USA > Washington > Asotin County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 46
USA > Washington > Columbia County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 46
USA > Washington > Garfield County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 46
USA > Washington > Walla Walla County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 46
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"Section 8. The County of Columbia shall pay to the County of Garfield the sum of one thousand dollars ($1.000) over and above the amount provided for in this act, for its interest in the public property and improvements.
"Section 9. The County of Garfield shall be entitled to two members of the House of Representatives and one joint member of the Council with Walla Walla and Whitman counties.
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"Section 10. The County of Columbia shall be entitled to one member of the Council and one representative in the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Washington.
"Section 11. All acts and parts of acts in conflict with any of the provisions of this act shall be, and the same are hereby repealed.
"Section 12. This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval.
"Approved November 29, 1881."
COUNTY SEAT LOCATION
Very naturally and logically the next stage of evolution of the new county was the determination of the county seat.
In the enabling act Pataha City was designated as the official head until the next election to occur on January 9, 1882. Hence ensued an active, almost fierce, campaign between the four places to which the race finally narrowed-Pataha City, Assotin City, Pomeroy and Mentor. The rivalry between the near neigh- bors, Pomeroy and Pataha, became very bitter. Each accused the other of double dealing and of trading against each other in such a way that many believed that Assotin City, on the extreme southeastern verge of the county, would win the coveted honor. The result of the election, however, was to give Pomeroy a considerable plurality, though not a majority-Pomeroy, 411; Assotin City, 287 ; Pataha City, 259; Mentor, 82.
The county officers chosen at this first election, eight republicans and four democrats were as follows: County commissioners, J. W. Weisenfeldt, J. J. Kanawyer, and Eliel Oliver ; sheriff, W. E. Wilson; auditor, Scott Rogers; pro- bate judge, Benjamin Butler; treasurer, J. N. Perkins; assessor, H. H. Wise ; surveyor, E. D. Briggs; superintendent of schools, W. H. Marks; coroner, E. A. Davidson ; sheep commissioner, S. T. Jones.
The different precincts, with the vote of each for sheriff, were these: Pom- eroy, 260; Pataha, 184; Tuscanon, 8; Meadow, 28; River, 90; Pleasant, 69; Columbia Center, 108; Asotin, 66; Cottonwood, 201. This gives a total of 1,014, and that number indicates the rapid growth of the region, for the entire population in 1875, only seven years earlier, was estimated at not to exceed 500.
The county seat contest thus resulted in favor of Pomeroy, but there was a curious after-clap to this which made up one of the noted law cases of the Territory.
A suit was brought, entitled "Rice vs. County Commissioners of Garfield County," to restrain the commissioners from meeting at the point, Pomeroy, which they had, after canvassing the votes, declared the duly appointed county seat. The case was tried as an equity case by Judge S. C. Wingard, Territorial judge at Walla Walla, and his decision was that the county was without any seat. The ground of this decision was purely technical, one of those decisions which delight lawyers and judges, in that it emphasizes the letter of the law, and usually is repugnant to common people, in that it disregards the plainly obvious intent of the sovereign people and seems to render them the victims and slaves of their own instruments. The point was this: The Enabling Act, though desig- nating a Board of County Commissioners to provide for an election and canvass
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the votes for county officers and issue certificates to them, and though the En- abling Act had also in section 4 provided for an election of county seat, yet there was no specific power granted to the commissioners or to any one to canvass the votes for the county seat. Ilence, the judge ruled, there had been no legal choice, and the county was without an official seat. The findings of the court are sum- marized in the following paragraphs :
1. That all that part of the act pleaded in complaint respecting the submis- sion of the location of the county seat of Garfield County to the determination of the legal voters, that is to say, all that portion of section 4 of said act beginning with the words "at which time" to the determination of said section be, and the same is hereby declared by the court, unconstitutional and void.
2. That the said pretended election in said complaint mentioned is by the court held a nullity and set aside.
3. That said defendants are forbidden from making Pomeroy the seat of government of Garfield County.
4. That said defendants and each of them are enjoined from requiring any or all of the county officers of said Garfield County to remove their respective offices to said Pomeroy or there discharge the duties of their said respective offices.
5. That defendants and each of them are enjoined from incurring any in- debtedness against said county or expending any of its funds in or about removing county officers to said Pomeroy, or in any manner attempting to make Pomeroy the seat of government of said Garfield County. That the following parts of the prayer of said complaint are refused by the court, to-wit: The court refuses to enjoin defendants from locating their offices at said Pomeroy, or from transacting there the county business of said Garfield County, or from their furnishing offices for all or any part of the county officers of said county.
