USA > Minnesota > Faribault County > The history of Faribault County, Minnesota : from its first settlement to the close of the year 1879 : the story of the pioneers > Part 31
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THE FARMER'S MISTAKE.
"An exchange speaks of the departure of an old settler to Dakota, where he will take up a quarter section of land and start again in life at the age of 70. The man had a nice farm near a splendid town, where he had lived and brought up a family. He got tired of farming, sold the farm for $6,000, moved to town and went into the livery business, and in three years went through everything except a team and lumber wagon, and now he has packed and gone to Dakota, with a heart heavier than his pocket-book, and he will die out there. The number of farmers who decide to go to town to live, every year, and go Into business, is appalling. Every town has them, and nine out of ten become poor. They get an idea that town business men are the happiest people on earth and have an easy time, and they get to brooding over their hard life, and they think any body can run a store, a grocery, or livery stable, and they sell out the farm and go into the grocery business because it seems so easy to weigh out sugar and tea. They can always find a grocery man who will sell the re- mains of his sick stock of groceries for ready cash, and when the farmer first sees his name over the door of a grocery he feels as though he was made, and he puts his thumbs in the armholes of his vest. The farmer's girls and boys rea- lizing that they are merchant's sons and daughters, instead of farmer's, have to keep up with the procession. There have to be things bought as merchants that would never be thought of as farmers The farmers furniture is not good enough, the democratic wagon gives place to a carriage. the old mares gives place to high steppers, and the girls dress better and do not work. The family lives out of the grocery, the boys play base ball and the girls go to big parties. The farmer is a good fellow and trusts many other good fellows who can't pay, and in some cases he gets to drinking. Bills begin to come in, and he can't collect enough to pay rent. Friends that would help him out with money are mighty scarce, and he will have to give a chattle mortgage on the stock. The stock runs down until there is nothing but a red tin can of mustard with a bull's head on it, some canned peaches and cove oysters on the shelves, a few boxes of wooden clothes-pins, six wagonloads of barrels with a little sugar in the bottom, a couple of dozen washboards, a box of codfish of the vintage of [860, which smells like a glue factory, a show-case full of three cent wooden pocket combs and blueing, hair pins and shaving soap, some empty cigar boxes, that the boys have smoked the cigars out of, and a few such things that do not bring enough at an auction to pay for printing the auction bills. Then the farmer breaks up and goes west, leaving a lot of bills in the hands of the law- yer for collection, who manages to collect enough to pay his commission, and
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the family, once so happy on the farm, and as independent, becomes demor- alized, the girls marry chambermaids in livery stables rather than go west, the boys go to driving hack or working on a threshing machine, or tending bar, and refuse to go west; and the old folks go to Dakota alone and wish they were dead, and will be quick enough. This is the history of thousands of farmers who get tired of the old farm. If they would but realize that they were better fixed than nine-tenths of the merchants in town, and they can not become successful merchants any more than merchants can become successful farmers, they would be learning something that would be valuable to them.
THE POTATO-BUG.
The potato has become a very important article of diet, with many nations. It is easy of production, always healthful, conven- ient and desirable. No other vegetable can fill its place. A well- set table seems to lack something if potatoes, in some form, are not present. The old and the young alike are fond of them. Who ever saw a boy who did not like fried potatoes and gravy. While it is an important item of food with the rich, it is almost indispensable with the poor. Its scarcity is a great calamity. All nationalities are the friends of the potato. The American is proud of it as a native pro- duction. The Frenchman must have his Pomme de Terre, the Irish- man his 'praties,' the German his kartofle. This valuable vegetable, of the finest quality, is usually produced in great abundance in this county, and at one time Minnesota was famous for its fine potatoes, large quantities of which were exported.
Some allusion has been heretofore made, in the course of this history, to the ravages of the potato-bug in this county for a num- ber of years. Nothing, not even the rot, has ever been so destruc- tive to the potato crop, and so much to be dreaded as the pota- to-bug.
