USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > A twentieth century history of Erie County, Pennsylvania : a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 48
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The presidential campaign of 1864 was a quiet one. There were meetings and parades, but decorous in the extreme, and the election re- sulted, as it was expected it would result, in a large majority for Lin- coln over McClellan.
For showy accessories, however, there has never been a political campaign in Erie to equal that of 1868, when Grant and Colfax were the Republican candidates. The uniformed marching clubs were larger and more numerous than ever before or than has ever been attempted since. There were the Tanners in their capes of red ; the Boys in Blue, recruited from the ranks of the veteran soldiers ; the Grant Reserves, made up of the younger men; the First Voters with a large enrolment, and in the height of the campaign there were parades almost nightly. Not only was Erie the scene of these demonstrations, but special trains carried hundreds-and then it was said thousands-to North East, Waterford, Fairview and Girard, where there was nothing doing but to march after
424
HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
the bands for an hour or two and then come back home. The blare of the bands, and the glare of the torches, however, had its effect, as such an argument some years later had upon the voters, for the result of that election was something unprecedented to that time, the Republican ma- jority for the national ticket being nearly 3,500. The vote as recorded was:
Gen. U. S. Grant, Horatio Seymour, .
.8007 .4555
Horace Greeley once said that there was more politics to the square foot in Erie than in any other town or city in America. He knew what he was talking about for he had lived here-not very long, but long enough to get acquainted with the place in the respect of its predilections toward politics. It does not take one with the journalistic instinct very long to get an accurate estimate of a place and a pretty accurate knowl- edge of its people, with their peculiarities. While Greeley was living in Erie he boarded with Judge Sterrett and worked at the Gazette office. With this statement as a foundation it would go without saying among the old timers that of course Greeley would get to know all there was to be learned about politics in Erie, for he was in the very storm centre of it all the time. Therefore, besides his instincts he had the advantage of being "next to it" all the time while he lived in Erie.
Horace Greeley was undoubtedly right in his judgment of Erie as he knew it, for in the olden times it is not to be denied that the people of Erie were great on politics, if not great in politics. We never developed a Simon Cameron or a Matt Quay up in this corner of the state, but we had some men who were not so slow. In his day Judge Sterrett was a political power not to be sneered at, and Elijah Babbitt, and Andrew Scott and Gideon Ball, and the late Morrow B. Lowry; and later still, William L. Scott have in their turn demonstrated the fact that they knew pretty considerable about political generalship.
Now it was, years ago, the rule that whatever the Erie politicians found for their hands to go they did it with all their might. And, doing it with all their might, they didn't care a big copper cent what the effect upon the opposition was. The result was that in almost innumerable instances intense bitterness was engendered. It came in time to be the rule that no matter what public measure came to the fore parties would form and a campaign would ensue and then there was the devil to pay. This was exemplified at the time of the troubles with the railroads when the famous Railroad War, engaged the attention of the people of Erie.
One of the bitterest of political campaigns ever known in Erie was that of the mayoralty contest in 1871, when Hon. Orange Noble was the candidate against Hon. W. L. Scott. It was never equalled except by another campaign in which, also, Mr. Scott was a candidate. In the campaign of 1871 there was an issue, and in order to explain what that
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
issue was it will be necessary to give a brief review of what made the issue.
It was the Marine Hospital that was at the bottom of the trouble of the time.
In 1867 Morrow B. Lowry represented the Erie district in the State Senate. Now Mr. Lowry was nothing if not enterprising, and he did not always proclaim his plans and purposes in advance from the house- tops. When, therefore, it became known that he had introduced in the legislature and was working for the passage of an act to build a marine hospital at Erie the people were taken by surprise. The necessity of a marine hospital for the state of Pennsylvania was not very apparent, but if the state was to have a big public institution Erie was, of course, not averse to having it located here. At the same time there was a good deal of interest to know just what the act provided, and in the course of time a copy of the bill found its way to Erie. The act provided for the creation of a corporation to be known as the Marine Hospital Cor- poration. Its capital stock was to be $100,000, and it was to build a hos- pital at Erie. The act ceded to the corporation the garrison tract of ninety acres and it also appropriated $90,000 of the state's money as a building fund.
