History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 84

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

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF FULTON COUNTY

I T was in 1834 when what is now known as Fulton county was portions of Cass, Miami and Kosciusko counties, mainly Cass. By rea- son of the distance and inconvenience of the citi- zens living within the district in reaching the county seat at Logansport, a petition was pre- sented to the Legislature of 1834-5 praying for the organization of Fulton county out of the ter- ritory of the counties named.

The petition was favorably considered and the county's boundary lines were established in ac- cordance with the prayer of the petitioners. This was but a preparatory act. At the subsequent session of the Legislature, held 1835-36, an act to organize the county of Fulton was passed de- claring "that from and after the first day of April next the county of Fulton shall enjoy all the rights and jurisdiction which to separate and individual counties do or (may) properly belong." In March, 1844, the county was enlarged by the addition of twelve sections on the east boundary line, taken from Miami county.

PERSONAL PREFERMENTS.

This county never had many claimants for po- litical honors either by election or appointment, although it has had, and still has, many persons who were well qualified for official positions of a high character, yet their modesty or ambition for preferment has not inclined them to seek that which they might have obtained. Only two per- sons have ever aspired to a seat in the National Congress from this county. One, after two or more futile attempts to obtain that honor, gave up in despair; the other, Hon. Henry A. Barn- hart, a Democrat and citizen of Rochester, was more successful. He was elected in 1908 as a Representative in Congress for the Thirteenth Congressional District to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Hon. A. L. Brick, a Republican, whose residence was at South Bend. Mr. Barn- hart was a continuous member of Congress to March 4, 1919.

In 1892 Hon. Sidney R. Moon of Rochester, who had been Sheriff of the county for two terms and subsequently represented this county in the lower branch of the State Legislature for one term, asked for and received the nomination for Re- porter of the Supreme Court and was elected.

These are the only two instances that this county has ever been favored for congressional or State representation, but the county, however, has been highly favored in the election of many

Democrats as State Senators and members of the Lower House of Representatives.

Under the Benjamin Harrison administration Hon. George W. Holman of Rochester was ap- pointed National Bank Examiner for Indiana and was subsequently appointed by Judge Woods as United States Commissioner, both of which posi- tions he filled with credit to himself and the public.

POLITICAL.

When Fulton county was born it was christened a Democrat, and in all presidential contests since 1840 it has generally cast its vote in favor of the Democratic candidate.

From the organization of the county in 1836, with very rare exceptions, the Democrats were successful in electing their county officials at each election until 1860, when the oncoming Civil War and an enlarged population changed its political complexion from a normal Democratic majority of one hundred to a Republican plurality of a like number. Notwithstanding this change of po- litical strength the Democratic party was by no means vanquished. It redoubled its energies and in a majority of the many hotly contested political battles since that time it has been the victor in the choice of national, State and county officials. This political condition still exists and it is only at times when Democrats are most hopeful for success that it is usually swept from local power.

The birth of the Progressive party in 1912 brought about in that year the almost complete overthrow of the local Republicans, and although that party was a prominent factor in the election in 1914, yet by reason of local dissensions among Democrats the Republicans elected all of their county ticket except Sheriff, Recorder, Prosecutor, State Representative and one Commissioner. Four of the eight townships elected Democratic Trus- tees, This local success by the Republicans, how- ever, is more than balanced by the encouraging vote received by Hon. B. F. Shively for United States Senator and the entire Democratic State ticket, the pluralities for these Democratic candi- dates ranging from 82 to 106.

At the "off year" election in 1918, by a combina- tion of elements very unusual, the Republicans were entirely successful in the choice of their local candidates.

NEWSPAPERS.

