Clinton County, Indiana - Chapter 7: Political County Government, 1913

Representatives Congressmen Men Who Have Held Government Positions

In the early history of Clinton county, party politics cut but little figure. At the time of the organization of the county in 1830, General Andrew Jackson had been president since March 4, 1829. Though his entire administration of eight year were stormy, yet he was very popular and consolidated the Republican-Democratic party, which from his administration became the Democratic party of today. In all the early history of the county, when partisan politics became in any degrees prominent, the county went Democratic and was so classed. Whenever politics was warm and party lines were tightly drawn, between the old Whig party and the Democratic, up to the time of the Civil war, the majority was generally Democratic. At times, the majority was slender, ranging from one hundred up to three hundred, this last figure was very rarely reached.

Whenever the slavery question became prominent, which it did in 1850 and after, the Democratic majority in the county was reduced. Occasionally a Whig was elected to a county office, but rarely: after the Republican party came into existence, majorities changed, the Democratic majority became reduced and from i860 to 1872. at presidential elections, the county went Republican. Generally, at state elections, the county was reliably Democratic and the countv officers were Democratic with occasionally an exception. In fact, for nearlv twenty years, when a man was a candidate for a county office, he ran on his own personality or popularity.

The first clerk of the Circuit court was an old time Whig and served fourteen vears. A man as a candidate might be very popular in Jackson township, now Center, and receive but little support in Washington township. In the earlv days of the county, there were very few, in fact no bosses. Things could not be set up at conventions or on election day. Usually the

''square deal" was played. In the early days there was much political and partisan independence. Men were not led to the ballot box - there were no voting booths then, all was open, but men went freely to the ballot box, no "squads of five." as in later days. Elections were honest and were honestly conducted. This political independence prevailed for nearly twenty years; after that party lines were closely drawn.

In 1830. the first election in the county was held to elect county officers. The population being sparse, between one thousand five hundred and one thousand eight hundred, but few county officers were needed, and but few were elective, some were appointed. Clinton county being but one county in the judicial circuit, the prosecutor for the county was that of the entire circuit or was appointed by Judge Porter, then the presiding judge of the Clinton county court.

The first county election held in the county was a special election held under the law for the organization of new counties. The law provided for commissioners to select a county-seat, who should not reside in the county nor own real estate in it; but they had no other function. It also provided that the governor should appoint a sheriff pro tern., who should conduct an election for two associate judges, a clerk, a recorder, and three county commissioners. These completed the work of organizing the county, and setting its machinery in operation.

Governor Tames B. Ray appointed Charles J. Hand of Jefferson as sheriff, and issued a w rit for an election on April 19, 1830, which was duly held; and two days later. Hand certified the result, as required by law, as follows. verbatim et literatim :

"I. Charles J. Hand, sheriff of the county of Clinton do hereby certify that at an election held at the house of Capt. John Ross in the county of Clinton on the third Monday in April being the 19th day thereof in pursuance of a writ of election from his excellency. James B. Ray, Governor of the State of Indiana, the following persons were duly elected to serve for the term of seven vear fto-wit) John Ross and Samuel Maxw ell, Esquire, associate judges of the Circuit court and Samuel D. Maxwell. Esquire, clerk of the Circuit court and Beal Dorsey, recorder for the county of Clinton.

This certificate was to the Secretary of State, in order that commissions might be issued to the parties elected. Xo mention is made of county commissioners elected, who were Joseph Hill, John Douglass and Mordecai Me-

Kinsey, as they did not receive commissions, but took office on the sheriff's certificate issued to them. They met on the same day, and adjourned to May 12, when they ordered an election for justices of the peace. In explanation of the ''term of seven years" it should be noted that under the Constitution of 1816. judges, clerks and recorders held for terms of seven years, justices of the peace for five years, sheriffs and coroners for two vears, senators for three years, and representatives for one year- - thus making a ''general election" necessary annually. The general elections at that time were held in August; but before that came on it was necessary to hold another special election for justices of the peace, which was duly ordered by the Board of County Commissioners. as has been noted.

