USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : from 1700 to the present time, Volume I > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
143
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
Republican county convention was held at Rome, October 12, and nominated for senator, Samuel H. Fox; for county treasurer, John Kohler; and for mem- bers of assembly, first district, Willard J. Scott; second district, J. Theodore Knox; third district, Frank A. Edgerton. The Democratic county convention was held in Rome, October 14, and Robert H. Roberts was nominated for sen- ator; Henry Hopson for county treasurer; and for members of assembly, first district, H. Lee Babcock; second district, Morris R. Jones; third district, Charles J. Edic. The result of the election was that the Democrats elected Mr. Roberts senator by a plurality of 791; the Republicans elected Kohler, treasurer, by 33 plurality; and for members of assembly, first district, Patrick Griffin, an In- dependent Republican, was elected by a plurality of 114; second district, Jones, Dem., 140 plurality ; third district, Edgerton, Rep., 613 plurality.
1882-The year 1882 found the Republican party still rent in twain, and when its state convention assembled at Saratoga it met under great difficulties. It is stated by Alexander, in his "Political History of the State of New York," that James S. Wadsworth was made a candidate for governor in the interest of Judge Charles J. Folger, who was the national administration candidate for governor, but this is an error. Mr. Wadsworth was first favored for the nomination in Oneida county, and the writer drew the resolutions, which were adopted in the Oneida county assembly district conventions, instructing the delegates to the Saratoga convention to favor the nomination of Mr. Wads- worth. The writer also served as chairman of the delegation in that conven- tion. The meetings of the Wadsworth delegates were held in the writer's room in the United States Hotel, and the facts in regard to the case are that 68 dele- gates assembled in that room. There were several others favorable to the nomination of Wadsworth when the convention assembled, among whom was ex-Senator Madden. It was evident that these delegates had the control in the convention, provided they could be held together. A committee was appointed to meet the representative of Governor Cornell to agree upon organization of the convention, as the Cornell forces and the Wadsworth forces constituted a majority in the convention. The writer was chairman of the committee of the Wadsworth delegates, and he, with two others, Senator Lorin Sessions and Charles E. Ferrin, met U. S. Senator Warner Miller and Edmund Pitts, and it was agreed between them that Mr. Pitts should be selected as the temporary chairman of the convention. This committee made a report to the Wads- worth delegates on the evening before the convention, and their report was unanimously adopted. It was then also unanimously determined that every delegate in the room should vote for Mr. Wadsworth as long as his name was in the convention. The national administration's influence then began to have its effect. Tremendous inducements were offered to delegates who were in the in- terest of Mr. Wadsworth to vote for Senator Madden for temporary chairman, and these influences with others were so potential that twelve of the delegates violated their promise, refusing to vote for Pitts, and cast their votes for Mad- den, thus determining the policy of the convention. The result of this was that Charles J. Folger was nominated for governor, with B. Platt Carpenter for lieutenant governor ; but the feeling was so intense that it was from that day an assured fact that whoever should be nominated by the Democrats for gov-
144
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
ernor would be elected. It fell to the lot of Grover Cleveland to be nominated by the Democrats for governor, with David B. Hill as lieutenant governor. The result of the election proved the folly of the action of the national admin- istration party in controlling, in the manner that it did, the Republican Sara- toga convention, and placed a former resident of Oneida county in the execu- tive chair of the great state of New York. The local ticket nominated by the Republicans was for representative in Congress, Samuel H. Fox; for sheriff, Hugh P. Owens; for county clerk, Arthur Ballou; and for members of as- sembly, first district, Albert P. Seaton; second district, Ira C. Jenks; third district, Oscar F. Hulser. The Democrats nominated for representative in Con- gress J. Thomas Spriggs; for sheriff, Thomas D. Penfield; for county clerk, Henry Hopson; and for members of assembly, first district, William Town- send; second district, Clarence E. Williams; third district, Thomas B. Allan- son. The division in the Republican party was manifested in the county as well as in the state, and Grover Cleveland, the Democratic candidate for gov- ernor, carried the county by 4,932 majority ; Penfield, Democrat, was elected sheriff by 693 majority; Ballou, Republican, was elected county clerk by 225; and the Democratic assemblymen were elected by the following majorities: first district, Townsend, 765; second district, Williams, 2,087; third district, Allan- son, 195.