From the organization of the county until 1851 the county was without a newspaper of any kind. On January 12, 1851, Dr. John Q. Howell estab-

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lished a Democratic paper in Rochester and named it the Rochester Weekly Republican. It continued a brief time, when it was removed to Plymouth. Subsequently Dr. Howell returned to Rochester and established the Rochester Flag, but its exist- ence was of but short duration. The county was then without a paper until 1856, when the Repub- licans established a paper in Rochester, named the Gazette, with Charles Shyrock and William Trimble as its publishers. The Gazette is now known as the Republican. T. Major Bitters was twice the owner of the Republican party organ. His first purchase was made in 1873 and again in 1884, when his son, Albert W. Bitters, was made a co-partner. On February 5, 1886, they established the Rochester Daily Republican. The co-partnership between father and son continued until April 5, 1902, on which date the demise of the senior member occurred, since which time Al- bert W. Bitters has been its sole editor and pub- lisher and fully maintained the former high char- acter and excellence of the paper.

In the year 1857 a stock company composed of Democrats founded the Rochester Sentinel with David R. Pershing as its first editor. Since the introduction of the two papers last named, each have had a multiplicity of changes in names of papers as well as of publishers too numerous to make mention of all, but both papers are yet maintained. It was not until 1872 that the Sen- tinel secured any great degree of permanency in its publishing or editorial work. In April of that year Andrew T. Bitters purchased the Sentinel of the McDonald hrothers of Plymouth and took ownership and editorial control. He continued in that capacity with marked political success un- til May 5, 1886, when he sold the Sentinel to Hon.

Henry A. Barnhart, the present Representative in Congress for the Thirteenth district. He launched the Daily Evening Sentinel January 1, 1896, and is yet the owner of the plant, with Dean L. Barnhart, his son, as the publisher and editor.

It may be here remarked as a singular coinci- dence that two brothers, A. T. and T. Major Bit- ters, of opposite political opinions, should have published political competitive papers in the same city and county for a period of nine years.

The Akron Globe was the pioneer newspaper at Akron. It was established in 1866 by William T. Cutshall and Andrew T. Bitters. It under- went several suspensions, changes in name and publishers and obtained no great degree of per- manency until November 20, 1891, when S. N. Shesler became the owner and publisher and named the paper the Akron News. In the past twenty-seven years he has built up a paper worthy of his labor and the pride of the town and community he served.

In November, 1918, Mr. Shesler sold the plant to Bernard Clayton, who will become its publisher on January 1, 1919.

On April 7, 1870, the initial number of the Kewanna Times, published by John C. Phillips, appeared. It also experienced many failures and reverses and is now published by Frank P. Gould.

The Fulton Leader was established by David O. Hoffman, May 16, 1901. He was succeeded by James H. Moore, the present publisher, January 22, 1908.

The Fulton County Sun is a new candidate for public favor, having been established at Roches- ter, January 9, 1913, by the Van Trump Com- pany. It is independent in politics and is edited by Harold Van Trump.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF GIBSON COUNTY

T HE Democratic party in Gibson county in the last sixty years cast the majority vote for the following candidates for the presi-

dency: Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Stephen A. Douglas, George B. McClellan, Samuel J. Tilden, Woodrow Wilson. William J. Bryan received more votes than Mckinley in 1896. However, 346 of these votes were cast by the Populists. John C. Breckinridge received but 29 votes and John M. Palmer, Gold-Democrat, re- ceived but 11. Blaine defeated Cleveland by fewer than 200 votes. Roosevelt won over Parker by 650. This was the largest majority ever cast in Gibson county against a Democratic candidate for the presidency.

There have been many sturdy Democratic fam- ilies in Gibson county: The Montgomerys, Robbs, Hargroves, Millers, Maucks, Trippetts, Holcombs, Stillwells, Welborns, and others. Smith Miller was elected to the House of Representatives in 1835, and served through a number of sessions. He was afterwards elected to the state senate and subsequently served two terms in Congress. This man won greater political honor than any other Democrat in the history of the county. He was a strong-minded, clear-headed, honest man and served his people long and faithfully.

The Hargroves were frequently represented in the state legislature, in the state senate, and in various county offices. Silas M. Holcomb, a man of distinguished ability, served in the lower house of the legislature and his son, Albert G. Holcomb, served with distinction in the state senate. John C. Holcomb was for eight years auditor of the county.

