of 592. George W. McConnell for senator showed a lead of 212. For representative E. F. Hammond led by 263, Robert Work with 127. For judge of the common pleas court John Morris led by 192. For common pleas prosecutor W. W. Griswold had a lead of 432. For commissioners Solomon D. Long led by 266, Joseph Walter by 221, Jeremiah Hemstreet by 135. William K. Straight was elected sheriff without opposition, receiving 708 votes. For treasurer Joel E. Hen- dricks led by 55 only, while Joseph Nodine had no opposition, and for coroner Lyman Chidsey was elected by 289.
Only three weeks after the state election of 1852 came the presidential election on November 2. Pierce and King, Democratic nominees, who carried 27 of the then 31 states, received 780 votes in Dekalb county. General Scott, the Whig candidate, received 391, showing a Democratic ma- jority of 389. In the electoral college Pierce in that campaign had 254 votes against 41 for Scott.
In 1853 and 1854 the Democrats again elected all their candidates, majorities being very large, except in the case of the race for treasurer, where Edward Fosdick led John Ralston by only 27 votes.
In 1852 the new state constitution was adopted, and with the defeat of the Whig party in that same year that political organization retired from the field. In its stead came the Republican party.
In 1856 the new organization named Oliver P. Morton for governor of Indiana in the October election, while the Democrats put forward Ashbell P. Willard. Dekalb county gave Morton 1,111 votes and to Willard 1,191, a majority of 80 for the Democratic nominee. In the state Willard re- ceived 117,981 votes, while Morton received 112,- 139.
With a variation of no more than a dozen votes in any instance, these were given Democratic major- ities in Dekalb county in the same election: Robert Lowry, congressman; Sanford J. Stough- ton, circuit prosecutor; Miles Waterman, senator; Bushrod Catlin and W. I. Howard, representa- tives; Theron Storrs, judge of common pleas; Deland H. Stocker, common pleas prosecutor; Jeremiah Hemstreet, commissioner; Samuel W.
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HISTORY INDIANA
DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
Ralston, sheriff; Daniel W. Altenburg, surveyor; and Jeremiah Plum, coroner.
The first presidential election in which the new Republican party appeared was three weeks after the state election in 1856, when James Buchanan was nominated by the Democrats with John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky as his running mate. John C. Fremont of California and William L. Dayton of New Jersey were the first Republican candidates. Dekalb county, not varying from its adherence to Democratic principles, gave Buchan- an 1,247 votes and Fremont 1,097, a Democratic majority of 150.
In 1857, while the Democrats were successful, they had mighty little to brag about in the way of majorities. James S. Warden, candidate for con- gressman, received 975 votes, while Charles Case, his opponent, received 972, the majority being but 3. Amzi Seely, candidate for commissioner, re- ceived 983 votes against 963 for his opponent, John Helwig, the majority being but 15. Jacob Helwig, the Democratic candidate for treasurer, led his ticket so far as plurality is concerned, re- ceiving 954, to 875 for his chief opponent, Edward H. Taylor. Helwig's larger lead was due to the fact that there was a third candidate who re- ceived but 128 votes.
In 1858 the October election, except in one in- stance, restored healthy Democratic leads. Reuben W. Dawson for congress had a lead of 110 over Charles Case, his opponent, while for commis- sioner Christian Sheets and Thomas F. Daily tied, each receiving 1,087 votes.
In the October election of 1859 there was some more close voting, Milton J. Pierce and Albert J. Hunt each receiving 1,136 votes for auditor, while John Ralston received 1,142 votes, and Edward H. Taylor, the Republican candidate for clerk, received 1,137 votes, giving a Democratic majority of only 5.
The campaigns of 1860 were productive of ab- normal results politically all over the country. Dekalb county being no exception. The slavery and anti-slavery parties divided the people, rather than old political lines and arguments. For gov- ernor Henry S. Lane, Republican, in Dekalb county received 1,517 votes as against 1,372 for Thomas A. Hendricks.
Oliver P. Morton was elected lieutenant-govern- or over David Turpie, the Democratic nominee. Ordinarily in Indiana, Thomas A. Hendricks and David Turpie could scarcely have been defeated by any candidate on any ticket, but even Dekalb county returned a majority in favor of their op- ponents. In that same October election there was very slight change in any of the votes for any of the offices. The number of votes cast for
the county candidates was very little different from those heading the ticket.
In the November election which followed just one month later, Abraham Lincoln received 1,500 votes, Stephen A. Douglas 1,399 votes, while John C. Breckinridge, the southern Democratic candidate, received but two votes. Lincoln led in Dekalb, as he did in the state and nation.