1883-The year 1883 presented no events worthy of great attention among the political controversies in the county. The Republican state convention was held at Richfield Springs, but as no governor was to be elected it was rather a tame affair. The local Republican ticket was, for senator, Henry J. Coggeshall; for district attorney, William A. Matteson; and for members of assembly, first district, Joseph Joyce; second district, Clarence E. Allen; third district, T. James Owens. The Democrats nominated for senator, Thomas E. Kinney ; for district attorney, William Townsend; and for members of assembly, first dis- trict, Joseph Marron; second district, Joseph Ackroyd; third district, Thomas B. Allanson. The result of the election was that Coggeshall, Rep., received a plurality of 1,054; Matteson, Rep., for district attorney, received a plurality of 823; and members of assembly were elected as follows: first district, Joyce, Rep., 524 plurality ; second district, Ackroyd, Dem., 150 plurality; third dis- trict, Owens, Rep., 538 plurality.
1884-The congressional district in 1884 consisted of Oneida and Lewis counties and was known as the 23d district. The first meeting of delegates in this district was held at Boonville, April 18, for the purpose of electing dele- gates to the national convention, and the delegates chosen were William E. Scripture of Oneida and A. M. Lampher of Lowville; William S. Bartlett was nominated for presidential elector. The state convention was held in Utica and nominated delegates to the national convention, resulting in the selection of Andrew D. White, Theodore Roosevelt, John I. Gilbert and Edwin Packard as delegates at large, and the accrediting of the delegates selected by the dif- ferent districts. James G. Blaine was the most prominent Republican candi- date for the presidency, and these delegates at large were opposed to Mr. Blaine, while a good number of the delegates selected from the respective districts were favorable to his nomination. The national convention nominated Blaine for
-
MOHAWK RIVER AT THE FOOT OF GENESEE STREET. UTICA. NEAR THE OLD FORD
MOHAWK RIVER AT THE FOOT OF GENESEE STREET, U'TICA (THE OLD FORD), AS IT NOW EXISTS. THE RIVER CHANNEL HAVING BEEN ENTIRELY FILLED. THE NEW CHANNEL IS NOW FARTHER NORTHWARD
145
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
president, and John A. Logan for vice president. Henry J. Cookinham was nominated by the Republicans for representative in Congress at a convention held at Booonville, September 17, and the Republican county convention nomi- nated for county treasurer, John R. Edwards; and the candidates for members of assembly were, first district, Benjamin Steber; second district, George P. Nock; third district, T. James Owens. Grover Cleveland was nominated by the Democrats for president, and Thomas A. Hendricks for vice president. J. Thomas Spriggs was renominated for representative in Congress by the Demo- crats at the convention held in Booneville, September 11, and at the Democratic county convention Pierre Becker was nominated for county treasurer; the Democrats nominated for members of assembly, first district, Thomas J. Grif- fith ; second district, Lewis B. Sherman; third district, S. Mason Smith. There was also a Prohibition ticket in the field, consisting of Dr. Henty, of Lowville, for representative in Congress. Dr. Henty was not a Prohibitionist, but was put in nomination by the influence of the Anti-Blaine element for the purpose of defeating Mr. Cookinham for Congress, as the bolting Conkling Republicans supported Mr. Spriggs, as well as they did Mr. Cleveland. The campaign was one of the most bitter in the history of the country. Grover Cleveland was violently attacked, and his character assailed in almost every possible way. Mr. Blaine was also attacked, charged with dishonesty, incompetency, and of using his office as speaker of the house of representatives corruptly. Roscoc Conkling never forgot that Mr. Blaine and he had disagreed in the house of representatives, and that Blaine had characterized him as having "the strut of a turkey gobbler." Mr. Conkling, although at this time practicing law in New York City, came to Utica, called together his political friends, and en- deavored to induce them to support Cleveland instead of Blaine at the ap- proaching election. This appeal was not in vain, for in the Utica Press of Octo- ber 24, there appears a paper signed by about one hundred of Mr. Conkling's friends styling themselves a "committee," which paper is a violent attack upon Mr. Blaine. One of the subdivisions of this paper reads as follows: "The lack of all statesmanship in his long congressional career which has failed to identify his name with any single affirmative act of well defined or conspicuous public importance, and in its negative character has contributed to the delay or defeat of many measures of wise legislation." When it is remembered that Mr. Blaine was the leader of the Republican side of the house of representatives, was one of the ablest speakers who ever presided over that body, that he was one of the best informed men in the entire country, was one of the most ef- fective writers and speakers that the country has ever produced, to say the least, the statement of this committee is quite extraordinary. The county gave the Cleveland electors a plurality of 30, and the state gave him a plurality of 1,034, which, it has been charged, were fraudulently obtained by the manipula- tion of the returns in New York City by one, John O'Brien, who was a Conk- ling Republican, and at the head of the election department in that great city. Edwards, Rep., was elected county treasurer by 340 plurality, and the mem- bers of assembly elected were, first district, Steber, Rep., 22 plurality; second district, Sherman, Dem., 240 plurality; third district, Owens, Rep., 174 plu- rality.
