USA > Wisconsin > A political history of Wisconsin > Part 4
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
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A POLITICAL HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
His successor as a delegate in Congress. James Duane Doty, was one of the most interesting and picturesque characters that appeared in the early history of Wisconsin, and his name is more closely identified with territorial times, incidents and develop- ments than that of any other man. A correct and truthful biog- raphy of Judge Doty would comprise a complete account of the prominent public events that have made Wisconsin's history from 1824, when he first came upon our soil as a federal judge. appointed by President Monroe, twelve years before Wisconsin was organized as a territory. until his last active service as a representative in Congress from the Third district, from 1848 to 1852. He was a member of the first constitutional convention, but he was not active in its proceedings. "Probably no public man ever experienced greater vicissitudes in the ebb and flow of popular feeling." said H. A. Tenney, "or occupied conspicuous * He was a man possessing extraordinary genius and abilities, far beyond the common lot. He was versatile, polished, and of marvelously win- ning address." He was a federal judge, an Indian commissioner, a territorial delegate in Congress, Governor of the territory, a land speculator and located the present site of the city of Madison, a member of the first constitutional convention, a Representative in Congress for two terms after the admission of the State into the Union, and died in Utah on June 13, 1865. while acting as Governor of that territory, to which position he had been appointed by President Lincoln.
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and leading positions for so long a period.
Judge Doty has left behind him two estimates of his character, one description drawn by his admirers, of which he had many, and the other painted by his opponents, of whom he had not a few. He was not always the affable, mild-mannered, non-combative gentleman that some contend, but an aggressive, self-willed, opin- ionated person, full of intrigue, dishonesty and corruption, who was once described by one of his pioneer contemporaries as "a man who had a winning way to make people hate him." Cer- tain it is that he was most of the time in hot water. When he was Governor of the territory, he had a long and angry disagree- ment with the Legislature, refusing to recognize it, the conten-
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Angus Co
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A POLITICAL HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
tion being whether it had assembled in regular. or special session. A committee of the Legislature scored him unmercifully for what it considered his unwarrantable conduct. He was in partnership at one time with Gov. Mason, of Michigan. in some land specula- tions, and secured the location of the present seat of government upon his land in Madison, where it is recorded that deeds of city lots in the capital city were as plenty among members of the Legis- lature as were the bonds of the old La Crosse & Milwaukee Rail- road Company in 1855. when a land grant was disposed of by the Legislature through the potent influence of "pecuniary compli- ments." An exchange of rather striking personal compliments between Doty and Mason, after they had quarreled over the divi- sion of the land, helped to enliven official life at Madison during the winter of 1839-40. Doty's estimate of his partner was not flattering to the Michigan executive, and the latter promised to . "lay before the people of Wisconsin a reply that they may see reflected in the person of their delegate in Congress, the features of a liar, a calumniator and a swindler." Judge Doty was treas- urer of the commissioners who had taken the contract to erect public buildings for the territory, and had received the $40,000 appropriated by Congress for that purpose; but he refused to give any account of his stewardship when called upon so to do. An investigating committee made a long report to the Legislature upon the subject, in which it says: "Their (the commissioners) whole proceedings from the time they first entered upon the dis- charge of their duties seems to support the conclusion and cannot fail to convince the unbiased that there has been for a long time past a secret co-partnership existing between James D. Doty, J. F. O'Niel and A. A. Bird, the commissioners, and James Morrison, the contractor, by which they were to share in the profits or loss resulting from Morrison's contract." But prob- ably the greatest literary effort of Judge Doty's life was the pub- lication of a paper entitled "The Voice of an Injured Territory," and intended to aid in defeating Martin Van Buren for the presi- dency in the famous campaign of 1840. It was written in the style of the Declaration of Independence, and it showed up Van Buren's treatment of "Wiskonsan." as Doty persisted in spelling it, to be
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A POLITICAL HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
quite as bad as that meted out to the thirteen colonics by George III. The imitation of the Jeffersonian style is amusing.