Caleb Trippett was elected a member of the House of Representatives in 1857, and filled va- rious offices in the county. This family has for more than fifty years been prominent in political life of the county. The last to win preferment was Sanford Trippett, an attorney at law at Princeton, who was twice prosecuting attorney.

S. P. Welborn was treasurer of the county. Dr. W. P. Welborn was for eight years clerk of the circuit court. The strongest representative of this family, however, was the Honorable Oscar M. Welborn, who from 1873 until 1909 was judge of the circuit court of the county. During this long continuous service he presided with dignity, decorum and marked ability. It is doubtful whether there is in the life of the judiciary of the state a more extended service and certainly there has been no judge who had a more exalted con- ception of his judicial duty and a greater ability

to serve his people than this man. He is still living and at the age of nearly eighty is engaged in the practice of the law at Princeton. Various other members of this family have been chosen by the people of the county to official position and on every occasion the duties intrusted to them have been well performed.

The Maucks have added much to the intelli- gence and high standing of Gibson county. Whether in or out of office the representatives of this family have been earnest, faithful citizens. Perhaps the highest representative of this family was Alfred Mauck, who was born in 1827 and died recently. He was a man of splendid natural abil- ity, fairly well educated in the schools and well educated by private study. He was proud of his Democracy. He left to his children a very sub- stantial fortune and, what is worth still more, a splendid name. His son, Edgar Mauck, but a few years since retired after four years' service as treasurer of the county.

William H. Evans was for nearly a half cen- tury connected with the publication of the Demo- cratic organ in the county. He was an earnest, aggressive, open advocate of his views. His po- litical adversaries always had for him the highest respect because they knew exactly where to find him. The only political reward he received for his long service was a term as postmaster at Princeton during Mr. Cleveland's first administra- tion.

Quite as interesting a character is John C. Gor- man, who for nearly a quarter of a century has had charge of the Princeton Democrat and who is at the present time. postmaster in the city of Princeton. He comes from a long line of Demo- cratic ancestors. In a brief article specific men- tion can be made of but a few individuals.

If in the last half-century there has been exert- ed a more marked influence in the community in any one department of its government than in an- other by the Democrats of Gibson county, it is in the judiciary. This has been continuously in Democratic hands since long prior to 1873. The circuit court sitting in Princeton has been pre- sided over by the Honorable O. M. Welborn above mentioned, by the Honorable Herdis F. Clemmins of Mt. Vernon, and the Honorable Simon L. Van- deveer, who is at present judge of the circuit. Judge Mallott of Vincennes for a series of years presided over the court prior to the establishment of the present circuit court. The high character of the court has won the praise of adjoining counties. These different judges have exerted a

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splendid influence not only over the attorneys at the bar, but over the citizens of the county. Po- litical bias has never dared to impugn the motives of any one of these distinguished judges. The judicial ermine has been handed from one to an- other absolutely unspotted.

The office of prosecuting attorney has been practically at all times in the care and keeping of the Democrats. The influence of these Demo- cratic officials has been such that Gibson county is pointed to by the citizens of adjoining counties as one where the laws are fearlessly and justly enforced.

The Gibson county bar has always had Demo- cratic representatives of marked ability. From about the close of the Civil war until 1910 Clar- ence A. Buskirk was the acknowledged leader of the Princeton bar. He had a keen instinctive sense of justice, a resourceful mind, great learn- ing and a classic eloquence. When but a young man he was twice elected attorney-general of the State of Indiana. He is still living. James E. Mccullough, now of Greenfield, Indiana, practiced law for many years at the city of Princeton. He was a remarkable advocate; fearless, forceful and tireless. While a resident of Gibson county he served four years in the state senate with marked distinction. For about fifteen years Wil- liam E. Stillwell was one of the leading lawyers of the Princeton bar, and, prior to his location at Evansville, served with ability as state senator. Harvey Harmon, who is now practicing his pro- fession in Princeton, served with ability in the last legislature. He, Sanford Trippett and Henry Kister and others are splendid representatives of Democratic citizens in Gibson county.

