Madison County, Illinois - Chapter 11: Political and Judicial Representatives, 1912

State Officers - On State Boards and Commissions - Congressional Representation - Presidential Electors - Members of Constitutional Conventions - Members of Supreme Court. .

Six governors of Illinois have, at one time or another, had their residence in Madison county, but only one of them was a resident when elected, and that was Edward Coles, whose home was in Edwardsville. Governor Edwards resided in Edwardsville from 1818 to 1825, when he removed to Belleville and was a resident of that city when elected gov¬ ernor in 1826. Thomas Ford was a resident of Edwardsville for several years and mar¬ ried there, but when elected governor in 1842, resided in Ogle county. John Reynolds re¬ sided in Madison county from 1807 to 1815, and when elected governor in 1830 was a resident of St. Clair. John M. Palmer lived in Madison county, at Upper Alton, when a youth and young man, but when elected gov¬ ernor in 1868 was a resident of Springfield. Charles S. Deneen was born in Edwardsville but was brought up in St. Clair. When a young man he taught school at Godfrey, this county. When elected governor in 1904 and 1908, he was a resident of Chicago.

No citizen of Madison county has ever filled the office of lieutenant governor by elec¬ tion, but in 1852 George T. Brown, of Madi¬ son, received 113 votes in the Democratic convention to 132 for Gustavus Koerner, of St. Clair. At that time a Democratic nomina¬ tion was equivalent to an election.

Four citizens of Madison have filled the office of attorney general. Samuel D. Lockwood, appointed in 1822; James Semple, 1833; Jesse B. Thomas, Jr., 1835 ; George W. Olney, 1838.

The following citizens of Madison county have been elected members of the State Board of Equalization since the creation of that body in 1867: Irwin B. Randle, Alton, 1868; John E. Coppinger, Alton, 1880; Joseph C. Ammann, Highland, 1888; Joseph F. Long, New Douglas, 1892 and 1896; James T. Tartt, Edwardsville, 1900; Utten S. Nixon, Alton, 1904 and 1908.

Following are present members of state boards and commissions: John S. Culp, Bethalto, vice president State Board of Agri¬ culture and trustee Eastern Illinois State Nor¬ mal School ; Dr. W. H. C. Smith, Godfrey, trustee Illinois Asylum for Feeble Minded Children; E. W. Burroughs, Edwardsville, director Illinois Farmers' Institute; Walton Rutledge, Alton, inspector of mines, Eighth district; John A. Cousley, Alton, member State Civil Service Commission; Judge Ben¬ jamin R. Burroughs, Edwardsville, member State Board of Administration ; Ralph E. Niedringhaus, M. D., Granite City, member State Board of Health; Fridolin Oswald, Al¬ hambra, member of State Board of Examin¬ ers of Architects.

The representation of Madison county at Washington during the last century has been meager compared with its deserts. In the United States senate it has been represented as follows: Ninian Edwards, of Edwards¬ ville, from 1819 to 1824, Democrat; Jesse B. Thomas, Edwardsville, 1823 to 1829, Demo¬ crat. Both these statesmen served previous terms when residents of Kaskaskia.

Lyman Trumbull, Alton, 1855 to 1873, three terms. When first elected he was a resident of Belleville, but soon after removed to Alton. Resided there until near the close of his sec¬ ond term when he removed to Chicago. When first elected he was an Anti-Nebraska Demo¬ crat, but became a Republican.

Another citizen of Madison county, Judge David J. Baker, of Alton, also served a frac¬ tional term, by appointment - from Novem¬ ber 24 to December 11, 1830, but was then a resident of Kaskaskia. He was then a Demo¬ crat, but became one of the pioneer leaders of the Republican party in the state.

Senator Baker was the father of five sons, all of whom became famous, viz: Judge Henry S. Baker, of Alton ; Hon. E. L. Baker, journalist and United States consul at Buenos Ayres; David J. Baker, Jr., chief justice of the supreme court; Col. John P. Baker, U. S. A., and Joseph Baker, U. S. Marine service.