The costs of this case are taxed to Garfield County.
But this evidently could not be the end of the case. The commissioners de- cided to meet at Pomeroy, and the county treasury was established at the store of Brady and Rush, with Mr. Rush acting as deputy treasurer. The Pataha forces started another suit to compel the board to meet at that place. This suit having been defeated, the only recourse seemed be a new act by the Legislature. This appeal resulted in separate bills by the two houses. The lower house passed a bill, without opposition, for locating the seat of government at Pomeroy, though this passed with the general understanding that there would be a vote by the people of the county. The bill by the council provided for submission to an election by the people. But the end was not yet, and the whole matter, together with several other acts of the Legislature, went to the National Congress.
On May 13, 1884, the House of Representatives passed a law to sanction the selection of Pomeroy for the county seat of Garfield County. The Senate having agreed, this case was ended and Pomeroy entered upon the peaceful exercise of her official primacy. It is rather a curious fact that every one of the other con- tending places, except Asotin, which became the seat of still another county, has almost reverted to farming land and Pomeroy is the only place that can be called a town in the entire county.
The first assessment of the county, in 1882, gave to real estate a valuation
DFUG
BATS
STREET SCENE IN POMEROY
WHEAT WAREHOUSE. POMEROY
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of $250,345 ; to improvements, $111,834; to personal property, $662,891 ; a total of $1,025,983. The taxes amounted to $26,351.74.
RECORD OF ELECTIONS
Following the initial election, voting population, and assessed valuation, al- ready given, we may summarize the official events under the following headings :
At the general election of November, 1882, the voting precincts were: Pom- eroy, Pataha City, Pleasant, River, Meadow, Tucanon, Columbia Center, Asotin, Cottonwood, Lake, Grande Ronde. The results were the following, majorities being given in each case: For delegate to Congress T. H. Brents, 103; joint coun- cilman, J. E. Edmiston. 14; joint councilman, N. T. Caton, 146; attorney, J. K. Rutherford, 24; representative, William Clark, 57; auditor, H. B. Ferguson, 142; sheriff, W. E. Wilson, 299; treasurer, J. W. Rauch, 231 ; commissioner, J. D. Swain, 552; commissioner, Z. A. Baldwin, 66; commissioner, James Hull, 15; probate judge, Benjamin Butler, 226; superintendent of schools, without opposi- tion, Mrs. T. G. Morrison; assessor, H. H. Wise, 115; surveyor, E. D. Briggs, 259 ; coroner, Dr. G. B. Kuykendall, 129; sheep commissioner, C. H. Seeley, 2. J. D. Swain having resigned as commissioner on account of the prospective set- ting apart of Asotin County, James Chisholm was appointed to fill the vacancy.
Of the above officers Messrs. Brents, Swain, Baldwin, Butler, Clark, Wise, Kuykendall, Briggs, Seeley, and Mrs. Morrison were republicans, while Messrs. Edmiston, Caton, Rutherford, Ferguson, Wilson, Rauch and Hull were demo- crats.
In the next election, 1884, Asotin County having in the meantime been set apart, the republicans maintained their lead, as on all normal issues they have continued to do to the present. The total vote of 1884 was 1,314, a large in- crease over that of two years previous, even though Asotin had become distinct. But that was the year of the short-lived woman suffrage regime, and that explains in part the increase. The result of the election was to give Armstrong, repub- lican, for delegate, a majority over Voorhees, though the latter was chosen for the Territory. The joint councilmen, Isaac Carson and B. B. Day, republicans, re- ceived majorities in the county and the republican candidate for representative, J. N. Perkins, received a majority. Of the local officers chosen, W. E. Wilson for sheriff, J. W. Rauch for treasurer, and D. Strain for commissioner, were demo- crats. All the others were republicans: Benjamin Butler, probate judge; I. C. Sanford, superintendent of schools; H. H. Wise, assessor; Hayden Gearhardt, surveyor ; C. O. Kneen and J. F. Martin, commissioners ; Dr. G. B. Kuykendall, coroner ; and C. H. Seeley, sheep commissioner.
The election of 1886 totaled 1,313 votes. The republican candidate for dele- gate, C. M. Bradshaw received eleven votes more than Voorhees, but the latter again had a majority in the territory. For joint councilman and joint representa- tive, O. C. White and R. A. Case, both republicans, were chosen.