As there were some peculiar features about this election they will be noted. Only three townships had been organized, and the commissioners directed the election of two justices for Jackson township, but only one each for Ross and Washington. The reason for this was that in pursuance of the order of the Board of County Commissioners of Tippecanoe County, an election for two justices of the peace for Washington township had been held on the first Monday in June, 1829. at the house of John Ross: and the law for the organization of the countv expresslv provided that it should not affect any "justices of the peace" who have been commissioned heretofore within the bounds of said new county.

The records of this election for justices in 1829. which was the first election held within the boundaries of Clinton count}-, have not been found, but it is known that Zabina Babcock, of Washington township, was one of them, as he continued to serve for several years. At the March term. 1831. of the Clinton county commissioners, he reported four dollars of fines collected, since the organization of Clinton county, three dollars of which was on charges of assault and battery and affray against Dr. J. F. Wilds, the pioneer physician, who seems to have been fighting his way into a practice. Babcock resigned at the close of 1832. The other justice elected in 1829 evidently lived in Ross township. No record of him has been found. Possibly he did not serve, or died, or removed from the county, as he never reported his collections to the county commissioners, and there is no mention of his resignation, though a special election was ordered in November. 1832, to fill a vacancy. Only three years of his term had expired at that time.

The election for justices in Jackson township, on June 12, 1830, was held at the house of Samuel Mitchell, with William Douglass and Isaac D. Armstrong as clerks. It resulted as follows;

Samuel B. Thompson and John Harland were elected. In Ross township. the election was at the house of Solomon Miller, with Michael Stettler and James Bowen as clerks. Thomas Maliby received five votes: and Daniel Underhill received fourteen votes and was elected.

In Washington township the election was at the house of John Ross with Beal Dorsey and Elkanah Timmons as clerks. Robert Johnston received eleven votes, and Samuel Olinger forty-six votes, and was elected.

As has been mentioned. Charles J. Hand was sheriff pro tern, till a sheriff was elected at the general election in August, 1830. and commissioned, which was some weeks later. Hand was a rather early settler at Indianapolis. who arrived there in the fall of 1825 and opened a ''Hat Manufactory." In those days a hatter made hats as well as sold them. He afterwards moved to Jefferson and conducted a tavern there. In addition to being sheriff the commissioners made him collector for the county. But the emoluments of office were not sufficient to hold him and he returned to Indianapolis. On November 1, 1S30. clerk Maxwell, wrote to the Secretary of State, James Morrison, certifying the election in August and saying: "I would Ire glad if you could send the commissions by some safe private conveyance, if it can be had shortly, as our mail will arrive here on next Thursday and then we will have no mail for two weeks. Mr. Hand, our Sheriff. P. T., has removed to vour town and we now have no Sheriff, for want of the commissions, w hich ought not so to be."

As the county had just been organized, it was necessary to elect additional officers in August, accordingly, on the first Monday in August, 1830, being the 2nd day of August, a regular statutory election was held, the first general election ever held in the county of Clinton. But three townships participated in this election, Jackson, Washington and the newly formed towmship of Ross. These three townships then covered the entire territory of the county. The poll books and tally sheets were for these tow nships only. Generally, all these poll books and the accompanying tally sheets are signed by the election clerks only. The clerks of Jackson township at this election were Isaac D. Armstrong and Andrew J. Carter: for Washington township they were Beal Dorsey and Josiah J. Cooper; for Ross township, there were Samuel Arthur and Eli Henricks. The Jackson township election was held at the house of Samuel Micheal ; of Washington township, at the house of Capt. John Ross, that in Ross township at the house of Michael Stettler.