So far as these provisions were concerned no objection was raised ; but there was a section at the end of the act which empowered the corporation at its pleasure to dispose of the land in any manner in which it might see fit, and the section was so liberal that the corporators were left free to sell or give away the land and not account in even the smallest particular for any of their transactions. As soon as this came to be understood there was immediately raised a cry of "steal." It kicked up the liveliest sort of a rumpus. At that time Bishop Young was at the head of the Catholic diocese of Erie. For a long time he had wanted a piece of ground upon which to build a church hospital. The garrison tract, or part of it, was exactly to his liking. The "Marine Hospital steal" therefore stirred up all of fight there was in the venerable pre- late. "I'll fight it to the death," he declared, "if they do not give me ten acres of the land for a hospital." In his excitement he probably did not think what a peculiar position he was placing himself in, for of course he had no thought of supporting a bad measure for a consideration. But the opposition that developed was so vigorous and effective that the objectionable feature of the measure was eliminated.
However, the corporation continued in its slightly altered course and work was begun, each session of the legislature making additional appro- priations to supply the funds necessary as the building grew. In 1869 the corporation tried a new tack. A bill was introduced which, after setting forth that "the councils of Erie have so neglected the manage- ment and supervision of the peninsula, which forms the northern boun- dary of the harbor of Erie as to prevent any adequate revenue arising
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
therefrom," proposed a remedy. Therefore the act of 1868 relating to the city of Erie was so amended as to place "the supervision and control of the peninsula in the power of the board of directors of the Marine Hos- pital of Pennsylvania," and the board were "empowered to exercise such supervision, disposition and control of same by leasing, or other- wise, as to them shall be deemed for the best interests of said hospital."
The measure passed. The peninsula became part and parcel of the real estate of the hospital association and at once the directors set about obtaining an "adequate revenue" from the land acquired. As soon as the winter had made the swampy tracts passable a force of men were set at work and practically all the red cedar trees that grew there were cut down and converted into fence posts. Thousands of these were cut, and as they sold at a dollar apiece, it can be easily calculated how liberal a revenue was derived from that source alone. Besides, the extensive cran- berry marshes yielded an income, and there were other products be- sides the leaseholds from which "adequate revenue" was to come to the hospital. Moreover there was the state treasury to be drawn upon, and in the year 1869 another appropriation of $30,000 was voted for the same enterprise.
Though prosperity seemed to smile on the efforts of the corporation there was steadily developing a strong movement in Erie in opposition, and a fight was put up. But the prime movers in the job-if it is allow- able to so denominate it-were as astute a lot as could be looked for. No sooner did they discover the dust of the opposition moving in their direc- tion than they were ready to meet it. They came forward with a proposi- tion to open and extend Second street from Parade street to the garrison grounds and to convert Ash lane into an avenue 100 feet wide, the enab- ling act requiring the councils of Erie and the road commissioners of Millcreek township ( Ash lane was then the boundary of the city on the east) to do so, or, in the event of their failing, the Marine Hospital Corporation was empowered to make the change. The act was passed, but it was so amended that the hospital's title to the peninsula was taken away and conveyed to the United States.
This is the story of the Marine Hospital and of the corporation which used it for purposes of personal profit, it was alleged, and it was this allegation that figured in the campaign of 1871. Prominent among the hospital forces was Orange Noble, who was a candidate for re-election as mayor. The leader of the opposition was William L. . Scott. The methods employed were vigorous and characteristic. Of course there was little talk. But by far the most popular and active method of campaign- ing was the poster. It was a time of harvest for the printer and the bill-sticker, and that campaign is memorable to those living who had any connection with it. W. J. Sell was the manager of Farrar Hall and at the head of the bill-posting business. He says they were driven to their wits end to know how to accomplish the work demanded. Early
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
one morning the entire force would be kept busy covering all the bill boards and dead walls with one set of posters. Next morning another set by the opposition would be out, and these were posted over those of the day before, to be covered next morning by an entirely new set. Un- fortunately, no one now living remembers what all those posters set forth. One read, in the largest letters the printing office outfits of the time afforded, thus:
WHO STOLE the PENINSULA and the CEDAR POSTS? ORANGE NOBLE
All the others were of the same character, and notwithstanding the bitterness that was at the bottom of the contest, to the great majority of the people of Erie the bill-board feature of the fight was a continuous performance of comedy and lent all sorts of hilarity to the occasion. Every morning the populace was alert to discover what was new on the dead walls and to greet it with shouts of glee.