For local officers, W. N. Noffsinger, attorney ; Benjamin Butler, probate judge; Gilbert Dickson, treasurer; I. N. Julian, assessor ; Hayden Gearhardt, surveyor; Dr. G. W. Black, coroner ; J. H. Walker, sheep commissioner, and J. S. Davis and Joseph Scott, commissioners, were all republicans. The democrats
Vol. 1-24
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chosen were S. K. Hull for sheriff, R. 11. Wills for auditor, T. Driscoll for super- intendent of schools, and J. Parker for commissioner.
The election of 1888 was notable in several respects. The republicans chose every local candidate except that for prosecuting attorney, and he was chosen by only one majority. In the general shiftings of the next few years he became a republican, but to whichever party he belonged he has been honored as one of the leading citizens of the county and state. This was judge Mack F. Gose. Another eminent democrat appeared in this election as candidate for joint coun- cilman, M. M. Godman of Dayton. He was chosen in the district but not in Garfield County.
The woman suffrage amendment had been declared unconstitutional by Judge W. G. Langford, and hence the vote for 1888 fell to 977. This was the year of the triumph of John B. Allen over Charles S. Voorhees for delegate, in the Ter- ritory as well as county.
The county officers chosen were M. F. Gose, attorney, by one majority ; George W. Campbell, auditor ; Gilbert Dickson, sheriff ; G. D. Wilson, assessor ; I. C. San- ford, treasurer ; Benjamin Butler, probate judge ; David Miller, J. S. Davis, and J. Fitzsimmons, commissioners ; H. C. Benbow, superintendent of schools ; Hay- den Gearhardt, surveyor, and G. W. Black, coroner.
And now we reach the most important and interesting date in the history of the blushing young Territory of Washington, when she became a "sweet girl graduate" and stepped upon the platform to receive her diploma as a full grown state, 1889. Like all other counties, Garfield was agog with excitement over the great event and there was quite a boiling in the pot over the choice of delegates to the Constitutional convention. The enabling act provided that the territory be divided into twenty-five districts, each entitled to three delegates, of whom only two could be of one party. District number 8 embraced Adams, Garfield, Asotin, and Franklin counties. On May 7, 1889, the district convention of repub- licans met at Pomeroy to nominate candidates for the Constitutional convention. I. N. Muncy of Pasco was chosen chairman, and G. W. Bailey of Asotin secre- tary. The nominees were Elmon Scott of Garfield County and D. Buchanan of Adams. The democratic convention also met at Pomeroy and nominated W. B. Gray of Franklin County. A peculiar turn took place in this election, and the narration of it brings forward the name of one of the most respected citizens of the county and subsequently of the state, S. G. Cosgrove, afterwards Governor of Washington. Owing to dissension in the republican ranks, Mr. Cosgrove be- came an independent candidate. W. A. George and F. W. D. Mays, both demo- crats, also became independent candidates. The upshot of the matter was that democrats threw their votes largely to Cosgrove, and, as a result, Scott, Gray and Cosgrove became delegates to the Constitutional convention.
And now that Garfield County, with her sister counties, had the new dignity of participation in state government, the elections took on added importance. The first election under statehood occurred October 1, 1889. In preparation for that event there were county conventions of both parties at Pomeroy, that of republicans on August 29th and that of democrats September 7th. To indicate the leaders of parties at that time we preserve the names of the officers of each convention and delegate chosen for the state convention. Of republicans, Dr. T. C. Frary was chairman and W. G. Victor secretary. The delegates were Jay
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Lynch, S. G. Cosgrove, W. G. Victor, F. G. Morrison, C. G. Austin and W. S Oliphant. Of the democratic, Eliel Oliver was chairman and James Parker secre- tary. Delegates were R. E. Wills, F. W. D. Mays, W. S. Parker and J. S. Thomas.
The results of the election were:
For congressman, J. L. Wilson received a majority of 104 over T. C. Grif- fithis, and former Territorial Governor Elisha P. Ferry, 99 majority over Eugene Semple. That was about the average majority of republicans over democrats on the state ticket.
The republican candidate for representative to State Legislature, W. S. Oliphant, had a majority of 34 over his democratic competitor, James Parker. R. E. Wills, democrat, had a majority of 48 over the republican candidate, F. E. Williamson, for the new position of county clerk. No other county officers were chosen at that time. A vote was taken on woman suffrage in that election, and the result was adverse by 492 to 336. Prohibition carried by 442 to 415.