Orr for senator received 90 votes for state senator and John B. Chapman 71 votes. The senatorial district then comprised the counties of Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Putnam, Carroll, Clinton and one or two other counties. The representative district was made up of the two counties, Montgomery and Clinton. At this first general election, there were six candidates for representative to the General Assembly of the state of Indiana: John Baird. Tames Davis. William Brooks. Abel Claypool. John Bishop and William White. John Baird received 137 votes; William Brooks. 24 votes: James Davis, 17 votes : Abel Claypool received 117 votes: the other votes were scattered.

For the office of probate judge, there were two candidates at this election: William Douglas and Nathan Kirk. Both were from Jackson township as it then was. Mr. Douglas lived in the most populous part of the township and had a wide acquaintance in both Washington and Ross townships; Mr. Kirk lived off to one side up at the Cross Roads, and the result was, Mr. Douglas received an even 100 votes and Mr. Kirk 48 votes: William Douglas was elected, but served but one year. In 1832. Nathan Kirk was elected probate judge and served as such for the term of seven years. The duties of the office of probate judge were simple, merely administrative, its duties all plain and marked out by the statutes To hold this responsible office, no great amount of legal knowledge was necessary. As a general thing, no lawyer of any law practice aspired to the position or wanted the office - it was usually held by laymen. When the new constitution of 1851 came the office of probate judge was merged into that of a common pleas judge and finally the duties pertaining to probate business was bv the legislature given to the circuit courts and administered by the circuit judges.

At this election held in 1830, there was a hot contest for the office of sheriff, for two candidates. Solomon Young and Perry Timmons. Two other names appear on two of the tally sheets but they received no votes. Solomon Young received 76 votes: Perry Timmons, 73 votes. Henry M. Ross was elected coroner by 76 votes to John Benson's 24. Arthur Compton was elected school commissioner, whose duty it was to manage the funds arising from the leasing or sale of the 1 6th section in each congressional township. He received 28 votes and Elijah Rogers 23.

bo far two elections had been held in the county, one under a writ issued by the governor, the other virtually to fill vacancies. A full election was held in the year 1831. In this election. Michigan township participated, duly casting nineteen votes. For the first time. Samuel D. Maxwell consolidated the vote of the four townships and made a partial report thereon, but it did not, from some cause, report the vote on all the officers for whom votes were cast. The vote for governor, and the full local vote at this election was as follows :

The representatives were elected from a district composed of Montgomery- and Clinton counties, and the ones chosen by the entire district were Jacob Aughe and John Xelson both from Montgomery county.

At this election. Jackson township, in which Frankfort was included, cast 83 votes, showing the growth of the county-seat was slow. Among other elections, whether local, confined to a township for an election of a justice of the peace and constables, or a general election held in the entire county, one special election was held, the like of which has been held but once or twice since, in the history of the county. This was an election for a captain of a militia company. This election was held at the house of Capt. Benjamin Loveless, and the territory where the voters were to vote is described as "Captain Benjamin Loveless' Company district ": it was held on the 13th day of September. 1834. The writ for the election was issued bv Captain Loveless himself, by order of the clerk of the Circuit court, S. D. Maxwell. As no return of this election is on record or on file, it can not be known how the election resulted, but it is supposed Captain Loveless was re-elected.

was held in the county, the governor holding for three years, under the constitution of 1816. Of the fourteen townships now composing the county, but six were then organized, and as townships took part in the election of that year, W ashington, Jackson, Ross, Michigan. Perry and Warren. To show that Frankfort had grown in three years since the previous election, the poll hook of Jackson township of which Frankfort was a part enrolled the names of two hundred and sixty-nine voters.

