Tipton County IN Archives History - Books .....Tipton County Politics 1883 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 15, 2006, 1:00 am Book Title: Counties Of Howard And Tipton, Indiana TIPTON COUNTY POLITICS. The first Presidential election held in the county was in 1844, the same year the county was organized. Before that, it is true, in 1840, when the county was yet attached to Hamilton County, the citizens were called upon to vote either for the Whig candidate, Harrison, or the Democratic candidate, Van Buren; but although the court house at Noblesville was ransacked by the writer, the result of this election in the townships of Tipton County could not be found. In 1844, the question before the people was the probable future application of Texas for admission into the Union. The Democratic party highly favored the admission, mainly upon the ground of an increase of slave territory, while the Whig opposed the measure for an opposite reason. The campaign was conducted with great spirit, approaching in many places extreme partisan bitterness, but the Democratic party proved victorious, and afterward, early in the spring of 1845, before John Tyler had retired from the Presidential chair, Texas was formally admitted into the Union. The full vote in Tipton County in November, 1844, was as follows: Democrat, for Polk and Dallas—Madison, 32; Jefferson, 23; Cicero, 35; Prairie, 29; total, 119. Whig, for Clay and Frelinghuysen—Madison, 20; Jefferson, 26; Cicero, 29; Prairie, 25; total, 100. The county took a Democratic stand at the start, though there was little or no excitement over the contest. In 1846, David Wilmot, of Pennsylvania, introduced a bill into Congress prohibiting slavery in the newly acquired territory of Texas. This was followed by protracted debates of the most fiery intensity, and the partisan spirit of the whole country was stirred as it had never been before. Many of the hot speeches then delivered in Congress are the most perfect specimens of American eloquence and oratory in existence. A Free-Soil party was organized, and although the bill was finally defeated, the issues which it incited were carried into the campaign of 1848, and the new party placed a ticket in the field. The election in Tipton County in November, 1848, resulted as follows: TOWNSHIPS. DEM. WHIG. FREE SOIL. Cass and Taylor and Van Buren Butler. Fillmore. and Adams. Madison. 61 35 -- Jefferson 53 58 -- Cicero 61 51 1 Prairie 52 30 -- Wild Cat. 8 9 2 Total 235 183 3 No attempt to organize a Free-Soil party in Tipton County had been made, though a number of the citizens, notably the Quakers, had declared in favor of that party. The hot partisan spirit in Congress and throughout the country continued with unabated intensity. California adopted a constitution prohibiting slavery, and asked for admission into the Union; but the measure was promptly and violently opposed by the Southern members of Congress, who insisted that, as part of the State, at least, was south of Mason and Dixon's line, it should be admitted as a Slave State. The excitement and bitterness continued to increase until, in 1850, Henry Clay, the "great pacificator," introduced in Congress his celebrated "Omnibus Bill," which provided, among other things, that California should be admitted as a Free State, that Texas should be divided into not more than four States, without or with slavery, as the citizens might decide, that a more stringent fugitive slave law should be adopted, and that slavery in the District of Columbia should be abolished. The bill was violently assailed by both parties for months, but was finally adopted. People felt, however, that the issue was simply postponed, and in the election of 1852, the questions involved in the bill came again before the country, though the Democratic and Whig parties agreed as to the wisdom of the compromise. The Free-Soil party had grown stronger, maintaining that slavery should be excluded from all the territories. The vote in Tipton County, November, 1852, was as follows: DEM. WHIG. FREE SOIL. TOWNSHIPS. Pierce and Scott and Hale and King. Graham. Julian. Madison 108 62 -- Jefferson 88 81 -- Cicero 128 95 5 Prairie 67 41 1 Liberty 34 55 -- Wild Cat 36 6 -- Total. 461 340 6 The question of the expansion of slave territory continued to stir up partisan hostility. In January, 1854, Stephen A. Douglas introduced into Congress his famous "Kansas-Nebraska Bill," which provided for the formation of those States, and for the adoption or rejection of slavery, as the citizens should determine at the polls. Great excitement prevailed throughout the North when the measures of this bill became known, as, in case of its adoption, the Missouri compromise and the compromise of 1850 would be virtually repealed, as both new States lay north of the Mason and Dixon line. The debates in Congress were passionate, vehement, artful and eloquent, and despite the utmost efforts of the Whigs, the bill was finally adopted. The soil of Kansas was immediately invaded by pro-slavery and anti-slavery partisans, to decide the question of slavery, and soon open war and bloodshed ran riot. The election was held, and the pro-slavery delegates, who claimed to have been elected, assembled at Lecompton and adopted a constitution with slavery as its corner-stone. The anti-slavery delegates, who claimed to have been rightly elected, met at Topeka and adopted a constitution prohibiting slavery. The excitement continued, but finally, as it was impossible to tell which party was truly in the ascendency, President Pierce appointed John W. Greary Governor of Kansas, and comparative order was soon restored. The new party, Republican, came into life upon the various issues agitating the country, drawing its strength from that sentiment in all parties opposing slavery. The election of November, 1856, came on, resulting as follows in Tipton County: