History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 88

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 88

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).

( 628 )

HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

opposed to Mr. Bryan's theory of "free silver" and supported the National Gold Democratic ticket. This ticket, however, polled only 15 votes in the county, of which 1 was in Brandywine, 8 in Center, 4 in Sugar Creek and 2 in Vernon.

In the ranks of the Democracy of the county today are many men whose faces have been fa- miliar in the party's councils, and whose judg- ments have directed the local policies of the party through many years and through many battles. We cannot mention all of them, but no picture of a general Democratic meeting of this day at the county seat would be complete without the faces of Elbert Tyner, John Hayes Duncan, Michael Quigley, George W. Ham, William Elsbury, Isom Wright, Horace Wickard, John Manche, George Crider, Charles Barr, William H. Thompson, Mat- thew L. Frank, William A. Wood and others.

With these men who have labored unceasingly through the years and who have borne the burden and the heat of the day, stand also the men of middle age and the younger men, enthusiastic and loyal to their party, and willing to give of their time and energy that its banner may not trail in the dust. Among the faces that are very familiar we see our honored judge, Earl Sample, whose eloquence, and whose finished and forceful periods, have carried conviction to many a jury, and hav ? charmed audiences throughout the State. During the present war the Judge has been making pa- triotic speeches throughout the length and

breadth of Indiana. Harry Strickland has served his county for six years in the Lower House of the Legislature, and is now the Democratic candi- date for Congress in the Sixth Congressional Dis- trict; John F. Eagan, John B. Hinchman, William A. Service, Samuel J. Offutt, Edward W. Pratt, Jonas Walker, Charles L. Tindall, Robert L. Ma- son, Edwin T. Glascock, Charles Cook, Arthur C. Van Duyn, John A. Anderson, Sherman Smith, Lemuel Moore, George Matlock, Thomas Hope, Charles Scott, Louis H. Merlau, William G. Lantz, John F. Shelby, F. M. Sanford, Clint Cauldwell, John Mooney, Quincy A. Wright and many others.

But no picture of any general or business meet- ing at the county seat within the last quarter of a century would be complete if it omitted from the foreground the likeness of the genial secretary who is practically always called to the table-El- mer T. Swope.

Yes, we have our differences of opinion in these days, but our Democracy of today has this mes- sage for posterity: that, though we have differ- ences of opinion, we settle our difficulties in coun- cil; when our principles have been adopted, and our candidates named, we present to our oppo- nents the solid front of one united, organic De- mocracy. During the great world war the party has given its undivided support of the policy of President Wilson to prosecute the war with all the strength at our command until an honorable peace can be obtained and the world made safe for democracy.

( 629 )

HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF HARRISON COUNTY

H ARRISON COUNTY was the fourth county formed in the State, Knox, Clark and Dearborn being earlier. It was organized

and carved out of a portion of the ter- ritory theretofore included in Knox county in 1809. It was named after General William Henry Har- rison, who was the first territorial governor of Indiana, and who afterwards became President of the United States. General Harrison owned a large tract of land in the county and operated a grist mill on Blue river.

Among the earlier prominent Democrats was William M. Saffer, who was a candidate for gov- ernor in 1856, when he was defeated by A. P. Willard, and Peter N. Zenor, who was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1850. Mr. Saffer and Mr. Zenor both served several terms in the state legislature.

The following residents of Harrison county served in the lower house of congress: Hon. Sim- eon K. Wolfe, 43d session; Hon. S. M. Stock- slager, 1880-1884, and Hon. William T. Zenor, 1896-1906. Captain Stockslager was also land commissioner during the first term of President Cleveland.

In recent years Harrison county has had two resident state senators who were Democrats- Iverson Lynn, who served from 1890 to 1894, and Smith Askren, who served from 1902 to 1906.

The following Democrats from Harrison county served as members of the state legislature in the lower house in recent years: Daniel A. Cunning- ham, elected in 1878; Jonathan Hottell, 1880; Wil- liam D. Mauck, 1882 to 1884; Smith Askren, 1886, 1888, 1908 and 1910, and also joint representative in 1892; Jacob F. Wright, 1890 and 1892; Jacob L. O'Bannon, 1896 and 1898; Andrew J. Lopp, 1900 and 1902; Thomas Conlee, 1904; Remy Bierley, 1912, and William Habermel, 1914.