Some peculiarities are seen in the result of this 1834 election. In this county. Xoali Xoble had the majority for governor, and was elected. It was the same way with the vote for lieutenant-governor. David Wallace carried the county and was elected. For state senator. John Baird of Montgomery - carried the county and was elected. For representative to the general assembly, Montgomery and Clinton counties as a representative district entitled to two members of the lower house, Thornton Griffith carried Clinton county by a large majority and so did John Xelson bv a small majority, but Jacob Angle and David Vance, both from Montgomery county were elected representatives. David Vance was not voted for at all in Clinton county. The two years before. 1832-33, John H. Goodbar of Montgomery and Jesse Carter of Clinton had represented the district. Joseph Wood was elected associate judge and Samuel Mitchell was re-elected. William Douglas served as probate judge but one year and was succeeded by Xathan Kirk, who having served already four years was re-elected at this 1834 election. Samuel Maxwell held over as clerk of the circuit court and auditor. X. T. Catterlin was elected sheriff. Elijah Rogers was elected coroner. Jesse Cook was elected county commissioner: Jacob Blinn and David Rinehart already serving.

In the election held August. 1S38. the following townships, as such, took part; Jackson. Michigan, Kirklin, Perry. Ross, Warren and Washington; the other townships not organized. The growth of Jackson township and Frankfort is shown by the fact that at the election of 1838. the poll book shows 348 names.

Up to this election, but little party politics had been displayed. The pioneers of that day thought more of men for office than for their politics. Perhaps a majority of those elected to office were Democrats, but it is known some of them were Whigs. Two years before this. General Andrew Jackson had closed his second term of the presidency. Though his two terms of the presidency, from 1832 to 1836 had been stormy, yet he was a popular president and the Democrats took great pride in being called Jackson Democrats. Jackson during his term of office, announced the dictum, that ''to the victors, be- long the spoils." Party spirit became strong and in the elections of 1836 and 1838, the lines were drawn. But the men elected to office were usually good men and some of them were permitted to hold office for long terms. Samuel D. Maxwell was permitted to hold the office of clerk of the Circuit court for fourteen years, eleven of which he served also as county auditor. He was succeeded by John Barner who was clerk of the Circuit court for fifteen vears and was succeeded by his son David P. Barner who served two terms of four years each. The first county auditor after the clerk of the court ceased to perform the duties of the office was John P. Crothers who served for fourteen years. As county recorder, Beal Dorsey served nine years and died in office; J. G. Smith serving out his unexpired term. I. D. Armstrong, who had already served as surveyor by appointments for six "years was elected county recorded and served in that capacity for fourteen years. After the war for the Union, Mr. Armstrong also served four years as county treasurer, having served Clinton county in some official capacity for nearly a quarter of a century.

As probate judge, Nathan Kirk served eight years; he was succeeded by William Douglas who held the office - it was largely one of honor - for twelve years. For 40 years up to 1870, there were but four men elected and acted as judge of the Circuit court; John R. Porter, Isaac Naylor, W. P. Bryant and John M. Cowan. From 1830 to 1852 when the office was abolished as useless, but eight men served as associate judges of the Circuit court, Samuel Mitchell. John Ross, Joseph Wood, John Brown, J. F. Aughe, Thomas Kennard, C. B. Pence and Jas. Purdum. As county treasurer, John Pence served eight years; John Barner, three.

At this point may be noted an event that is sometimes classed as political, but is more properly personal. In the early 50's, John W. Blake was a very influential Democratic politician in Clinton county.- He was judge of the Common Pleas Court from 1852 to 1856, and representative in the legislature for 1856-8. Fie was ambitious to go to Congress, and wanted to make Clinton more reliably Democratic. He found an ally in Charles D. Murray of Howard county, who represented Cass. Howard and Pulaski counties in the senate, and who had aspirations to be judge. Fie was a Republican and by taking Honey Creek township which was strongly Republican, from Clinton county, and adding it to Howard county the happiness of both Murray and Blake could be promoted.

ferring territory from one county to another, by the county commissioners, on petition of a majority of the residents of the territory to be affected. At the December term, 1858, the petition of John Moulder and others was filed for the transfer of Honey Creek township to Howard county. On March 7, 1859, the commissioners having considered the petition, and being satisfied that it was signed by the requisite majority, the transfer was made. The Howard county commissioners took similar action at the same time. Blake was nominated for Congress in 1858, and carried Clinton county, but failed of election, so all of his trouble went for nothing. Murray was no more lucky as to his office though the Howard county people regarded the change as very desirable, and gave much praise to John Moulder, Daniel R. Jones, Samuel Woody and others who were chiefly instrumental in carrying the project into effect.

