USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 122
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" That the township of Franconia be annexed to the Fourth Election District, and hold their general elec- tions at the house of John Hughs, in Towamensing (now Knlpsville)."
By the act of April 11, 1807, it was ordered that the Sixth Election District should be composed of the town- ship of Pottsgrove, lately erected from a part of New Ilanover, and a part of Douglas, and should hold their elections at the house of William Lesher, Pottstown, and the electors of the remainder of the township of Douglas and New Hanover at the house of Henry Kreps, New Hanover.
The act of March 19, 1816, changed the place of holding the general elections in the Sixth District to the house of Michael Colp, corner of High and Han- over Streets, in the borough of Pottstown.
By the act of April 2, 1850, the township of Potts- grove was formed into a separate election district, and the elections were ordered to be held at the house of Jacob Bussart.
The act of March 29, 1813, provided that the town- ships of Montgomery and Gwynedd should be a sepa- rate election district, and that the general elections should be held at the house of George Heist, inn-keeper, in Gwynedd township; that the townships of Horsham and Moreland should be a separate election district, and should hold their general elections at the house of John Kerr, in Moreland township.
By the act of March 24, 1818, the township of Hat- field was formed into a separate election district, and
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THE PAST AND PRESENT POLITICS.
the elections were ordered to be held at the house of John Buchamer, and by the act of April 11, 1825, the place of holding the elections was changed to the house of Peter Conver; again, by the act of April 23, 1829, the general elections were to be held at the house of Jacob C. Bachman.
By the act of April 11, 1825, the township of Lim- erick was formed into a separate election district, and the general elections were to be held at the house of Jacob R. Bright. By this act the township of Douglas was first formed into a separate election district, and the general elections were ordered to be held at the house of Abrm. Stetler.
The act of April 16, 1827, provided that the town- ships of Worcester and that part of Skippack and Perkiomen which lies east of the Perkiomen Creek should be erected into a separate election district, and should hold their general elections at the house of Abrm. Everhard, Skippack.
By the act of April 14, 1828, it was ordered that the township of Worcester be formed into a separate elec- tion district, and hold their general elections at the house of Cornelius Tyson ; also, that the township of Frederick be formed into a separate election district, and hold their elections at the house of Joseph Keeler.
By the act of April 23, 1829, the township of Mont- gomery was first formed into a separate election dis- trict, and the elections were held at the house of Henry Slight (now Montgomeryville).
By the act of April 6, 1830, the township of Upper Salford was first formed into a separate election dis- : trict, and the elections were held at the public-house of Philip Rudy (Mechanicsville). By the act of April 9, 1849, the place of holding elections was changed to the house of George W. Reed. The township is now (1883) divided into two election districts, and polled at the late election (1882) 426 votes.
By the act of April 4, 1831, the township of Whit- pain was first formed into a separate election district, and the elections were held at Wentz's tavern, then kept by Hlenry Kerr. . Prior to that time, from the first formation of Montgomery County, they voted in the court-house, Norristown. The elections were held at Wentz's until the public-house at that place was abandoned, which was in the spring of 1867. At an election held that spring it was decided, by a majority of 27 votes, to liereafter hold the general elections at the house of Albert Kater, Centre Square, and they have been held there since that tinie.
By the act of May 3, 1832, it was directed that the electors of the Trappe Election District-composed of the townships of Upper Providence, part of the town- ship of Lower Providence, Skippack and Perkiomen- should hold their general elections at the publie-house of Jacob Heebner, in the village of the Trappe.
By the act of April 11, 1884, the election district was to be composed of the township of Upper Provi- dence, all that part of the townships of Skippack and Perkiomen lying west of the Perkiomen Creek, and
the elections were to be held at the public-house of William Goodwin, Trappe.
By the act of April 9, 1833, the township of Marl- borough was formed into a separate election district, and the general elections were held at the public- house of Jacob Dimming.
By the act of April 15, 1835, the township of Gwyn- edd was formed into a separate election district, and the general elections were held at the public-house of David Acuff. The township is now divided into two districts,-Upper and Lower Gwynedd.
By the act of April 1, 1836, the township of IFor- sham was formed into a separate election district, and the general elections were ordered to be held at the house of Jacob Kirk.
By the same act Moreland was formed into a sepa- rate election district, and the general elections were to be held at the house commonly known as the "Sorrel Horse."