For a great many years the public schools in Gibson county have been presided over practical- ly all of the time by Democratic superintendents. William T. Stillwell, father of the senator before referred to, was superintendent for more than twenty years. He was succeeded by Henry A. Yeager, who was known as one of the greatest school teachers of the county, and one of its dis- tinguished attorneys. Thomas W. Cullen, 1918 a candidate for prosecuting attorney, John T. Ballard, and John L. Fulling, later of Philadel- phia, and Leland Cunningham, the 1916 to 1918 incumbent, each added something of real worth to the splendid system of public schools of the county.

The Democracy of Gibson county was not very fortunate in electing representatives to congress. Its sons have been honored with a number of nom- inations, but none of them except Smith Miller was elected prior to 1920.

The representatives of many other families in the county have served in public office and have

been honored with nominations by the party. Frequently the Husseys, Ziliaks, DePriests, O'Neals and many other earnest, enterprising rep- resentatives of Democratic families have been honored with nominations for public offices. Those that were elected and those that were nominated were but representative citizens of the great party to which they belong.

The Democracy of Gibson county is noted for the high class of its membership. Its intelligence, sobriety, and wealth are known to every one who is familiar with the life and history of that county.

Gibson county has been very well governed by officials of all political parties. There have been few officers that have been guilty of malfeasance in office.

The Republican strongholds are and always have been Princeton, Oakland City and Ft. Branch and communities immediately surrounding each one of these. Elsewhere the Democrats have been rather continuously in the majority. In the south part of the county and in the north and west the Democracy has been in control of the township governments. This was true even of the days when the large negro population of Princeton and the region immediately west thereof enabled our Republican friends to prevail. The town of Owensville, in Montgomery township, has pre- sented a phenomenal changeableness. At first heavily Democratic, the Grangers assimilated a large number of Democrats. A few years after the Granger wave subsided the entire movement in that township practically went over to the De- .mocracy. Again the same community was large- ly engulfed in the wave of Populism that spread over the county in 1894 to 1900. The body of that movement at its inception was composed of prominent Democrats. In the end, when the Populistic wave subsided, practically the whole body became Democratic and joined the Democ- racy. In that community, one of the richest and most intelligent in the state, it appears that the people have been unusually susceptible to politi- cal vagaries. Since Populism has run its course that great prosperous community has presented a very large Democratic majority.

In the time of the Civil war the Democrats of Gibson county furnished a large body of men to the Union army. Among the leaders of these were Capt. W. T. Stillwell, John Turnage, James H. Paul, Hugh Hussey and many others. Many of those who came as pioneers to the hills and valleys of Gibson county were adherents of the Democratic party. Their sons and grandsons have been reared in the same faith. The tolerant spirit of the Democratic party invited to its folds a large number of immigrants who came to this country from the nations of Europe-Germany,

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

England and Ireland. The great mass of foreign- born citizens and descendants of the same have been members of the Democratic party. While teaching at all times sobriety, sound morality and industry, the spirit of Democracy has been rather generous. At the outbreak of the world's conflict in Europe, and even when this nation entered in- to the struggle, so kindly did our foreign-born citizens feel toward the Democratic party and toward their country as a whole that the percent- age of foreign-born citizens and their descend-

ants who were sympathizers of the German em- pire was perhaps smaller than the percentage of any such citizens in any adjoining communi- ties.

Looking backward over the life of the county for a period of three-quarters of a century or more it is manifest that the work and the rec- ord of the Democratic party both through its citizenship and its public officials has not only been a vast influence in the community, but that the influence of the party has been helpful.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF GRANT COUNTY

T HE student of political history and events, especially if that student be of the Jeffer- sonian school, might conclude, after an- alyzing the election returns of Grant county for the past sixty years, that this is one political community long gone past redemption. That it has driven headlong to the demnition bow-bows with nary a chance to help in making the country safe for Democracy.