The native habitat or home of this insect, more properly named the Colorado potato-beetle, has been found to be in the canyons and high table-lands of the Rocky Mountains. It began its eastward march from Colorado about 1859 or 1860, and in about fifteen years, spread over the whole potato-growing sections of the United States and Canada, being the most numerous and destructive in the north- ern portions of the country. They reached the Atlantic States in 1874, and the seaboard in 1875, and finally passed over to Europe, where they did great injury and created much alarm. Among the first of the European countries to be attacked, was Ireland, in which country, more than in all others, the potato is useful and esteemed. And about that time some newspaper itemizer, forgetting the seriousness of this matter, wrote that "The potato bug has always been bad enough, goodness knows, but think of his coming back to us with a brogue and a shillalah!" Many methods were used to destroy these insects and protect the potatoes, but the most effectual proved
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to be the use of paris-green, either in the dry powder, sprinkled upon the vines when the dew was on, or in the form of a liquid, that is, the green mixed with water and sprinkled over the vines. But no method appeared to be entirely successful in destroying them. In this year (1870) also, these vermin were very destructive in this county, but it was the last year of their reign here. Another bug- a mightier bug than the potato bug, in the capacity of its stomach and appetite, if that were possible- a bug that had a long bill, or nib, and that cared nothing for potatoes appeared, looking about for potato-bugs, and the pests of years disappeared silently and quickly, not standing upon the order of their going, and every lover of that healthy esculent said heartily with the Irishman, "Bad luck go wid ye, ye bastes."
DELAVAN.
On the 10th and 11th days of October, a new town site was sur- veyed and another village founded in this county. It was located on section 36, in town 104, of range 27, on the line of the Southern Minnesota Railroad, and was named "Delavan." This was the fifth village in the county, according to number and age. A fuller reference to this village will be found elsewhere in this work.
RAILROADS AGAIN.
All the former projects and efforts to secure a north and south railroad through the county having failed, a new proposition to build a road was now submitted to the people of Blue Earth City and the adjoining towns, by the Burlington. Cedar Rapids and Min- nesota Railroad Company. The substance of this proposition was that, if the several towns interested should vote to the company $85,000 in town bonds, running twenty years and bearing seven per cent interest, donate to the company forty acres of land adjoining the village of Blue Earth City, and secure the right of way from the Iowa state line from the point where the road should cross the line to Blue Earth City, the company would extend their road to that village, completing it to that point by the first day of December, 1872. The proposition was made in good faith, no doubt, and was so accepted. The bonds were voted, mainly in October, the amount required being so nearly secured that it was satisfactory, the vote in the several towns was formally accepted by the company, the forty acres of land was contracted for and the right of way mainly obtained.
A preliminary survey of the route was completed to Blue Earth City on the twenty-sixth day of November, and was found practic-
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able and easy of construction, and now, to dispose of this project, it is sufficient to say, the road was not built into this county.
"I never had a piece of bread, Well butter'd, nice and wide, But fell upon the sanded floor, And on the butter'd side."
A POLITICAL SATURNALIA.
The time has now arrived to give some account of the most bitter, exciting and, we may well add, the most disgraceful polit- ical contest ever known in the annals of this county.
And first it is necessary to show when and how the candidates were placed in the field.
On the tenth day of September, the democracy held a conven- tion at Blue Earth City and made the following nominations:
For Senator-Moses King.
For Representative-Harlow Seeger.
For County Auditor-George Barnes.
For Register of Deeds-C. L. Chase.
Mr. Chase did not, however, remain a candidate.
The republicans held a convention on the eighth day of October at Blue Earth City. The convention was very fully attended and was characterized by much strife.
W. W. White was nominated for county auditor and J. R. Sis- son for county surveyor.
Thirteen formal ballots were taken for register of deeds, there being three candidates for the nomination, but as neither candidate could secure a majority of the whole vote, no nomination was made. Ten delegates, over whom there was a hot contest, where chosen to represent this county in the Legislative District Convention.
These delegates were understood to be favorable to the nomi- nation of Geo. W. Whallon, of Blue Earth City, for senator, and Geo. C. Chamberlin, of Jackson, for representative.