Vol. I-10
146
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
1885-General Grant died in August, 1885, and memorial services occurred in Utica on August 9, an immense crowd assembling at the Opera House, and addresses were delivered by Hon. Ellis H. Roberts, Frederick G. Fincke, Charles H. Searle, Hon. Francis Kernan, and a letter was read from ex-Governor Hora- tio Seymour. After General Grant retired from public office he received great honor, all feeling of bitterness that had existed during the political campaign seemed to have been laid aside, and he was admired by the entire country, no- where more than in Oneida county. He had visited the county on several oc- casions, had been the guest of Senator Conkling, and his gentleness, which was almost womanish, was most remarkable in a man. who had been so terrible a warrior. In this year the Republicans nominated Ira Davenport for governor, and Joseph B. Carr for lieutenant governor, while the Democrats nominated David B. Hill for governor; Mr. Hill had succeeded to the executive chair of state because of the election of Mr. Cleveland to the presidency. Roswell P. Flower was nominated for lieutenant governor, but declined, and Edward F. Jones was nominated in his place. The Republicans nominated for senator, Henry J. Coggeshall; for sheriff, John Batchelor; for county clerk, M. Jesse Brayton; and for members of assembly, first district, Benjamin Hall; second district, Robert W. Evans; third district, Israel J. White. The Democrats nominated for senator, Abram Weaver; for sheriff, Robert A. Jones; for county clerk, LeGrange E. Scrafford; and for members of assembly, first district, Charles K. Grannis; second district, Lewis B. Sherman; third district, Willard T. Atwood. Hill was elected governor, and the result in Oneida county was that Coggeshall, Rep., for senator received a majority of 2,381; Batchelor for sheriff, 2,037 majority; Brayton, Rep., for county clerk, 1,282; all of the Repub- lican members of assembly were elected, as follows: first district, Hall, 275; second district, Evans, 110; third district, White, 1,273.
1886-In 1886 the Republican congressional district convention met at Boonville and nominated James S. Sherman for representative in Congress, and this was the first appearance of Mr. Sherman in national politics. He had been elected Mayor of Utica by a large majority, had been chairman of the Republican county committee, and was thoroughly equipped by education and training to fill the office for which he had been nominated, as future results have clearly demonstrated. The county convention met in Rome, October 1, and nominated for district attorney Josiah Perry; for members of assembly, the Republicans nominated, first district, Benjamin Hall; second district, Robert W. Evans; third district, John C. Davies. The Democrats nominated for representative in Congress, J. Thomas Spriggs; for district attorney, Thomas S. Jones, and for members of assembly, first district, Charles K. Grannis; second district, Lewis B. Sherman; third district, Thomas D. Penfield. The result of this election was that Mr. Sherman, Rep., was elected to Congress by a plurality of 697; Jones, Dem., was elected district attorney by 129 plurality; and the Republican assemblymen were elected by the following pluralities: first dis- trict, Hall, 646; second district, Evans, 210; third district, Davies, 1,023.
1887-There was nothing in the year 1887 to excite public interest in the election, and everything moved on in an ordinary way. The Republicans nominated for senator, Henry J. Coggeshall; for treasurer, John R. Edwards;
147
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
and for members of assembly, first district, Michael H. Sexton; second district, George G. McAdam; third district, George Beatty, Jr. The Democrats nomi- nated for senator John G. Gibson; for treasurer, George P. Russ; and for mem- bers of assembly, first district, J. Harry Kent; second district, Edward Ker- nan; third district, A. J. Sly. The result was as might have been expected, that the county gave a Republican majority, electing Coggeshall senator by a plurality of 1,243; Edwards, county treasurer by 1,712; and members of as- sembly, first district, Kent, Dem., 295 plurality; second district, McAdam, Rep., 265 plurality ; third district, Beatty, Rep., 357 plurality.
