Faulk County, SD History .....Chapter XIII The First Election 1909
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CHAPTER XIII.

THE FIRST ELECTION.



    A county organization had been secured with appointed officials; but not

until the national election of November, 1884, had county and district

conventions been held, and the LaFoon Record, Vol. II, No. 36, Evans & Geddes

proprietors, of November 1, 1884, published the following National Republican

ticket:



    For president, James G. Elaine, of Maine; for vice president, John A. Logan,

of Illinois. Territorial ticket: For delegate to congress, District of Dakota,

Oscar S. Gifford. Legislative ticket, sixth district: For councilmen J. P. Day

and J. H. Westover; for representatives, J. A. Pickler, G. W. Pierce, J. T.

Blackmore, and M. L. Miller; County Ticket: For Judge of Probate Court, C. H.

Derr; for Clerk of District Court, F. A. Pangburn; for Register of Deeds, Jas.

W. Johnston; for County Attorney, E. G. Clifford; for County Treasure, P. E.

Knox; for Sheriff, L. M. Buland; for Superintendent of Schools, Mrs. A. P. Rose;

for Assessor, E. C. Sage; for Surveyor, B. H. Clark; for Coroner, L. M. Sprowls;

for Justices of the Peace, Frank Turner, Darius S. Smith, W. R. Davis and W. G.

Faulkner; for Constables, J. W. Bass, C. B. Oakes, Edward Hoisel and C. J.

Cooper: for County Seat, LaFoon; for County Commissioner, Second District, John

L. Chain.



    The following account of the First Republican County Convention, published

by the Faulkton Times of Sept. 1884, is entitled to a place of record as a

historical event of that day.



    “Faulk county has had her first county convention for the nomination of

county officers. It assembled at LaFoon last Saturday pursuant to call. Shortly

after 11 o'clock, the hour set for the convention to meet, the delegates,

candidates and spectators—about an equal number of each— assembled at the school

house, and were called to order by C. H. Derr. The call was read by M. L. Wood,

who placed in nomination L. H. Bailey for temporary chairman. Morgan G. Millard

and A. E. Evans were chosen secretaries.



  On motion the delegation of each precinct named a member of the committee on

credentials. The following persons were named:

Precinct No. 1, G. S. Rice,

Precinct No. 2, Mark Purdy,

Precinct No. 3, Geo. B. Dyer,

Precinct No. 4, Chas. Rathke,

Preoinct No. 5, J. V. Smack,

Precinct No. 6, W. G. Faulker,

Precinct No. 7, P. B. Durley,

Precinct No. 8, Chas. Oakes,

Precinct No. 9, H. S. Utley,

Precinct No. 11, Harris Pool,

Precinct No. 12, Geo. A. Morse,

Precinct No. 13, C. H. Ellis.



    There being a contest from number 10 no member of the committe was allowed

from this precinct.



    On motion the chairman appointed the following committee on permanent

organization; R. G. Morton, M. G. Millard, H. A. Humphrey and two others whose

names are not given.



    On motion each precinct designated a member of the County Central Committee.

T-he following now constitute the Central Committee:



Precinct No. 1, J. P. Randall, 

Precinct No. 2, W. M. Walker, 

Precinct No. 3, Morgan G. Millard, 

Precinct No. 4, Chas. Rathke, 

Precinct No. 5, H. W. Reinicke, 

Precinct No. 6, J. H. Shirk, 

Precinct No. 7, P. B. Durley, 

Precinct No. 8, C. H. Derr, 

Precinct No. 9, A. F. Clark, 

Precinct No. 10, J. R. Dutch, 

Precinct No. 11, M. L. Wood, 

Precinct No. 12, Geo. A. Morse, 

Precinct No. 13, Wm. H. Lower.



    On motion the chairman appointed the following as a committee to place in

nomination delegates to the Pierre and Redfield conventions:



    P. B. Durley, B. H. Clark, F. M. Byrne and Charles Chambers.



    The convention then adjourned until 1 p. m.



    When the convention met in the afternoon the committee on credentials

reported the following delegates:



    1—G. S. Rice, L. H. Bailey, Ed. Clifford, James Devine, Chas. Chambers.



    2—M. Purdy, C. C. Gettings, A. Garrick.



    3—Morgan G. Millard, G. W. McTier, Geo. B. Dyer.



    4—Charles Rathke, Otto Mielke.



    5—Harry A. Sprowles, J. V, Smack, B. H. Clark.



    6—J. A. Pickler, W. G. Faulker, J. W. Bass, J. H. Shirk.



    7—P. B. Durley, Ed. Hoisel, H. A. Humphrey, J. W. Hays.



    8—A. B. Sheldon, R. G. Morton, Joseph Powell, C. B. Oakes, A. E. Evans.



    9—H. S. Utley, Geo. M. Buterfield, Alex Miller, R. Travis.



    10—Robert Knapton, F. M. Brown, J. M. Miles.