In the election of October, 1862, Joseph K. Edgerton defeated William Mitchell, their re- spective votes being 1,450 and 1,178. William H. Dills was elected senator, and Miles Water- man representative over Joshua W. Winslow.
In 1863 the election was especially closely con- tested. It was one of the closest in the history of the county. Amzi Seely for commissioner re- ceived 18 majority over William Mathews. John Ralston, who had been a candidate for office a number of times, always leading by a good ma- jority, on this occasion led his opponent, William M. Mercer, by only 28. That was the largest ma- jority accorded any candidate in this election. For treasurer George Barney had a majority of 2. Moses Gonser for real estate appraiser also had a majority of 2, while for recorder John Butt and George R. Huffman ran an even race with 1,391 votes each. For surveyor David Eberly led Spen- cer Mills, his Republican opponent, by only 9 votes.
In the election for governor in October, 1864, Oliver P. Morton received 1,503 votes in Dekalb county against Joseph E. McDonald, who was given 1,405. Every Republican on the ticket was elected. The lowest majority was 23 and the largest, excepting that given to Morton, was 48.
One month later Abraham Lincoln in Dekalb county received 1,484 votes against George B. Mc- Clellan, who had 1,472, Lincoln's majority being but 12 in the county.
In 1865 and 1866 in the state election the major- ities were very small, the Republican lead in 1866 in Dekalb county being about 60 votes.
In 1868 Thomas A. Hendricks, Democratic nom- inee for governor, led in Dekalb county over Con- rad Baker by 55 votes, but Baker won in the State by a majority of 961 votes. Will Cumback as Baker's running mate was elected lieutenant-gov- ernor. In Dekalb county this year by compara- tively small majorities the Democratic ticket was entirely elected. For congressman, Andrew Elli- son; senator, George Milnes; representative, Lewis D. Britton; judge of common pleas, Alexan- der J. Douglas; common pleas prosecutor, Wil- liam G. Croxton; commissioner, Daniel Gonser; sheriff, Jeremiah Plum; recorder, Daniel C. Hoff- man; land appraiser, John G. Dancer; coroner, George Metcalf. In the same year, three weeks later, U. S. Grant as the Republican nominee for
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
President received 1,750 votes; Horatio Seymour, the Democratic nominee, having 1,726 votes; Re- publican majority, 24.
The Democrats won again in 1870, but, except- ing in three or four instances, the majorities were less than 100.
In 1872 Thomas A. Hendricks was again the Democratic nominee for governor and was elected. In Dekalb county the records show that he received 1,918 votes against 1,886 for his op- ponent, Thomas M. Browne. John B. Cravens was his running mate, receiving 6 more votes in Dekalb than Hendricks. In the same election De- kalb elected these Democrats: E. Van Long, con- gressman; James I. Best, circuit judge; Leigh H. Haymond, circuit prosecutor; L. H. Goodwin, judge of common pleas; Daniel Y. Husselman, common pleas prosecutor; William G. Croxton, senator; Samuel S. Shutt, representative; Charles R. Wanemaker and Nelson Griffith, commission- ers; William L. Meese, sheriff; Nicholas Ensley, treasurer; Daniel C. Hoffman, recorder; Samuel Learned, real estate appraiser; Chauncy C. Clark, surveyor; James J. Latson, coroner.
One month later, after Hendricks and the entire Democratic ticket had carried the county, Dekalb gave U. S. Grant 1,861 votes against Horace Greeley, Democratic candidate, who received 1,544, Grant's majority being 317.
In 1874 the Democrats again carried the county, Miles Waterman for representative receiving a majority of one vote, and William L. Meese re- ceiving a majority of 671 for sheriff. The other majorities were safe, but not as extravagant as the prevailing party might wish.
In 1876 Dekalb came into its own on majorities for the Democratic ticket when James D. Wil- liams led Benjamin Harrison by 188 majority for governor, and Samuel J. Tilden led Rutherford B. Hayes for president by 172. Strong Democratic leads prevailed in the state election again in 1878 when John B. Stoll for congressman defeated John Baker by 281, and John G. Shankland for secretary of state beat Isaac S. Moore by 240.
In 1880 Franklin Landers, the Democratic can- didate for governor, led Albert G. Porter in De- kalb county by 79, although Porter received a safe majority of about 6,500 in the state.
Isaac P. Gray, who was elected governor on the Democratic ticket in 1884, was the running mate of Landers in the 1880 election. Winfield Scott Hancock in the same year received 2,582 votes for president in Dekalb county against 2,441 for James A. Garfield, who was elected president in that year.