But whatever may be said of Judge Doty's faults the fact remains that the people were. always willing to condone them, and he never was a candidate for any elective office when he was not successful by a large majority, no matter who was running against him.
General Dodge, who was the third delegate in Congress from the territory of Wisconsin, has been spoken of in connection with his appointment as the first Governor in 1836, in the first chapter. He was a typical Western man and possessed superior qualifica- tions to represent the territory in the National Legislature, when a change in the administration at Washington displaced him as the chief magistrate of the inchoate State. To what was then said of his public career it may have to be added that he had served as Colonel of a Missouri regiment during the War of 1812, and had become a permanent settler in Michigan Territory, near Dodgeville, prior to the Indian uprisings in 1832. He was made Colonel of a Michigan regiment, was in command of the terri- torial forces, and was largely instrumental in promptly and finally ending Indian hostilities upon Wisconsin soil. For his services in that connection he was commissioned Major in the regular army and sent to the frontier, where he was soon promoted to the Coloneley of his regiment. For distinguished services as a soldier, Congress, in 1836, voted him the thanks of the nation and a sword. He was then upwards of sixty years old and resigned his commission in the army to accept the appointment of Terri- torial Governor of Wisconsin. In 1845, to the great delight of a large majority of the people of Wisconsin, President James K. Polk again appointed Dodge to the gubernatorial office, from which he had been removed by John Tyler. General Dodge was the only territorial delegate who ever reached the Senate of the United States, and Governor Doty was the only one who was . afterwards elected to the popular branch of Congress.
Gen. Harrison C. Hobart, who knew both Dodge and Doty intimately for many years, spoke of them in an interview as follows:
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A POLITICAL HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
"Generals Dodge and Doty were always opponents. Dodge was a man who belonged to what is called the old Democracy, and he really represented the commonality. He was a man of great persona! dignity, and was noted for this throughout the State. Doty was a Doty man, and when asked what his politics were. was accustomed to say that his polities were territorial, for the reason that he desired to be one of the first Senators elected by the State. He was a man of easy manners, genial and pleasant to every one. He was the friend of any party. He took an active part in getting the State capital placed at Madison, and he owned the town site and other lands in the vicinity. During the great battle between Van Buren and Harrison, he went for Harrison. and consequently during the -Tyler administration he was appointed Governor to pay him for his work against Van Buren. Doty never was defeated when he ran for an elective office. He ran twice for Congress and was elected. I ran against him once in the year 1849. I was nominated by the Democrats and Doty ran independent. The abolition movement was at that time with Doty. Anti-slavery men always voted for Doty. I was young at that time, and Doty had the advantage of years, he being a much older nian than myself, and very well known. One issue that did me a great deal of harm was the Fox river improvement. Doty was on that side. There was a strong rivalry and jealousy between the Lake Shore and Fox River Improvement. They were anxious to build up Green Bay. They wanted to improve : the river as far up as Portage. Every man had to pledge him- self in favor of this in order to get any votes in that territory. Doty was for this improvement to the fullest extent. I was for the Lake Shore, for if I favored the Fox River improvement I would lose my support at home.
"As soon as Democracy had hardened in the State. Doty lost position and was never in good standing with the Democrats. Personally Doty was a tall, fine looking gentleman. resembling Solomon Juneau, and was about his size. He always wore a smile for everybody and was very friendly; he also squeezed everybody's hand when he took it.
"Dodge was just the opposite to Doty. He was one of those
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determined men and was always a man of very few words, but great decision of character. Dodge took better with the common people than Doty, because they believed in him, while Doty's polished manners didn't take so well. Dodge did not drink at all. Doty only socially. Dodge was a strong man with his friends and always stood by them. He always stood for the old settler; he thought the younger men could wait. and told them so. Doty was free and easy in his manners and with his money. He should · have been rich, as he had properties in most places where cities were apt to grow up. His heart was set on Menasha, and he believed that would be the largest city in Wisconsin."