Harrison county is now and has usually been regarded as a Democratic county, although at times the Republicans elected all or a part of their ticket. Along in the eighties and nineties the usual majorities were about 500, although there were exceptions to this majority in 1886, when the Republicans elected their ticket; and again in 1894, the year of the Republican landslide, the lat- ter party was successful. From that time until 1906 the Democrats won, but at the election in that year the Republicans again defeated them, and were fortunate enough to retain several offices again in 1908.

It was noticeable that upon the adoption of the

Australian ballot the Democrats made remark- able gains in nearly every precinct of the county at the following election in 1890. The following newspapers have been published in the county, two of which, the Corydon Republican, now edited by Frank Self, and the Corydon Democrat, now edited by Lew M. O'Bannon, are being regularly published at this time; the Corydon Democrat hav- ing a circulation of over 3,500 and being one of the leading weekly newspapers in the State.

The Indiana Gazette, established November, 1818. The Corydon Press, September, 1829, Dr. D. G. Mitchell, editor.

The Corydon Investigator, 1835.

The Corydon Whig, 1840, Dr. A. M. Jones and George Robertson, editors.

The Harrison Gazette, 1843, Ignatius Mattingly, editor.

The Southern Indianian, 1847.

The Western Argus, March 11, 1851, T. C. Slaugh- ter, editor.

The Corydon Democrat, established 1856, S. K. Wolfe, editor. Followed by A. W. Brewster, Askren and Stockslager, G. K. Gwartney, C. W. Thomas and C. B. Ellis and the present owner and editor, Lew M. O'Bannon.

The Corydon Argus, 1861, George W. Beard, ed- itor.

The Corydon Weekly Union, 1863, Andrew Broad- dus, editor.

The Farmers' Advocate, W. H. Hudson, editor. The Old Capitol, Lemmon and Askren, editors. The Comet, C. L. Dick, editor.

The Corydon Republican, established August, 1868; editors, Henry Jordan and W. T. Jones, followed by Self and Adams and George W. Self, who was succeeded by his son, Frank Self, the present owner and publisher.

The Harrison County Democrat, 1886, by D. J. .Murr and.C. W. Thomas, editors.

Corydon, the first state capital, is the county seat of Harrison county. The territorial govern- ment was located there from 1812 until the adop- tion of the first constitution and the admission of the State into the Union in 1816. It continued to be the capital until 1825, when the seat of govern- ment was removed to Indianapolis.

The old capitol building still stands. It is owned by Harrison county and is used for a court house. There is a growing sentiment that the State should buy and preserve this old building in order that future generations may view its simple grandeur. A bill to that effect passed the senate

( 630 )

HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

during the 1915 session and was defeated in the house by but a few votes; a similar bill will prob- ably be presented to the next General Assembly. It would be a fitting memorial of the one hun- dredth anniversary of the adoption of the consti-

tution and the admission of the State to the Union for the State to purchase this ancient building, the construction of which was begun in 1810. In the same town is the "Constitutional Elm," where the first constitution was drafted and adopted.

( 631 )

HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY

H ENDRICKS COUNTY was organized in 1823, and at the first general election thereafter, in 1824, returned a Whig ma- jority of twenty-four votes for Henry Clay over Andrew Jackson, they receiving thirty and six votes, respectively.

The stand the county then took in recording its political favoritism as opposed to the Democ- racy has been consistently maintained down to the present time, the only exception being in 1828 and 1832, when Jackson had a plurality over Clay of forty votes in the former year and of 109 in the latter, and in 1912, when the split in the Re- publican party enabled Woodrow Wilson to re- ceive a plurality of 842 over Roosevelt, the latter running second in this county.

The Democratic vote of the county since its organization, as recorded at presidential elections, has been as follows: 1824, 6; 1828, 204; 1832, 483; 1836, 389; 1840, 651; 1844, 844; 1848, 775; 1852, 980; 1856, 1,378; 1860, 1,083; 1864, 832; 1868, 1,462; 1872, 1,626; 1876, 1,912; 1880, 1,994; 1884, 2,069; 1888, 2,081; 1892, 2,028; 1896, 2,365; 1900, 2,359; 1904, 2,174; 1908, 2,546; 1912, 2,337; 1916, 2,453.

The Republican pluralities in the county since the war have ranged from 935 to 1,511 at the various presidential elections.