By the act of April 14, 1840, the general elections in Montgomery County were ordered to be opened between the hours of nine and eleven in the forenoon and kept open until nine in the evening.
By the act of May 5, 1841, the township of Lower Providence was formed into a separate election dis- triet, and the general elections were ordered to be held at Shambough's school-house.
By the act of April 5, 1849, the place was changed to the house of Christian Detwiler.
By the act of March 4, 1842, the township of Lower Salford was formed into a separate election district, and the general elections were held at the house of Jonas Boorse, inn-keeper. By the act of March 11, 1852, the place of holding the elections was changed to the house of John Heines.
By the act of March 7, 1843, Pottstown was first formed into an election district, and the elections were ordered to be held at the Farmers' Hotel, at present occupied by Peter Fritz.
By the act of March 16, 1847, the borough was divided into two election districts.
The borough is now (1883) divided into three wards, with election polls in each ward.
At the election for Governor held in 1882 the total vote of each was as follows: Pattison, 710; Beaver, 601,-total, 1311 votes.
By the act of May 8, 1844, the township of Plymouth was first formed into a separate election district, and the general elections were ordered to be held at the public-house of George K. Ritter, Hickorytown, where they are still held.
From the time that the county was first divided into election districts to this date the electors went to the court-house at Norristown to deposit their ballots.
By the act of April 11, 1844, the township of Towa- mencin was first formed into a separate election dis- triet, and the general elections were ordered to be held at the house of Benjamin Hendricks, Kulpsville.
By the act of March 14, 1845, the township of
526
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
Upper Hanover was formed into a separate election district, and the elections were ordered to be held at latter at Barren Hill. the house of Jacob Hillegas.
By the act of April 16, 1845, the qualified voters of said township were authorized to hold an election at " the public-house late of Samuel MeNulty, deceased, on Saturday, May 24th, next, between the hours of ten o'clock A.M. and six P.M., to determine by ballot at what place the general elections in said township shall be held."
By the act of April 12, 1851, the elections were ordered to be held at the house of Abner Croll.
By the act of March 7, 1846, the township of Springfield was first formed into a separate election district, and the elections were ordered to be held at the public-house of Samuel Rader, known as the " Black Horse Hotel," Flourtown.
By the act of March 16, 1847, the township of Franconia was first formed into a separate election distriet, and the elections were ordered to be held at the store-house of Daniel L. Moyer.
By the act of April 26, 1850, the elections were ordered to be held at the public-house of Tobias Gerhart.
By the act of February 8, 1847, the borough of Norristown was divided into two election districts. At present (1883) there are six election districts. At the late election for Governor (1882) the following vote was polled : Pattison, 1072; Beaver, 1157,- total, 2229.
By the act of March 16, 1847, the township of Up- per Dublin was first formed into an separate election district, and the elections were ordered to be held at the public-house of Benj. Foster, " Three Tuns."
From 1785 to this date the general elections for the township were held in Whitemarsh, at the public- house known as the " Blue House."
By the act of February 28, 1850, the place of hold- ing the elections was changed to the public-house of Henry Barrett.
By the act of June 14, 1777, the electors of the township of Whitemarsh held their general elections at the public-house of Jacob Coleman, Germantown.
By the act of September 13, 1785, the place of holding elections was changed to the public-house of George Echart, Farmerstown, or the house known as the "Blue House," latterly kept by Jacob Haines, which stood near Farmers' Mill, at the intersection of Skippack and Chestnut Hill turnpike.
By the act of March 16, 1847, the place of holding elections was changed to the public-house of Samuel Kulp, Barren Hill.
By the act of April 13, 1852, it was changed to the publie-house of Jos. Bush, " Blue House."
By the act of April 18, 1853, it was again changed to the public-house of Samuel Kulp, Barren Hill, where the elections are still held.
The township is now (1883) divided into two elec- tion districts, East and West Whitemarsh, the former
holding their elections at Sandy Run Hotel and the
By the act of April 7, 1848, the qualified voters living on the west side of the Perkiomen Creek, in Skippack township, were ordered to form an election district, to be called the Perkiomen District, and to hold their township and general elections at the public-house of Jacob Schwenk.
By the act of February 6, 1852, the qualified electors living on the east side of Perkiomen Creek, in the townships of Skippack and Perkiomen, were ordered to be formed into an election district, and to hold their elections at the public-house of Abrm. G. Burger, Skippackville.