Morgan L. Martin, the fourth delegate in Congress, was another man of affairs who bore a conspicuous and important part in the early period of our history, and whose name is inter- ·woven with many incidents in the development and progress of the . State. He was associated with Solomon Juneau in the pur- chase of the ground upon which a portion of the city of Milwaukee now stands, and is therefore entitled to share with Juneau the honor of bounding the metropolis of Wisconsin. He was grad- . uated at Union College, and afterwards thoroughly trained in the profession of the law. He lived in Wisconsin ten years before she was admitted into the Union, and served continuously for six years in the Territorial Council. He was president of the second convention that met to frame a State Constitution, and in the capacity of presiding officer he not only appointed all the con- mittees, but he took an active part in the debates on the floor. and has left the imprint of his wisdom and statesmanship upon the organic act of the State.
But by far the ablest and best equipped man sent to Wash- ington to represent Wisconsin as a delegate in Congress, was John H. Tweedy, of Milwaukee, the first and only Whig who was ever chosen for that position. Born in Connecticut in 1814. he was graduated at Yale College in 1834. and immediately upon . his admission to the bar, he came to Milwaukee and engaged ' in the active practice of his profession. His fine natural abilities, sterling integrity, thorough legal training, his courtly manners and eloquent speech made him at once a leading
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man among the leading men of his day and generation. His election as a delegate to Congress over an able and popular Democratic opponent, at a time when the Whig party was heavily in the minority in the territory, was a high compliment to his personal worth and scholarly attainments, a compliment which any man might justly feel to be an honor. Mr. Tweedy was sel- dom out of office, although his political party was in the minority. He was a man of mark in any public assembly, and his business capacity made him useful in many ways to his fellow men. His most important work in Congress was to draft and procure the passage of the enactment admitting Wisconsin into the Union as a State. He was a member of the first convention which met to frame a State Constitution. . He was a candidate for Mayor at the first election in the city of Milwaukee, and was the first candidate of the Whig party for Governor in 1848 against Nelson Dewey. In 1850 he was the nominee of the Whigs as a candi- date for Congress in the First Congressional district, but declined the honcrs. In 1852 he represented the First ward of Milwaukee . in the Legislature. He was one of the directors and prime movers in the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad Company, and also in the Milwaukee & Watertown Railroad. All through his active career he was warmly enlisted in every measure that was intended to aid in the development of the State and to increase the happi- ness and prosperity of the people.
Such was the character of the men selected to stand for the honor and dignity of Wisconsin at the capital of the nation from the time when her territorial pupilage began until she took her place in the Federal Union on an equality with her sister States.
The brief biographical sketch of the territorial delegates in Congress for Wisconsin would be incomplete if some mention was not made of the distinguished gentlemen who were defeated in the several contests for that office. The defeated candidate is often the best man of the two. It was generally a battle between . members of the Democratic party at first, but later on the Whigs usually had a candidate in the field, sometimes the Free Seilers. and at last the Whigs and anti-slavery men succeeded in electing John H. Tweedy to that office, who was the last one to occupy (5)
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the place, when the State was admitted into the Union. The first contest was between George W. Jones, who claimed the place as a sort of residuary legatee, he having held the office when Wisconsin was attached to Michigan, and his opponent was Moses Meeker, who came to the territory from Ohio in 1822, and settled in the lead mines. Both belonged to the Democratic party. Jones was elected by a large majority. Mr. Meeker was never prom- inent in politics. . At the next election Jones was defeated by James Duane Doty. Two years later Doty's canvass was hotly contested by Byron Kilbourn. As the Whigs were an important minority, the Doty party called a "territorial convention" which was packed with Doty's supporters, and at which he was duly nominated. A later "territorial Democratic convention" nom- inated Byron Kilbourn for delegate with almost as much unanim- ity as the former meeting had nominated Doty. Each convention took occasion to say in unmistakable terms what its delegates thought of the other fellows. The Doty men expressed the belief that all opposed to their candidate were a "ridiculous assemblage of Whigs and administration men," who were "moved by feelings of prejudice and a greedy desire to obtain the crumbs of office"; to all of which the Kilbourn convention retorted that they "were assailed with a wantonness and illiberality as unexampled as it was unexpected." and declared all charges to be "false and ground- less." The Whigs made no nomination, having no chance to elect their candidate, and let the Democrats fight it out among them- selves. Both of the candidates made electioncering visits to dit- ferent parts of the territory to fix their fences and to solicit sup- port. Both Doty and Kilbourn issued long and elaborate addresses to the people, Doty defending himself from charges mainly relating to having bought up the Legislature with deeds of village lots to secure the location of the capitol at Madison. and Kilbourn promising to do certain great things for the new territory, if he was elected. It was said that the fend between Dodge and Doty originated during the first session of the Terri- torial Legislature in Madison, when that place was fixed upon as the permanent seat of government. Doty owned the townsite. and was chiefly instrumental in getting it designated as the capital.
