History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 96

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

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Lewis Price, a prominent young farmer of La- grange county, and a sterling Democrat, was the party's candidate for Joint Representative of the counties of Lagrange and Steuben in the State Legislature in the campaign of 1912. Though both counties are strongly Republican, Mr. Price was elected by a good, safe majority and repre- sented the counties in the Legislature of 1913, making a splendid record. He was a candidate for re-election in the campaign of 1914, but was defeated by a narrow margin. Mr. Price was born and educated in the county and, taking a thorough agricultural course at Purdue Univer- sity, he has become one of the much-sought-after Farmers' Institute lecturers of the State.

Newspaper matters had much to do with the

strong foothold which the Democratic opponents gained in the county, and which was held through- out the years. The Republicans maintained a strong party organ that played well the "tune" of the organization, which handed it out liberal patronage and support. The Democrats, much of the time discouraged, engaged in the enterprise of trying to reform the Democratic politics of the other counties 'round about who wanted to place a man to the front and, thus divided on trivial local issues, played into the hands of the opposi- tion party who were for the offices, first, last and all the time.

The party was without a representative news- paper much of the time up to 1879, while the Re- publicans maintained a newspaper, the Lagrange Standard, from the year 1856, which grew into prominence on public patronage and remained steadfastly Republican until 1912, when it es- poused the Progressive cause.

In October, 1845, Jewett, Owen and Bennett established the Lagrange Democrat in the then county seat, Lima. This continued for four or five years and was suspended. The editor, Mr. Owen, it is said, was a relative of that noted poli- tician and statesman, Robert Dale Owen, and be- cause of his tall bony physique was known as "Old Bones." Following this effort, J. S. Castle started a Democratic paper at Lagrange called the Democrat, and after a brief time moved the paper to Lima and discontinued the publication in 1862. This was succeeded by another Democratic paper in 1868, with Francis Henry and Howard M. Coe as editors. The plant was consumed by fire in 1869. The brave Democratic stockholders renewed their stock, a new outfit was purchased and placed under the control of Mr. Henry, but it was only a short time when the plant was sold and moved to Sturgis, Michigan.

The county was then without a Democratic rep- resentative until 1879, when the Lagrange County Democrat was established by J. Frank Snyder, who conducted the paper for eleven years until his appointment as postmaster of Lagrange by President Cleveland, during his first administra- tion. A few months after entering the postoffice Mr. Snyder transferred his interest in the paper to his associate editor D. A. Fawcett, and since that time the paper has changed hands many times, but has always stood true to the cause of Democracy. In the fall of 1913 the publication was consolidated with the Saturday Call, and was for a time published semi-weekly as the Demo- crat-Call, Mr. Snyder being one of its editors.

Though Lagrange county has not produced any large number of men who have held official posi- tions it has been the home of some worthy Demo- crats who have proven helpful and loyal to the

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

Democratic cause. Among these are the attor- neys of Lagrange-aside from Senator Otis L. Ballou, mentioned elsewhere-John W. Hanan and Frank J. Dunton, sterling Jeffersonian Democrats who have also taken an active part in party af- fairs.

Judge John W. Hanan is head of the law firm of Hanan, Watson and Hanan. He began his law practice in 1886 in Lagrange with Judge Robert Lowry, former Congressman of the Twelfth Dis- trict, as his law partner. He is frequently called in service as special judge and has a large legal practice, maintaining offices in Lagrange and In- dianapolis. He has been three times appointed by different Governors of the State as trustee of the Eastern Indiana Asylum for the Insane at Richmond, and for several years has been presi- dent of the board. In 1892 he was the Democratic nominee for joint Senator between the counties of Lagrange and Steuben and greatly reduced the Republican majorities in these strongholds of Re- publicanism. He has well served the city and county for several years as city and county at- torney, and filled other local offices of trust. He is now fifty-five years of age.

Frank J. Dunton, prominent attorney of La- grange county began the practice of law in La- grange in 1889, and has had much to do with the Democratic organization of the county. Though but fifty years old he has been chairman of the county organization of the party-save two years -continuously, since 1889. He was named by Congressman Cyrus Cline, at the commencement of the Wilson administration, for postmaster of

Lagrange on the expiration of the term of Mr. McDonald, but during the early part of 1915 he accepted the appointment of Deputy Oil Inspector under the State department. Mr. Dunton has been county attorney for two years past and is closely identified with many of the business interests of Lagrange and the community.

