USA > Wisconsin > A political history of Wisconsin > Part 25
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delegation during that session. Joseph Rankin died and Thomas R. Hudd was elected in his place, and William T. Price was followed by his son. Hugh H. Price, who filled out the unexpired term. Ormsby B. Thomas took the place of Gilbert M. Wood- ward. He had served with great credit in both branches of the State Legislature, and in the Union army. He was a presidential elector in 1872.
The representation in the Fiftieth Congress consisted of seven Republicans, one Democrat and Henry Smith, Labor Union. The Republicans were all old members but C. B. Clark and Nils P. Haugen.
In the Fifty-first Congress the Republicans held their own, electing seven of the nine members, and the Democrats two- Barwig and Brickner. In the Fourth district Van Schaick took his old seat. after it had been occupied one term by Henry Smith. The only new man in the delegation on the Republican side was Myron H. McCord, who was elected in the Ninth, instead of Isaac Stephenson. McCord served through the Fifty-first Con- gress and then removed to Arizona, where he soon became active in territorial politics, being appointed Governor by President Mckinley in 1897.
In the election of Representatives to the Fifty-second Con- gress, 1890, the Democrats rallied all their forces at the polls and elected eight of the nine members. The new members were Bab- bitt, Barwig. Bushnell, Mitchell, Brickner, Miller, Coburn and Lynch.
The reapportionment based on the census of 1800 gave the State ten districts. At the election of 1892, the Republicans car- ried four of these, electing H. A. Cooper in the First. Joseph W. Babcock in the Third and George B. Shaw in the Seventh, besides reelecting Haugen as the member from the Tenth. The Demo- cratic members who were reelected were Barwig. Mitchell, Brick- ner and Lynch. Their new men in the delegation were Owen A. Wells and Lyman E. Barnes. Mitchell resigned before the com- mencement of his new term, and Peter J. Somers, also a Demo- crat, was elected in his place. Shaw died on the 27th of August. 1804. and at a special election the Republicans chose Gen. Michael Griffin to fill out his term.
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In the election of members for the Fifty-fourth Congress, the Republicans made a clean sweep, electing the whole delegation. Cooper, Babcock and Griffin were continued in office. The new men were Edward Sanerhering. . Theobald Otjen, Samuel S. Barney, Samuel A. Cook, Edward S. Minor, Alexander Stewart and John J. Jenkins. In the Fifty-fifth Congress the delegation continued unchanged, except that James H. Davidson, Republican, took the place of Cook, who declined to accept a renomination. In the Fifty-sixth Congress Wisconsin is still represented by a solid Republican delegation, comprising all the members of the delegation to the previous Congress except Sauerhering and Griffin. the new men being Herman Bjorn Dahle and John J .. Esch. -
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CHAPTER XXI. -
SOME OF THE BOSSES.
After the breaking out of the slaveholders' rebellion, in 1861. the Democratic party was so heavily in the minority, and so easily beaten at the poils. that the chairman of the State Central Com- mittee had a comparatively easy time of it. The defeat of his party was a foregone conclusion before the candidates were put in the field, and as there was no money to spend for campaign purposes there was none spent, but. like an ox in a blizzard turning his tail to the storm, the party kept up its organization, fought on the defensive as well as it could and faced the inevitable. For twelve years, beginning with the Thirty-fifth Congress, 1859, to the close of the Forty-first Congress. 1871, the Democrats had only : one member of Congress, and during three of these they had not a single representative in the House of Representatives. When the new apportionment was made based upon the census of 1860 and the State given six members the Democrats succeeded in . electing James S. Brown in the First district, and Charles A. Eldridge in the Fifth: but Brown was displaced by Gen. Halbert E. Paine in the Thirty-ninth Congress, leaving the incorrigible and hard-headed Eldridge-known in Congress as the Great Objector -- as the only Democratic member until 1871. when Alexander Mitchell was elected in the First district., In 1877 the Democratic membership was increased by one. General Bragg taking the place of Burchard in the Fifth, Lynde representing the Milwaukee district, and Bouek succeeding Kimball in the Sixth. When the election of Congressmen took place in 1883. under the new apportionment law, the Democrats elected six out of the nine · members, and it looked as though that party was coming back into power in the State. But at the next ensuing election the Republicans elected seven of the nine members, and it was not
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until 1891 that the Democrats increased their representation. The condition of party representation in Congress in 1857, with three members, all Republicans, was repeated in 1895, when Wisconsin sent an entire delegation of ten Republicans to represent her in Washington, and still continues.