By the act of April 8, 1850, the township of Cheltenham was first formed into a separate election district, and the elections were ordered to be held at the public-house of Albert Magargee, in Shoemaker- town.
By the act of April 12, 1851, it was ordered that thereafter all the general and special elections for the township of Upper Merion should be held at the King of Prussia.
By the act of May 3, 1852, the township of Norri- ton was first formed into a separate election district, and for that year the election was ordered to be held at the publie-house of Rynard Marsh, Jeffersonville, and for future years to hold their general and township elections alternately, year about, at the public-house of Jesse Fisher, Penn Square. Prior to this act the general elections were held at the court- house, Norristown.
In 1882 there were sixty-two election districts in Montgomery County, which polled a total of 20,488 votes for the different candidates for Governor. The First Ward in the borough of Norristown, being the largest voting district, polled 668 votes; Green Lane, being the smallest, polled 48 votes. Franconia, being the largest Republican district, polled 396 votes for Beaver; Green Lane, being the smallest, gave Beaver 8 votes. Limerick, being the largest Democratic polling district, polled 380 votes for Pattison ; Green Lane, the smallest, gave Pattison 40 votes.
In 1822 there were thirteen places of holding the general elections in Montgomery County. The vote polled was as follows :
CONGRESS .- Philip Markley, 2056 votes ; John IInghs, 1829 votes.
ASSEMBLY .- Joseph Royer, 2278 ; John B. Sterigere, 2264 ; William Powell, 2242 ; Peter Miller, 2211 ; William Mintzer, 1680 ; John Iredell, 1659 ; George Richards, 1658 ; Ilenry Hallman, 1653.
SHERIFF .- Philip Boyer, 1703 ; Isaiah Wells, 444 ; Wendle Fisher, 56; David Acuff, 1510; George M. Potts, 962; William Towers, 744.
COMMISSIONER .- William McGlathery, 2020; Cornelius Tyson, 1900.
DIRECTOR .- Joseph Henry, 2215 ; John Tyson, 1692.
AUDITOR .- David C. Kolp, 2296 ; John S. Messimer, 1581. CORONER .- Jacob Ramsey, 1666 ; Peter Bechtel, 1104.
Rules for the Government of the Republican Party of Montgomery County .- These rules were adopted September 2, 1878, and amended July 15, 1879, and September 7, 1880. They are as follows :
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THE PAST AND PRESENT POLITICS.
Rule 1. A convention, to be composed of delegates from each of the election districts shall be held in Norristown at such time as the County Committee shall direct. Such convention shall be held on Tuesday to nominate a county ticket. Each election district shall be entitled to three delegates. General nominations for county offices shall be made at the nominating convention.
Rule 2. On the Saturday previous to the time of holding county con- ventions the Republicans of the various election districts, and all other persons who are qualified voters in such election districts who will make a declaration to support the party, shall assemble at their usual place of holding delegate elections, or at such place as shall be directed by the member of the County Committee for the district, and elect the delegates to represent them in said nominating convention. At the same time aml place they shall elect a person to be a member of the County Committee for such election district for one year from the first Monday of December next ensuing. The delegate elections shall be held between the hours of fi and & P.M. in the boroughs, and between the hours of Fand 9 p.M. in the townships, and the persons having the highest number of votes shall be elected.
Rule 3. Vacancies in the list of delegates of any district shall be filled by the remaining delegate or delegates of the district. Delegates so sub- stituted shall be citizens of the district they represent. This rule shall apply to joint as well as county conventions.
Rule 4. The delegate elections shall be organized by selecting a presi- dent and two tellers, who shall conduct the elections, decide who is en- titled to vote, and at the close thereof count the votes and declare the result. The tellers shall write down the name of each person when he votes, the name to be announced by the president. The said officers shall make ont certificates of election and deliver them to one of the delegates elected.
Rule 5. It shall be the duty of the chairman and secretaries of the County Committee to meet at Norristown at 9 o'clock on the morning of the meeting of the county convention and prepare an alphabetical list of the delegates for the use of said convention.
Rule 6. The County Committeeman of each election district shall be the exerntive officer of his election district, and shall organize it in such a way as to get ont the largest vote of the party at the election. He shall put up notices of the delegate elections at least five days before the time of holding them, stating time and place for holding the same, end the number of delegates to be elected, and shall preside at the delegate elec- tions until a president is chosen.
