Crawford County, Indiana - Chapter 25: Politics in Crawford County, 1926

-A history of the county would not be complete without a chapter on politics. Our men and women certainly like polities. It is as dear to some of them as their religion.

During the campaign many speeches were made. On one occasion the Whigs sent Van Buren a tub of butter weighing about three hundred pounds. One can not learn much about this affair. Our county Whigs no doubt were urged on by outside Whigs. They wanted Van Buren to be a slick politician. No doubt he would be slick if they greased him with all that dirty, stinking butter.

Before the war men voted at just a few places. There were no precincts then. The Australian ballot system was not used. A man could get his ballot down in town and come up to the polls and deposit it. Of course everyone could see how a man voted.

On one occasion the Democrats played a good joke on the Whigs. It seemed that the Whigs had bought a certain man's vote. The Democrats got his boy, who was about fifteen years old, and gave him a Democratic ballot and told him to stand by the polls till his father came up to vote and then ask to see his father's ballot. Some other man was detailed to engage the man in a conversation about the merits of his wolf dog, so after looking at the ballot he thought he might slip the Democratic ballot and let him put it into the box which the old gentleman did. Later he found out about the joke and the old man was furious.

The campaign songs of 1840 were full of spirit. The Whigs sang, ''Van, Van, Van, you are a done man.'' The Whigs sang their songs with glee, but after the death of Harrison their joy died out.

The campaign of 1844 was still warm. The Whigs had nominated Clay, who was the ''mill boy of the slashes."' The Democrats called him ''the old Whig coon.''? They said that they would ''skin that old coon and stretch his hide.'? The Whigs, who almost worshiped Clay, called him ''old Henry Clay.'' :

At the close of the campaign in 1856 the people of the county did not know who was elected for about a week. The Democrats had a big cannon called ''Old Bet.'' For two or three days the Fremont guns were firing. After several days one night the people heard ''Old Bet'? fire. Then they knew that Buchanan was elected. The Whigs had ceased to run candidates, but a Republican party had

Many years after the Civil War a noted Democrat had been nominated for treasurer. This candidate, who lived up at Marengo, had incurred the ill will of one of the leading Democrats at English. He told a gentleman of Marengo about the matter and asked his advice. The candidate knew that he would be beaten if the politician did not keep the Democrats in line for him. So the gentleman told the candidate to give him twenty dollars and he would go over to English and ''fix'' the politician. Getting the twenty dollars, he went to English. As fortune would have it, he went into the barber shop and sat down. He was not in the chair long till in came the noted politician. While he was being shaved the conversation drifted to polities and the recent primary. Listening to the men discuss the relative merits of the candidates for awhile, the man with the twenty dollars arose, knocked the ashes out of his pipe and said: ''Boys, I never voted for a Republican in my life and I do not intend to do so, but I am sure of one thing.'' At that every one became quiet and Mr. G. watched carefully the gentleman from Marengo. Then he began again: ''I do not want one of you good Democrats to go out and tell what I say, but I am sure Mr. W. will be beaten this fall.'' At that Mr. G. turned in the chair and looked directly at the man with the twenty dollars. The man began again: ''I would not be afraid to bet any man twenty dollars that Mr. W. will be defeated.'' At that the man from English arose and asked Mr. N. if he meant that and on being informed that he did Mr. G. said that he would just take that bet. The wager was made. Mr. G. of English went out and worked like a Turk to win the bet. Mr. W. carried English and was

Probably one of the shrewdest politicians the county had in the 'nineties was Walter Q. Ballard. When John Deich was elected trustee of Patoka township in 1894 the Democrats prosecuted him for buying votes. When the case came up Jerry Crews, who was a leading Democratic politician of Taswell, asked him to let them have a few Democrats on the jury. Ballard agreed to this, but in some way objection was made to each Democrat till only a few of the jury were Democrats. Deich was acquitted by the jury.

The campaign of 1896 was hotly contested. Men became mad at their best neighbors. The Democrats closed their campaign with a big speaking at Leavenworth in the old court house. E. E. Richardson, who had. been a Republican all his life had turned Democrat. He was billed to speak at Leavenworth that night. The Republicans fought every inch of the way. They had a big speaking, too, in the old store building on the corner of Nelson street at the river. The house is used for a show room now. Bob Tracewell was to speak. The Republicans got their cannon out and were firing it down on the river bank. Henry yreen was loading it so fast that it became so warm the powder caught afire as he was loading it. Henry was badly burned by the explosion. Up at the court house the Democrats were having a warm time. Several fights occurred at Chester Elliott's saloon on Nelson Street. Fortunately no one was hurt except Levi Wiser, whom some one knocked down the stairs at the court house, and Henry Green, who was severely burned.

Hip! Hip! Hip! Hurrah for Hobart! Swing your hat for McKinley; swing it high. These men will always do; they are just the truest blue If you vote for them you will never sigh.

Soon again we'll hear the sound Of the workmen all around, Of the factory and the very busy loom. On our banners we shall read That protection is our need; And we'll strike no bonds in Bill MeKinley's boom.

Look! Look Look! we have them running, And we have them all split up. And the best we can do Is to stand up to the brave and true, And we'll whip them like the Dutchman whipped the pup.

The Democrats in 1912 in many parts used the famous Missouri dog song. It never became popular with the people. The leading verses, which were written as nearly like the original as possible, were as follows

Chorus: Kvery time I come to town The boys keep kicking my dog around. It makes no difference if he is a hound, They got to quit kicking that dog around.