In managing their campaigns the Democrats of the State did not follow the example of their more successful Republican opponents and keep one man at the head of affairs as long as possible, but with an occasional exception they elected a new chairman every two years, thus depriving the party of the benefit that had been acquired by an acquaintance with the voters and experience in dealing with them. In 1861 the convention elected Beriah Brown, who was then editor of a Democratic paper in Madison, and an old wheel-horse in the party. It was a bad year for his party, and Mr. Brown was glad to resign his. post at the next State Convention. 1863. when Charles A. Eldridge, then a member of the Thirty-eighth Congress, took his place. It was dur- ing Eldridge's management that the party sustained its greatest reverse up to that time, when James T. Lewis defeated Henry L. Palmer for Governor of the State. Two years later. 1865. Mr. Eldridge was supplanted by Andrew Proudfit, an old Madison politician, who did not prove to be much of a boss. Hfe took little interest in the party's affairs, and it was with pleasure to himself that he turned the office over to George H. Paul when the convention assembled in 186 ;. Paul was an old editor and skillful politician, and the best selection for chairman that had been made up to that time. But public sentiment was too much for Paul, and he had no gains for his party to show either in Congress or in the State Legislature where a United States Senator was to be elected in place of James R. Doolittle. Henry L. Palmer acted as chairman of the conunittes from 1869 to 1871, and Andrew Proudfit was again chosen for two years, and at the end of that time he again turned the management over to George HI. Paul, as he had in 1867. This time everything conspired to aid Paul in making the success of his party a certainty. There was much apathy in the Republican ranks: the times were hard. business was depressed, and the discontented voter clamored for
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a change. When Governor Washburn's term ended. Paul and others easily formed a combination with all the elements that were opposed to the Republicans, and the election of William R. Taylor and a full set of Democratic State officers was the result. The first Democratie success in electing a Governor since Barstow relinquished the office in 1855, made Paul very popular and caused much rejoicing among his party associates. He was the confidential friend of Taylor all the way through, andI was credited with writing the Governor's messages. Paul's place was taken in 1875 by Wendell A. Anderson, under whose management Taylor was beaten in his race for reelection for Governor by Harrison Ludington, but the Democrats held a firm grip upon all the other State offices. In 1877 Joseph Rankin was placed in command. He was considered an adroit politician, popular with all parties, and afterwards elected to the Forty-eighth and reelected to the Forty-ninth Congress, but died before his term of service ended. From IS79 to ISSI A. C. Parkinson was chairman of the committee; from 1881 to 1885 it fell again to. W. A. Anderson from IS85 to 1887 to W. A. Walker; from April, 1887, to January 15, 180, E. B. Usher was the head. Mr. E. C. Wall was called to the front in 1890, when George W. Peck was elected Governor of the State, and he filled the position continously for six years, to the satisfaction of himself and the great acceptance of his party. Peck was reelected Governor, and a majority secured in the Legis- lature, whereby it was possible to elect William F. Vilas to the Senate of the United States. When Mr. Wall declined to serve his party any longer in the office of chairman, of the State Central Committee, the choice of the convention fell upon ex-Gov. George W. Peek, who conducted the campaign in 1807 upon the Chicago platform and in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of silver. The result was that Mr. W. C. Silverthorn, the silver candidate for Governor, was beaten by Maj. Scofield. the Republican candi- date, by a plurality of 95.000. Judge Silverthorn, however, polled 27,000 more votes than Peck pulled in 1804.
