Nodaway County, Missouri - Chapter 9: County, State and National Representation, 1910

Chapter 9: County, State and National Representation

While this is in no sense a political history of Nodaway county, it will serve to inform the reader as to the general political bearings and tendencies of the voting portion of the population from an early day to the present; also to show who have served the county as its representatives in county, state and national official positions.

This county was organized in 1845, ancl from that date to i860 - or dur¬ ing the first fifteen years o.f its history - party politics wielded but a slight influence in the local elections and general government of the various town¬ ships of the county. Yet it is true that many of the settlers from the earliest days possessed well defined political views and were radically partisan upon all questions pertaining to national and state elections, upon which an indefi¬ nite number of candidates were permitted to enter the race for office.

In the first decade of the county's history it was no uncommon sight to see candidates for sheriff, county treasurer, etc., as well as for the higher position of state's representative, astride a horse, traveling through the county or district, to meet the voters at their own fireside, to sleep beneath their hum¬ ble roofs, and sit about their tables, and compliment the good housewife and perhaps fondle and kiss the rising generation of little ones about the fireplace.

Owing to the fact that newspapers were not common then, and that other more painful fact that the pioneers who were thus solicited have long since passed to the other shore, we are today not in possession of many facts con¬ cerning the early-day campaign, the amusing incidents and public demonstra¬ tions. It is, however, known that in some of those early campaigns the vari¬ ous candidates for a single office would travel together from settlement to settlement. Every camp-meeting, log raising, shooting match and even horse race occurring during the political campaign season was a favorite resort of the electioneer, and every manner of device was adopted by each candidate to further on his cause at the polls.

From 1845 to i860 there were no political conventions held in Nodaway county. During that period the county was largely Democratic, - two to one, - but notwithstanding this fact, occasionally a Whig, on account of his special fitness and personal popularity, was elected to office. All records of these early political deliberations, with the names of those who sought, but failed to secure office, after many a hard-fought campaign, have been lost, mislaid or destroyed, so that only tradition and conjecture can point the citizen of today to what may or may not have transpired. Fortunately, however, the public records are intact and tell the story of who were successful and finally filled the various political positions for which they were elected, after the year i860, and the same will here be given. While the system of recording the result of elections was not in any manner complete, until within a few years, yet we give such facts as the records do show, irregular as they may appear to the citizen of today who has now but to search the pages of the annual elections, or the daily newspaper files, to find just who was the winner and who he ran against and by how many votes he was elected.

From 1878 the county was divided into two districts, one judge being elected at large, the judge at large holding for four years, the others hold¬ ing for two years each.

Probate Judges Recorder Of Deeds

This office was created in 1882, prior to which time the duties of this office had been performed by the county clerk. The following have served as recorders :

County Collectors

Prior to 1873, the sheriff acted as collector of taxes; from 1873 on to 1877 the treasurer was collector. The first regular collector, as an office, was in 1877, when James W. Lamar received the appointment. March 5, 1878. P. J. Keeler was appointed; Joseph Skidmore was elected in Novem¬ ber, 1878, and Ed. Vinsonhaler in 1880.

Circuit Attorneys

The first record of elections preserved in this county was the year before the Civil war, i860. At that election there were cast one thousand three hun¬ dred and thirty-five votes. Shortly after that election the great Civil war cloud burst in the political sky of the nation, and then all political differences were forgotten so far as local government was concerned. At least they were held in abeyance by the excitement generated in the friction between the two great contending armies - the Union and Confederate.

At the fall election in 1862 the total vote cast in this county was eight hundred and sixty-four, B. F. Loan receiving five hundred and eighty-nine votes for a seat in Congress. Many were then absent in the army and the vote was necessarily li ght.

The ending of the war found the country in the hands of the Republican party, and for about three years there was little opposition against the reign of this party.

"Many citizens of the county, under the state constitution adopted in 1865, were disfranchised on account of their participation in or sympathy with the Rebellion. Many of the older citizens in the county for several years would not take the test oath by the state constitution made requisite to com¬ plete citizenship. The interest in governmental affairs of those thus situated necessarily abated. During the period of this political status, the Republican party held frequent conventions and placed candidates in the field for the vari¬ ous county offices. The election held in the county in the autumn of 1866 - the next year after the close of the civil conflict - resulted in nine hundred and sixty-seven votes. Though the war was over, there were a large number of citizens who could not qualify under the 'registration law,' then in force, and were not allowed to cast their vote."

