History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences, Part 74

Author: National Historical Company
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1198

USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 74
USA > Missouri > Howard County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 74

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Robert P. Clark, William Lillard, and Robert Wallace, as shown by the vote, were elected. The townships in which this election was held, were as follows :

Townships.

Votes Cast.

Arrow Rock

- 120

Lamine

- 408

Tabeaux

150

Moreau

101

Miami -

Total vote of Cooper county -

819

At the time of this election, Cooper county was bounded on the east and south by the Osage river, on the west by the Indian territory, and on the north by the Missouri river. Lamine township then in- cluded about all within the present limits of Cooper county, and some territory not now included in its limits.

The next election was held on the 28th day of August, 1820, to elect a member of congress, and the state and county officers. The following townships voted at this election :

Townships.

Votes Cast.

Arrow Rock

Lamine

503

Jefferson

110

Osage

Miami

Moreau

Tabeaux

125

Total vote of Cooper county

The following shows the result of this election :

For Congress.

Votes Received.

John Scott

762

For Governor.

Alex. McNair

- 766

Wm. Clark

- 196

For Lieut. Governor.

Nathaniel Cook

573

Wm. H. Ashley

- -

- 295

972

740

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

For Representatives.

Votes Received.

James Edgar -

139

Thos. Rogers -

- elected, 549

Wm. McFarland

- 425

Thos. Smiley

- elected, 528 5 -

John Dickson -

158

Abel Owens

- 310

Sam. D. Reavis -

157

David Jones

380

William Lillard -

elected, 532

Jason Harrison -

John Corum

John D. Thomas .

- 121

William Wier For Sheriff.

Wm. H. Curtis - -

- elected, 549

Wm. H. Moore -

102

Jas. Alexander

- 134

B. W. Levens -

Wm. Kelly -

John Briscoe

For Coronor

Bryant Sanders

- elected, 332

J. C. Rochester - - -

- 132

Edward Bradley - -

- 165

Of the above list of candidates all have gone to their long homes, not one being left alive. And of the 503 voters, then voting in La- mine township, which included all of the present territory of Cooper county, there are only four known to be alive, viz. : -

William Gibson, Samnel Cole, Henry Corum and Lewis Edgar, all still living within the limits of this county.

The result of the election which took place in the year 1822, was as follows : -

For Congress.

Votes Received.

John Scott

- 316

Alex. Stewart

- 132

J. B. C. Lucas - -

- 72

For Representatives.

Benj. F. Hickox

elected, 364

Jordan O'Bryan

elected, 380

Austin K. Longan

elected, 229

Jas. McFarland

211

Thos. Rogers

119

William Ross

- 73

Samuel D. Reavis

- 65

William Bryant

Abram Jobe -

- -

741

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

For Sheriff.

Votes Received.

Sylvester Hall - - - David P. Mahan - - -

- elected, 328 - 174

For Coroner.

Thomas Riggs - - -

- 174

William Poor was the first constable elected for Lamine town- ship, that officer having been, prior to that time, appointed by the courts.

It will be observed that the vote was much smaller in 1822 than it had been in 1820. This was caused by the territory of the county being much diminished, by the formation of Cole and Saline counties from it.

ELECTIONS IN 1824.

Cooper county voted for Henry Clay for president, in 1824. Only four poll books of this election could be found, which show that Henry Clay had 136 votes, and Andrew Jackson 53 votes. It was done as a debt of gratitude to Clay, for his great services, as a member of congress, in the struggle of the state of Missouri for ad- mission into the Union.

She was admitted under certain conditions, viz. : -

That the fourth clause of the twenty-sixth section of the third article of the constitution of the state, shall never be construed to authorize the passage of any law, and no law shall be passed in con- formity thereto, by which any citizen of the United States shall be excluded from the enjoyment of any of the privileges and immunities of citizens, to which such citizens are entitled under the constitution of the United States.

The legislature of Missouri assented to the conditions on the twenty-sixth day of June, 1821, and by proclamation of the presi- dent, James Monroe, the state was admitted on the tenth day of August, 1821.

The constitution of the state of Missouri was adopted on the nineteenth day of July, 1820, without submitting it to the people. David Barton was president of the convention. He died at the house of William Gibson, about one mile east of the city of Boonville, in the month of September, 1837, and was buried in Walnut Grove cemetery, at Boonville.

