USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date, Vol. I > Part 47
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
Resumed as a campaign paper in September of the same year, with slight interruption it was published by A. O. Wilson until March, 1886, when it was sold to the Recorder Printing Com- pany, merging with the "Weekly Recorder," and is still issued as the "Recorder and Times." At first the "Times" was printed at the office of the "Northern Farmer," but when the latter was foreclosed the "Times" also suspended for about four months, resuming publication in the spring of 1870 with its own material.
In May, 1877, W. H. Tousley, of Fond du Lac, became a part- ner, remaining for six years, when he retired, leaving Mr. Wilson sole proprietor.
The firm of Wilson & Tousley issued a small daily "Times" for almost two years from October, 1878. The "Weekly Times" was the official paper of the city for ten years or more, and was so designated at the time of its sale.
Politically the "Times" was always Democratic.
Remarks.
During my newspaper experience in Janesville, covering a period from 1869 to 1894, as editor and publisher, a vast array of actors appeared upon the newspaper stage, passed rapidly in review, only to disappear no more to return. Some, it is true, are engaged in other pursuits ; others may be engaged in the same business in unknown fields; a few, such, for instance, as Wheeler Bowen, of Yankton, S. D., formerly of the "Gazette," are now working in prominent locations; but the majority have long ago crossed the dark river or await the final summons only for a brief season.
Coming to Janesville in 1867, it will be observed that I am the connecting link between the present and the past. Thus it is that I have had personal acquaintance with most of the char- aeters engaged in newspaper enterprises since the first paper
513
THE JANESVILLE PRESS
made its appearance. These include such well-known persons as Levi Alden, Charles Holt, Hiram Bowen, A. M. Thomson, Daniel Wileox, G. H. Bishop, Dan Brown, Andrew Palmer, Dr. John Mitchell, Rev. Joseph Baker, and possibly others much of whose active work was finished before I became a resident. While on the other hand I might reasonably be expected to rec- ollect from personal observation the doings of those who were en- gaged in the business on my arrival, or whose coming was later than my own, still the facts presented were gleaned mostly through the medium of letters, personal interviews, and such scraps of information as have appeared from time to time in the so-called local histories. When these have failed and personal recollections could not be drawn upon, the faet is so stated in footnotes. One thing is certain : I have strenuously avoided the voluntary opinion or mere guesswork, and have sought to do exact justice to each paper and its publishers. If anything er- roneous is submitted I am ready to apologize, but only with the plain understanding that such errors are unintentional wholly and absolutely. Again, it will doubtless appear that I have omit- ted mention of certain publications altogether, where possibly the fact might have been easily obtainable provided a man knew exactly where to look. But such provisos are fatal, as I am not a mind reader and therefore cannot pretend to fathom the occult mysteries of the publisher who when he disappeared from public view thought he was doing the community a favor by taking his files with him.
Very respectfully,
A. O. WILSON.
March 12, 1900.
Since completing this history still another paper has made its appearance, to-wit :
"The Irish-American Star, by J. L. Mahoney & Co., publish- ers. This paper made its initial appearance on March 17, St. Patrick's day, and announces itself Catholic in religion and Dem- ocratie in politics. To be issued weekly.
XXV.
POLITICAL HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.
The early population was derived very largely from the New England states and the state of New York. It would not be an extravagant estimate to set the proportion of the early settlers from these states at three-fourths of the whole, and of these three- fourths fully two-thirds were from New York. The largest pro- portion of these settlers came to Rock county with fixed polities, and there was a very large preponderance in favor of the prin- ciples and policies of the Whig party. There were, indeed, many strong and influential members of the Democratic party, and these were able in those days to control a large element of foreign- ers who had sought the fertile lands for which the county is pre-eminent. This was particularly the ease with the Norwegians and Irish, great numbers of whom had taken up their abode in the county. But the great middle class, of whom we first spoke, mostly from New York and the eastern states, were the control- ling political element, and it only needed the proper leader to organize this element to enable it to take the control of the politi- cal affairs of the county.
Roek county could scarcely be said to have a separate organi- zation until 1845. Before that time Rock and Walworth counties united in their representatives in the legislature; yet each had its own county officers. But that year Roek county was set off by itself, in a separate legislative district, and it became conspicuous at once for being the only county in the then territory in which the Whigs were permanently and reliably the ruling party. From that time, with only a few exceptions, the Whigs of the county maintained their ascendency until the absorption of the party by the formation of the Republican party in 1854.