Rule 7. The affairs of the party shall be managed by a County Com- mittee elected as aforesaid, seven members of which shall constitute a quorum to transact business. The County Committee shall meet in Nor- ristown for organization at 10 o'clock A. M. on the first Monday of De- cember of each year. They shall elect a president, who shall be styled chairman of the County Committee, and two persons as secretaries. Per- sons not members of the committee may be elected as president or chair- man or secretaries. The chairman and secretaries of the previous year shall act notil others are elected.
The chairman of the County Committee shall appoint a Finance Com- mittee of not less than five persons, the chairman of which committee shall be ex-officio treasurer of the County Committee. He shall also ap- point an Executive Committee of not less than five persons, and he shall be ex-officio a member of both committees. Persons not members of the County Committee may be appointed on said committees.
Rule 8. The chairman of the County Committee shall be the executive officer of the party in the county, and as such shall put into operation these rules, the resolutions and actions of the County Committee, the Executive and Finance Committees and of the nominating convention. Ile shall call the nominating convention to order and preside at all county conventions of the party. The secretaries of the County Committee shall act as secretaries of the conventions.
Rule 9. The County Committee shall fix the time and place for holding connty conventions of delegates to elect delegates to represent the county in State and National conventions, and also to procure room in which to held the same.
Rule 10. The County Committee shall have power to fill vacancies in said committee, provided the district in which snch vacancy shall ocenr fail to elect a successor prior to the next meeting of the committee, and also to fill vacancies on the county ticket.
Rule 11. All contested seats of delegates shall be heard and decided by the convention.
Rule 12. It shall require a majority of the delegates present in the nominating convention to nominate for any office. The voting shall be rita voce, the names of the delegates to be called by boronghs, wards, townships and election districts, in alphabetical order, when the delegate
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shall name the person he votes for, and the secretaries shall record the salne.
Rule 13. When this county shall be entitled to nominate candidates for office in conjunction with any other county or connties, the same shall be done by a joint convention of delegates, who shall make the nemina- tions for said office, provided this rule be agreed to by such other counties.
Rule 14. These rules shall be subject to change or amendment only at the annnal county nominating convention.
Organization of the Democratic Party .- The rules governing the Democratic party of Montgomery County are a growth, having been adopted from time to time, as emergencies demanded, and having never been adopted and published in their entirety. The following appears to be the plan of organization and system of management :
1. Membership .- The Standing Committee is composed of one member from every election district in the county, who is elected for the term of one year by the Democratic voters, at the time and place the delegates to the County Convention for the nomination of county officers are se- lected. They meet and organize on the first Tuesday of December ef every year by the selection of a chairman, vice-chairman, three secreta- ries and a treasurer. The chairman and one secretary may be selected from outside the committee. At the next meeting of the committee after the candidates for county offices are nominated the nominees meet and select a special executive committee of nine, who have general charge of the campaign, The chairman of the Standing Committee is er-officio the member of the State Central Committee for the county.
2. Porrers .- The Standing Committee is vested with very ample pow- ery. It calls all conventions, settles all disputes as to nominations and prepares and distributes the tickets. The chairman and secretaries are er-officio the officers of all conventions and meetings of the Dem- ucracy.
3. Preparatory Meetings, -The annual preparatory meeting, at the call of the Standing Committee, is held in the court-house at Norristown. At this meeting resolutions are adopted, general nominations are made and the business relating to the general interests of the party transacted. Persons placed in general nomination must enrol themselves regularly by the following Saturday, or they cannot be voted for in the nominating convention unless by the consent of two-thirds of the convention.
4. Delegates .- Every four years after the gubernatorial election dele- gates are apportioned for the ensning four years to the several election districts upon the following basis, to wit : "Every election district poll- ing two hundred Democratic votes or less, two delegates, and one addi- tional delegate for each one hundred additional Democratic votes, or a fractional part thereof. The delegates to the several conventions are se- lected in each district on the Saturday evening preceding the Tuesday upen which the convention is called. The Democratic inspector of elections for the district acts as judge, and the rival candidates for delegates select a secretary. In case the Democratic inspecter fails to attend, or there be a vacancy, the Standing Committeeman shall act as judge, or substi- tute some person to act for him if absent.
5. Balloting. - In voting, the districts are alphabetically arranged, and delegates, as their names are called, vote for the several candidates for all the offices on each ballot until nominations are effected.