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It was charged that Dodge was offered deeds of some very fine lots by Doty for his influence, which offer was indignantly rejected by Dodge, and the fight was kept up as long as they continued in public life. ..
Probably no candidate for Congress ever made fairer prom- ises than Byron Kilbourn, and few men ever went to Washington from the West who were better qualified to accomplish great results for their constituents, than himself. He was a man of excellent executive ability, of immense physical and mental power, of wide experience in public affairs, dogmatic and stubborn, intel- ligent and farseeing, and he possessed that tenacity of purpose which controls circumstances and accomplishes important under- takings. His name is indissolubly and honorably connected with the growth and prosperity of the city of Milwaukee, and he did more to encourage the building of railroads in Wisconsin than any other man in the State. If it is said that a shadow rests upon his name by reason of his action in securing the vote of the Legis- "lature in favor of his road in disposing of a Congressional grant . of land given in aid of railroads. it can only be said that his "pecuniary compliments" were placed where they did the most good to his corporation. The report of an investigating com- mittee, appointed by the Legislature, has made that whole trans- action a matter of State history.
At the next election for delegate (1841) the Whig party had perfected a thorough organization, although the Central Com- mittee persisted in calling their convention a "Democratic Whig" convention, which nominated Jonathan E. Arnold as their can- didate. The word "Democracy" seemed to have an agreeable flavor in most mouths in territorial times, like the word Jerusalem in the minds of the Jewish people. The Whigs called themselves "Democratic Whigs," not thinking that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Mr. Arnold's Democratie opponent was ex-Governor Henry Dodge, who defeated the former by 507 . majority. The contrast between these two gentlemen was very striking. Mr. Arnold was one of the most famous lawyers and brilliant orators ever heard in the West. and had he been elected to. Congress would have taken rank with the ablest men in it.
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A POLITICII. HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
Though he never held an elective office, he acquired a professional fame that will forever remain a part of the glory of the State.
At the next election for delegate to Congress (1843) both Whigs and Democrats had their candidates in the field. The Whigs were represented by George W. Hickcox, and the Demo- crats by Henry Dodge, the latter being elected by a strict party vote. Two years later (1845) witnessed a very lively campaign, Henry Dodge having been appointed Governor of the territory again, by President Polk, in place of Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, and the contest was between Morgan L. Martin (Democrat), James Collins (Whig), and Edward D. Holton, the anti-slavery candi- date. In 1847 the Whigs for the first and only time succeeded in electing their candidate in the person of John H. Tweedy, his Democratic opponent being Moses M. Strong. Mr. Tweedy had no expectation that he would be elected, and let the election go by default. Having business in New York he went there and meet- ing Horace Greeley on the day of the election, he was invited to call at The Tribune office in the evening and hear of his elec- tion, the great editor assuring him that his advices from Wis- consin indicated that result. Mr. Tweedy smiled incredulously, for he thought he knew more about the election in Wisconsin than Greeley did, but he did call on Greeley that night and did learn, to his great astonishment, that he had been elected by over 1,000 majority. Moses M. Strong was at that time, and at all times during his long life, one of the most active, able, and best known Democrats in the State. He occupied many important public stations in the territory and State, being Attorney General and an active and influential member of the first convention which met to frame a State Constitution. The last years of his life were partly devoted to writing and compiling a Territorial his- tory of Wisconsin, which was printed by the authority of the State, and which is a valuable contribution to the early history of the commonwealth. It is to be regretted that he did not incor- porate in his book the incidents, reminiscences, anecdotes and personal sketches of his contemporaries, of which he had com- plete knowledge.