From 1860 to 1908-almost a half century- there was not a Democrat elected to a county office, and during this period only one Democrat carried the county, Judge Jacob B. Julian receiv- ing a majority of twenty-nine votes in 1878 over his Republican opponent, who was elected Cir- cuit Court Judge through his plurality in Marion county, which, with this county, comprised the judicial circuit.

In 1908 the Democrats were able to place the first member of their party in the court house in over fifty years, when John W. Ader was elected Sheriff. He was re-elected in 1910 and at the same election Democrats were elected as Auditor and Treasurer in the persons of Lewis W. Bor- ders and George Macomber. In 1912 the entire Democratic county ticket was elected, John Dugan of Middle township being the first and only Dem- ocrat ever sent to the Legislature from Hendricks county. George W. Brill was elected as Circuit Judge, James P. Snodgrass Prosecutor, George Macomber Treasurer, James W. Gentry Sheriff, and John Moran and Henry S. Cox as Commis- sioners. The 1914 election resulted in the defeat of the Democratic candidates for Auditor and Commissioners, but added two more Democrats to

the list of county officers, A. P. W. Bridges be- ing elected as Clerk and John A. Flynn Recorder.

The twelve townships of Hendricks county are practically evenly divided as to politics, but not until 1908 were the Democrats able to obtain a majority of the township trustees, and with it the privilege of naming the county superintend- ent of schools. This choice fell upon Theodore T. Martin, who proved such an efficient officer and capable school man that he has been re- elected for a term of four years, receiving every vote of the County Board of Education regardless of politics.

This, in brief, records the results attained by the Democracy in the county since its organiza- tion. Meager they are, it is true; but the spirit of political devotion that has maintained organi- zations and made sacrifices in the face of predetermined defeat has been of much benefit to the party throughout the State. A Hendricks county Democrat has been one who is always ready to serve, even if the fruits of victory are not in sight. Today the Democratic State Com- mittee of thirteen members has on its roster of membership two native Hendricks county Demo- crats, both of whom (meaning John W. Cravens of the Second district and Arthur Hamrick of the Fifth) are of Hendicks county Democratic ancestral stock and both of whom received the impulse to play in the game of politics through family traditions and associations of young man- hood in this county. Dr. O. B. Johnson and Ma- rion Bailey, both of Union township, were dele- gates to the Democratic national conventions of 1896 and 1904, respectively. During the sixteen years of defeat that was visited upon the Demo- cratic party in Indiana from 1894 to 1910, Ed- ward Barrett was his party's candidate for State Geologist, going down to defeat with his party in each instance during that period and winning with it in 1910 and 1914. In 1906 and 1908 Hen- dricks county furnished the Democratic candidate for Auditor of State in the person of Marion Bailey. It was in Hendricks county that Charles Greathouse, State Superintendent of Public In- struction, got his first lesson in profitable politics when he landed his first position as a school teacher in Brown township, the banner Demo- cratic township of the county. Governor Ralston, Philip Zoercher, Judges Webb Felt and John Spencer, George Crane and numerous others who have served the party through weather fair and foul, have been identified at various periods, while students of the Central Normal College at Dan-

( 632 )

HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

ville, with the Hendricks county Democracy-an association that was undoubtedly of value to all.

The first Democratic paper published in Hen- dricks county was the Butcher Knife, established at Danville in 1856, with George Gregg as editor, which existed some four or five years, being snuffed out by the strong war feeling that pre- vailed in the community. The Indianian was established in 1870 and survived until the fall of 1875, being under the control during that period of Dr. Haggart, the Ray brothers and C. N. Walls. The latter was an editor of the fire-eating variety and made things so warm for his political opponents that it was necessary for him to use shooting-stick and mallet as weapons of self- defense as well as in locking up his newspaper forms. The Democrat was established by E. D. King in February, 1878, and sold in August, 1879, to M. A. Barnett, who in October, 1881, disposed of the property to the owner of the Republican paper. The Danville Gazette was established by E. D. King in 1880, who retired from the paper in 1885 to accept a government position at Wash- ington, D. C. The paper then passed to the con- trol of W. A. King, who continued as its pub- lisher until December 1, 1914, when it was leased to Alvin Hall, the present publisher, W. A. King having been appointed as postmaster at Danville.

To no one is the party more indebted than to the men who have served it as chairmen of the County Central Committee. This position in a county like Hendricks calls for an amount of per- sonal labor and sacrifice of time and money that those in a county where there is a possibility of victory do not have to meet. The following per- sons have filled this position in Hendricks county during the past forty years: 1876, Nathan J. Scearce; 1878, John Mesler; 1880-2, H. B. Lin- genfelter: 1884, James A. Wilson; 1886, Levi A.