The question of the admission of Missouri into the Union created great excitement in Congress and all over the United States, the main point of difference, between the opposing factions, being the slavery question, which gave rise to what was called " The Mis- souri Compromise."

742

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

The following is the result of the election held in August, 1824 : -

For Congress.

Votes Received.

John Scott -

- -

- 507

G. F. Strother -

Robert Wash

For Governor.

Frederick Bates

- 249

William H. Ashley

- 347

For Lieutenant-Governor.

Benjamin F. Reavis

501

Nathaniel Cook -

William C. Carr -

James Evans -

For State Senator.

George Crawford -

- 513

James Miller

James McCampbell

For Representative.

Benjamin F. Hickox

elected, 473

George W. Weight

elected, 404

Jordan O'Bryan

- 333

Joseph Billingsley For Sheriff.

222

For Coroner.

Hugh Allison

204

Constable Boonville Township.

William R. Paine

- 80

Hugh Allison

Owen Ruble

William W. Adams

- - 289

Marcus Williams

elected, 389

J. H. Hutchison

William C. Porter

1825.

On the eighth day of December, 1825, there was held a special election for governor, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Fred- erick Bates. David Todd, John Miller, William C. Carr and Rufus Easton were the candidates. David Todd received a large majority in Cooper county.

1826.

At the election on the first Monday in August, 1826, John Scott and Edward Bates were candidates for congress. Scott had a majority of 124 in the county.

743

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

Michael Dunn, Jordan O'Bryan, James L. Collins and John H. Hutchison were candidates for representatives. Michael Dunn and Jordan O'Bryan were elected. W. H. Anderson and David P. Mahan were candidates for sheriff. Anderson was elected by fifty- three majority, and Hugh Allison was elected coroner.

1828.

This was the first election in which party lines were closely drawn, for before that men had voted for the man whom they considered best qualified, and not because he belonged to any party. The poll books of the presidential election could not be found, but the Angust election for representative in congress and county officers, having the same principles at issue, will show pretty clearly how the presidential elec- tion went. There were two tickets, viz. : Adams and Jackson, and the tickets on which the men were who were elected, is marked oppo- site to their names.

The following is the result of the August election : -

For Congress.

Votes Received.

Edward Bates ( Adams)

- -

- 258

Spencer Pettis (Jackson )

- 492

For Governor.

John Miller ( Jackson )

- 662

For Lieutenant Governor.

Samuel Perry ( Adams)

201

Daniel Durklin ( Jackson)

381

Alex. Stuart

Alex. Buckner -

Felix Leatt

For State Senator.

Jordan O'Bryan ( Adams)

- 292

John Miller ( Jackson )

- 455

For Representative.

Archie Kavanaugh (Jackson)

- 499

David Jones ( Jackson )

- 508

Michael Dunn ( Adams)

- 240

George W. Weight ( Adams) For Sheriff.

David P. Mahan ( Adams) -

326

Joseph S. Anderson ( Jackson )

- 435

For Coroner.

Hugh Allison

- 122

At the election in November, 1828, the county voted for Jackson over Adams by a majority of about two hundred and thirty votes ; and also in 1832 Jackson was re-elected, and received a large majority in this county.

- -

263

744

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

The county also gave a small majority to Martiu Van Buren in 1836. The county remained democratic until 1840, when the whigs made a clean sweep, electing their full ticket. Reuben A. Ewing, a whig, was elected state senator over David Jones, democrat ; and John G. Miller, Jordan O'Bryan and Lawrence C. Stephens, whigs, over John Miller, B. F. Hickox and Henry Crowther, democrats, by an average majority of about seventy-five votes. There was great ex- citement during this election, and politics ran very high. The whigs held public meetings in regular order on each succeeding Saturday in . each township, until the full rounds were made. They had a band of music, flags and banners, with mottoes ; they had also songs appro- priate for the occasion, and eloquent speakers, prominent among whom were John G. Miller, Jordan O'Bryan, John C. Richardson, Robert C. Harrison and others.

The democrats did not make much display, but condemned the same as humbuggery, and as an effort to win votes by exciting the people. They held their meetings and had frequent public speakings without any display or show. Their candidates for the legislature were John Miller, Benjamin F. Hickox and Henry Crowther.

The state convention for Harrison and Tyler, was held at Roche- port in June, 1840, which lasted three days. Seven steamboats were chartered by the delegates for the occasion, each of which had its band of music, two cannons, a log cabin and hard cider, and made a fine display of flags and banners with mottoes inscribed thereon. The most distinguished whigs of the state were there, and many noted speakers from other states, among whom was the son of Daniel Web- ster.