Lyman Trumbull was a national figure for many years, especially during the war. He was a profound lawyer and was chairman of the Judiciary committee. He became a Lib¬ eral in 1872 and was a candidate for the presidency before the convention of that party, but was defeated by Horace Greeley, whose candidacy was afterwards endorsed by the Democrats.

In the lower house of congress, Madison county has not fared as well as in the senate. Benjamin Stephenson, of Edwardsville, was the delegate in congress from Illinois terri¬ tory from 1814 to 1816, when he was ap¬ pointed receiver of public moneys. He was a Democrat. Madison was then without rep¬ resentation in congress until 1843, when Rob¬ ert Smith, of Alton, was elected. He served three consecutive terms until 1849, when he was succeeded by Col. William H. Bissell, of Belleville, who also served three terms until he was elected the first Republican gov¬ ernor of Illinois, in 1856, having previously been a Democrat. Robert Smith was again elected and served from 1857 to 1859. He was also a Democrat, but became a Republi¬ can and served in the Union army as pay¬ master.

The county was then unrepresented in con¬ gress by one of its own citizens until 1895, when W. F. L. Hadley, of Edwardsville, was elected vice Frederick Remann, deceased, and served until 1897.

has been, in part, as follows: William Martin, Alton, Democrat, 1848; Henry S. Baker, Al¬ ton, Republican, 1864; Charles F. Springer, Edwardsville, Republican, 1868; Cyrus Happy, Edwardsville, Republican, 1876; Wilbur T. Norton, Alton, Republican, 1880; William R. Prickett, Edwardsville, Democrat, 1892.

The first convention for framing a state constitution convened at Kaskaskia August 3, 1818. It consisted of thirty-three members. The constitution adopted in convention was not submitted to a vote of the people, but was approved by congress December 3, 1818. The members from Madison county were Benja¬ min Stephenson, Joseph Borough and Abra¬ ham Prickett.

The second constitutional convention con¬ vened at Springfield, June 7, 1847. The in¬ strument it adopted was ratified by the people, March 6, 1848, and became effective April 1st following. It was composed of 162 delegates. Those from Madison county were Cyrus Ed¬ wards, E. M. West, Benaiah Robinson and George T. Brown.

The third constitutional convention con¬ sisted of seventy-five delegates. It convened at Springfield March 24, 1862. The con¬ stitution it framed was rejected by the people at an election held June 17th following. The delegates from Madison were Samuel A. Buckmaster and Solomon Koepfli.

The fourth constitutional convention met at Springfield, December 13, 1869. The con¬ stitution prepared was ratified by the people July 3, 1870, and is still in force. It con¬ tained the innovation of minority representa¬ tion which has since been a medium of polit¬ ical corruption and will doubtless be repudiated by the people whenever it again becomes an issue at the polls. The delegates from Mad¬ ison were H. W. Billings, Democrat, and Charles F. Springer, Republican. Judge Bil¬ lings died April 19, 1870, nearly a month be¬ fore the adjournment of the convention.

Samuel D. Lockwood, of Edwardsville, served as a judge of the supreme court from June 19, 1825, to November 3, 1848, when he resigned after an honorable service of twentythree years. No abler man ever sat upon the supreme bench of the state.

Theophilus W. Smith, also of Edwardsville, served from January 19, 1825, to December 26, 1842, when he died in office after a serv¬ ice of seventeen years.

Jesse B. Thomas, Jr., of Edwardsville, served on the supreme bench from August 23, 1843 t0 August 8, 1845 (when he resigned) and from January 26, 1847, to December 4, 1848.

David J. Baker, Jr., of Cairo, formerly of Alton and son of David J. Baker, Sr., former United States Senator, was a member of the supreme bench from July 9, 1878, to' June, 1897, a period of nineteen years, a portion of the time as chief justice of the court.