Barnett; 1888, Dr. John L. Marsh; 1890, John M. Hays; 1892, James R. Williams; 1894, Joseph G. Bowen; 1896, W. A. King; 1898, Henry Under- wood; 1890-4, Marion Bailey; 1906-14, David A. Higgins; 1916, Dr. A. P. W. Bridges.

Hendricks county Democracy suffered its sever- est blow through the agitation of the slavery question and the Civil war that followed. Many leading men who formerly had been Democrats joined the new Republican party, which grew so strong that it dominated the political affairs of the county without question, practically, until 1908.

This condition of affairs precluded the possi- bility of a Hendricks county Democrat becoming prominently identified with public life, but that the material was here and failed to develop solely because of untoward political conditions is proven by Hendricks county Democrats who have made their mark in public life elsewhere. Congress- man Bailey of the Johnstown (Pa.) district was a product of this county. John R. Brill, a lead- ing lawyer, and one of the live wires of the Demo- cratic organization at Evansville, is proud of the fact that he is a Hendricks county boy and never loses an opportunity to speak of the kind of Dem- ocrats the county produces. Portland Chase Hunt, a student under Dan Voorhees, was one of the leading Democratic orators of the Pacific Coast.

But with President Wilson and the new era for the Democratic party that his administration has ushered in, the party in Hendricks county has been strengthened and it now faces the future with a firmer belief in the principles of Jefferson and Jackson, and the knowledge that the Repub- lican party even in Hendricks county is not in- vulnerable to defeat.

( 633 )

HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF HENRY COUNTY

By Walter S. Chambers

T HE second term of James Monroe, Presi- dent of the United States, extending from March 4, 1821, to March 4, 1825, was then known and is to this day referred to as the "Era of Good Feeling," there being, so far as surface indications were concerned, but one political party in the United States.

It was during this era of good feeling, in 1822, that Henry county was organized, so that there were no political divisions in the county. This condition continued, at least on the surface, until 1832, when the first national convention to nomi- nate candidates for the presidency was held in Baltimore, Md. The followers of Henry Clay were known as "National Republicans" and those of Andrew Jackson as "Democratic Republicans." The vote in Henry county was 767 for Clay and 580 for Jackson.

With the campaign of 1836 political divisions became complete in Henry county. The two lead- ing parties were known as "Whigs" and "Demo- crats." The vote of the county for President was: Harrison, "Whig," 1,394; Van Buren, "Democrat," 712. The Whigs continued largely in the ascend- ency in the county until 1850.

With but two exceptions during that period all county officials elected were Whigs. In 1837 Col. Miles Murphy, then a Democrat and a leading and popular citizen, was elected a member of the lower house of the General Assembly, and in 1839 Thomas Ginn, a Moderate Democrat, was elected county sheriff. In 1850 there were to be elected three delegates to the proposed convention to form a new constitution of the State. The Whigs nomi- nated as delegates to the convention Daniel Mason of Wayne township, Isaac Parker of Franklin township, Dr. George H. Ballingall of Fall Creek township; for senator, William A. Rifner of Prairie township; for representative, William W. Williams of Spiceland township; for sheriff, Sam- uel Hazzard of Henry township. In opposition there was a union of Democrats, Free-Soil Whigs, Prohibitionists and Abolitionists, who nominated as delegates Isaac Kinley and Daniel Mowrer of Henry township and John F. Johnston of Prairie township; for senator, Ezekiel T. Hickman of Prairie township; for representative, Isaac H. Morris of Wayne township; for sheriff, Joshua Johnson of Henry township. Every candidate on the Democratic fusion ticket was elected except John F. Johnston. The Democrats in this fusion took the lion's share, for every candidate on the

ticket was a straight, out-and-out Democrat ex- cept Isaac Kinley, who stood as the lone repre- sentative of the Abolitionists, the Free-Soil Whigs and the Prohibitionists.