July 14 President Cleveland, who had been recently married, visited Utica with his wife, and was entertained by Senator Kernan. In the evening a pub- lic reception was given at the Butterfield House, which was attended by a great number of people, and the impression made by Mr. Cleveland and his beautiful wife was most favorable. There was a particular interest manifested in the reception because of the fact that Mr. Cleveland had formely resided within the county at Clinton, and also at Holland Patent.
1888-Roscoe Conkling died in New York, April 18, 1888. His residence had always been retained in Utica, but his law practice was in New York, and he spent most of his time there, only occasionally coming to Utica, and when there he mingled very little with his former associates. It is supposed that he contracted a severe cold by undertaking to walk up Broadway from his office to his hotel during the great blizzard of 1888. Traffic was virtually suspended in the city, and it was substantially impossible to travel except upon foot, and when he arrived at the hotel he was near collapse. He was taken sick, and it resulted in an abscess behind the drum of the ear, which proved fatal. A committee, consisting of prominent Uticans, went to New York, accompanied the remains to Utica and to the cemetery. As prominent as he had been in his day, he left little to make his name prominent in the annals of the nation. The Republican congressional district convention, including Oneida and Lewis counties, was held at Boonville, May 23, to elect delegates to the national con- vention, and the delegates selected were Samuel R. Campbell and Henry Phil- lips. They were unpledged, but were supposed to be favorable to James G. Blaine, should he be a candidate for the presidency. The presidential elector nominated by this convention was J. S. Koster of Lewis county. The Repub- lican national convention nominated General Benjamin Harrison for president, and Levi P. Morton for vice president, and this gave great satisfaction to the Republicans of Oneida county. Harrison was favorably known throughout the country, and the family to which he belonged had been one of the most prominent in the history of the country, as his great-grandfather, Benjamin Harrison, presided in the Continental Congress, his grandfather had been three times governor of Virginia, his father a prominent politician and candidate for Con- gress, himself governor of the state, United States senator, and general in the Union Army during the great Civil War. The Republican state convention con- vened at Saratoga and nominated Warner Miller for governor, and for lieu- tenant governor S. V. R. Cruger. The Republican congressional district con- vention met at Booneville, September 5, and renominated James S. Sherman for representative in Congress. The county convention nominated Thomas Wheeler
148
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
for sheriff, and for county clerk, Fred D. Haak. The Republicans nominated for members of assembly, first district, Adelbert D. Risley; second district, George G. McAdam; third district, Abisha B. Baker. The Democratic national convention renominated Grover Cleveland for president, and Allen G. Thur- man for vice president. Governor Hill and lieutenant governor Jones were renominated by the Democratic convention in Buffalo by acclamation, and the Democrats in their congressional district convention nominated John D. McMa- hon for representative in Congress. In the Democratic county convention Richard E. Sutton was nominated for sheriff, and Charles H. Ballou for county clerk. For members of assembly the Democrats nominated, first district, Joseph H. Kent; second district, Erastus Tiffany; third district, Frederick H. Thomp- son, who declined, and one Knowlton, was a candidate, but received few votes. From the time Harrison was nominated he grew in public estimation, and his letter of acceptance was a masterly production. The campaign turned almost entirely upon the tariff question, and Mr. Harrison was elected, carrying the state of New York, his electors receiving a majority in the county of Oneida of 1,966. Miller, Rep., was defeated for governor, but carried Oneida county by a majority of 874. The result in the congressional district was the election of Mr. Sherman, and he carried the county of Oneida by 1,213 majority. Wheeler, Rep., was elected sheriff by a majority of 4,256; Haak, Rep., county clerk, by 2,915 majority ; for members of assembly, first district, Kent, Dem., received 216 majority ; second district, McAdam, Rep., 426 majority; third district, Baker, Rep., over Knowlton, 3,395 majority; it appears that there was really no op- posing candidate to Mr. Baker.