Among the Democrats of the county, aside from those already mentioned-many of them passed to their reward-who have served as chairmen of the organization and done effective service for the par- ty in the various townships are enrolled the names of such worthies as Andrew Emminger, Cyrus Fillmore-brother of former President Fillmore- Charles B. Holmes, James Clugston, Zopher Case, Minott Goodsell, John Sherman, Charles Cochran, N. B. and I. B. Newman, Josiah Rowe, Samuel Beaty, J. F. Clugston, John Will, Abram Bender, William and John Craig, Thomas and Albert Skeer, Thomas VanKirk, Dr. John H. Dancer, Peter Prough, William Woodard, Daniel Boyer, William Gardner, Dr. J. N. Denny, John Kimmell, James Kennedy, William Roderick, Albert H. Price, Charles A. Brant, D. N. Stough, Henry M. Kromer, Robert M. Wigton, Charles L. Atwater, Phillip Wilkins, Isaac and Washington Norris, Isaac and Benjamin Zimmerman, Frank M. Ste- venson, John Price, L. M. Rowe (postmaster un- der Cleveland's administration, second term), James H. Roy (present postmaster at Topeka), A. A. Metz (present postmaster at Wolcottville), Clarence E. Schaeffer (present postmaster at Howe).

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF LAKE COUNTY

I T WAS on January 18, 1837, that the Indiana Legislature passed the act creating Lake county from the territory in the extreme northwest corner of the state, and just one month later the present county of Lake took its corpo- rate existence. It comprises 508 sections of land, and of these but about 400 were considered till- able. The Kankakee marsh land alone was esti- mated to have 60,000 acres of waste land, while thousands of acres adjoining and in the vicinity of Lake Michigan were a vast area of waste land composed of sand dunes, sloughs, swamps and sand hills. Progress has changed all this. Instead of Kankakee marsh lands untillable and over- flowing, we now have the Kankakee valley, with its thousands of acres of as valuable farm land as can be found in all Hoosierdom. And the north end: That is the marvel of the world to- day, for here is now Indiana's greatest industrial center, destined to be the greatest beehive of industry in the world, and having three cities- Gary, East Chicago, Hammond and Whiting- with a combined population of more than 125,000. The county has an area of 465 square miles, lies between Porter county and the Illinois state line and stretches from the Kankakee river on the south to Lake Michigan on the north.

When the county was organized in 1837 its territory was but sparsely settled by white men, and these were mostly Yankees, Yorkers and Germans. But this was a great hunting and fish- ing "ground" for the Indians, with at least six In- dian villages within its confines. These were at various points, some along the Kankakee, some near the center of the county and some along the Calumet river, that queer stream which then had two mouths, the west one being at what is now South Chicago, and the east mouth (long since filled up to within less than a half-mile of Lake Michigan, where it ends in a tiny branch) at a point which is the beginning of the sand dunes which it is now proposed to preserve as nature's natural park. As late as 1847 there were said to be but 52 residences, five churches, five stores and two office buildings in all Lake county.

In the earlier history of the county the Demo- cratic party predominated and kept the lead until the passing of the Whig party, and the organiza- tion of the Republican party. It then became strongly Republican and has so remained ever since. Occasionally a Democrat has broken into office through his individual merits and the com- parative weakness of his opponent, but these cases have been rare indeed. Under these cir-

cumstances it has required courage and firm loyalty to party principles to keep a party organi- zation intact. Leaders have always arisen, how- ever, to keep up the fight. This task has been more arduous, too, because of the rapid growth of the north end, bringing in new men and new problems. Having so many cities and towns the leaders have necessarily been more numerous than in many other counties, and to name all would scarcely be permissible in this brief resume. Some of these leaders for their great service in holding the party together are worthy of more than a passing mention. Chief of these was M. F. Pierce, of Merrillville. For years he was county chair- man and the dominating figure in county politics. Untiring in his work and vigilance he worked with little reward, holding only a township office, and in Cleveland's second term being given the place of deputy revenue collector at the "munificent" salary of $1,200 per year. A number of times draft- ed to be his party's candidate in a hopeless race for county office, he made notable races with all the vigor of a candidate who is assured of win- ning. He is numbered with the dead.

Nicholas Scherer, founder of Schererville, was a leader for more than a quarter of a century. When David Turpie was the party nominee for Congress Mr. Scherer was a valued lieutenant and a warm friendship sprang up between the two. This remained firm until death separated them. It was not uncommon for David Turpie to sum- mon his friend Nick to Indianapolis to be a guest at his home. Even when occupying the senato- rial seat at Washington he sent for Mr. Scherer, and one of the greatest joys of the old man to the day of his death was to tell how "Dave" made his humble German friend share his quarters and his bed.