Of course the newspapers were in it, and the able editors of the time were in evidence with appeals and charges. But there was yet another agency that figured in the contest : the cartoonist. We had no Nast. But we had another : Louis B. Chevalier, who could make pictures that were within the understanding of the people. Mr. Chevalier was well known as a theatrical painter. The scenic outfit of Farrar Hall was from his brush, and he did a good deal of other work, even sign painting, and among the very earliest of pine poster cuts to be made in Erie were the product of his hand. He had distinguished himself during the Railroad War by producing a cartoon that has become historic. Chevalier was enlisted in the Noble-Scott campaign, and he made several cartoons that were received with pronounced popular favor.
Mr. Noble, who was a candidate for re-election as mayor, was de- feated as the result of that famous campaign, the liveliest contest for a city office that has ever occurred.
In Erie county at least, whatever may be the experience elsewhere, every year, save those of presidential elections, are regarded as off years, and any extraordinary feature of politics that makes it appearance in an off year is a sort of phenomenon that comes to be marked. It has gen- erally been the rule that the campaigns of the leap years have brought with them features of their own, and this was the case in the campaign of 1872, in which the principal opponent of Gen. Grant was Horace Greeley. The famous editor was himself the principal feature in Erie's
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campaign, appearing before a very large meeting in the parks. Erie was, however, loyal to the great Captain, giving him a larger majority than it had done four years before. The vote was:
Gen. U. S. Grant 7504
Horace Greeley 3587
In this year the question whether the state should have a convention to prepare a new constitution, was the principal state issue, and the vote was overwhelmingly favorable to the proposition. To this convention John H. Walker of Erie was elected as a delegate-at-large, and he was chosen by the convention to be its president, performing the duties of the important position with signal ability. The constitution of 1873 was the work of this convention.
The year 1875 was an off year. but was distinguished by a bit of by-play that interested the politicians at the time. There were not then the rules and regulations that now hedge about the primary meetings, though then, as now, a certain deference was paid to custom. precedent and political leaders-or bosses, if you please. That year there was the usual crop of candidates and a "slate," and it became an understood thing that Hon. George H. Cutler was to be the Republican candidate for Senator to succeed himself. It came to be conceded that for that office there should be no opposition, until within about a week of the date of the primaries a lot of young lawyers of Erie got their heads together and came to the decision that the cut-and-dried plan of the managers was not to be permitted to carry. They selected Henry Butterfield of their number. to contest for the nomination, announced him the next morn- ing, and then started on a whirlwind campaign, covering the entire county and . winning nearly every district. It was so picturesque a race that it became a sort of milestone by the political wayside from which future calculations were made.
In 1815 the Democratic state convention was held in Erie, the first time in the history of the state when the nominating convention of a political party was held in this city. The meetings were held in Park Opera House, and Cyrus L. Pershing of Cambria was nominated for Governor and Victor E. Piollet for Treasurer.
In 1875, also, for the first time entire boards of county commission- ers and county auditors were elected. This was in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of 1873, which prescribed that no voter might cast a ballot for more than two candidates for either of these offices, the purpose being to ensure a representation of the minority party on these boards. The first commissioners elected under this provision were, Albert B. Gunnison of Erie, D. W. Titus of Venango (Republicans). and R. H. Arbuckle of Millcreek (Democrat). The auditors were. E. K. Range of Le Bœuf. W. B. Hayes of Greene (Republicans ), and W. J.
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
Brockway of Conneaut (Democrat). The election of 1875 was the last of the October elections in Pennsylvania, in accordance with the new constitution.
