Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 29

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co.
Number of Pages: 1190

USA > Minnesota > Hennepin County > Minneapolis > Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota > Part 29

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The exhibition was a valuable advertisement for Minnesota and especially for Minneapolis and Henne- pin County. According to all reports, many stran- gers from the Eastern, Middle, and other States at- tended. They chanced to be here, "looking at the country," and the extraordinarily high character of the grain, vegetables, and stock shown at the fair im- pressed them so favorably with the agricultural value of the region that many of them actually became per- manent residents of Minnesota and advertising agents for the country. It is well settled that one of the elements of greatest value in connection with every fair, Territorial, State, or County, ever held in Min- nesota, has been connected with the publicity made in the exhibition of the products of the people.

THE GOVERNOR PREVENTS THE CREATION OF "ST. ANTHONY COUNTY."

It is not generally known, and no previous history states the fact, that the Legislature of 1855 passed an act creating the "County of St. Anthony" out of the western part of Ramsey County and locating the county seat at the town of St. Anthony. The bill passed both houses, but in the closing days of the session. It was not introduced as an independent bill, but as a supplement to an act amending the incor- poration of the State Historical Society. The sup- plemental bill defined the county's boundaries, which were very ample, the northern line being far to the northward. As stated, the bill passed in the closing days of the session, the last days of February, 1855, and went over to Territorial Governor Willis A. Gor- man for his approval. The Governor had become well

identified with St. Paul and opposed the dismember- ing of Ramsey County. He "pocketed" the bill and allowed the Legislature to adjourn (March 3) with- out signing it, and so it failed to become a law.

There was intense feeling at St. Anthony over Governor Gorman's action. A few days after the Legislature adjourned, or on March 6, an indignation meeting of more than 200 citizens was held in Cen- tral Hall, St. Anthony, to denounce this action. Geo. F. Brott presided and the Democratic Territorial Secretary, Charles L. Chase, was secretary. For his action in pocketing the bill the Governor was scored in the harshest terms and in violent language by speak- ers familiar with those terms and accomplished in the use of that form of language. Among these speakers were Hon. D. M. Hanson, Hon. Chas. Stearns, E. L. Hall, Moses W. Getchell, and President Brott. A large proportion of those participating were Demo- crats, but they did not spare the Democratic Governor in their speeches.

A committee, consisting of M. W. Getchell, H. T. Welles, Richard Chute, E. Dixon, Silas Ricker, Rich- ard Fewer, and R. W. Cummings, reported a series of resolutions, the first of which and the preamble read:

"Whereas, At the last session of the Legislature of this Territory an act was passed providing for the organization of St. Anthony County, and also an act providing for the improvement of the Mississippi River from the mouth of the Minnesota to the Falls of Pokegama; and whereas Governor Gorman has pocketed said bills, thereby defeating the same, with- out daring to assume the responsibility of vetoing them; and whereas the Governor has signed other bills involving the same principles and providing for carrying out similar measures in other localities in which he, the said Governor, is believed to be person- ally interested ; therefore,

"Resolved, That we regard the action of Governor Gorman in defeating said bills as a blow aimed in a cowardly manner at the prosperity and progress of St. Anthony and the northern part of Ramsey County, as well as the counties lying between the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers.

"Resolved, That the action of Governor Gorman in defeating the said bills, passed by both branches of the Legislature. has been of a most tyrannical, selfish, and revengeful nature, showing a total disregard of the wishes of the people, etc.'

Another resolution demanded that the President remove Governor Gorman, and still another said of him :

"That his action as above stated, in connection with his previous course as Governor of the Territory, dur- ing which course he has been engaged in numerous street brawls, personal encounters. and other dis- reputable acts, for which he has been presented by a grand jury and has been at other times brought to answer at the bar of courts of justice, have demon- strated that he is totally unfit for the responsible station which he holds as Governor of the Territory of Minnesota."

The resolutions were applauded and unanimously

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

adopted, after being discussed to see if they could not be made stronger.

The journals of the House and Senate for the ses- sion of 1855 give scarcely any information regarding this bill; but see the North-Western Democrat for March 10, 1855, in an editorial under the heading, "St. Anthony County Not a County;" also the same paper dated March 17, containing a report of the meeting at Central Hall, March 6; also the Pioneer and Democrat of March 5, referring to the Legisla- tive proceedings of March 3.