Of the present-day leaders Edward Simon has proven the county's greatest "born" leader. Twice county chairman, he organized Lake as it had never been organized before, and his work received such attention from the outside that he has several times refused the party's tender of district chairman. He was elected to the lower house of the Legislature and served a term as county auditor, and even by his political opponents is conceded to have given Lake county the best ad- ministration of that office it has ever had.

Among others holding county office have been : Samuel A. Barr, Crown Point, county auditor; John P. Merrill, Crown Point, county treasurer; Chas. H. Friedrich, Hammond, sheriff; Fred S. Carter, Hammond, sheriff; Thos. Hammond, Ham-

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

mond, congressman: John B. Peterson, Crown Point, prosecuting attorney and congressman; Thos. J. Wood, Crown Point, congressman; Thos. McCay, Crown Point, county treasurer; A. C. Thompson, Ainsworth, county assessor. Hold- ing the office of a county commissioner were George S. Clark, Lowell; Barney G. Scheidt, St. John, and Spencer L. Beach, Leroy. Johannes Kop- elke, Crown Point, served a term in the state senate, and Adam R. Ebert, Hammond, a term in the house.

Dr. P. P. Gordon, Hobart, and Dr. A. A. Seid- ler, Dyer, each served as coroner.

Other men whose energies have directed party affairs have been:

Hammond-Lawrence Becker, Thomas Ham- mond, Patrick Reilley, Jacob Schloer, L. T. Meyer, S. F. Fogg, Henry Huehn, W. H. Verrill, J. L. Rohde, J. G. Ibach, David Fenton, Samuel Griffin, Robert Gregory, John A. Gavit, F. J. O'Rourke, O. H. Duelke, W. W. McMahon, J. H. Conroy, G. B. Sheerer, E. E. Beck, Mayor J. D. Smalley, Dr. W. F. Howat, J. F. Kuhlman, Jacob Hartman and S. E. Swaim.

Gary-Thomas E. Knotts, Patrick Finerty, Har- vey J. Curtis, George F. Cummerow, Ora Wilder- muth, H. A. McCracken.

Crown Point-Henry Aulwurm, Otto Hilde- brandt, P. F. Hein, Frank Seberger, F. K. Sig- mund, R. G. Bielefeldt, J. W. Thomas, George E. Hershman, J. P. Griesel, E. J. Forrest (serving term as district chairman), H. J. Lehman (pres- ent district chairman), George Keiser, George Sauermann, E. H. Westbay.

East Chicago-Col. R. D. Walsh, W. L. Funk- houser, J. S. Rieland, Charles Donovan, Edward DeBraie, Allen P. Twyman, J. W. Dunsing, W. J. Murray, Mayor Frank Callahan, D. B. L. Glaze-

brook, P. A. Parks, John McGouan, M. H. Silver- man.

Whiting-Beaumont Parks, U. G. Swartz, Mat Kieran, James West, Fred Fischrupp, J. J. Kelly, Fred J. Smith, George W. Jones, Robert Klose.

Tolleston-August Conrad, Henry Siegers and Edward Bohnke.

Hobart-John Gordon, J. H. Roper, J. Fiester, Walter Fiester, John Fransen, George Warchus, Fred Klassen, E. H. Guyer, H. E. Keilman, E. C. Scheidt, William Kostbade.

Hanover-John H. Meyer, Stephen Meyer, John A. Schillo, M. J. Schillo, Frank Massoth and Nic Geisen.

Merrillville-F. M. Pierce, John N. Smith, J. F. Dorman.

Griffith-P. J. Beiriger, M. J. Beiriger, John Miller, Jacob Miller.

Dyer-A. E. Kaiser, John J. Klein, H. L. Keil- man.

St. John-Joseph Portz, John Miller, Andrew Kammer, William Keilman and William Koehle.

Lowell-Mortimer Castle, Merriam Castle, Louis Berg, W. E. Belshaw, George Kimmit, William Pixley, Chester Pixley, J. A. Clark.

In the matter of Democratic press Lake county has been backward. Until 1890 all attempts to establish a Democratic organ had failed. In that year S. E. Swaim established the Lake County News, now suspended, and from 1891 to 1915 a daily edition was published. For some time the Freie Presse, published by John Lehman at Crown Point, was a Democratic paper pub- lished in German. After the founding of Gary two vain efforts were made to publish a party pa- per in that city, both failing. Later the Gary Post was established and is covering the field in that city successfully.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF LAPORTE COUNTY

T HERE is a legend prevalent that during Jackson's second term as President a man named Smith, resident in Laporte county, rode the trails to Washington to protest against certain rulings of the land office which bore hardly on the settlers. Arriving at an early hour, the messenger went to the White House and sat down on the steps to wait for business hours. A colored attendant asked him why he waited, and was directed to inform President Jackson that Mr. Smith had come from Laporte county, Indi- ana, to see him on land matters. Jackson di- rected the attendant to "tell Mr. Smith of La- porte county, Indiana, to come in and have his breakfast." So Andrew Smith of Indiana ate ham and eggs with Andrew Jackson of Tennes- see, and explained at large the troubles of the settlers and the land office, and Jackson said the settlers were right and the land office was wrong, and he smote the table with his fist and said he would fix it, and he did fix it. This incident faith- fully reported by Smith, and losing nothing by repetition, made Laporte county steadily Demo- cratic up to the Civil war.

