Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 19, 1905

In 1856 the animosity growing out of claim jumping, which was instigated by Mr. Cornell and other Wilton town-site proprietors, and the evident intention of what was then known as the Cornell ring to divide Steele county and make two small counties, together with other rivalries, brought into existence what was known as the Cornell and anti-Cornell parties. It was well understood that Mr. Cornell and his adherents wanted to elect a legislative ticket favorable to the division of Dodge and Steele counties and the organization of three counties, giving to each of the three twelve townships, as at present, and making Mantorville, Owatonna and "Wilton county seats of their respective counties.

In order to forestall the opposition of the farming population, Mr. Cornell and friends called a people's convention in early autumn, at Owatonna, thereby giving the Cornell party a powerful local advantage. However, a large proportion of the then settlers of "Waseca county went to the convention to iind themselves outvoted by traveling immigrants who had been hired by the Cornell men, so some of them said, to camp in the vicinity for a few days and vote on that special occasion. To say that some of the old settlers were hot that day, expresses the condition of the public mind at that time in very feeble phrase.

in a body from the others and held a convention of their own, calling it a Republican convention, which it really was. Judge (Jeo. W. (ireen, Dr. Finch, Elder Towne and others, of Steele county, eloquently denounced the other convention for following the tactics of the ^Missouri border ruffians in Kansas. The Republicans nominated a county ticket of their own. and elected four delegates to attend the Republican legislative convention to be held at Traverse des yi()Tix,now St. Peter, to nominate "candidates for the territorial council and house. These di^l(\gates were Dr. "W. W. Finch and Judge ({eo. AV. Green, of what is now Steel(> county, and ilr. Simeon I. Ford and James E. Child, of what is now Waseca county. The Cornell party elected as delegates to the same legislative convention, H. ]M. Sheetz, A. B. Cornell,-and a man from Steele county, whose name is forgotten by the writer, and ]\1. S. Green, then of Empire, in "Waseca county. The legislative district then comprised all of that portion of ^Minnesota west and south of Steele and Nicollet counties and irjeluded these two counties.

Each of these tM'o sets of delegates claimed to represent the Simon-pure Republican party of the county. Judge (Jreen, a vei-y able man, was principal spokesman on one side, and H. I\I. Sheetz, a brilliant young etlitor, on the other. Both were cool, and able, and soon convinced the convention that our county possessed men of ability, at least, and that the contention was no trifling affair. The contest was referred to the committee on credentials, and two I'eports were made by the committee, one in favor of each. This brought the contest before the whole convention and the battle raged fiercely during the whole night. Finally, about daylight in the morning, it was agreed to nominate a candidate for councillor and two for representatives, leaving one candidate for representatiNc to be thereafter agreed upon by Steele county men.

It was one of the hardest fought political battles in the history of our local politics, and the Coi'iieil faction was defeated. Both parties returned home with blood in their eyes, as the siiyinu' is, resolved to tight it out until the polls elosed and the ballots were counted on election nigjit.

Immediately after the return of the delefj-ates from St. Peter I\Ir. Cornell was announeed as a candidate for the legislature, and those opposed to Cornell and a division of the county very soon afterwards nominated Rev. 0. A; Thomas, of Medford, Steele county, as the opposition candidate. Captain Lewis IMcKune, ilr. Chris. Remund and others, in the north part of what is now Waseca e(umty, and ^Messrs. Lincoln, Waters, Chamberlain, Ford, John Jenkins, and others, in the south part, toolj an active part in favor of Mr. Thomas. In what is now Steele county. Dr. Finch, Judge (Jreen, Elder Towne, and others were energetic in their efforts to defeat i\Ir. Cornell. Nearly the whole fight turned upon the candidates for the legislature and for registi>r of deeds.

The canvass was very thorough throughout this section, every man having been talked with regarding the matter. It was the old story of private interests against the public welfare. ]Mr. Cornell represented the town-site si)eculators, who desired to make three counties out of two witli three county seats. On the other hand, the farming settlers, few in number, desired larger counties under the belief that a large county would have no more expense than a smaller one, and that the larger the numbr of taxpayers the less tax each would have to pay. The campaign was very exciting, considering how few in number were the voters at that time.

Election day fell on the 14th of October, 1856, and a majority of twenty-five votes elected Tilr. Thomas and protested against a division of the county. The majority was not large, apparently, but it was, in reality, much larger than it appeared to be, for it was well known that a number of transient men cast illegal votes for i\Ir. Cornell at Owatonna.

The people that opposed Mr. Cornell and his division scheme supposed they had won a ^'ictory, and that, for another year, at least, their interests would be safe in the hands of ]\Ir. Thomas whom they elected, but they afterwards found out to their

"How vain are all things here below. How false and yet how fair." No sooner was Mr. Cornell defeated at the polls than he took an entirely new tack and sailed in an unexpected direction. He sent his emissaries to those settlers in the Le Sueur (Wilton) settlement whom he had been trying for a year to plunder, and managed in one way and another, to compromise and settle with them on liberal terms to himself. He became so very kind (?) and good that he threw nearly all his old opponents off their guard. He succeeded in securing the co-operation of Col. J. C. Ide, then of Rice county, a very agreeable, obliging and quite an able man, who came to AYilton that fall and built a saw-mill, the first erected in the county. This mill was of great value to all the people of the settlement, and furnished lumber for much needed buildings and improvements. So successful were Mr. Cornell and his associates that they secured a division of the county by the legislature to which the people had elected a man, and a gospel minister at that, especially pledged to prevent just that very legislation. It was the worst case of political treason that ever came to my knowledge. No wonder the people lose confidence in human nature when even a clergyman will forget his solemn promises and turn traitor to his political friends and his neighbors.

The members of the legislature that winter, from this, the tenth, district, were P. P. Humphrey, in the coujicil, and Joseph R. Brown, Francis Baasen, and 0. A. Thomas, in the house.

Just how the Rev. Thomas was handled never came to public light, but it Avas quite evident that the "comity seat combine" was too shrewd and too powerful for him to cope with. The legislation of those days, as at present, sometimes bore the significant and euphonious name of skul-duggery.

The act organizing Waseca county became a law February 27, 1857. At that time there was not a postoffice in Waseca county and the most rapid method of communication was by means of a saddle horse. The fact that Steele county had been divided and Waseca county organized did not become generally known in the latter county until two or three weeks after the legislative enactment. At first the people of Waseca county could not believe the report, and wlien the belief was forced upon them, language failed to describe the feelings of those who had contributed to the election of Rev. Thomas in the belief that he would protect their interests.

Both of them were defeated. The Steele county people have preserved a relic of the conflict of that day. Cornell had, at Owatonna, the only newspaper printed in the county, and his opponents had no way of publishing their side of the case, except the pinmitive one of writing and posting in public places. So they wrote out a jingle of verses and posted it on the side of the log house where the election was held. One of the verses is preserved in "An Album of History and Biography," published in 1887, by the Chicago Union Publishing Company, and runs as follows: "Mr. Ellison, Esquire. You ought to look higher Than to think of registering deeds; The people up here Peel desperate queer To know jouv political creeds." IMr. Ellison, like many another office seeking politician, was all things to all men - hence the verse.

Of the officers of Steele county appointed by the governor in 1856, the following resided in what is now Waseca county : John :M. Bliven, district attorney ; Melmer P. Ide, county commissioner ; Luke B. Osgood, assessor ; John Jenkins, of the Le Sueur precinct (Wilton), Simeon Smith and Curtis Hatch, of Swavesey (Blooming Grove), and J. A. Bassett and M. S. Green of Empire (Iosco), justices of the peace.