When party spirit runs high we often fail to give proper credit to our political adversaries. The development of Wisconsin has been largely due to the labors, wisdom and statesmanship of the
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Democratic party. The foundations upon which our present prosperity depends were laid by mien of other days. During the territorial epoch, from July 4. 1836. when the territorial officers appointed by General Jackson took the oath of office, until the State was admitted into the Union. May 29. 1848. all the public offices were filled by Democrats and everything of a public char- acter necessarily had a Democratic coloring. There seemed to be a pleasant flavor contained in the name of Democracy which left a good taste in the months of those who used it, so much so the Whigs called some of their conventions in early days by the name of the "Democratic Whigs!" A Democratic Governor appointed a'l the subordinate officers: Democratic Federal judges appointed by the President tried all causes: Democrats organized . the terri- torial legislatures, as a general thing, and filled all the offices; Democrats were in the majority during every Territorial Council and House of Representatives while Wisconsin was a territory, and they took a leading part in and were responsible for the character of the laws passed; all the territorial Governors were Democrats, and all the territorial delegates in Congress were Democrats except one-John H. Tweedy -- and his election was owing in part to the unpopularity of his Democratic opponent, Moses M. Strong, and to his own superior qualifications for the position. When steps were taken to have the territory admitted into the Union on an equality with the other States, the Democrats took the initiative. The location of the capitol at Madison was made by Democrats: the public buiklings were built by Democrats, and the public print- ing was let to members of the same political party. When the first convention met to frame a State Constitution a large majority of the delegates were Democrats, and the same was true of the second convention. In both conventions. although there were many distinguished and able members of the old Whig party present whose labors were of great value, and some delegates had been chosen without reference to their political opinions, the Demo- crats took charge of the organization, appointed all the- standing and special committees, and gave form and color to the proceed- ings. When the first constitution was submitted to a vote of the people and was rejected, many Whigs voted against it because they (25)
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thought that some of the Democratic theories of government to which they were opposed had been incorporated in it. The present constitution is, in the main, the work of Democratic hands. . As has been stated in a previous chapter, the very features of the first constitution which were regarded as so objectionable have since been incorporated in our statutes, thus proving the wisdom of those who formed the first instrument. The act establishing the State University was passed by a Democratic Legislature; the Board of Regents for many years was mostly composed of Demo- crats, and on the 12th day of June, 1838. a Democratie Congress made an appropriation of the amount of land asked for by the territorial Legislature, "which was the fundamental endowment of that noble University whose spacious buildings now adorn the capitol of the State, and whose facilities and capacity for educating its youth reflected much credit upon those who have manifested .so great an interest and such untiring perseverance in promoting its welfare!" (see. Strong's history of the Territory of Wisconsin). The prime movers in the establishment and care of the State His- torical Society-the pride of every scholar in Wisconsin, and the 'admiration of all our neighbors -- were prominent members of the Democratic party, aided and encouraged by the educated and progressive men of all parties. A Democratic editor, Chauncey C. Britt, first called publie attention to the importance of such an institution, and Lyman C. Draper, who did more for its benefit than any other man. was a member of that political party. It was a Democrat. Judge Charles H. Larrabee, who induced Mr. Draper to come to Wisconsin and take charge of the Society's affairs. Prominent among its promoters were such men as A. Hyatt Smith, its first president: James D. Doty, Thomas P. Burnett. Gen. William R. Smith, George Hyer, Morgan L. Martin, John Y. Smith. Gen. Harrison C. Hobart, Samuel Crawford. Nelson Dewey, and others. .