ST. ANTHONY INCORPORATED AS A CITY.

By an act of the Legislature approved by the Gov- ernor March 3, 1855, the village of St. Anthony was incorporated as a "city," although it had an esti- mated population at the time of about 2,000. The act, virtually the city's charter, was very lengthy, consist- ing of nine chapters. By its provisions the city was divided into three wards, with two aldermen from each ward, and the six aldermen, the mayor, and a justice of the peace were to be elected on the first Monday in April following. The mayor and three of the first aldermen chosen were to serve but one year; thereafter the term of an alderman was to be two years. The other city officials were to be chosen by the Council. Notwithstanding that the town was strongly Republican or abolition, negroes were not allowed to vote at municipal elections.

At the first election H. T. Welles was elected mayor; and the Aldermen (composing the City Coun- cil) were Benj. N. Spencer, John Orth, Daniel Stanch- field, Edwin Lippincott, Caleb D. Dorr, and Robt. W. Cummings. April 14 the Council elected Ira Kingsley, treasurer, no salary; W. F. Brawley, clerk, annual salary, $325; S. W. Farnham, assessor, salary not fixed; Benj. Brown, marshal, salary, $300; attor- ney, E. L. Hall, salary, $250; collector, E. B. Nash, salary, three per cent of collections. The mayor was to receive $200 and the aldermen $100 each. Lard- ner Bostwick was elected justice of the peace.

The election had been of a non-partisan character, and the officers were of various political persuasions. Mayor Welles was a Democrat. There was a general acceptance of the officials as to their qualifications except in the case of Marshal Brown; he was a saloon keeper, and the radical temperance people were roused to great indignation over his appointment. They held a meeting April 19 and denounced every- body responsible for it, and urged that he be re- moved. Geo. A. Nourse, John W. North, and Rev. Creighton made fiery speeches, and the meeting de- manded that the saloons be abolished, or at least that no liquor should be sold on Sunday. The resolutions adopted were hot-tempered and denunciatory of liquor and the liquor interests. The Council finally enacted that no saloons should be open on Sundays or after 10 P. M. on week days, and that they pay licenses of the heavy sum of fifty dollars a year ; drunkenness, fighting, and gambling were prohibited, and the moral condition of the city renovated and reformed so far as a city ordinance could be made

effective. In October, Ben Brown resigned as marshal and Seth Turner was appointed in his stead.

HENNEPIN COUNTY TAKES IN ST. ANTHONY.

The creation of St. Anthony County, with the town of St. Anthony as the county seat, having been pre- vented by Governor Gorman, in March, 1855, the citi- zens of the town and those who sympathized with them determined to have satisfaction and redress from the Governor and from St. Paul. The members of the Legislature from that town opposed the new county, because it would take away St. Anthony and much other good territory from Ramsey County and thereby injure their city. Mr. Isaac Van Etten, of St. Paul, had led the fight against the proposed new county, and while he had been unsuccessful in the Legislature (of which he was a member) he and his associates had better success with the Governor, who by this time had valuable interests in the Capital City.

The St. Anthony partisans were incensed at St. Paul and determined that if they could not have a sep- arate county of their own they would detach their territory from Ramsey County and attach it to Hen- nepin. This would deal a blow at the progress of St. Paul and increase the good prospects of the twin towns at the Falls, St. Anthony and Minneapolis. At the very next Legislature, that of 1856, they intro- duced a bill into, and succeeded in having it passed by the Legislature carrying out their purpose.

The bill was adroitly drawn. It was entitled, "A bill to designate the site whereon to erect the county buildings of Hennepin County and authorizing the Commissioners to procure a title thereto, and extend- ing the boundaries of the County." Governor Gor- man could not well veto a bill allowing sites to be acquired for the much needed county buildings of the new county ; and he had no pleasant memories of how the people had expressed themselves about him when, the year before, he had pocketed the bill allow- ing St. Anthony to separate from Ramsey County.

The first three sections of the bill related to the acquirement of county building sites in Minneapolis. The 4th section reads :

"The boundaries of Hennepin County is [sic] hereby extended north across the Mississippi River, commencing on the north line of township 29, in range 24, on the Mississippi River, and running due east to a point between sections 4 and 5, in town- ship 30, in range 23; thence due south to the town line between townships 28 and 29; thence due west to the Mississippi River."