In 1882 there was considerable change in the Democratic majorities, being largely increased in this state election. William R. Myers for sec-
retary of state received 2,559 votes as the head of the Democratic ticket, against 2,291 for Eman- uel R. Hawn, head of the Republican ticket. For congressman Robert Lowry had the same ad- vantage over Wesley C. Glasgow. In some in- stances the majorities ranged as high as 800, and no majority was less than 100. Daniel D. Moody for representative and D. Y. Husselman for clerk received the lowest majorities, each having 104 lead. The highest Democratic majority was to L. J. Miller for treasurer, being 793.
In 1884 came the interesting election in which Grover Cleveland met James G. Blaine as his op- posing candidate for the presidency. This year the presidential and state elections were both held in November, the October election being eliminat- ed. Cleveland received 2,799 in Dekalb county, and Isaac P. Gray, the Democratic nominee for governor, received 2,798. Cleveland's majority was 348, while that of Gray was 355 in Dekalb county. Moody for representative received exact- ly the same majority as in 1882, leading his op- ponent by 104. All other Democratic majorities in this election were from 250 to very nearly 500.
Following the election of 1884, the presidential vote each four years will give a pretty general idea of the trend of politics in Dekalb county.
In 1888, when Grover Cleveland was defeated for president by Benjamin Harrison, the Cleve- land vote in Dekalb county was 3,160, and the vote for Benjamin Harrison, 2,179.
Again, in 1892, when the Democrats nominated Grover Cleveland for the third time, and when he for the second time became president of the United States, Dekalb county gave him 2,801 votes, and gave to Benjamin Harrison, Republi- can nominee, 2,499 votes. The Prohibition can- didate in the same year received 198 votes and the Peoples' party ticket, a new element in na- tional politics, received 746.
William J. Bryan was first nominated by the Democrats in 1896, William Mckinley being his Republican opponent. While the Gold Demo- crats in some parts of Indiana and in states farther east had some influence upon general re- sults, they were not sufficiently strong in De- kalb county to make an impression. Bryan re- ceived 3,678, while Mckinley was given 3,137; Palmer, the Gold Democrat, received but 25 votes.
In his second race against Mckinley in 1900 Bryan received in Dekalb county 3,488, Mckinley getting 3,218. The People's party on this oc- casion was reduced to 7 votes.
Alton B. Parker, Democratic nominee, opposed Theodore Roosevelt, the Republican candidate, in 1904, and on this occasion Dekalb county cut loose from its Democratic moorings and gave Roosevelt 3,416, and to Parker only 2,827.
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William J. Bryan came back in 1908 as the Democratic nominee, and his running mate was John Worth Kern of Indiana. Bryan and Kern in Dekalb county received 3,624, while William H. Taft, the Republican nominee, received 2,991.
In 1912 came the great Progressive movement, which for the time being completely demolished the Republican party as a national consideration, and elected Woodrow Wilson and Thomas R. Marshall as president and vice president. In that year Wilson and Marshall received 2,766 votes in Dekalb county, William H. Taft, 1,125, and Theodore Roosevelt 1,623.
In the 1912 election the following Democratic officers representing Dekalb county were elected along with the Woodrow Wilson ticket: State
senator, Glenn Van Auken; state representative, Edward M. McKennan, who had been the repre- sentative beginning with the session of 1909; county sheriff, John P. Hoff; clerk, John Hebel; auditor, A. W. Madden; recorder, Harvey O. Williams, appointed to succeed William McNabb, who was elected in 1912, and died; treasurer, John J. Oberlin; surveyor, A. L. Link; coroner, E. Treesh; prosecutor, James R. Nyce.
In the campaign of 1916, for Woodrow Wilson, Democratic nominee, Dekalb county cast 2,372 votes, and for Charles E. Hughes, Republican nominee, 2,898.
For John A. M. Adair, Democratic nominee for governor, the Dekalb vote was 3,232, and for James P. Goodrich, Republican nominee, 2,857.
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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
By Frank D. Haimbaugh
I' [F one were to follow closely the definition of History, as set out in the dictionary, it is very doubtful if there would be very much of a positive character to chronicle about the Democratic party in Delaware county during the past sixty years. In fact, until recent years, years so near at hand that the reader has per- sonal knowledge, the doings of the party in the county would be the chronicling of battles lost to an active and arrogant enemy. In fact, there were times when the contest between the contend- ing political parties could not be dignified, even by the wildest stretch of the imagination, as bat- tles of the ballot. For a long series of years elections in this county, so far as results were concerned, were merely a matter of form and held simply in conformity with the general laws on the subject. Thus it can readily be seen that to one to whom is assigned the task of writing a history of the Democratic party of Delaware county there is spread before him a list of dreary years of constant defeat at the polls.