It was a Democratic Legislature that abolished the cruel and inhuman law of imprisonment for debi-a relic of barbarism which .the territory inherited from Michigan and in force here until :837. It was a Democratic Legislature that passed, and a Democratic Governor who signed. the act abolishing capital punishment in
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Wisconsin. The State prison, the Hospital for the Insane at Madi- son: the institute for the education of the deal and damb, and the blind, had their origin in bills appropriating money by Demo- cratic Legislatures. The most stringent license law ever passed by the Legislature of any State was enacted in January, 1849. by a Legislature that was overwhelmingly Democratic, and signed by Governor Nelson Dewey, and known at the time as the Wis- consin Bond law. It made the liquor seller give a penal bond of $1,000 with three or more sufficient sureties, "conditioned to pay all damages, to support all widows, orphans and panpers, pay all the expenses of all civil and criminal prosecutions made, growing out of such traffic, that the community or individuals may sustain by reason of such traffic." This was regulating the sale of intoxi- cants with a vengeance. In 1853 the question of passing a pro- · hibitory liquor law was submitted to a vote of the people, the State being heavily Democratic, and it was adopted by over 3,000 majority. It was a Democratic Legislature which passed the first law in Wisconsin that curbed the aggressive spirit of the railroad corporations of the State, and it was a Democratic Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who wrote the opinion declaring that the Legislature had the right to fix rates on railroads and regulate traffic within the State. It was a Democratic Justice of the Supreme Court who wrote the opinion declaring the two appor- tionment acts passed by Democratic Legislatures to be unconstitu- tional and void. and it was a Democratic administration that brought suit against the former State Treasurers and recovered a large amount of money that went into the State treasury.
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At the State Convention which convened in Madison on July 13, 1854, to organize the Republican party, the first State Central Committee was appointed. It was composed of William A. White. of Dane, as chairman: J. A. Sleeper, of Rock: John Walworth, of Green; D. W. Hall, of Dodge: Wyman Spooner, of Walworth; Orsamus Cole, of Grant: and Dr. E. B. Wolcott and C. A. Wunderly, of Milwaukee. This was a most noteworthy committee. At the State Convention which assembled in Madison the next year, a new committee was appointed and by resolution William A. White, David Atwood and E. W. Keyes were appointed a
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committee from the State at large, with S. S. Daggett, S. J. Porter. W. C. Rogers. J. C. Holt, D. E. Wood and L. F. Frisby. making up a committee from the districts, with William A. White again as chairman. At the Republican Convention that con- vened at Madison June 5. 1856, a new committee was created and I .. P. Harvey, afterwards Governor of the State, was appointed chairman, and at the convention of September 4. 1857, the com- mittee was again reconstructed with H. A. Tenney, of Dane, as chairman. So it appears that a new committee was created in each of the years '54. '55. '56 and '57. At the convention held August 31. 1859. Horace Rublee and E. W. Keyes were appointed from the State at large. with Horace Rublee as chairman, and the balance of the committee selected from the different Congres- sional districts of the State. The next convention was hekl Sep- tember 26, 1861, at which time Horace Rublee was reappointed chairman. The next convention assembled August 23. 1863, and was a most notable one. Its opening was stormy and presagedl dissension and strife. but it closed with the best of feeling, and its action was accepted in a harmonious spirit. The contest for the nomination of Governor was between the acting Governor, Edward Salomon, who succeeded to the office on the death of Governor Harvey, and James T. Lewis, who was then Secretary of State. Both Salomon and Lewis had come to the Republicans from the Democratic party, after the breaking out of the war. Mr. Lewis received the nomination after a hot contest. At this convention Lucius Fairchild received his first nomination for Secretary of State. and was formally initiated into the Republican party. Senator Doolittle was a prominent figure in the convention, and it was through his influence chiefly that Fairchild was induced to accept the nomination. Doolittle had prepared a resolution creat- ing a central committee. in which E. W. Keyes was named for chairman, but before its introduction Mr. Keyes declined the posi- tion and insisted upon the substitution of Mr. Rublee's. name in place of his own. Mr. Rublee was unanimously appointed. In 1865 Mr. Rublee was reappointed chairman, with E. L. Buttrich. J. C. Cover. J. M. Giliett. H. I .. Belitz and W. T. Price as the committee. Mr. Rublee was again appointed in 1867. The next
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القارة معه
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convention assembled in Madison September 1. 18(x). Mr. Rublee had been appointed minister to Switzerland, and a new man had to be elected in his place. Mr. F. W. Keyes was made chairman. The other members were Gen. F. C. Winkler. G. W. Hazelton. John R. Bennett. O. B. Thomas, A. Scott Sloan. James Coleman, Henry Kleinpell, Frank Leland. A. Guesnier, G. Il. Gile, H. B. Philleo and G. W. Woodward. All the members of this committee afterward became prominent in our politics. Judge Keyes was for eight years chairman of the State Committee, and was a promi- nent candidate for the United States Senate in the hot contest of 1879; three of the others were elected to Congress. namely, Hazel- ton, Thomas and Sloan: Judge Bennett was elected circuit judge: Gen. Winkler was twice a candidate for Congress, and three of the others were prominent Republican editors in the State.