On the eleventh day of October, another county convention, called the "People's Convention" assembled at Winnebago City. This convention formally nominated W. W. White for auditor, J. R. Sisson for surveyor, and Frank Lent for register of deeds. At this convention also, ten delegates were elected to represent this county in the Legislative District Convention. These latter delegates were understood to be favorable to the nomination of C. W. Thompson, of Wells, for senator, and A. L. Patchin, of Martin county, for repre- sentative. The legislative district was, at the time, composed of the counties of Faribault, Martin, Jackson, Nobles, Cottonwood, Mur- ray, Pipestone and Rock.
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The district convention for the nomination of candidates for senator and representative, assembled at Fairmont, Martin county, on the twelfth day of October.
Two sets of minutes of the proceedings of this convention, each signed by a chairman and secretary, were published as official.
It appears by the one report, that H. J. Neal, one of the dele- gates chosen by the regular county convention of this county, called the meeting to order, and was thereupon elected chairman, and J. W. Cowing, of Jackson, secretary, and then Geo. W. Whallon was nominated as the candidate for senator, and Geo. C. Chamberlin, for representative, after which the convention adjourned.
By the other report it appears, that A. Fancher, of Martin county, was chosen chairman and A. E. Foss, of this county, secre- tary, whereupon C. W. Thompson was nominated as the candidate for senator, and A. L. Patchin for representative. Several resoln- tions were then adopted, after which the convention adjourned.
The fact was that each party was determined to nominate its candidates, at all events, and that both conducted their proceedings at the same time and place, the Thompson party continuing their proceedings for a short time after the Whallon party had adjourned.
We shall not attempt to determine the legality of either set of nominations, as the legality, or regularity of the proceedings, does not appear to have been a matter of much consequence to either set of delegates.
About this time, Geo. A. Weir was announced as an indepen- dent candidate for county surveyor, and Fred P. Brown, as an inde- pendent candidate for register of deeds.
A congressman was also to be elected this fall, and the candi- dates were, Mark H. Dunnell, of Steele county, republican, and C. F. Buck, of Winona county, democrat.
The campaign was exceedingly earnest, bitter and personal. The contest was upon the offices of senator and representative in the district, and the office of register of deeds in this county. The entire district was closely canvassed, many meetings were held and many a country school house rang with turgid eloquence. At some of these meetings, the champions of both sides met, when words, hot and high, were heard for hours.
The real issues of this campaign, so far as the district was con- cerned, were not men and politics, but were, first, the rivalry of interests of the several localities, or villages in this county; sec- ondly, the division of the 500,000 acres of State "internal improve- ment lands," among the railroad companies of the State, which it was designed to attempt at the next session of the legislature, of which Mr. Thompson desired to get a portion in aid of the roads in which he was interested, while Mr. Whallon and his friends were look-
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ing after like interests in behalf of their localities, and thirdly, but not least, so far as concerned Blue Earth City, the county seat ques- tion, in this county, was believed to be deeply involved in this elec- tion and, of course, awakened all the energies of Blue Earth City, and several other localities. Besides all these considerations a United States senator was to be elected at the next session of the legislature. The Winnebago City Press and Wells Atlas favored Messrs. Thompson and Patchin. The Blue Earth City Post sustained Messrs. Whallon and Chamberlin, and the South-West spoke favorable of both republican tickets, but did not take a decided stand for either.
The election was held on the eighth day of November, and the following was the result in this county, as appears from the official canvass:
TOTALS.
For Congress-M. H. Dunnell, 1606; C. F. Buck, 607.
State Senator-G. W. Whallon, 1246; Moses King, 40; C. W. Thompson, 917.
Representative-G. C. Chamberlin, 1168; H. Seeger, 146; A. L. Patchin, 899.
Auditor-W. W. White, 1669; Geo. Barnes, 532.
Register-F. Lent, 1099; F. P. Brown, 1039.
Surveyor --- G. A. Weir, 1489; H. Sisson, 717.
Henry J. Neal was elected county commissioner for District No. 2, and L. C. Seaton for District No. 3, and Mark H. Duunell was elected representative in congress of this, the first congressional district.