    11—H. Chain, H. Pool, Orin Strevel, H. Metz



    12—D. O. Hillman, Geo. A. Morse, Chas. S. Chase.



    13—C. H. Ellis, W. W. Gwin, John Parsons.



    Geo. A. Morse presented a minority report on precinct No. 10 recommending

Theodore Speltz and August Seemer to seats in the convention, but this was voted

down and the delegation above named admitted to seats.



    Committee on permanent organization reported in favor of making the

temporary organization permanent, which report met the unanimous endorsement of

the convention .



The convention then proceeded to the nominations.



    C. H. Derr received 46 votes for the nomination of probate judge and was

declared the unanimous choice of the convention for that office.



    On motion it was ordered that the first vote in alt the succeeding

nominations be considered informal.



    Frank A. Pangburn, of Faulkton, received 40 and J. W. Miles, of LaFoon, 6

votes for the nomination of clerk of district court. The nomination of Mr.

Pangburn was made unanimous.



    Before the convention assembled it was plain to be seen that the nomination

for register of deeds and county clerk had narrowed down to Charles I. Crow, of

DeVoe, and Jas. W. Johnston, of LaFoon. No other candidates were talked of. On

the informal ballot Johnston received 27 and Crow 19 votes. The nomination of

Johnston was made unanimous.



    For treasurer, P. E. Knox received 37 votes and E. C. Sage 9.



    For county superintendent of schools, Mrs. Rose received 37 votes and Mr.

Davis 9.



    For sheriff L. M. Buland received 30 votes and Harry Chamberlain 16.



    For assessor E. C, Sage received 17 votes, F. A. Seaman 15, Samuel Davisson

8, A. A. Garrick 3, A. E. Clark 3. The name of Davisson was then withdrawn in

favor of Seaman. The second ballot resulted as follows: Sage 28 votes, Seaman 18.



    Dr. L. M. Sprowles was nominated by acclamation for the office of coroner.



    B. H. Clark received 46 votes for the nomination of surveyor.



    E. C. Clifford and Geo. J. Jarvis were the candidates before the convention

for district attorney, the former received 42 votes, the latter 4.



    Each of the foregoing nominations were, in their turn, and with a hearty and

good natured shout, made unanimous.



    The following were nominated for justices of the peace: Frank Turner, W. R.

Davis, W. G. Faulkner, and D. S. Smith. For constables: J. W. Bass, C. B. Oakes,

Ed. Hoisel and Chauncy J. Cooper.



    The report of the committee on nomination of delegates to the Pierre and

Redfield conventions was taken up and adopted. Following- are the delegates: To

the Pierre convention, J. A. Pickler and John L., Chain; to the Redfield

convention: W. S. Belknap, C. H. Ellis, M. L. Wood and F. M. Brown.



    The following resolutions were adopted by a unanimous vote of the convention:



    Resolved, 1, That in this, the first republican convention of Faulk county,

we affirm our allegiance to the principles of the republican party and, although

deprived of the privilege of expressing our preference by the ballot, we desire

to voice our sentiment in favor of James G. Elaine and John A. Logan for

President and Vice-President of the Nation, and that we invite all persons

without regard to former party affiliation to join and cooperate with us in

furthering the common interests of our county.



    2nd, That deeming the division of this territory and the admission of that

portion south of the 46th parallel as a state, paramount in importance to all

other political questions, we respectfully and persistently demand such national

legislation as will secure this result.



    3rd, That we are unalterably opposed to the admission of the territory, as a

whole, to statehood.



    4th, That the thanks of the party are due to the gentlemen comprisng the

Wood and Derr committees for the masterly and satisfactory manner in which they

united their committees, thus restoring harmony in the party, and that we pledge

our earnest support to the ticket today nominated by the convention.



    The following resolution recommending J. A. Pickler as a candidate for the

territorial legislature and instructing the delegates to the Redfield convention

to support him was introduced by G. S. Rice in a brilliant and eloquent speech.



    Whereas, It seems to be the desire of the republicans of Faulk county to

present the name of a Faulk county citizen for the office of member of the

legislature, be it therefore,



    Resolved, That our delegates to Redfield be instructed to use all honorable

means to secure the nomination of Mr. J. A. Pickler as candidate for said office.



    The Major responded in a few touching words, thanking the convention for the

honor conferred, and pledging himself, if elected, to faithfully protect the

interests of the people. The resolution was unanimously adopted.



    Thus, having finished its labors, the first county convention of Faulk

county adjourned to meet at the polls and elect the ticket. A more intelligent

and harmonious body we have seldom seen. The order and system with which the

proceedings were carried on showed, on the part of all, a familiarity with the

public business,"





Additional Comments:
From:



HISTORY OF

FAULK COUNTY

SOUTH DAKOTA

CAPTAIN C. H. ELLIS



TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS



ILLUSTRATED

19O9





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