Mr. Keyes was reelected chairman in 1871-'73 and '75. each time by ballot. At the convention that assembled September II, 1877, in calling the convention to order Mr. Keyes made the announcement that he should decline the election as chairman for another term. Mr. Horace Rublee, who had returned from his mission abroad, was prevailed upon to accept his okl position as chairman, and he was unanimously elected. In 1879 R. H. Baker, of Racine, was appointed chairman and served one term. Mr. Edward Sanderson was elected chairman in 18St, and served two years. In 1884 Horace A. Taylor was elected chairman of the committee, and was reelected in 1886. serving four years. In August, ISSS. the State Convention was held in the city of Mil- waukee, and Henry C. Payne was elected chairman, and was reelected in 1800. In 1892 Mr. H. C. Thom' was appointed chair- man of the committee, and was reelected in 1894. Mr. Thom died before the expiration of his term, and E. D. Coe was appointed in his place. The chairman in the successful campaign of 1808 was Joseph B. Treat, who holds the position at the present time.
The two longest terms as chairman of the Republican State Central Committee were served by Horace Rublee, twelve years. and E. W. Keyes, eight years-the two gentlemen named direct- ing the affairs of the party during twenty of the forty-six years of its existence.
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While it is customary to refer to the heads of political cam- paign committees as "bosses," and to charge them with all sorts of sinister ambitions and methods of operation while they are in power, it is the popular judgment regarding the men of both the principal political parties in Wisconsin who have held the posts of generals- in-chief during the campaigns of the past forty years, that they have been citizens of bright intelligence and large ability who have worked devotedly for the success of political principles in which they enthusiastically believed. The political history of Wisconsin has, during the whole of that period, been remarkably free from scandal. Questions at issue have been hotly contested, and there has at times been some acrimony, but the votes of the people have decided the result, and there has never been any doubt that, minor local disputes out of the question, those votes have been counted as they were cast. Wisconsin has gained an enviable reputation as a clean, or- derly, well-governed State -- a model which certain of her sister commonwealths would do well to follow-and the elevated charac- ter of the men who have held politicai chairmanships has no doubt been a factor in producing her creditable record.
CHAPTER XXV.
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
It was Emerson who said. "There is properly no history, only biography." " Of course he did not mean to be literally understood. His object was to make an epigram that should sharply call atten- tion to an important truth by overstating it. There is history, but there is biography also, and biography supplements and illumi- nates history to an extent which is appreciable no less in this age than it was in the age of Plutarch. The collection presented here- with of sketches of men who have contributed and are contrib- uting to the making of the political history of Wisconsin, is repre- sentative, but lays no claim to completeness. Had Mr. Thomson lived, he would have lent to the presentation of the facts here out- · lined the graces of his literary style. As it is, they are baldly set · forth by another hand. But they are facts which, lacking the adven- titious aid of ornament. possess no small degree of interest. It is significant that almost without exception the men who have risen · to political prominence in Wisconsin were poor boys, obliged to struggle in order to obtain scholastic training, and in some cases forced to go without more than the merest rudiments of that cul- ture which comes from systematic study under the supervision of teachers in the high school. the academy, and the college. Wil- liam P. Lyon, who became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. was a clerk in a country store at the early age of 11. Jeremiah M. Rusk, who rose to be a Brigadier-General in the Civil War. three times elected Congressman, three times elected Governor of the State, and a useful member of the Cabinet of President Harri- son, had but a few terms of rural schooling and was by his father's death left with the responsibility of working a large farm and car- ing for his mother and sister at the age of 16. Very few of those who entered college were able to do so until they had, by their
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own exertions, earned sufficient money to pay their way. Yet al! . achieved position and influence and honor, and several amassed . great wealth. Biography such as that which portras & Wisconsin's political leaders. contains inspiring lessons for all young men.
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