But the matter of chief interest was not yet decided. The votes for senator and representative in the entire legislative district, com- posed of the counties above named, were yet to be canvassed. As this county was the senior county in the district, the votes of the other counties were required by law to be returned to the auditor of this county to be canvassed, by a board designated by law, and was composed as follows:
W. W. White, Auditor of Faribault county.
C. Chamberlin, Auditor of Cottonwood couuty.
M. A. Strong, Auditor of Jackson county.
J. A. Armstrong, Auditor of Martin county.
J. A. Kiester, Judge of Probate, Faribault county.
D. F. Goodrich, Justice of the Peace, Faribault county.
The canvassing board met on the third day of December, at Blue Earth City.
Never before, or since, for that matter, was such an intense in- terest manifested in the canvass of any vote in the county. Gross frauds were charged to have been practiced by both parties, and the vote was known to be very close.
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There was a great attendance of citizens at the office of the county auditor. Mr. Thompson, with his attorneys, Messrs. Losey, of La Crosse, Wis., and Dunn, of this county, with many friends, were present. Mr. Whallon and his friends were also in attendance. After much discussion, the raising of many objections and the read- ing of considerable law applicable to the subject in hand, the board duly considered the matter, and finally certified to the following canvass.
For senator, Geo. W. Whallon had 1684 votes, and C. W. Thomp- son had 1609 votes, and Moses King had 87 votes. For representa- tive, Geo. C. Chamberlin had 1640 votes, A. L. Patchin 1565, and H. Seeger had 192. Whallon's majority over Thompson was 75, Chamberlin's over Patchin was 75.
But Messrs. Thompson and Patchin were not satisfied, and very soon notices were served upon Messrs. Whallon and Chamberlin, by Thompson and Patchin, that the election of the former would be con- tested, and that testimony would be taken on the matter of the senator- ship at Winnebago City, on the twenty- first day of December, before C. A. Lounsberry and S. J. Abbott, justices of the peace, and in the case of the representativeship, before the same officers, at the same place, on the twenty-third day of the same month.
M. J. Severance and C. K. Davis were employed as counsel by Whallon and Chamberlin, and Messrs. Losey, of La Crosse, Wis., J. M. Gilman, of St. Paul, and A. C. Dunn, of this county, were re- tained as counsel by Thompson and Patchin.
The following is a brief summary of the points made by Thomp- son and Patchin, and the counter points.
1st. That the ballot box used at the election, on the eighth day of November, at Blue Earth City, was stuffed with illegal and fraudulent votes, to the number of two hundred, and that all of said illegal votes contained the names of G. W. Whallon for senator, and G. C. Chamberlin for representative.
2d. That a fraudulent poll list was used, containing two hun- dred names of persons not residing in the election district.
3d. That not more than three hundred legal voters reside in Blue Earth City precinct, and to conceal the fraudulent voting, the poll lists were fraudulently taken from the offices of the county auditor and town clerk.
It was also charged that thirty illegal votes were cast in the town of Emerald.
The substance of the counter points was that many illegal votes were cast at Wells and in several other election districts for Messrs Thompson and Patchin, and that Mr. Thompson was not a resident of the State, and consequently ineligible to the office of senator.
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Soon after meeting and organization, the court adjourned to Blue Earth City, when, after a session of eight days, during which many witnesses were examined, and their testimony reduced to writ- ing, the court finally adjourned.
In the investigation of these matters, a very great difficulty soon presented itself. The poll lists of Blue Earth City election district could not be found. The papers pertaining to the town clerk's office were, for convenience, kept in a "candle box," and one copy of the poll list should have been found in it, but the box was searched very closely, yet the list was not found, and the clerk could give no infor- mation as to what had become of it.
The duplicate list, required by law, to be filed in the office of the county auditor, was so filed, but that list, also, mysteriously disap- peared and could nowhere be found, it having been taken from the office without the auditor's knowledge.
Therefore, not knowing the names on the poll lists, it was impos- sible to prove directly that the persons whose names were on the list, and had voted, were not legal voters. It was, therefore, sought to be shown, by the testimony of the witnesses, the number of legal votes in the town, and that the vote cast was greatly in excess of what it should be.
But one illegal vote was proved directly, as cast for Whallon and Chamberlain, and that was confessed, the voter lacking only a few days of the four months' residence in the State, required by law. Five illegal votes were shown to have been cast at Wells, which were doubtless cast for Thompson and Patchin.