The few exceptions which happened were mostly brought about by the representation, by the Whigs, occasionally, of an illy selected and unfairly distributed tieket. There was always a rivalry between Janesville and Beloit for the best places upon
514
515
POLITICAL HISTORY
the ticket, and when Janesville succeeded, as happened once or twice, in securing an exceedingly unfair distribution, Beloit threw her influence against the ticket and thereby effected its defeat; but these cases were exceptional in the history of the party.
What added much to the stability, success and perpetuity of the party was, first, the possession of men for leaders who were thoroughly imbued with the correctness of Whig principles, who conscientiously believed their political doctrines were right, and who possessed the intelligence, the rectitude and the integrity to give them force and win for them the respect of the people; and, second, a newspaper, which gave expressions to their principles, which stood by them thoroughly, promulgated them authorita- tively, and never allowed itself to be led astray from the old Whig doctrines by side issues or local polities. These instrumentalities were the factors which took up the grand material at hand, out of which to build up, unite and consolidate one of the proudest, firmest, most harmonious and beneficent political organizations which ever existed in any republic.
First and foremost among these leaders was the Hon. Edward V. Whiton, who was also among the very first settlers in the county. He was a native of Massachusetts, was a thorough-going Whig of the Webster school, and, as early as 1838, he was sent to the territorial legislature to represent Rock county. The next year he was chosen speaker of the house, a position which he was eminently qualified to fill. He was subsequently elected to the territorial council for several terms, in which body, at one time, he was the sole Whig member. His eminent abilities as a states- man and a jurist, and his strict integrity as a man, finally pointed him out as a person fit for the justiceship of the supreme court, and his long brilliant and useful career in that position is a mat- ter of record. As a political leader he possessed qualities of the first order. He was too high minded to descend to the tricks of the partisan, but he influenced and led men by the force of his character, by the strength with which he advocated his measures, and by the simple rectitude of his example. He was always in attendance and took an active part in all the primary meetings and conventions of his party, and his wise and healthful counsels in these gatherings were seldom disregarded. As a leader he was prudent, honorable, cautious, yet inflexible, and he pushed his measures with a will power and determination which generally
516
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
secured success. A great element in his strength was the evident honesty and uprightness of his political convictions, and he had a rare power in enforcing the soundness of his opinions upon his hearers.
But so eminent and efficient a leader could hardly hope to organize and keep together a party single-handed, and Judge Whiton was not left to fight the political battles alone. He had the ablest and best of coadjutors in the work; helpers who them- selves were capable of leading, who also were actuated by the same high principles and motives for and by which he so gallantly and disinterestedly contended. Without any memorandum of the names of the leading Whigs of the early days of the county, who so grandly laid the foundations of the party, we will not attempt to give a list of them.
Of the instrumentality of the press in conserving the principles of the party, of being their exponent and constant advocate, too much can hardly be said, and the "Janesville Gazette," edited by Levi Alden, assisted after 1848 by Charles Holt, was, from the date of its first issue until there was no longer any Whig party, an able, efficient, unfaltering and consistent defender of that party. It was the political gospel, wherein was the word of life and the assurance of faith to the votaries of that grand old organ- ization, and the influence of its early teachings still live in the compact, harmonious, invincible party which today is predomi- nant in Rock county. And there was another helpful paper. Justice would not be done to that other Whig organ, "The Beloit Journal," edited by J. R. Briggs, without a most honorable men- tion here. Coming later into the field, with a circulation not as general, it still did efficient and valuable service in the party as a co-worker with its older colleague. Always able and eandid, it never became factious, as is too often the case with rival organs of the same party when the conflict of interest might at times seem to justify factiousness. It fought its own battles and fought them well, and it, too, must share in the glory of having done good and faithful work in and for a party whose history is most honorably closed; but those traditions will always remain a bright and conspicuous chapter in the annals of American politics.