The principal local feature of the campaign of 1876 was the contest between William Benson, Republican, and William A. Galbraith, Demo- crat, for President Judge. Mr. Benson was one of the ablest legal prac- titioners of the Erie bar, a man of probity and learning, but it was charged against him that he was an agnostic. Mr. Galbraith had not been as actively engaged in legal work, but was known to be highly edu- cated in the law, and there was not the objection to his candidacy that had been raised by the church people. The result was that the Republi- can candidate was defeated, his opponent having a majority of the total vote of 144. In the city the majority for Galbraith was 1,200; in the county outside of the city Benson's majority was 1.056.
That was Presidential year, and, as usual there was a member of Congress to be elected. In the latter contest the candidates were Lewis F. Watson of Warren, Republican; William L. Scott of Erie, Democrat ; C. C. Camp of Venango, Greenback, and Samuel B. Axtell of Venango, Prohibition. Mr. Watson was elected, having a majority in each of the three counties of Erie, Warren and Venango. In this campaign the fight for Congress took on a more prominent aspect than had been usual, Watson uniformed clubs being distinguished among the other organiza- tions in the torchlight parades. The result of the voting for President was:
Rutherford B. Hayes 8724
Samuel J. Tilden 6179
In the campaign of 1878 the most notable circumstance was the election of Alfred Short of North East, a Democrat, to the State House of Representatives over Isaac B. Brown of Corry. This result was brought about by a coalition of the Democrats and Greenbackers, Short having a majority over Brown of 418. The other two fusion can- didates were, however, defeated, as was also the fusion candidate for Register and Recorder against Capt. John C. Hilton.
For Congress the candidates were J. H. Osmer of Venango, Re- publican ; George A. Allen of Erie, Democrat ; and Camp and Axtell of Venango again for the Greenback and Prohibition parties. Osmer was elected.
In the general election of 1880 the result of the voting was:
James A. Garfield 8752
Winfield S. Hancock .6741
The congressional candidates in the year 1882 were Samuel MI. Brainerd of Erie, Republican ; Henry B. Plumer of Venango, Democrat,
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
and W. T. Everson of Erie county, Greenback, Labor and Prohibition. The result of the voting was the election of Mr. Brainerd by a plurality over Plumer of but 923. The vote of the district that year was : Brainerd 11.1:0 ; Plumer, 10,241 ; Everson, 2,992. It may thus be seen that Brain- erd was a long way short of having a majority of the votes polled.
The campaign of 18844 was in many respects the most noteworthy in the history of the county. It was an epoch-making campaign, and was characterized by that spirit of strong partisanship which has distinguished Erie from the beginning, and the campaign of 1884, just as the Railroad War had done, left behind it a bitterness that was not immediately healed. And yet there was no good reason for the existence of this state of feeling, because what was done was entirely in accord with the privileges and prerogatives with which American citizens are endowed. But it was the most spectacular campaign that Erie county ever saw. It was the year of a Presidential election, and the candidates, Blaine and Logan, it might have been supposed would have stimulated the Republicans of every grade and degree to have exerted themselves to put up some mani- festations of aggressiveness. This was not the case in Erie for the national candidates were altogether lost sight of and the phenomenon in politics occurred of the head of the ticket being relegated to a second place. It all came out of the candidacy of William L. Scott for Congress.
In the beginning of the campaign, before the nominations were made, the Erie Republicans had agreed to support Hon. Samuel M. Brainerd as the candidate for a second term in Congress, and in accordance with party usages three delegates to the congressional conference were chosen, instructed to support Brainerd. The conference was held at Warren, and the result of the deliberations was that Chas. W. Mackey of Venango nominated instead of Brainerd. Immediately there was a revolt. It was charged that Erie had been betrayed. There was what might be denominated a popular uprising. Led by such leading and in- fluential citizens as John Clemens, F. F. Adams, Charles Jarecki, Capt. John S. Richards, Frederick and Gustave Brevillier, and scores of others not theretofore identified with practical politics, an organization was ef- fected, and a committee was appointed to ask William L. Scott, a leading Democrat, to become the "People's" candidate for Congress. Mr. Scott consented, and then the campaign was on.