Mr. Thompson himself was placed on the witness stand, as to the question of his residence. The general tenor of his testimony was quite unfavorable as to his eligibility as a candidate.
Although but few votes cast at this election were proven to be illegal, yet it must be admitted that there were illegal votes cast at Blue Earth City and at several other places for Whallon and Cham- berlain, and that the poll books of Blue Earth City election district mysteriously and criminally disappeared. It must also be as readily admitted that there were illegal votes cast at Wells and at several other places for Thompson and Patchin.
But just how many such votes were cast for either candidate, in what manner the frauds were perpetrated and upon whom the odium of such outrages upon the purity of the ballot box should be cast, will probably never be known. The final result of all this turmoil, excitement and expense, is recorded in the history of the next year. It is gratifying to state that this was the first known instance of election frauds perpetrated in this county; that but comparatively few persons had any part in them, and that when the excitement of the time passed away, the great majority of the people denounced such action severely.
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In a free government like that under which we live, where the source of all power and authority is the people and the ballot box, the means by which they indicate their wishes, frauds by which the expressed wishes of the majority are nullified, or defeated, consti- tute a crime of great magnitude, and should meet with universal exe- eration and certain and condign punishment.
Our election laws throughout the whole country, to this date at least, seem to have been made on the assumption that all electors were honest and patriotic, and the great majority were, and are so, but it must be admitted that there were, and now are, a great many rascals abroad in the world, especially in the cities, and it would seem, occasionally in the country districts also, who would take advantage of the simple and loosely constructed laws to practice the greatest frauds upon the people. And the vast importance to the continued existence of our free institutions, of great reforms in our election laws, began, at about this period, to be realized by the peo- ple, and they began to inquire what regulations could be framed by which fair and honest elections might be secured. Election laws must be framed upon the assumption that there are a great many ingenious scoundrels living, everywhere, who are ready to corrupt the voter, invade and vitiate the ballot box itself, and pervert the will of the people if there is any possible chance of doing so.
While treating of the subject of elections, the writer may be excused for offering a few further suggestions on the subject of voting and its importance.
The theory of our government is that the people rule; that here exists self-government, citizen sovereignty. But every citizen can- not be invested with office and have a scepter placed in his hands. The method, therefore. by which the people rule themselves, politi- cally, is mainly by the exercise of the elective franchise, or the right to vote. In the exercise of this right they choose representatives to frame constitutions and enact laws, and others to determine, in cases of dispute, what, in any particular case, the law is, and others to execute the laws.
By this means the people also indicate, in a great measure, what they desire the policy of the government, state or national, shall be. in various matters of public interest. Certain public poli- cies, or political principles acted upon by the government, may result in great progress, prosperity and happiness, and the elevation of the standards of good citizenship, among the people, while cer- tain other political views and theories, if carried into practical application, may paralyze progress and all industries, create large indebtedness, disorder the currency, cause bankruptcies among business men, reduce labor to idleness and beggary, and even seri- onsly degrade the moral tone and the patriotic impulses of the
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people of the nation. Every governmental act affects every citizen to some extent. But wrong policies, erroneous action in public affairs are dangerous, not only as regards the nation, but also, of course, to the state, the county, the township and school dis- trict; and the voter is not only interested in the principles to be pursued, or the action to be taken, but also in the men who are to fill the offices. Men must be selected who are competent and houest, There are some men in almost every community who are, because of incompetency, or lack of moral principle, unfit to be placed in any public office, and just such men are sometimes candidates for office, and this class of candidates usually rely much on the gullibility of the people. As a rule, the man who has proved himself a failure, or a rascal, in his private life, is very likely to prove such in office, whatever his promises may be. Sooner or later his real character will appear, to the public detriment. The voter must pass upon these questions also, and should inform himself as to the real char- acter of candidates. It is undoubtedly true, that the right to vote, the duty of voting are, by many, greatly under estimated. There are many voters who do not think it of much importance to vote, and frequently neglect to do so. Voters have been heard to excuse themselves from attending an election by the remark, "Well, one vote will not make any difference," yet in the history of our govern- ment, national and state, one single vote has on a number of occa- sions, determined great policies, changed anticipated results, or decided who should hold office. Several instances may be named:
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