During the elections that followed, beginning with 1890, Garfield County, like the rest of the state, had many parties, and much political activity and (the Lord be praised for this) a deal of good political education and independent action, which resulted in great shattering of boss schemes and legislative lobbies and prepared the way for the progressive politics manifested in the adoption of initiative, referendum, and recall measures, woman suffrage, prohibition, and that general advance toward a new Americanism which had made the western states a wonder to the "effete East" and a source of consternation to political Troglo- dytes. Republicans, democrats, populists, prohibitionists, and socialists, mar- shalled their cohorts, set their platforms before the people, and named their candidates. Some people deprecate political campaigns on the ground that they "disturb business." They certainly do, but that may be their greatest commenda- tion. It all depends on what one lives for. If accumulation of wealth is the sole aim of existence, it is unfortunate for the "well-fixed" classes to have any disturbance of business. If political growth, individual development, experience in public affairs, have place in one's scheme of life, these disturbances and popu- lar agitations far more than recompense a state for its pecuniary dislocations. At any rate, the Pacific Coast states have had the political agitations, and it is some- what significant that they lead the Union in general education, nor is it observable that they are greatly deficient in business advancement.
Garfield County, like the state, usually cast a large majority for republican candidates in national and state affairs. The result was commonly the same in local elections. In all, however, there was great play for independent action. The boss could never be sure of delivering the goods. In 1890, 1892 and 1894 the republicans carried the field in national and state elections. In the great break- ing-up year of 1896, the populists swept the ground, with Bryan as candidate for President and James Hamilton Lewis and W. C. Jones for Congress. In 1898 a reversal took place and Wesley L. Jones and Francis Cushman forged ahead of Lewis and W. C. Jones. In the same election Garfield again set itself down against woman suffrage and also against the single tax.
The year 1900 was another great year in politics, state and nation. In Gar- field County, the year was notable in that it marked a definite movement in favor of S. G. Cosgrove for governor, and also the withdrawal of a number of demo- crats from their former affiliations and union with the republicans, mainly on
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the ground of the "sound money" issue. Mack F. Gose was conspicuous in the new alignment.
The populists had dropped out of this election, but the prohibition, socialist labor, and social democrat parties were in the field. The result was a majority for the republicans on national and state issues, with the exception that the county (as also the state) did itself the credit of choosing John R. Rogers, democrat, for governor.
The republicans held the fort again in 1902. The total vote for congressmen was 936, and F. W. Cushman, W. L. Jones, and W. E. Humphrey received votes of 530, 516 and 517 respectively.
In 1904 the republicans had an overwhelming majority on the presidential and congressional tickets, giving the republican electors a plurality of 510, and Humphrey, Jones and Cushman, an average of 300 majority for Congress. But George E. Turner, democrat, passed A. E. Mead, republican, in the gubernatorial race by 166.
Passing on to the presidential year of 1908, we find a total vote in the county of 1,003, and a majority for the republican electors of 177. Miles Poindexter, republican for Congress in this district (the state having been districted since the previous election), carried the field, and S. G. Cosgrove had an overwhelming majority for governor. This eminent and well loved citizen of Garfield County realized in that year his worthy and long cherished ambition to be the chief executive of the state, and went from a sick bed to be duly inaugurated. But his activities were ended and within a few weeks he passed on, to the profound sor- row of the entire state and particularly his friends and neighbors in the home county where he had been known and deeply respected so many years.
In 1910 W. L. La Follette of Whitman County received a majority in the county, as in the district, for congressman, and M. F. Gose was called to the supreme bench of the state, a choice almost unanimous in the county, and one recognized in the state as eminently worthy.
The presidential year of 1912 gave a reversal, and the County of Garfield joined the rest of the Union in a majority for Woodrow Wilson for President, and also joined the rest of the state in selection of a democrat, Eugene Lister, for governor.
1914 saw the re-election of W. L. La Follette, republican for Congress, and WV. L. Jones for senator. In the same year occurred the most peculiar apparent turn in the opinion of Garfield County on the prohibition issue. For that was the great year of the struggle over the state-wide prohibition law. It might be regarded as an east-of-the-mountain proposition, for the East Side reached the crest of the Cascades with about 28,000 majority, enough to overcome the heavy adverse vote of Seattle, and have thousands to spare. But, strange to say, Gar- field County, one of the very earliest to adopt local option, and one of the most pronounced in temperance sentiment, went against the amendment, and was the only East Side county to do so. The reason simply was that having tried local option with satisfactory results, the deliberate judgment was that local option was correct in theory and practice and should be sustained. It is stated now by those familiar with conditions that since the adoption and operation of the pro- hibition law it has the hearty support of the county, as shown by the fact that
VIEW OF A PORTION OF THE IRRIGATED DISTRICT OF CLARKSTON, ASOTIN COUNTY
VINE COVERED COTTAGE, CLARKSTON Showing beautiful effect which can be produced with vines, trees and flowers.