G. State and National Delegates. - The county is entitled to one State delegate for every one thousand Democratic votes cast, and three dele- gates are selected at a convention called for the purpose. Delegates to the national convention are selected by the delegates to the State cen- vention in the year when a national convention is held.
The following is a list of the chairmen of the Demo- cratic Standing Committee since 1862: 1862, Dr. John A. Martin; 1863, Dr. E. L. Acker ; 1864, Hiram C. Hoover; 1865, Dr. S. R. S. Smith ; 1866, Dr. S. R. S. Smith; 1867, Hiram C. Hoover; 1868, Hiram C. Hoover; 1869, Charles Earnest; 1870, Charles Ear- nest; 1871, Charles Earnest; 1872, Oliver G. Morris ; 1873, Oliver G. Morris; 1874, Jones Detweiler ; 1875, Jones Detweiler ; 1876, Jones Detweiler ; 1877, John W. Bickel; 1878, Oliver G. Morris ; 1879, John W. Bickel; 1880, John C. Richardson; 1881, J. Wright
528
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
Apple; 1882, John W. Bickel; 1883, John W. Bickel ; 1884, John W. Biekel; 1885, John W. Bickel.
Comparative Presidential Vote, 1880 and 1884, of Montgomery County .- The total number of votes cast in 1880 was 22,051, of which 11,026 were cast for James A. Garfield, 11,025 for Winfield S. Hancock. In 1884 the vote was,-James G. Blaine, 11,622; S. Grover Cleveland, 11,087. Net increase in total vote, 658; Republican gain, 799; Democratie gain, 265; Republican gain over Democratic gain, 534.
ELECTION FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 4, 1884, FOR MONT- GOMERY COUNTY.
PRESIDENT .- James G. Blaine, 11,622; S. Grover Cleveland, 11,087; Blaine's majority, 535.
CONGRESSMAN-AT-LARGE .- Gen. Edwin S. Osborne, 11,651; Gen. W. W. H. Davis, 11,142 ; Osborne's majority, 509.
CONGRESS .- Hon. I. Newton Evans, 11,440; George Ross, 11,360 ; Evans' majority, 80.
ASSEMBLY .- Thomas J. Stewart, 11, 765 ; John M. Cunningham, 11,822; William A. Redding, 11,702; William D. Ileebner, 11,557 ; Samuel Fanst, 11,669; William H. Buck, 11,011; John S. Jenkins, 11,098 ; Horace J. Subers, 11,063 ; J. Duross O'Bryan, 10,955 ; Daniel K. Graber, 10,965.
PROTHONOTARY .- William B. Woodward, 11,556; John McLean, 11,- 229 ; Woodward's majority, 327.
RECORDER. - Aaron Weikel, 11,677; Charles T. Durham, 11,099 ; Weikel's majority, 578.
CLERK .- George G. McNeill, 11,243; Col. Edward Schall, 11,589 ; Schall's majority, 346.
REGISTER,-J. R. Rambo, 11,539; Jeremiah W. Gnldin, 11,165 ; Rambo's majority, 374.
COMMISSIONERS,-Hiram Burdan, 11,540; James Burnett, 11,684 ; Thomas MeCully, 11,295 ; Martin Kulp, 11,086.
DIRECTOR .- Benjamin C. Kraus, 11,653; William Gilbert, 11,214 ; Kraus' majority, 439.
Aunirons .- Isaac R. Cassel, 11,874; A. M. Bergey, 11,820; John Espenship, 10,070; Philip Super, 11,119; Cassel's majority, 1804; Bergey's majority, 1750 ; Super's majority, 1149.
SURVEYOR .- Frank 1[. Conrad, 11,697; Daniel Kinzie, 11,159; Con- rad's majority 538.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE BENCH AND BAR.
THE institution of judicial proceedings and the recognition of the judicial office in the province of Pennsylvania appears to antedate that of the acknowledged usefulness of the attorneys-at-law. The courts established by John Printz, the Swedish Governor, in 1642, on the Delaware, at New Gotten- burg, to decide all controversies according to the laws and customs of Sweden, were presided over by justices of the peace, men unlearned in the law. The primitive manners of the first settlers and the unimportant character of their litigation were sug- gestive of this policy, while it may be said in truth that the office of advocate was believed to be incom- patible with the despotic pretensions of those who ruled in the name of their sovereigns by " divine right." The seat of justice was removed from Got- tenburg to Upland (now Chester), in 1662, and for several years their civil and criminal cases were tried and disposed of under the crude forms instituted by
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