Their line of march was the grandest ever witnessed in Missouri. They had in the procession long canoes on wheels, and in them some of those who were engaged in the battle of Tippecanoe, in the act of paddling the canoes as they marched along. Every delegation had a large flag or banner, and many similar ones bearing thereon suitable inscriptions.

The cause of this extraordinary campaign was, that times were and had been very hard for several years past, and as people are prone to lay their ills and misfortunes to the charge of somebody or party other than themselves, they then charged that Martin Van Buren and the Democratic party were the authors of their misfortunes.

The cry was reform, a national bank with a branch in every state, and a protective tariff. The result was that Harrison and Tyler were elec- ted by a large majority. Harrison died within one month after his inau-

745

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

guration, and John Tyler became president. Several national bank charters were passed by congress, but the president vetoed them all. Times continned hard until the Mexican war ; from that time till 1857 they gradually improved, and from 1861 to 1873, times were good and money plenty. But since 1873, history has repeated itself, times have been very hard, and money of any kind difficult to get, and still more difficult to keep. 'T'is a repetition of the old saying, " money close, but not close enough to get hold of."

The county remained whig as long as the party lived. The last candidate on the whig ticket was General Scott, who was defeated by Franklin Pierce.

The campaign of 1844 was lively, with more parade and osten- tation on the part of the whigs than was exhibited in 1840. For president, Henry Clay was the nominee of the whig party, and James K. Polk of the democratic party.

HENRY CLAY AND JAMES K. POLK CAMPAIGN SONG.

During the canvass of 1843 between Henry Clay, of Kentucky, and James K. Polk, of Tennessee, for president, many campaign songs were written, but none was more popular than the following, which was the effusion of some Boonville poet. The writer heard it sung quite often when he was a boy. It was written for the Boonville Register, during the campaign of 1843: -

HENRY CLAY AND JAMES K. POLK.

" The whigs call Henry Clay a coon, And say he'll be elected soon; But James K. Polk will go it alone, And make old Henry walk jaw-bone. So get out of the way, old Kentucky, And clear the track for one more lucky.

" The whigs cried out for ' home pertection,' And think to gain old Clay's election. They hold conventions, shout aud sing, ' Huzza for Clay !' he is our king. But get out of the way, old Kentucky, etc.

" The whigs of '40 did invent All schemes to elect their president, And were successful, it is true, But now 'humbuggery' will not do. So get out of the way, etc.

" Their coon-skin shows and barrels of cider Have opened the people's eyes some wider ; They cannot now be gulled so soon By this very same old coon. So get out of the way, etc.

746

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

" The squatters on the public land Will all unite into one band; Then will the ' lawless rabble ' say, You cannot come it, Henry Clay. So get out of the way, etc.

" The people of this mighty nation Will not submit to coon dictation ; So Mr. Clay may rest content, He never can be president. So get out of the way," etc.

WHIG CONVENTION, 1844.

The largest political convention that was ever held in Boonville, and possibly the largest ever held in the state prior to that time, oc- curred during the year 1844, and continued for two days, during the 10th and 11th of October. At sunrise on the morning of the 10th a national salute was fired, and quite early in the day the people were formed into a procession and passed to the southern skirts of the city, in the following order : -

First, the splendid band from Jefferson barracks.

Next the Pilot Grove and Pisgah rangers, an independent cavalry company.

Then the delegation from Howard county, with banner with por- trait of Henry Clay, represented as advocating the " American system."

Next came the Washington county delegation, bearing a banner with motto : "The Union, first, last and forever."

Then the Benton county delegation, with a humorous banner. A coon was represented as seated on a limb of a sturdy old ash tree, while a crowd of men were trying to beat him off with poke stalks.

Another banner bore the inscription : " Protection to American industry."

The inscription of the Monroe county delegation was : " The dying request of the lamented Harrison will be carried out by Henry Clay."

On one side of the Linn county banner were the words : " Soli- tary and alone, 350 miles from home. Keep the ball in motion. From the ladies of St. Louis." On the reverse side :

"To Dryden, of Linn, we ladies send out A banner uufurled, with our wishes devout,

That you be not alone in your efforts to save The land of the free and the home of the brave."