Now it was from the very start as different from any other cam- paign that had been as it was possible to conceive. Lurid in the extreme as regards the public demonstrations, it was especially notable for the reason that in all those public demonstrations the men who had orga- nized the movement took prominent part, not merely as contributors to the fund, though that they did with almost reckless liberality, but as speakers at the numerous meetings and as marchers in the parades. No matter what the condition of the weather the Scott Republican club
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
would turn out, and, marching as of the rank and file, sometimes in the rain, sometimes in snowy slush, were to be seen Mr. Jarecki, Mr. Brevillier, Mr. Adams, Capt. Richards and all the others, wearing the uniform of light plug hat and linen duster and carrying the lantern, following the band and cheering for Blaine, Logan and Scott. Some- times a pole-raising was the motive for a parade ; oftener there was noth- ing in particular to be assigned as a reason ; frequently the club pro- ceeded by special train to some near-by town for a demonstration, but no matter what the reason assigned, the office, the counting-house, the store, was deserted for the work in hand. Such demonstrations as those of the Scott campaign were never before seen-they may never again be witnessed here. and nothing more spectacular can be imagined than the closing demonstration of the campaign which occurred on a night of drizzling rain that magnified the effect of the thousands of Roman can- dles burned during the parade.
Nor was the spectacular feature all that was depended upon. The Scott Republican club went about the organization of the campaign with a remarkable degree of skill and thoroughness. The canvass was ex- haustive and the detail of the work complete to the extent that the stand- ing of every individual voter was accurately known. Their forces were subdivided so that wards and districts and squares and neighborhoods were each in turn given whatever attention seemed necessary. The re- sult was that the work done in the city of Eric carried the district for Scott. The vote in Erie was; Scott, 4331: Mackey, 1542; a majority for Scott of 2189. The vote in the district was:
Scott
Mackey
Erie
9179
7221
Warren
3112
3945
V'enango
3711
4174
Totals
16002
15340
This yielded a majority in the district of 662 for Scott. Outside of the city, however, the majorities were all for Mackey, Erie county of 831, Warren of 833, and Venango of 463, but the total majority of 2,127. was still 622 below Scott's majority in the city.
During this adventitious trouble the vote on the head of the ticket in Erie county was not materially affected, being :
James G. Blaine
9230
Grover Cleveland
6225
Two years later, in 1886, Scott and Mackey were again candidates for Congress, and again Mr. Scott was successful, winning by the vote of 14,787 in the district to 13,544, a majority of 1,213.
Vol. I-28
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
In 1887 Col. J. Ross Thompson: of Erie was the candidate on the Democratic state ticket for Judge of the Supreme Court, but was not successful.
The election for Congress in 1888 resulted in the choice of W. C. Culbertson, who had a vote in the district of 16,925 to James R. Burns' vote of 13,852, the district now, by re-apportionment consisting of Erie and Crawford counties.
That year the vote on the presidential candidates in the county of Erie was:
Benjamin Harrison 9372
Grover Cleveland 7111
There was no trouble in 1890, the Republicans being at peace among themselves and the Democrats similarly inclined, and the result was that Matthew Griswold was elected. But there is a different story to tell of the election of 1892. That year there was a movement on foot to nomi- nate Wellington Downing of Erie, who had the Erie county delegates, but the conference turned out as the Republican candidate for the dis- trict, Rev. Dr. Theo. L. Flood of Meadville. Dr. Flood was a widely known Methodist clergyman, having been prominently connected with the Chautauqua movement, and had also a connection with Allegheny College. He was at the time editor of the Chautauquan, a monthly maga- zine then of extensive circulation. Moreover he was a highly educated man. But, as it turned out, he was far from popular, and especially was be unpopular with the religious denomination with which he was identi- fied. In Erie the principal worker to accomplish his defeat was Rev. Dr. N. Luccock, pastor of the First M. E. Church. Opposed to Dr. Flood, the dissatisfied Republicans, joining forces with the Democrats, put up Joseph C. Sibley. Mr. Sibley was not a resident of the con- gressional district. He never became one. His home was in Venango county. If he was handicapped by that circumstance, it did not appear, though the campaign was a bitter one. He won out handsomely, having a majority of 3,387, carrying both counties. His leading supporter in Erie exultantly proclaimed, "We have dammed the Flood."
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