In 1856, when the Whig party became the Re- publican party, the vote of Henry county for President was: Fremont, Republican, 2,741; Buchanan, Democrat, 1,229. The population of the county was then approximately 18,500; total vote, 4,019. The Republican plurality that year was 1,512. The highest plurality given a Repub- lican candidate for President in the intervening campaigns was in 1868, when it reached 2,020. There was a gradual slump in Republican plurali- ties from that time on and in 1908 the plurality was 1,067. In 1912, owing to the vote of the Pro- gressives, the plurality was in favor of Wilson, Democrat, by 208, the first time in the history of the county that a Democratic candidate for Presi- dent received a plurality of the votes, a period em- bracing elections for ninety-four years. The pres- idential election of 1916 resulted in a plurality for the Republican candidate of 826, party lines in this year having assumed normal proportions. The Republican vote for President was 4,386 and the Democratic vote 3,560, both parties casting the largest vote in their history. The population of the county at this time was about 32,000.

From 1850 to 1912 not a single man other than a Whig or Republican succeeded in being elected to office from Henry county alone and only in four instances was any one other than a Republican elected from any district in which Henry county formed a part, the exceptions being in the elec- tion of A. R. A. Thompson and Exum Saint, on fusion tickets, in 1874 and 1878, respectively, to the lower house of the General Assembly; and Charles M. Butler of Knightstown, elected prose- cuting attorney and Calvin W. Thompson of An- derson, elected district attorney for the common pleas court. In 1876 Hon. D. W. Chambers of Henry county was the nominee for representative in Congress from the Sixth Congressional District and was defeated by only 216 votes. He was the Sixth district member of the Democratic state committee in 1886 and 1888.

In 1912, when the Republican party was badly demoralized on account of defection to the Pro- gressives, or "Bull Moose" party, the Democrats succeeded in electing a representative to the lower house of the State Legislature, - of Knightstown; James Wallace, county treasurer;

( 634 )

HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

James Bouslog, county sheriff, and John H. Myers and Al W. Fatic, members of the board of county commissioners. Finley H. Gray, Democratic nom- inee for Congress from the Sixth Congressional District, also carried the county by a small plural- ity. In 1914 Walter S. Chambers, editor of the Newcastle Daily Times, and son of the Hon. D. W. Chambers mentioned above, was elected joint senator from Henry and Madison counties.

In the above is set out only the successes of the Democratic party in Henry county since the or- ganization of the county ninety-five years ago. It does not convey in full the energy, love of party and militant spirit of Henry county Democrats. Although largely in the minority from the begin- ning they have entered each succeeding political campaign with vim and determination to win. De- feat did not dampen their ardor nor cause them to lessen their efforts, and such has been the re- ward of their zeal that although they still have a plurality of about 800 against them, they have faith that the near future will place them at least on an equality with their Jong-time antagonists.

In the past fifty years several Democratic news- papers have had existence at the county seat and each labored zealously during its brief lifetime for the Democratic cause; but the patronage was lim- ited and emoluments sparse, so that they did not long survive. About 1895 Walter S. Chambers purchased the Newcastle Democrat and after a few years' struggle had it firmly established in the homes and hearts of Henry county Democrats.

In 1909 he began publication of the Newcastle Daily Times, which has had a successful career, and both publications have greatly helped in spreading the doctrine of Democracy and have been largely instrumental in reducing the Repub- lican pluralities. Mr. Chambers is the Democratic chairman of the Sixth Congressional District and as such is a member of the Democratic state cen- tral committee. He is also joint senator from Henry and Madison counties.

The history of the Democratic party of Henry county would not be complete without mentioning Dr. F. A. Bolser, who for twenty-five years has been one of the active and effective workers and organizers. He has served as county chairman and in all other positions in the party. Under Governor Matthews he was appointed state vet- erinarian and held the position for five years. Under Governor Ralston he was the first assistant to the state veterinarian, serving four years.

Edward Smith, the present postmaster and for- mer county chairman, has been an active factor in the county Democracy for thirty years, being an alternate delegate to the national convention at St. Louis in 1916. Other men who have done much for the party in years past were James Brown, who was once a candidate for supreme judge; Thomas B. Hunt, who was a candidate for the nomination of treasurer of state; Loring Bundy, Horace G. Yergin, Frank A. Wisehart, Charles D. Morgan of Knightstown and George W. Good- win.

( 635 )

HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF HOWARD COUNTY

By C. H. Havens

"Sweet are the uses of adversity,

Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in its head."

F ROM 1840, when that district which now comprises two townships (Ervin and Mon- roe) of Howard county cast twelve votes for Martin Van Buren, Democrat, and twelve votes for William Henry Harrison, Whig, for Presi- dent, to 1912, when the Democratic party of How- ard county felt that it had at last come into its own, is a far cry.

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 88

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