The Boone county delegation earried a banner with the following device on one side. A large fat coon rolling a ball over a cluster of

747

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

poke stolks ; on the reverse side a wagon driven by Polk, containing three individuals including the driver, and drawn by a poor old horse that was just ready to break down, over which was inscribed " Bound for Texas."

The Callaway county banner bore the inscription : -.

Henry Clay : - Star of the West, we hail thy rays, The brighter beams of brighter days.

The banner of the Rocheport Clay club, was made of domestic, suspended in a rudely constructed ash frame trimmed off with tobacco. The staves by which it was carried, were made of hemp stalks, bound together ; inscription "Our next president - Henry Clay ; Texas without dishonor." Then came the St. Louis delegation with a banner bearing the words : " A Nation's gratitude, the Patriot's re- ward."

The inscription on the silken banner of the Cooper county dele- gation was : -

Our cause is good, our cause is just, Triumph we can, triumph we must.

Presented by the whig ladies of Moniteau.

Finally came the Ashland club, with a magnificient banner. On one side of it was the picture of Henry Clay ; on the other was the picture of an eagle perched high on a firm, immovable rock. Some of these banners were painted by Mr. Bingham, who at one time resided in Old Franklin, and who has since become famous for his paintings, representing scenes and incidents of the war of 1861.

The number of people present was estimated to be 8,000, fully 2,000 of whom were ladies.

The following were the officers of the convention : -

President - Thomas J. Boggs. Vice-presidents - James H. Lucas, St. Louis county ; R. R. Rees, Jackson county ; T. M. Ewing, Lafayette county ; Samuel Garth, Henry county ; Robert Ferguson, Benton county ; J. L. Young, Polk county ; Caleb Edmonson, Pettis county ; A. Nifong, Madison county ; J. B. Duncan, Callaway county ; James Harrison, Audrain county ; George H. Sexton, Boone county ; Thomas C. Johnson, Washington county ; Samuel C. Major, Howard county ; Gilmore Hays, Saline county ; Thomas G. Davis, Morgan county ; Henry Bell, Clay county ; Robert Wilson, Randolph county ; John Howell, Carroll county ; R. P. Price, Chariton county ; W. B. Woodruff, Linn county ; Elias Barcroff, Cole county ; Hugh L. Arm- strong, Newton county ; Benjamin Cummings, Miller county ; Calvin

748

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

Waldo, St. Clair county ; T. G. Noel, Platte county ; C. Brown, Monroe county ; G. Hornbeck, Jasper county ; James McFarland, Camden county ; D. Hilbert, Franklin county.

Speeches were made by General John B. Clarkson, Sr., Mr. Ridgeley of LaFayette, Colonel Tutt of Henry, Colonel Joe Davis of Howard, Hon. C. Allen of Kentucky, R. R. Rees of Jackson, and others. Among the letters read upon that occasion from distinguished whigs who were absent, were those of Governor Jones, of Tennes- see ; Hon. George Robertson, of Kentucky ; S. S. Prentiss, of Missis- sippi ; Louis V. Bogy and others. Clay, in 1844, Taylor, in 1848, and Scott, in 1852, received a majority of the votes cast in this county. Taylor was elected in 1848, but he died in about one year after his inauguration, and Millard Fillmore, vice-president, be- came the president.

About 1854, the American or know nothing party sprang into existence. This party was short-lived, being first defeated at a state election in Virginia, and its members deserted it as rats do a sinking ship. Many old line whigs joined the democratic party, and the democrats, who were quite numerous in the know nothing party, returned to their first love, and some aspiring ones denied that they had " ever been there."

A large majority of the old line whigs formed an opposition party, and voted for Millard Fillmore for president, in 1856. At that time there were three candidates for president in the field, viz. : James Buchanan, democrat, Millard Fillmore, American, and John C. Fremont, republican. There was no ticket in Cooper county for Fremont. Millard Fillmore carried Cooper county over James Buch- anan by about eight votes, so nearly even were the two parties.

At the next presidential election in 1860, the candidates were Stephen A. Douglas, union democrat, John C. Breckenridge, southern democrat, Abraham Lincoln, republican, John Bell, union. Douglas carried Cooper county by a small majority, Bell running him close. Breckenridge had a small vote, and Lincoln but twenty votes. The names of those who voted for Lincoln were afterwards published in the newspapers, as an item of curiosity.