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. B. Carroday
CHAPTER V.
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STEPS TOWARD STATEHOOD.
As James Duane Doty had been one of the first to agitate the expediency of organizing Wisconsin as a territory, so he was carly in the field to promote her admission into the Union. The first official move in that direction was made by the Congress when an enabling act was passed August 6, 1846, to authorize the people of the territory to take the necessary steps to attain the desired end. But it took some time to accomplish it. In 1838, ten years before the State Constitution went into effect. Governor Dodge advised the Legislature to make provision for taking a popular vote upon the subject. The next year the Governor renewed his recommendation, and advised that a vote be taken at the next election to be held in August, but little atten- tion was paid to it. In 1840 a vote was taken, and the returns to the Secretary of the territory showed 92 for it. and 499 against it. The next year the second vote showed 619 for it, and 1.821 against it, with eleven counties making no returns. In 1843 the vote stood 541 for and 1,276 against it. The proposition was denounced in some papers as "Doty's hobby." and the people generally, as the vote showed, looked upon it with disfavor, and as a scheme of the politicians to provide for more fat places for themselves at the public crib. While the territorial form of government existed. Uncle Sam defrayed a good share of the expenses; whereas, they argued, in case of statehood. that burden would be wholly trans- ferred to the shoulders of the taxpayers. In 1844 the subject was again brought to the attention of the Territorial Council, but was indefinitely postponed. In 1845 a bill on the subject was killed in the House; but in 1846 a bill was finally passed and the question was again submitted to a vote of the people for the last time, and was carried by a large majority. The law provided for a con.
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vention of 124 delegates to frame a constitution, and for the sub- mission of the instrument to a vote of the people. The delegates were accordingly chosen and the convention met in Madison on the 5th of October, 1846, and adjourned December 16, after being in session 72 days. The convention was composed of some of the brightest and ablest men in the territory, and as the delegates were mostly selected on account of personal fitness and adaptation for the work before them, rather than because of their political opinions, the personnel of the convention was first-class. As a matter of course, the Democrats being in the majority, and har- ing been charged with the management of affairs ever since the territory had been organized, it was natural that the members of that party would organize the convention and take the laboring oar in framing the organic act. No Legislature that has con- vened since Wisconsin has been a State has contained such an array of familiar names, and, excepting the second convention, no assemblage of men, representing either political party, has ever met for any purpose that couki compare in learning, experience in public affairs, usefulness and personal achievement, with the members of the first constitutional convention. They not only framed the constitution which, with a few slight amendments, has stood the test of half a century, but they have helped to pass and execute our laws and make our great success possible.
The first convention contained only 10 foreign-born citizens- 7 from Ireland and 3 from Germany, out of 124 members. All the others were native Americans. Nearly one half of the dele- gates were born in New York and Vermont. New York con- tributed one third of the entire number. Perhaps that is the reason our laws so . closely resemble those of the Empire State. The farmers had the votes in the convention, but the lawyers had the brains, and took the lead. The oldest man was 65, the youngest was 23. The average age was about 37 years. If you would call the roll of the leading men they would line up about as follows: E. . G. Ryan. James Duane Doty, Marshall M. Strong. Moses M. Strong, George B. Smith, D. A. J. Upham, William R. Smith. Alexander W. Randall, David Noggle, Frederick S. Lovell, Moses Meeker, Stoddard Judd, George Hyer, Hiram Barber,
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