The record of the Republican party of Rock county is as bril- liant in its successes as that of the Republican party of the nation. For over fifty years it has gallantly held the fort in old Rock
517
POLITICAL HISTORY
and at the age of fifty-four is as honorable in principle, as strong in faith and as powerful in numbers as when it swept the county in 1854. The first Republican county convention was held in the court house in Janesville, on October 12, 1854. The call was signed by L. P. Harvey (afterwards secretary of state and governor), John Howe, George H. Williston, Peter Schmitz, J. H. Budd, S. G. Colley, A. Hoskins, J. Dawson and E. Vincent. The call invited "the electors of Rock county, who are determined to support no man for office who is not positively and fully com- mitted to the support of the principles announced in the Repub- lican platform adopted at Madison on the 13th of July last, to meet at the court house on the 12th of October to effect a thor-
ough organization of the Republican party." The convention was largely attended, and a spirit of signal enthusiasm pervaded the assemblage. The candidate for state senator on the Repub- liean ticket was James Sutherland, who was an early settler and had already become a prominent business man. Judge Noggle was his opponent, who ran independent. Mr. Sutherland received 1,011 votes, and Judge Noggle 760. All the Republican candi- dates for the assembly were elected. George H. Williston was elected over John J. R. Pease by 25 majority. S. G. Colley was elected over John Hackett by 224 majority. Joseph Goodrich and N. B. Howard had no opposition. The candidates for county offices were: Sheriff, A. Hoskins, then of La Prairie; register of deeds, Charles R. Gibbs, then of Harmony; clerk of the court, E. P. King, of Beloit; clerk of the board, J. L. V. Thomas, of Newark ; treasurer, M. T. Walker, of Milton; district attorney, S. J. Todd. Mr. Todd withdrew from the canvass. He believed the fugitive slave law unconstitutional, and avowed he would per- form no duties under it if elected sheriff, and therefore refused to be a candidate. All the Republican candidates were elected by large majorities. Matt Carpenter was the Democratie candi- date for district attorney, and G. B. Ely ran independent. Each received 1,109 votes, and Todd 782. For some irregularity the town of Turtle was thrown out, which gave the election to Ely and he received the certificate. Washburn ran for congress against Otis Hoyt, Democrat, and carried the county by 1,419 majority.
Since the organization of the party, in 1854, the Republicans have invariably made a clean sweep of the county officers and
518
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
state senators. In 1856 Fremont's majority was 2,743; Wash- burn, for congress, had a majority of 2,762. Mr. Sutherland ran for the state senate against Ezra Miller, and defeated him by 1,247 majority. The entire Republican county ticket was elected by a large majority. Since 1854 the following Republicans were in the state senate, up to 1879, named in the order in which they served: James Sutherland, four years; L. P. Harvey, four years ; Z. P. Burdick, two years; Ezra A. Foot, two years; William A. Lawrence, four years ; S. J. Todd, two years ; Charles G. Williams, four years; H. N. Davis, four years; Hamilton Richardson, four years.
In the assembly the persons who served as Republicans, 1854 to 1879, were as follows, with their years of service: N. B. Howard, two years; George H. Williston, one (two years as a Whig) ; S. G. Colley, one; Joseph Goodrich, one; Levi Alden, one; John Child, one; John M. Evans, two; H. J. Murray, two; L. G. Fisher, one; David Noggle, one; Ezra A. Foot, one; W. H. Tripp, one; G. R. Atherton, one ; K. W. Bemis, one; Z. P. Burdick, three; J. H. Knowlton, one; George Irish, one; W. H. Stark, three; E. L. Carpenter, one; J. P. Dickson, two; W. E. Wheeler, two; J. K. P. Porter, one; Edward Vincent, one; T. C. Westby, one; Jeremiah Johnson, one; G. Golden, one; S. S. Northrop, one; B. F. Carey, one; Alexander Graham, three; A. W. Pope, two; James Kirkpatrick, one; E. Palmer, one; Samuel Miller, one; John Bannister, one; A. C. Bates, three; Orrin Guernsey, one; J. Corey, one; Joseph Spaulding, one; Jacob Fowle, one; C. M. Treat, one ; D. Alcott, one; Thomas Earle, one; Thomas H. Good- hue, two; Guy Wheeler, one; Perry Bostwick, one; H. Richardson, one ; J. Burbank, one; Daniel Johnson, one; S. C. Carr, two; H. S. Wooster, two; E. P. King, two; J. B. Cassoday, two (speaker) ; Daniel Mowe, one; A. W. Pope, one; Burrows Burdick, one; A. C. Douglas, one ; J. T. Dow, one; Pliny Norcross, one; Burr Sprague, one; W. C. Whitford, one ; C. H. Parker, two years as Republican and one as Greenback ; A. M. Thomson, two (speaker) ; Seth Fisher, one ; D. E. Maxon, one; Adelmorn Sherman, three; I. M. Bennett, two; John Hammond, two; H. H. Peterson, one; R. T. Powell, one; Willard Merrill, one; O. F. Wallihan, one; D. G. Cheever, two; E. K. Felt, two; David F. Sayre, one; H. A. Patterson, one; Marvin Osborne, two; Andrew Barlass, three; A. Henderson, one ; George H. Crosby, one; Hiram Merrill, one; L. T. Pullen, inde-
519
POLITICAL HISTORY
dependent Republican, one; George Gleason, one; S. T. Merrill, two; G. E. Newman, one; Fenner Kimball, one; A. P. Lovejoy, one; R. J. Burge, one; William Gardiner, one.