Abraham Lincoln, republican, and George B. MeClellan, demo- prat, were the candidates for president in 1864. Lincoln carried Cooper county by a large majority. No great interest was taken in the election in this county. There was no restriction as to the voters at that time, but many democrats did not vote, and the republicans generally turned out in full force. The republicans carried the county

749

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

at every election until 1872; the restrictions and the "test oath " having been almost unanimously abolished in 1870, by a vote of the people. The democrats have been ever since in the majority in the county, their majority being about 800. .

There was a state convention called in 1845, for the purpose of framing a new constitution, and Dr. F. W. G. Thomas was elected a delegate from this county. In 1846, the convention submitted the constitution which they had framed to the people of the state, and it was voted down by a large majority.

In 1861, a convention was called to consider the relations of this state to the Federal Union, and to take such action in regard to the existing troubles ( the late war of the union having then commenced ), as they should deem best for the interests of the state. The candi- dates for delegates to the state convention were William Douglas and Benjamin Tompkins, of Cooper county ; Charles Drake, of Moniteau county, and J. P. Ross and William Tutt, of Morgan county,- these three counties then comprising the twenty-eighth senatorial district. William Douglas, Charles Drake and J. P. Ross were elected. The history of the action of this convention having been incorporated in other general histories, and so widely circulated, it is unnecessary to repeat it here.

Another convention was called in 1864. Two delegates were allowed to each senatorial district. Harvey Bunce, of Cooper county, and Joel F. Humes, of Moniteau county, were elected delegates for the twenty-eighth senatorial district. The delegates met at St. Louis, and on the eleventh day of January, 1865, declared " that slavery or involuntary servitude shall no longer exist in Missouri." They framed a new constitution which has always been known as the " Drake constitution," submitted the same to the voters of the state, and it was adopted by a small majority.

It is a well-known fact that from 1853 to 1860, party spirit did not prevail in elections, except as to state, congressional, and legisla- tive candidates. In the elections in 1853 and in 1859, for the elec- tion of judges and clerks and other officers, party was scarcely mentioned. Every candidate had to stand upon his own merits ; and that was generally the case as to county officers from the organization of this county to the election in 1860. It is true, local questions would sometimes interfere and govern the votes of some, yet they seldom nominated party candidates for county officers, partisanship beiug confined almost exclusively to the nomination of national and state tickets.

49 .

750

HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

At a whig convention in 1840 at Old Palestine, after nomi- nating candidates for the legislature, it was proposed to make a nom- ination for sheriff. After considerable debate this proposition was voted down, for the reason that the office was not considered a political one. This statement may sound strange to some, considering the way nominations and elections are governed at the present day, but it is nevertheless true ; and in proof of this the records show that while the democrats were in power, John H. Hutchison was twice elected sheriff, James Hill, sheriff once, John Crawford, assessor for several years, and Robert P. Clark, circuit clerk. All of these men were uncompromising whigs. And, while the whigs were in power, Isaac Lionberger and B. E. Ferry were each elected sheriff two terms, making eight years ; B. E. Ferry was also twice elected county clerk, Robert Turner, assessor, and William Shields, a member of the state legislature ; and all of these men were strong democrats. It is true, the citizens would vote for the candidate of their own party, if they deemed his qualifications for filling the office equal to those of his opponent, and some, though the number was small, always " stuck to " the nominee of their own party when opposite partisans were running.

Great interest was generally taken in elections. There was much more interest in and excitement over elections just before than after the war. But, previous to the war, elections did not partake of that bitter personal feeling which has characterized them since. Those in opposition could be political enemies and personal friends. The people of this section of the country are proud to say that animosities, which were naturally engendered during the war, are gradually dying away, and, if left undisturbed for a few years, will only be things of the past, and have no real existence except upon the pages of history.

INCIDENT OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1844. [From Boonville Observer. ]

One of the most shameful acts that we have ever known perpe- trated in any community or on any occasion, was committed in this city on last Friday night, at the Whig gathering in the court-house, where a part of the convention had assembled to hear speaking. Some de- based wretch during the evening, ent the Howard and Lafayette ban- ners which had the portraits of Mr. Clay on them. They were cut about the throat of the picture, and also in other places. If a democrat used the hand and knife that slit those banners, we do not know that it would be much too severe a punishment upon him to be served like- wise. No prudent democrat can object to the whig party's emblems or banners. It is the privilege of all parties in this country to have

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Author: National Historical Company Publication date: 1883 Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1198

Author: National Historical Company
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1198