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efforts to nullify it in 1916 were overwhelmingly defeated in the county, as in the state.
In 1916, a more momentous election even than that of 1912, Garfield did not line up with the state and nation, but gave her vote to Hughes. She was with the majority on Poindexter for senator and La Follette for Congress, but gave Lister for governor a slight majority over his republican competitor, McBride.
COUNTY ELECTIONS
Turning now from national and state choices to the county officers we find the following :
In 1890, the chosen candidates were: For representative to the state legis- lature, James Palmer ; sheriff, Gilbert Dickson; clerk, R. R. Spedden; auditor, Benjamin Butler ; treasurer, R. E. Wills; attorney, W. N. Noffsinger ; assessor. H. H. Wise; superintendent of schools, H. C. Benbow; surveyor, Hayden Gear- hardt; coroner, G. W. Black; commissioners, John Lubling, George Stallcop, and Robert Story. All of the above were on the republican ticket except R. E. Wills.
In 1892, the following were the successful candidates : Representative, F. W. D. Mays; superior judge, J. E. Edmiston; attorney, W. E. Greene; auditor, Joseph Davidson ; sheriff, Gilbert Dickson ; clerk, E. W. Gibson ; treasurer, H. A. Adams; assessor, R. L. Kirby ; superintendent of schools, H. C. Benbow; sur- veyor. Hayden Gearhardt; coroner, J. R. Gose; county commissioners, C. A. Shaffer, E. B. Fletcher, and Robert Story; sheep commissioner, G. F. Jackson. The parties were much more evenly divided than in the previous election, for Messrs. Mays, Edmiston, Greene, Davidson, Adams, Gose and Fletcher were democrats, the others republicans.
In 1894, results were these: Representative, A. E. Allen; attorney, G. W. Jewett ; clerk, E. W. Gibson; auditor, S. T. Sanford; sheriff, N. O. Baldwin ; treasurer, H. M. Beach ; superintendent of schools. E. V. Kuykendall; assessor, H. L. Wilson ; surveyor, Edward Truax ; coroner, G. W. Black ; commissioners. George Ruarck and Chris Brockman.
That was the populistic year, for of the above, Messrs. Allen, Sanford, Beach. Wilson, Ruarck, and Brockman are all set down as P. P.'s.
In 1896, the county officers were as follows: Representative, James Parker ; sheriff, N. O. Baldwin ; auditor, S. T. Sanford; assessor, H. L. Wilson ; clerk, A. E. Dickson ; treasurer, H. M. Beach ; attorney, G. W. Jewett ; superintendent of schools, Emma Nelson ; surveyor, Edison Griggs ; commissioner, Chris Brockman ; coroner, G. W. Black. That was another populistic year, for six of the success- ful candidates were of that faith.
In the election of 1898, the ebb of the tide of populism became visible, for of the successful aspirants, only three were P. P's. The chosen candidates were these : Representative, C. M. Baldwin; sheriff, S. S. Russell; clerk, A. E. Dickson; auditor, J. A. Strain ; treasurer, H. Dixon ; attorney, E. V. Kuykendall; assessor, J. P. Buchet ; superintendent of schools, Emma Elsensohn; coroner, W. P. Williamson ; commissioners, S. S. Young and August Young.
Election results of 1900 were thus: Representative, W. L. Howell; sheriff. J. A. Strain; auditor, E. M. Pomeroy; treasurer, W. H. Dixon; clerk, H. A.
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Adams; assessor, F. W. Messenger; superintendent of schools, Nellie Vallen; attorney, Frank Cardwell; coroner, C. G. Black; surveyor, J. M. Reid; com- missioners, A. H. Malone and D. R. Lewis. In this election the populists no longer appeared, but several democrats carried away the trophies, the following being of that party, Howell, Strain, Cardwell, and Malone.
In 1902, the successful ones were: Representative, W. L. Howell; auditor, Frank Burch; sheriff, J. A. Strain; clerk, A. A. Kirby ; treasurer, H. A. Adams ; attorney, J. T. Ledgerwood ; assessor, F. W. Messenger ; superintendent of schools, Nellie Vallen; surveyor, J. E. Tupper ; coroner, C. G. Black ; commissioners, J. O. Miles and D. B. Williams. In that list were four democrats.
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