The Democrats elected but two assemblymen from 1854 to 1879-John Winans in 1873 and J. A. Blount in 1875.
The Democratic party, by a Rock county Democrat. In the light of admitted facts, we may, indeed, affirm that before Rock county, as such, existed, even while its fertile lands were under "government jurisdiction," the votaries of Democracy found here an abiding place ; and here, too, as everywhere else, they reckoned themselves a part of the Great National Democratic Party, as founded by Thomas Jefferson, and taught by Silas Wright, Thomas H. Benton and Stephen A. Douglas. These were leaders whose followers were not bounded by states, or hemmed in by territorial legislation ; and, in the early history of the county, no less than at present, we find the leaders of the Rock County Democracy, and its rank and file men of nerve and sagacity. In an early day the county was Democratic, in fact, remained so practically without variation until a Free-Soil boom, which here, as elsewhere, revolutionized communities, and finally converted the majority to the principles of a new Republican party, whose ascendency has ever since been maintained.
Within thirty or thirty-five years, covering the period of which we write, a generation has passed, and yet, during all this period, eventful without precedent in our country's history, the Rock county Democrats have maintained, whether in the majority or in the face of discouraging odds, the same steady devotion to Democratic principles and party discipline which has commanded the admiration of all intelligent men, regardless of political status. . If scores and hundreds of Rock county's Democrats forsook the party and joined another it shows that they were thinking, read- ing men, and, as such, they still share our respect. Our space forbids mention of their names, but many of them well adorn the walks of life, thus elearly evincing the power of early Democratic teachings and examples; many others, still wiser, if we may express it so, have returned to their first "love," where, we trust, perpetual sunshine awaits them. David Noggle, John Hackett, A. Hyatt Smith, C. S. Jordon, Matt H. Carpenter, Dr. John Mitchel, J. M. Burgess, Rush Beardsley, Robert Stone, H. B. Johnson, H. W. Cator, N. P. Bump and brothers, J. M. Haselton,
520
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
Hamilton Richardson, W. T. Hall, Colonel Ezra Miller, J. W. Phillips, M. C. Smith, James Murwin, Anson Rogers, Dr. J. B. Whiting, Sol. Hutson. A. D. Wickham, J. W. St. John, A. O. Wil- son, William Smith, W. Skelly and brothers, the McKey brothers, Judge Parker, Dr. O. P. Robinson, C. S. Decker, J. A. Blount, A. D. Maxfield, Moses S. Prichard, Frank Biddles, John and B. Spence, D. Davies, E. H. Davies, John Winans, H. MeElroy, J. R. Hunter, Clinton Babbitt, Paul Meagher and brothers, Ira Malti- more, Paul Broder, C. Sexton, J. J. R. Pease, Dr. W. H. Borden, John Livingston, Matthew Smith, A. Broughton, Colonel Russell, J. B. Doe, Evan Thomas, T. T. Croft, William Cox, Robert John- son, Edward Ryan, E. G. Newhall, Joseph A. Wood, James Church, Edward Connell, J. W. Bishop, S. G. Williams are or were some of them-but space forbids further mention of names. It is sufficient if, by this list (both living and dead), the reader can gain some idea of the men and material forming the ranks of the Rock county Democracy since the county was organized. We regret that other names equally as well known could not be obtained at this writing. But within even this limited number the resident reader will not only find many who helped lay the foundation of our commercial and intellectual progress, but may also note many earnest and faithful builders, whose work is yet unfinished. If, within the last twenty years, the Democrats of Rock county have not figured much in mere local government, they have, at least, made their share of sacrifice for the good of all. As citizens they are respected; as taxpayers their counsel is sought the more when difficulties appear.
?
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.