Inasmuch, as the early local elections were not so much controlled by national politics, the political aspect of the county prior to 1852 will be shown only by the elections for president, governor and congressman, and the local results by an official register up to that date. In the early period, governors were elected every third year, congressmen every second year in the odd- -numbered years, and presidents every fourth year in the even numbered years, $q that elections were very common occurrences. The record is as follows :

During this earlier period, the local offices were filled by the following persons: Circuit Court Judges. - President Judges, John R. Porter (of Vermillion county), 1830-37; Isaac Naylor (of Montgomery county), 1838-51. Associate Judges, Samuel Mitchell, 1830-36; John Ross, 1830-33; Joseph Wood, 1834-36; John Brown, 1837-43; J. F. Aughe, 1837-43 ;Thos. Kennard, 1844-46; C. B. Pence, 1844-52; James Purdum, 1847-52. The early districts or circuits included a number of counties in the western part of the state, which were "traveled" by the President Judges, the associate judges being local residents. At the April term, 1852, the associate judges were discontinued under the new constitution, and the Circuit court with a single judge was inaugurated.

Probate Judges. - Mr. \Ym. Douglas, 1830-July, 1831; Nathan Kirk, Aug. 1831-39; Wm. Douglas, 1839-50; N. T. Catterlin, 1851; E. Winship, 1851-2. The Probate court was abolished by the Constitution of 1851, and the business was transferred to the Common Pleas court.

Auditors. - ]. P. Crothers, 1841-54. Prior to 1841 the office of auditor was consolidated with that of clerk, Samuel D. Maxwell performing the duties of both.

Recorders. - Beal Dorsey, 1830-39. He died in office in March. 1839, and Jeremiah G. Smith was appointed to fill the vacancy till his successor was elected. I. D. Armstrong, 1839-52.

Treasurers. - John Pence, 1830-1837; John Barner, 1838-40; Wm. Seawright, 1841-46. He died in office, and Samuel Maxwell was appointed to succeed him until the next election. Tames Seroggv, 1846-48; Tames G. Fraser, 1849-55. Previous to 1841, the treasurers were appointed and thereafter elected.

Surveyors. - In the years 1828-9, while Clinton was added to Tippecanoe county, Leary Stogdon, of that county was surveyor, for what became Clinton county. Surveyors were appointed until 1841, and elected afterwards. They were I. D. Armstrong, 1830-35 ; S. B. Thompson, 1836; Wm. V. White, 1836-43; J. W. Blake, 1844-50; Norman Newton, 1851-60.

Representatives. - Jacob Aughe and John Xelson, 1830-32; John H. Goodbarr and Jesse Carter, 1832-3; David Vance and Jacob Aughe, 1833-4; Jacob Aughe and T. M. Curry, 1834-5; Henry Ristine and Henry Lee, 1835- 1836. Up to this time Clinton was in a joint district with Montgomery, electing two representatives. From 1836 to 1845 the county had one representative of its own, as follows: Edwin Lee, 1836-7; Andrew Major, 1837-

Senators. - The first senatorial district to which Clinton county was added was composed of half a dozen counties, in which Joseph Orr was elected for 1830-1. Clinton and Montgomery was then made a joint district which was represented by John Baird, 1831-6. From then until 1867', Clinton and Carroll made a joint district, represented by Samuel Milrov, 1836-7; Aaron Finch, 1837-40; Horatio J. Harris, 1840-3; Andrew Major, 1843-6; Philip Waters, 1846-9; Thos. Kennard, 1849-52.

Under the constitution of 1852, the results of the elections were as follows on the local tickets, the heads of the national and state tickets being given in their respective years.