Democrats of Grant county will be the last to ever concede such a thing as even being near the truth, although they do admit, once in a while, when considering fresh returns, that outsiders may have some basis for their suspicions.

There is, in fact, no place in the state of In- diana where the Democrats, the trench boys, the fellows who love a good scrap, are better organ- ized than in Grant.

The party organization centers in the Jefferson club, one of the livest political bodies in the state, and it has at least kept the Republicans busy as bird dogs holding on to what lead they possess.

The county was not organized until 1831, but away back yonder when the Democratic party was young, when the followers of Thomas Jeffer- son were full of that enthusiasm which makes any organization flourish (and which gingery characteristics, by the way, still make Demo- crats conspicuous and different from ordinary men in politics), men who came west and landed in the territory later known as Grant county brought their Democracy with them. It stuck with them and with their boys through many campaigns that are historic.

The "pep" and the sincere belief of these sturdy pioneers in the righteousness of their po- litical belief impelled them to an enthusiasm which convinced a substantial majority of their neighbors and fellow citizens. At least, if results are any indication and good enough to be accept- ed in the early days, as they are forced to accept- ance in more recent times, this must be conceded as true.

While participating in the politics of Delaware county, of which the Grant territory was original- ly a part, this Democratic tendency and influence was decidedly a factor in determining results. Be- coming a county to themselves, they were ready for self-government on Democratic lines.

An election of any sort in the thirties and forties was just about as sure, or a little more certain to return a Democratic majority than it was later to sustain the Republican party.

Among the pioneer Democrats it is interesting in history to preserve the names of a few, the influence of their families still being felt here and in other parts of the state. Among them were James Sweetser, Dr. James Shively, James F. McDowell, Andrew J. Harlan, Col. Asbury Steele, Wiley Wood, George Strange, Samuel R. Thompson, Frank and James Thompson, and Henley James.

When the slavery agitation became so intense that the Civil war appeared a thing that could not be avoided, and during the war and since, some of these left the Democratic party, as must have been the case in order to show the changed results, and became Republicans. They had never belonged to the Whig party.

In the 1840 campaign, when Harrison and Taylor were being accorded most of the votes of the West, regardless of political lines, it being a contest of the East against the West, Van Buren and Johnson lost Grant county, receiving 391 votes, against 470 for Harrison and Tyler, the general Whig favorites.

In 1844, Polk, the Democratic nominee, restored the party to the Democrats, receiving 423 votes, while Clay, the Whig candidate, was given 353. The third party that year, known under the title of "Liberty," received 197 votes. The voters of Grant county have always been an independent lot when it came to third party movements or in their local campaigns.

In 1848 the Democratic candidate for president received 623 votes, against the Republican nom- inee, who had 325. Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate in that year, was given 359, leading the Whigs.

Four years later, in 1852, Pierce, the Demo- cratic nominee, had 811 votes, against Scott, his Whig opponent, who had 620.

Then came the change, in 1856. About the only thing in the campaign following that to attract special attention has been the growth in the Republican majorities. That was the first cam- paign of the Republican party. Buchanan and Breckinridge headed the Democratic ticket with 1,035 votes, while Fremont and Dayton, the Re- publicans, had 1,395.

In 1860, with the country on the verge of war, Abraham Lincoln was given 1,668 votes, against 1,223 for Stephen A. Douglas.

In 1864 the Republican majority was not so large, but was perfectly safe, Lincoln receiving 1,547, against 1,238 for McClellan, the Democratic nominee.

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From that time forward, with the population of the county growing, a larger portion of the in- crease has been counted in the Republican column, both in the presidential elections and in the selec- tion of governors and other state officials.

The independence of Grant county voters is well illustrated in the local county campaign and in the city of Marion in 1913.

In the presidential election in 1912 Woodrow Wilson, Democratic nominee, received 4,390 votes; W. H. Taft, Republican, 3,939; Theodore Roose- velt, Progressive, 2,185. In the county election the same year, although there was no county Pro- gressive ticket, "Uz" McMurtrie, nominee for treasurer, was the only Republican elected.

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History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 84

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