The two other sections provide that the Hennepin register of deeds should transcribe all the records of Ramsey County relating to the newly attached terri- tory, and that the delinquent taxes of the new terri- tory should be paid to Ramsey County. The act was approved by the Governor February 25.

The original boundaries were not satisfactory, and five years later the Legislature of 1861 established them as follows:

"Commencing on the north line of township 29,

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

range 24, on the Mississippi River, thence due east to a point between sections 5 and 6, township 29, range 23; thenee due south, on the section line, to the Mis- sissippi River; thence up said river to the place of beginning."

After the act of 1856 St. Anthony entered its fourth county. It has been in Crawford and St. Croix Counties, Wisconsin, and Ramsey and Hennepin in Minnesota. The newly attached territory was or- ganized into a civil township May 11, 1858, and the first officers were: Supervisors, J. B. Gilbert, J. C. Tufts, Richard Fewer : clerk, D. M. Demmon; asses- sor, J. A. Lennon : justices of the peace, Solon Arm- strong and Anthony Grethen. The town, however, continued its separate corporate existence until in 1872, when it was united with Minneapolis.

THE DISPUTED ELECTION OF DELEGATES TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

Perhaps the most interesting and influential politi- cal events in Minnesota between 1850 and 1860 were the formation of the Republican party in 1855, the election of Delegates to the Constitutional Conven- tion, and the session of that Convention, the latter two events occurring in the summer of 1857, and the first election for State officers. There was a most spirited contest over the election of Delegates to the Convention which was to make the organic law of the State, soon to be admitted into the Union.

That Convention would form the first Legislative and Congressional districts and make them Demo- cratic or Republican, according to the politics of a majority of the members. The Legislature would elect two United States Senators and the political con- trol of Congress might depend upon the new State of Minnesota.

The Republicans made strenuous efforts to elect a majority of the Delegates. They appealed to their National Committee and their brethren in the East for help and some money and some of the best speak- ers were sent them to aid in the canvass. Among those from other States who came and stumped the Territory for the Free Soil ticket were John P. Hale, of New Hampshire; Lyman Trumbull and Owen Lovejoy, of Illinois: Galusha A. Grow, of Pennsyl- vania; Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana; Hanscomb, of Boston; Moran, of Philadelphia, and James H. Baker, of Ohio .- the last named afterward promi- nent and distinguished in Minnesota. Judge Trum- bull remained in the Territory after the election as chief counsel for the Republicans. The Democrats employed only their local talent; such of them as received compensation were paid out of a fund raised by Territorial office-holders. all of whom were Demo- crats.

The election for Delegates came off June 1. The re- turns came in slowly and at first it was conceded that a majority of Democrats had been chosen, espe- cially when it appeared on the face of the returns that four of them had been elected in St. Anthony precinct, of Hennepin County, by an average ma- jority of 13. But Senator Trumbull now came for-

ward with a plan to wrest victory from defeat. The authorities had decided that two Delegates were to be chosen for each Representative and Councilor in the Territorial Legislature, and this construction made a Convention of 108 members.

But June 16, when the board of canvassers for Hen- nepin County, all of them Republicans, canvassed the vote of St. Anthony, they decided that not four Dem- ocrats but four Republicans had been chosen from that Legislative district and certificates were issued accordingly. Lyman Trumbull had counseled the action and furnished the arguments for it.

The decision was based upon the difference in form of the tickets of the two parties. The Republican ticket was divided into two parts. The general head- ing of the ticket was in black capitals, "Republican Ticket." Then came a sub-heading in black lower case or italie letters reading, "For Delegates to Con- stitutional Convention from Council District," and below this heading were the names of the candidates. Dr. J. H. Murphy and S. W. Putnam. Then followed another heading in black lower case reading, "For Delegates from the Representative District," and underneath were the names of D. A. Secombe, D. M. Hall, L. C. Walker, and P. Winell. Now, many of the Democratic tickets had but a single heading, "For Delegates to the Constitutional Convention," and underneath were the names of all six of the candi- dates, Judge B. B. Meeker, R. Fewer, Calvin A. Tuttle, Samuel Stanchfield, W. M. Lashelle, and the Secretary of the Territory. Chas. L. Chase.