DEM. REP. AMERICAN. TOWNSHIPS. Buchanan and Fremont and Fillmore and Breckinridge. Dayton. Donelson. Madison 162 56 1 Jefferson 86 114 1 Cicero 217 155 3 Prairie 109 71 -- Liberty 83 119 4 Wild Cat 81 31 5 Total 738 546 14 The bitterness dividing the North and the South continued to increase. In 1857, the United States Supreme Court decided in the Dred Scott case that the negro could not become a citizen under the Constitution. This was followed by indignant mass meetings in the North and the adoption of denunciatory resolutions and "Personal Liberty Bills." In 1859, John Brown endeavored to incite an insurrection of the slaves in Virginia, but was captured, and himself and a number of his followers were hung. The fugitive slave law was openly violated throughout the North, and numerous prosecutions followed. The country was on the brink of civil war. The South saw that the enormous influx of population in the Northern States would result in the election of a Republican President, and the leaders of slavery knew that the hour for secession had come. It was publicly announced that the election of a Republican President would be regarded as a sufficient menace to the institution of slavery to warrant the South in withdrawing from the Union. Four parties placed tickets in the field in 1860, with the following result in Tipton County in November, 1860: DEM. REP. DEM. UNION. Douglas and Lincoln and Breckinridge Bell and Johnson. Hamlin. and Lane. Everett. TOWNSHIPS. Madison 136 101 2 -- Jefferson 90 153 4 2 Cicero 256 221 6 -- Prairie 126 94 4 -- Liberty 109 131 5 1 Wild Cat 107 70 -- -- Total 824 770 21 3 This election was succeeded by the secession of the leading States of the South, and by a long, bloody, civil war, which forever, it is hoped, obliterated slavery from the United States. In 1864, the question before the country was the continuance or cessation of war. The result in Tipton County in November, 1864, was as follows: DEM. REP. TOWNSHIPS. McClellan and Lincoln and Pendleton. Johnson Madison 164 72 Jefferson 119 130 Cicero 279 234 Prairie 158 93 Liberty 145 138 Wild Cat 154 64 Total 1019 731 Mr. Lincoln was re-elected, which was a ratification of his administration and a declaration in favor of a continuance of the war, and extensive preparations to conclude the unnatural civil strife were speedily carried into effect. The spring of 1865 saw the war end, and saw the lamented assassination of President Lincoln and the transfer of the Executive Department of the Government to the Vice President, Mr. Johnson. Considerable trouble arose in regard to the reconstruction of the Southern States, which resulted in an effort to impeach the President, the effort failing by but one vote. The question of reconstruction was before the country in 1868, the following being the result of the election in Tipton County, November 1868: DEM. REP. TOWNSHIPS. Seymour and Grant and Blair. Colfax Madison 204 112 Jefferson 132 163 Cicero 368 319 Prairie 192 128 Liberty 162 181 Wild Cat 210 114 Total 1268 1017 The Republican candidates were elected, and so satisfactory to his party was the administration of Gen. Grant that he became the Republican nominee for re-election in 1872. The Democratic party formed a coalition with dissatisfied Republicans and with all who were opposed to Gen. Grant, and placed in nomination Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, a "Liberal Republican," of great prominence. The result in Tipton, November, 1872, was as follows: LIBERAL BOURBON REPUBLICAN REP. DEMOCRAT. TOWNSHIPS. Greeley and Grant and O'Conor and Brown Wilson. Adams. Madison 248 156 -- Jefferson 150 173 -- Cicero 397 406 -- Prairie 161 156 5 Liberty 178 200 -- Wild Cat 193 166 1 Total 1327 1257 6 The Republican candidates were again elected, the result when known, being followed by the death of Mr. Greeley, one of the most eminent editors and philanthropists of the century. Soon after this the Independent or Greenback party came into existence, its formation being due to the hard times resulting from the depreciation of values at the close of the war. The election of November, 1876, resulted as follows: DEM. REP. IND. TOWNSHIPS. Tilden and Hayes and Cooper and Hendricks Wheeler Cary. Madison 257 152 5 Jefferson 201 209 12 Cicero 494 438 45 Prairie 224 163 12 Liberty 259 199 8 Wild Cat 269 181 17 Total 1704 1342 99 Owing to numerous alleged frauds in the election in the South (and even in the North), the Lower House of Congress was unable to determine which candidates were entitled to the electoral vote of certain Southern States. The Constitution provided no remedy for the dilemma, and much excitement resulted in Congress and throughout the country. At last Mr. Edmunds, of Vermont, introduced a bill in Congress, transferring the settlement of the question to an "Electoral Commission," consisting of the Judges of the Surpeme Court of the United States. This bill was accepted by both parties as a compromise, and the result was that the "Electoral Commission" decided by a vote of eight to seven in favor of the Republican candidates, and accordingly Hayes and Wheeler assumed control of the Executive Department. The administration of President Hayes was so satisfactory in its financial results that the Republicans were again enabled to carry the election in 1880. Tipton County voted as follows: DEM. REP. IND. TOWNSHIPS. Hancock and Garfield and Weaver and English Arthur. Chambers Madison 276 183 2 Jefferson 231 268 24 Cicero 581 458 13 Prairie 244 178 7 Liberty 252 213 4 Wild Cat 272 218 12 Total 1856 1518 62 Additional Comments: Extracted from: COUNTIES OF HOWARD AND TIPTON, INDIANA. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. ILLUSTRATED. CHARLES BLANCHARD. EDITOR. CHICAGO: F. A. BATTEY & CO. 1883. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/tipton/history/1883/counties/tiptonco405gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 16.0 Kb