1889-No particular importance attached to the political canvass of 1889, and the primary elections and conventions were held with the usual routine of business, attended and controlled by the professional politicians. September 13, the Republican county convention was held in Rome, and Henry J. Cog- geshall was nominated for senator, and Myron W. VanAuken for district at- torney. A political fight within the party was made against the nomination of Mr. Van Auken, and the defeated party resented the way they thought they had been treated, at the polls. The Republicans also nominated for members of assembly, first district, James H. O'Connor; second district, George G. McAdam; third district, Russell S. Johnson. The Democrats nominated for senator, James H. Flanagan; for district attorney, Thomas S. Jones; and for members of assembly, first district, John S. Siegrist; second district, James T. Dempsey; third district, the Democrats had no candidate, but the Prohibi- tionists nominated Andrew Hurlburt. The result was that Coggeshall, Rep., was elected senator by a majority of 1,046, but the bolting Republicans against Mr. VanAuken defeated him for district attorney, and gave Jones, Dem., a majority of 2,164; for members of assembly, in the first district, O'Connor, Rep., received a plurality of 323; second district, Dempsey, Dem., received 297 plurality; third district, Johnson, Rep., over the Prohibition candidate, re- ceived 3,624.
CHAPTER XVII.
1890-1899.
1890-The Republican congressional district, consisting of Oneida and Lewis counties, nominated for representative in Congress James S. Sherman, and the Democrats nominated Henry W. Bentley. The Republicans also nominated Theodore B. Davis for county treasurer, and for members of assembly, first district, James K. O'Connor; second district, Geo. G. McAdam; third dis- trict, Russell S. Johnson. The Democrats nominated for county treasurer Charles F. Barnard; for members of assembly, first district, Cornelius Haley ; second district, James L. Dempsey ; third district, Leonard E. Adsit. In this campaign the interest centered largely upon the candidates for representative in Congress. Mr. Sherman had been elected in 1888 over Mr. Spriggs, and had made changes in the post offices and other federal offices throughout the con- gressional district. This was accompanied by the usual disappointment of those who did not obtain positions, and it was resented by them at the polls. This feeling was manifested more strongly in the town of Westmoreland than in any other part of the congressional district. Mr. Sherman had been re- quested by some Republicans to appoint the wife of a deceased postmaster at Hampton, in the town of Westmoreland, who was a Democrat appointed by Mr. Cleveland, which he had refused to do, but made the appointment of one of the foremost citizens of the town. The result of the election was that where- as, the town should have given more than 100 Republican majority, it gave a majority for Mr. Bentley, and Mr. Bentley was elected by a plurality of 399. Barnard, Dem., was elected county treasurer by a plurality of 10, and the members of assembly, first district, Haley, Dem., received 715 plurality ; second district, Dempsey, Dem., 168 plurality; third district, Johnson, Rep., 136 plurality.
1891-Governor David B. Hill, who had served as the executive of the state since the elevation of Cleveland to the presidency, was elected to the United States senate at the 1891 session of the legislature, but did not take his seat in Washington until January, 1892. He was the chief manipulator of Democratic politics in the state, and used his power to the aggrandizement of himself and his friends against all opposition. He procured the nomina- tion in the Democratic state convention of Roswell P. Flower for governor, and for lieutenant governor William F. Sheehan. The Republicans nominated for governor J. Sloat Fassett, and for lieutenant governor John W. Vrooman. The local Republican ticket was for senator, Henry J. Coggeshall; for sheriff, Samuel H. Budlong; for county clerk, Rouse B. Maxfield; and for members of assembly, first district, T. Solomon Griffiths; second district, David C. Wal- cott: third district. C. Winfield Porter. The Democrats nominated for sena-
150
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
tor, Thomas E. Kinney; for sheriff, John C. Schreiber; for county clerk, Charles. N. Felton; and for members of assembly, first district, Cornelius Haley; second district, Harry S. Patten; third district, Leonard E. Adsit. The result of the election in the state was the success of the Democratic party upon its state ticket, although Fassett, Rep., for governor received a pluraliy in the county of 266; Coggeshall, Rep., for senator, received a plurality of 1,567, while Schreiber, the Democratic candidate for sheriff, was elected by 1,240 plu- rality ; Maxfield, Rep., for county clerk, received 91 plurality; and the mem- bers of assembly, first district, Haley, Dem., received 786 plurality ; second dis- trict, Patten, Dem., 321 plurality ; third district, Porter, Rep., 796 plurality.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.