Barton County KS Archives History - Books .....An Early Day Campaign 1912
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 3, 2005, 1:41 am

Book Title: Biographical History Of Barton County

AN EARLY DAY CAMPAIGN AND BARBECUE IN BARTON
By Elrick C. Cole

THE political campaign in Barton County in 1880 was a warm one and among th-2
various gatherings held that year, the barbecue at Dalzeil's grove was, perhaps,
the largest political gathering ever held in the county until the advent of the
Pouplist party. At that time the Republican party, locally, was suffering severe
defeats and the struggle for delegates from the state to the national convention
had intensified party differences. That was the year when the great meeting of
Arkansas valley politicians took place in Great Bend and the patriots gathered
from Topeka to Coolidge and fought out the proposition of Grant or Blaine and
ended in a draw. The rival candidates for the Republican nomination for
representative were A. J. Buckland and D. N. Heizer and a count of the delegates
after the holding of the caucuses showed that Dave Heizer was the winner. When
this fact was ascertained Buckland declined to have his name used in the
convention and after an ineffectual attempt had been made to draw the delegates
to some third man, he bolted the nomination of Heizer. Hon. F. A. Steckel of
Ellinwood was the Democratic nominee, and the seceeding Republicans nominated P.
G. Donewitz, who was prominent in politics at that time, for representative, and
Judge Townsley for attorney against G. W. Nimocks. This made a three-cornered
fight and at that time every vote counted. It must be remembered that in 1880 we
had no railroads in this county except the main line of the Santa Fe. Ellinwood
and Pawnee Rock were the only points which could be reached save by wagon road,
but one could travel angling then from the time you crossed the Walnut until the
northeast or the northwest corner of the county was reached. Of course there
were no towns aside from those on the railroads, but the rural population was
almost, if not fully, as large as now, and an effort was made to reach nearly
every school house in the county to hold a meeting. Up in Wheatland was Frank
Millard, Charles Hall, Smed Wilkinson and others. In Albion W. H. Rice, Captain
Peck, Murdock, Dave Gray and others. Over in Fairview lived Kirk Barrows, John
W. Brown and his son; over in Independent, which then included Cleveland
township, were Al Schermerhorn, Jude Sping, Jim Dalziel and Charles Montgomery
and the Dugans. In Buffalo, Levi Gunn, always true and faithful, the Everetts
and L. H. Link and in Pawnee Rock were the Bowmans, Tom Brewer, Aaron Garverick
and many whose names I do not now recall. Ellinwood was the Democratic
stronghold and was only canvassed quietly but the rest of the county was alive
with Republican meetings. I remember there was a sod school house called
Alliance school house over near where Claflin now stands, where a large meeting
was held. The crowning rally, however, was held at Dalziel's grove, the clans
gathering from all the surrounding country. Great preparations were made for
this meeting and the grove was filled with people. There was roast ox and
everything else in the eating and drinking line in abundance. Among the speakers
was a man named Minear, from Illinois. He was interested in the campaign by
reason of the fact that his nephew, named Anderson Williams, at Pawnee Rock, was
the candidate for commissioner from the Third district. Minear was a powerful
speaker on the common homespun order and he reached the people in great shape.
The crowd was so large that there were two speakers talking at the same time in
different parts of the grove. I can see the old man now standing in a header
barge, tall, angular and bony. His powerful voice and plain talk pleased his
hearers and he received a hearty ovation at the close of his speech. There was a
good glee club present and between speeches it sang popular campaign songs. It
was way in the night before the meeting closed and many camped in the grove
until the next day before returning to their homes. This was one of the most
successful political meetings, ever held in this county, and, while feeling was
high, there was the utmost good nature and hearty enjoyment of the occasion. It
was a day of pleasant meetings for people who seldom met as the means of travel
were few and far between, and much slower than now. The place was ideal and the
day a perfect one.


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