The Democrats claimed that, as the boundaries of the Representative and Council districts were the same and identical with the entire precinct, the group- ing and division of the names on the ticket were un- necessary, but the Republicans denied this contention and claimed that the omission to group the candi- dates on the tickets and place sub-headings over them was fatal to their legality. The returning board found enough of such tickets to warrant them, accord- ing to their belief, in refusing certificates to any Dem- ocrat, although the ballots cast by unchallenged voters showed this result :

For the Republican Candidates, Council District -- John H. Murphy. 496; S. W. Putnam, 491. Repre- sentative District, Philip Winell, 512: L. C. Walker. 503: D. M. Hall, 485: D. A. Secombe. 472.

For the Democratic Candidates, without Distinetion of Districts: B. B. Meeker, 524; Chas. L. Chase. 521 : Calvin A. Tuttle. 509; Wm. M. Lashelle. 497 ; Saml. Stanchfield, 495; R. Fewer. 496. The Democrats claimed that Winell and Walker were the only Re- publicans that had been fairly elected and they de- manded certificates for Meeker, Chase, Tuttle, and Lashelle, but the County Clerk, Rev. C. G. Ames, the zealous prohibitionist and ardent abolitionist. refused emphatically to give them. He was County Register of Deeds and ex-officio clerk of the County Commis- sioners, who constituted the returning board.

On the Minneapolis side of Hennepin County. one Democrat, Roswell P. Russell. was given a certificate by the returning board, which declared that he had received 18 more votes than his Republican com-

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petitor, Rev. Chas. B. Sheldon. It appeared that some good Republican friends of Mr. Russell had erased Rev. Sheldon's name on the Republican tickets and substituted the old pioneer's. Then some of Shel- don's friends at the precincts of Maple Grove, Island City, and Eden Prairie had voted Republican tickets which were printed like the Democratic, and, to be consistent with the action taken in the St. Anthony case, these imitative tickets were thrown out, and this gave Russell his majority. Mr. Russell, however, stood by his party's contention, declared he was not fairly elected, and refused the election certificate. There may have been another reason for his refusal. At the time, he was receiver of the Land Office at Minneapolis, and it was doubted that he could serve as a Delegate and at the same time hold a Federal office. Mr. Sheldon was finally admitted to the Re- publican wing of the Convention without any certifi- cate at all !

For his "official misconduct," as the Democrats termed it, in issuing certificates of election to the four Republicans of the St. Anthony precinct, who had received fewer votes than their Democratic opponents, Clerk Ames was cited to St. Paul by Gov. Samuel Medary and, after a hearing, the Governor removed him from office. The Hennepin County Commis- sioners re-elected him within an hour after his return from St. Paul to St. Anthony, and announced that they would continue to re-elect him as often as the Governor removed him.

In Houston County O. W. Streeter, Democrat, had received 378 votes on a general ticket to 329 votes for C. A. Coe. The Republican Clerk of the Commis- sioners, by their direction gave the certificate to Mr. Coe. In Winona and two or three other counties there was a singular condition in the Republican tick- ets. They were all general, no district divisions, but in arrangement were exactly like the Democratic tick- ets at St. Anthony. The Republican candidates re- ceived a majority of the votes in these southern counties and were given certificates by the respective returning boards. Asked why the course taken in Hennepin with this sort of tickets was not followed in Winona County, Thomas Wilson* a delegate, said : "Every tub stands on its own bottom, and every county controls its affairs in its own way."

In the 11th district, comprising Hennepin, Carver and Davis Counties (the latter named for Jefferson Davis), the Republican candidates were elected by large majorities, except in the case of Dr. Alfred E. Ames, the staunch Democratic pioneer of Minne- apolis, who received a most flattering vote, and R. P. Russell, whose case has been described. He refused the election certificate and Rev. Sheldon, of Excel- sior, obtained the place by the recognition of the Re- publican wing. The Democratic wing had no delegate from the 11th District except Dr. Ames. The district had twelve Delegates and the eleven Republicans, who acted with the Republican branch of the Con-

vention, were Cyrus Aldrich, Wentworth Hayden, R. L. Bartholomew, W. F. Russell, Henry Eschle, Chas. B. Sheldon, David Morgan, E. N. Bates, Albert W. Combs, T. D. Smith, B. E. Messer.