The changes in political organizations and in public opinion between 1860 and 1864 turned the county over to the Republicans, but easy triumphs and personal ambitions caused such internal strife that the adherents of the old party were encour- aged to continue the fight. The struggle to re- gain the county for Democracy was long and stub- born. It was made on sound Democratic princi- ples, and in the end was successful.

The inspiring mind was Henry E. Wadsworth, whose faith found expression in the Laporte Ar- gus, founded by him in 1868, and still published as a daily. The keynote of Wadsworth's editorial page was that the government should treat all citizens alike, and favor none. He had a keen eye for fallacies and specialized on the fallacies of a high protective tariff. For thirty years his edi- torials furnished the Democracy of the county with doctrine and ammunition.

Associated with him were Lieutenant-Governor Mortimer Nye, Judge Daniel Noyes, Edward Hawkins, afterwards United States marshal; E. H. Scott, Ellis Michael, Eugene Davis and others. These men took up the long struggle of regaining the county for the party.

In the seventies Michigan City, in the northern part of the county, began to exhibit Democratic tendencies. Harry H. Francis founded the Dis- patch, and his delightful wit and daring ridicule

of his opponents were given to the support of Democracy's cause. Other leaders in the fight in Michigan City were John H. Winterbotham, Wil- liam B. Hutchinson, Henry H. Walker and Martin T. Krueger. In 1879 James Murdock of Lafay- ette came to Michigan City as warden of the State penitentiary and immediately became a leader in party circles.

These men in Laporte and Michigan City worked harmoniously for party success for more than ten years. Their opponents called their unity a ma- chine. Perhaps the term was deserved. In any event, their work was successful. Gradually they gained the county. In 1884 Laporte county gave Cleveland and Hendricks more than a thousand majority, and for years afterwards the majori- ties for the Democratic ticket from top to bottom were sure and substantial.

The older leaders passed away and the younger men, who had known little of defeat, fell into dis- sension and failed to maintain the solid front and unity of action which the veterans had learned was essential to power.

The free silver campaign of 1896 and the con- sequent divisions among old political associates weakened the organization. Wherever Demo- crats were prosperous that campaign was disas- trous.

The Democratic majority in the county was lost, and since then the contest has been more even, a schism in either party giving the victory to their opponents, but generally the county offices have been divided, the strong candidates on each ticket prevailing. The campaigns have been bit- terly contested, and a new coterie of able workers has developed. In Laporte Daniel Grover remains of the old guard, still vigorous and defiant. Oth- ers prominent in these years of strife have been M. R. Sutherland, H. W. Sallwasser, R. N. Smith, Lemuel Darrow, Arthur W. Taylor, Norman F. Wolfe, Fred Hennoch, A. J. Miller, W. C. Rans- burg, H. W. Worden and Frank J. Tilden.

In Michigan City, where Democratic majori- ties are still dependable, they are won by John B. Faulknor, editor of the Dispatch; C. E. Meyer, Daniel Hutton, Fred C. Miller, J. F. Gallaher, Dr. W. B. Flynn and W. W. Pepple.

At the date of this writing, November 9, 1917, both the cities of the county have just elected Democratic mayors-Herman W. Sallwasser in Laporte by 189 and Fred C. Miller in Michigan City by 767.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

W HILE there is very scant record of po- litical elections in Lawrence county from the date of its organization in 1818 to the presidential election in 1852, the facts as as- certained through various sources that are reliable show that the county up to that time was very strongly Democratic. It was very seldom that a Whig succeeded in getting into public office when he had to depend for that preferment upon the voters of Lawrence county. If a Whig ever did get into office it was evidence of immense personal popularity. He must be a good man to be able to beat any one whom the Democrats might choose to nominate. Very little support was accorded any of the parties which came up as side issues or advocating certain things which the promoters be- lieved could not be obtained through either the Republican or Democratic parties. Lawrence county was usually pretty well aligned with one or the other of these two political organizations.

