Pike County, Illinois - Chapter 18: Political, 1880

During the first few vears of the coniitv's historv ])artv lines in politics were not drawn nor conventions held, and no ori^^ani/ccd mode of placing candidates in thetieUl adopted. The first p«ditical meeting ever lield in Pike county was at Montezuma in LS34. This meeting was conducted by Win. Ross and Benj. Harney; the former was running for the Legislature, and the latter for County Conimissioner. There were ])erhaps oU voters present, besides some boys. Col. Ross made a speech, but no announcements or ap])ointments were made for future meetings, and we presume none were ever held. Col. Barney was attacked for being a Universalist, and was told by one man that he would not vote for him on that ground.

The first political convention where nominations were made for office was held at Pittsfield in 1836, when the main issue was "Jackson "' and "anti-Jackson," referring to the policy of the late President. There were five candidates in the field that year, one Democrat, - Martin Van Buren, and four Whigs - AV. II. Ilarrison, Hugh L. White, Daniel Webster and Willie P. Mangum. After that period political conventions were regularly held i)y all parties, and men were brought out in that way to run for a particular office.

When Pike county was first laid off it will be remembered that it embraced the vast region lying between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, extending east to the Indiana line, and north to the Wisconsin State line. The few settlers scattered here and there over this large territory had to travel long distances to cast tlieir ballot. At the first election in the county only 35 votes were polled, evea though it did extend over the entire northern part of the State, and out of which over 50 counties have since been made.

As before remarked jiarty lines were scarcely recognized, yet an antagonism existed between the settlers of one section against another, and particularly against the Rosses and some of tlie |>eu|>le. The several members of this family were from New York, and full of enterprise, and desired to push the new county on to prosperity. They wielded great influence, and wore almost always in some public positioji. Naturally, as a result, they receive<l the censure and antagonism of many of the numerous Soutliern settlers.

Dtiriii*^ the earliest elections it will be noticed in the returns t^ivcn helow that tlie Whi^^s carried the day without difficulty. Soon, when the two great )»arties were more evenly represented liere, the contests tor j)c)litical supremacy sharpened, until the old Whii^ party was completely dethroned, and tlie Democrats were for years, indee<l until recently, easy victors.

In 1834 and 1>3»; the Democrats elected lion. Win. L. May to Congress, in this, then. Third District. In ls;}S and 1841 the Whigs elected lion. John T. Stewart, although Douglas received a majority of 04 in this county during the former year, and Ralston 'S{\ over Stewart at the election of ls41. Stewart defeated Douglas in the <listiict by only 17 votes. From that time on the Democrats were able generally by good management to carry this county in general and local clecticjns, with majorities ranging from 12 to 2,000. S<.)metimes the majority was vt-rv small, and occasionally a Democratic candidate was beaten. This sUite of thint's continued for several years, the Democratic majorities gradually increasing as the feeling became more and more antagtmistic among the |)eople on the subject of slavery. In those days Illinois was always Democratic, aided very materially by Pike's votes. In ls4o the Whigs CJirried the county by a small majority, owing to the fact, however, that every Mormon in the county, and they were numerous, voted for Harrison.

In 1S54 came the time to try men's jtolitical souls. The compromise between the two jtarties in Congress tliat year, in which it was agreed not to introduce any more diBCussion on tlie slavery (juestion, and to ignore the subject, gave dissatisfaction to many ]>eople of both j)arties. Their attachment to party began to loosen, ainl there was uneasiness on all sides. A feeling that there was approaching a breaking of political ranks and rallying on new issues, and under new leaders, betran to pervade the people of Pike county, lion. A. Williams, Kepubliean candidate for Congress, received a majority of 10() over Hon. W. A. Kicliardson, Democratic candidate, and Hon. II. K. Sutpliin, Democratic candidate for State Senator, received but one more ballot in Pike county than did Hon. N. M. Knapp, Republican.

Properly speiking, we think the people of this county have never lx;en jxditical Abolitionists. They were never in favor of disturbing the constitutional rights of the |>eople of the South, nor of clandestinely assisting their slaves to escape. They were opposed to the violent and premature commotion that occasionally broke out on the subject, hoping that some peacet'ul and legal way out of the difficulty might be found. J3ut when the direct (juestion of introducing slavery .iito the more northern and free territories, either by law, by indifference or by violence, was broached, the people of this county were sharply divided. In ls56, on theissueof allowing or preventing slavery in Nebraska, Kansas and indefinitely West, a large vote was called out, and James Buchanan received a larger inaioritv than anv candidate ever before in Pike countv.

On the death of the old Wliig party about tliis time (1856) there sprano; up two parties, neither of which could really claim to possess any of the vital principles that tjave power to the old party. The American ]tarty, l)oIievin^ the country in danger by the inHux of forei<^ners and the alanniiii^ (growth of the lloman Catholic jiower, embhuoned oti their banners, ''Americans must rule America ;" " Put none but Americans on truard." Republicans ])leaded for "Equal rii^hts to all;" ''Free press and free speech." The Ameri- Ciin jiarty made very rapid <;rowth in many States, particularly in ti.e South, while the lu])ublican ])arty secured a foothold onl}' in the North, its principles l)eing deemed antaf]fonistic to some of the ])eculiar institutions of the South. In 1856 we find both of these parties in this county in considerable numbers, each strivinoj for power, and both battlini^ a«^ai!ist a common enemy, the Democratic party. This largely accounts for the heavy majority of Buchanan, as Fremont, the Republican candidate, and Fillmore, the American candidate, each received about an equal number of votes here. An alliance, lu)wever, was formed between them for the purpose of electing local officers.

No other Republican succeeded in being elected to office in this county until Judo^e Grigsby a])peared as a candidate. lie was elected by a majority of 78. County Clerk Binns, however, who is a Democrat, was elected the same year by 666 majority. This is owing largely to the personal popularity of the two gentlemen. In 1878 Sheriff Kellogg, a Republican, was elected.

It is not in the province of this work to enter into a minute detailed histor}' of the political workings of the different parties of this county. To unfold the secrets of the caucus, the manipulations of the party rings and cli(iues, and all the inside history of county politics, belongs to another work. Oidy those who have taken an active i>art in j)olitics here are capable of performing such a task. That such a work would be interesting none will doubt.