Nineteen years after Lyman Trumbull had planned to secure the control of the Minnesota Constitutional Convention by the Republicans he was down in Louisiana endeavoring to have the electoral vote of that State cast for Tilden and Hendricks, the Demo- cratic candidates for President and Vice President. He was originally a Free Soil Democrat, became a Republican on the slavery question, was U. S. Sen- ator, etc. After the Civil War when slavery was abolished, he went back to his old party and remained with it the remainder of his life. He was chief coun- sel for the Democrats before the Louisiana returning board in 1876.

When the Convention assembled, July 13, (1857), the two parties were present with all their forces, regular and irregular. There were the two delega- tions from St. Anthony, each claiming legality and legitimacy. Each party claimed 59 members and con- ceded the other but 53. There was a scramble for the possession of the Representatives' hall in the Ter- ritorial Capitol building, and the Republicans suc- ceeded in capturing it. Thereupon the Democrats re- paired to the Council Chamber and occupied it. Both parties then met regularly in their respective rooms, each denouncing the other as a fraudulent assem- blage, a rump parliament. and claiming to be the only legal body. The president of the Republican wing was St. A. D. Balcombe, and of the Democratic H. H. Sibley.

Governor Medary and Secretary Chase recognized the Democratic delegates and they were paid regu- larly out of the public treasury ; the Republicans re- ceived nothing in the way of pay and had to board themselves. At last, on the 29th of August. pursuant to a previous agreement, both bodies agreed on the same Constitution, each signing a verbatim copy of the compromise draft, and both Conventions then ad- journed. Three Democrats refused to sign it, be- cause, as they said, the "illegitimate Republican" con- vention had been given a part in its making, although many Republicans called it "a purely Democratic instrument."

THE FIRST GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION, IN 1857.

The election for the first State officials of Minnesota was held October 13. 1857. Congress had not then formally admitted Minnesota into the Union, as a State, and these officials were not to assume their duties until after such admission. The candidates were H. H. Sibley, Democrat, and Alexander Ramsey, Republican. Following close after the election of Delegates to the Constitutional Convention and the subsequent session of that convention, the canvass prior to the election was spirited and warm, and be- came unduly strenuous. Each party accused the other of designing to capture the election by frauds, and after the election charges were made that the frauds had been perpetrated. Besides the Governor

* Mr. Wilson was subsequently a Justice of the Supreme Court, became a prominent Democrat, was elected to Congress as such, and was a Democratic candidate for Governor.

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

and other State officers, three Congressmen were to be voted for (but only two were admitted to seats) and a Legislature (which should choose two United

States Senators) was to be elected. Therefore the interest in the election became most intense and eaelı side was determined to win. The result was that the taeties of the contest were not commendable.

The State was but partially settled, there were no railroads or telegraphs, and the returns were not all in until several days after eleetion. Then many of them were found to be various varieties of irregular form. Some were composed of the returns from each precinct in the county, without a condensed and duly certified abstraet, and in many instanees these pre- cinet returns were signed by only one judge or one elerk of election, while in some cases they were not signed at all. In two instances the returns were not certified by the register of deeds, who was ex-officio, the county clerk. They came in all sorts of ways. The Pembina and other returns were brought by spe- cial messengers. Many were sent by mail to the See- retary of the Territory, others were sent to Governor Medary, and in two instances messengers had to be sent for them. In Todd County the messenger from a large preeinet carried the returns to the house of the register of deeds, who was absent at the time. The preeinet messenger slipped the return, a mere folded and unsealed paper, under the official's door and went away. The elerk did not return for four days. Charges of fraud, intimidation, and illegalities of all sorts, were made by each party before all the ballots were counted, and were reiterated again and again.

There really were but few instances of intimidation, but there were such. It is painful to have to record the fact that St. Anthony furnished one of these. The upper precinct of the town was largely Repub- lican, and many of the voters were stalwart fighting lumbermen. There had been mueh talk about condi- tions in Kansas, where the pro-slavery men, or "bor- der ruffians," who were mostly Democrats, had intim- idated many Republicans from voting and mistreated them outrageously. The St. Anthony Republicans gathered about the place of election, talked violently about the Kansas persecutions, and denounced the Democrats-or "slaveocrats," as they termed them -and finally resorted to actual violence in preventing them from voting.

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Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 29

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co. Number of Pages: 1190

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co.
Number of Pages: 1190