In the early 50's, however, a change came in the voting complexion. In the presidential elec- tion of 1852 the county gave Pierce and King, the Democratic nominees, 1,113 votes and to Scott and Graham, the Whig nominees, 1,054 votes.

Four years later, when political feeling was running very strong throughout the country owing to the agitation brought about by the discussion of slavery between the North and South, Buchan- an and Breckinridge were the Democratic nomi- nees and Fremont and Dayton the Republican nominees, this being the first appearance of the Republican party in a national election. The American party championed the candidacy of Fill- more and Donelson. The votes stood in Lawrence county: For Buchanan, 1,126; Fremont, 480; Fillmore, 660. In that same year in the state elec- tion Oliver P. Morton, the Republican nominee for governor, received 1,061 votes against 1,079 for A. P. Willard, the Democratic nominee.

In 1858 in the state election McClure, the Dem- ocratic nominee, received 1,065 votes in Lawrence county for secretary of state and Peelle, the Re- publican nominee, received 1,057. This was grow- ing very close for a county which had been very strongly Democratic, and in 1860 the change came when H. S. Lane, the Republican nominee, de- feated Thomas A. Hendricks for governor in this

county by 1,272 to 1,143. The same year Lincoln carried the county, receiving 1,158 votes, against 787 for Douglas and Johnson and 525 for Breck- inridge and Lane.

In 1862 the Democratic candidate for secretary of state, J. S. Athon, led W. A. Peelle, the Repub- lican candidate, by 1,208 to 1,154.

However, in 1864 Oliver P. Morton received 1,462 votes to 1,183 for J. E. McDonald, the Dem- ocratic nominee for governor. Lincoln the same year carried Lawrence county with 1,423 votes, against 1,087 for McClellan and Pendleton.

Since that time in no presidential election and in very few local elections have the Democrats re- ceived any consideration in the nature of majori- ties or pluralities in this county until the election of 1912, when the county gave Wilson and Mar- shall 2,572 votes, against 1,631 for Taft and 2,106 for Roosevelt. The results in the county since the change came first in 1860 have shown a pretty steady Republican majority or plurality, ranging from 300 to 700 or 800.

Beginning with 1868 to 1916 presidential elec- tions have resulted as follows :

1868-Grant and Colfax, 1,781; Seymour and Blair, 1,468.

1872-Grant and Wilson, 1,833; Greeley and Brown, 1,503.

1876-Hayes and Wheeler, 1,941; Tilden and Hendricks, 1,669.

1880-Garfield and Arthur, 2,057; Hancock and English, 1,701.

1884-Blaine and Logan, 2,336; Cleveland and Hendricks, 1,716.

1888-Harrison and Morton, 2,256; Cleveland and Thurman, 1,814.

1892-Harrison and Reid, 2,529; Cleveland and Stevenson, 2,134.

1896-Mckinley and Hobart, 3,103; Bryan and Sewall, 2,421.

1900-McKinley and Roosevelt, 3,535; Bryan and Stevenson, 2,558.

1904-Roosevelt and Fairbanks, 3,924; Parker and Davis, 2,672.

1908-Taft and Sherman, 3,834; Bryan and Kern, 3,118.

1912-Taft and Sherman, 1,631; Wilson and Marshall, 2,579; Roosevelt and Johnson, 2,106.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF MADISON COUNTY

T HE county of Madison was created by an Act of the General Assembly, passed in De- cember, 1822, and signed by the Governor, January 4, 1823. Its territory is a part of that known as the "New Purchase" obtained from the Delaware Indians by commissioners of the United States government in treaty with them at St. Marys, Ohio, October 3, 1818. It has for its boundary on the north, Grant county; on the west, Tipton and Hamilton; on the south, Hancock; and on the east, Henry and Delaware.

NEWSPAPERS.

A Democratic newspaper was first printed at Anderson, the county seat, in 1848. It was called the True Democrat, and was owned and edited by two brothers, John Q. and William L. Howell. In 1849 the paper passed to the control of Peter H. Lemon and Townsend Ryan, and by whom its name was changed to the Weekly Democrat. It was issued regularly by them until some time in 1850, when its publication was suspended. Five years later the Democratic Standard appeared as the oracle of Madison county Democracy, under the editorship of Thomas W. and Ira H. Cook, who disposed of the property in 1858 to Charles I. Barker who continued its publication until 1863, when it was purchased and its policies directed from time to time by the following named gentle- men in succession from that date down to 1873: Calvin C. Moricle, O. C. Willetts, F. M. Randall, E. V. Long, W. E. Cook, A. S. McCallister, Flem- ing T. Luse.

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History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 96

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