The history of the Democratic party of Dela- ware county during the pioneer days is one large- ly of tradition. No records are obtainable that can throw any light on the pathway of the his- torian. There is nothing in the nature of docu- ments that contain anything authentic touching upon the political parties of those years of long ago. But the character of the early settlers and the points in the East from which they came lead one to the conclusion that the Whigs were the dominart political organization of the county in the early days. But that there were Demo- crats in the county in those days is evidenced by the nanies of some of those pioneers whose de- scendants are even to this day identified with the good old party. But as to the specific instances concerning the doings of the party as a concrete organization there are no records that could fur- nish any information of value. During the dec- ade from 1840 to 1850 there evidently was some tangible activity among the Democrats of the county. The reason for the conclusion grows out of the fact that at least for a portion of that period a Democratic newspaper was published in the county. But there could not have been any great number, since the paper had but a precari- ous life and then passed out of existence. The Whigs were in control of the county until 1856, when the Republican party came into existence, at which time the Whigs abandoned the old party
and affiliated with the new organization. With the coming of the Republican party and the new alignment of partisan sentiment the Democracy of the county was more deeply submerged than ever before. This submergence continued for a long series of years. Delaware county was re- garded as an impregnable stronghold of the Re- publican party. This county for many years was an integral part of the old "Burnt District," which was a synonym for the most radical and rampant political enmity against those who held to the faith as exemplified in the Democratic party. The old "Burnt District" dictated the politics of eastern Indiana and made this county a desert waste of political prejudice. In those days political civilization seemed to have depart- ed and Democrats were ostracised both socially and in a business way. In that day it required both physical and moral courage to claim adher- ence to the party of Jefferson and Jackson. It was no uncommon thing for known Democrats to be driven from the polls on election day and thus be deprived of political liberty and suffer mental humiliation and physical hurt. These outrages were perpetrated by men who claimed that they believed in political liberty. Those were the days that could be rightfully called the "Dark Ages" for the Democracy of Delaware county. It really seemed that the dawn of a better day would never come. In 1884, when the Democracy of the coun- try was triumphant in the nation, with the elec- tion of a Democratic President, even into benight- ed old Delaware a ray of sunshine penetrated which gave promise that perhaps sometime those who had withstood the enemy's jeers and taunts would see the dawn of a better political day.
The Legislature, at the session of 1885, sep- arated the judicial circuit composed of Delaware and Randolph counties and made Delaware coun- ty a separate judicial circuit and Governor Gray appointed Hon. O. J. Lotz to the position of Judge in the new judicial circuit. In 1886 the Demo- crats of the county nominated Judge Lotz to the position to which he had been appointed. The popularity of Judge Lotz and the division in the ranks of the enemy resulted in his election. The election of Judge Lotz was the first time in a half century that a Democrat was on the "bench" in this countv. At this same election Thomas Marshall of Perry township was elected a mem- ber of the Board of County Commissioners. Although his election was contested by his Re-
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publican opponent, he retained his place on the Board. The success of two Democrats at the poils in Delaware county was such an innovation that it produced a profound impression on the opposition party and the leaders of the party de- creed that such "a disaster" should not be repeat- ed. How effective this decree proved will be ob- served inasmuch as no Democrat was again elect- ed to a county office until 1910.
Perhaps one of the potent factors which led to the ultimate success of the Democratic party in this county was the establishment of a Demo- cratic daily newspaper in 1886 by Thomas Mc- Killip and W. L. Davis. This combination held until Mr. Davis sold his interests to Captain W. J. Hilligoss. In 1891 F. D. Haimbaugh purchased the interest of Mr. Hilligoss and continued the publi- cation of the Daily and Weekly Herald until 1904, when Mr. McKillip retired because of failing health and Mr. Haimbaugh became sole owner, having been in editorial charge during the entire time he was connected with the paper. In 1905 Mr. Haimbaugh succeeded in merging the Muncie Evening Times, a Republican paper, and the Muncie Evening Herald. The result of this merger was the Muncie Evening Press, an inde- pendent paper. The new paper advocated with much success independence in voting. This doc- trine proved not only popular in theory, but like- wise in practice. This line of attack on the prejudices of the voters met with such a marked degree of success that eventually the people were led to believe that the best interests of the tax- payers could be served by a change in the polit- ical complexion of the men who hold the offices of the county. This was the leaven that eventu- ally was to leaven the whole loaf and make pos- sible the success of the Democratic party in the "rock-bound stronghold" of Republicanism.
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