The campaign of 1868 - the presidential year - was the one in which Gen LT. S. Grant was nominated and elected President. The party motto of Re¬ publican forces was "Grant, Colfax and Peace."

The Democrats held their first county convention here, since the war, during that season. Early in the season A. P. Morehouse and Joseph E. Alexander were chosen delegates to the first Democratic convention held in Missouri after the war. It was held at St. Louis and upon their return Noda- way Democracy put forth every effort to make a strong organization in the county and put it upon a fair fighting footing with the Republican forces. During that summer the Democrats held rousing political meetings and a grand rally at Maryville, which was attended by members of the party from all points of the compass. The old-time spirit of Democracy that had pre¬ vailed before the war was rekindled.

The opposition - the Republican party - was not asleep either, but made a stirring canvass. This political party also held a rally at the county seat. While it seems there was no well-defined plan for canvassing the county by either party, as has been the almost universal custom since then, yet both parties had prominent speakers supported from outside and their addresses stirred the voters to a lively interest. It was in that "after the war" cam¬ paign that the Republican party were aroused by speeches from B. K. Davis, M. G. Roseberry, A. B. Cornell, Spence Stark and others. The Democratic speakers included such strong men as A. P. Morehouse, Lafayette Dawson, Stephen Morehouse, Perry H. Talbott and several others.

The total number of votes cast at that election (1868) was one thou¬ sand six hundred and ninety-one. The Republican party won and elected the entire ticket by majorities running from three to five hundred.

Before the opening guns of the campaign of 1870 had been heard, there had grown up a discontent. One faction chafed under the sting of political prescription. This faction was soon known as the Liberal Republican move¬ ment. It drew unto itself all men who were opposed to the original Republican party. This party was in favor of the constitutional amendments being sub¬ mitted to the people at the 1870 election. The Republicans split on this issue and A. B. Cornell, editor of the Maryville Journal, formally opposed the amendments and in consequence there was a new paper started - the Maryville Republican - edited by M. G. Roseberry. This paper advocated the main issues of the Republican party and favored the constitutional amend¬ ments. That year there were but two parties in the field in Nodaway county - the Republican and Liberal Republican. The contest was spirited; both parties stumped the county and foreign speakers faced one another from both sides. The result was a vote on governor: J. W. McClurg (R.), one thou¬ sand; B. Gratz Brown (D.), nine hundred and ninety-five. Congressman I. C. Parker (R.) was ahead in this county by eight votes. The constitutional amendments had the following majorities :

The total number of votes cast at that election was one thousand nine hundred and ninety-five. The Republicans elected seven of the county officers, and the Liberals only three.

After that election, all residents of Nodaway county could exercise the elective franchise. Democracy assumed its old place as organized in 1868 and the Liberal Republicans generally went back to their old ranks, but some remained with the Democrats. In the presidential campaign of 1872 the interest was not great here in this county. Two tickets were in the field - the Democratic and Republican - the one in favor of Grant for his second term and the others in favor of Horace Greeley. The majority in this county for Grant was two hundred, the total number of votes polled being three thousand one hundred and ninety-five.

The financial panic of 1873 caused the Democrats to take courage and make the most of their opportunity in the campaign of 1874. Both parties were early in the field and doing their best to show the voter where his path of duty was. Nodaway county was organized into township organizations and tracts and political literature were spread throughout the county, pro and con to the issues of that campaign. The Patrons of Husbandry and Henry George factions in politics found themselves within an Independent party. Three county conventions were held, three sets of county candidates put up and a triangular fight was entered into. The battle was warm and full of in¬ terest. The Democrats were successful in carrying the same by thirty-three majority for Governor Hardin, while they elected six county officers as against two for the Republicans. It was a great day for Democracy, for it was the first real victory in twenty-four eventful years.

By the opening of the political campaign of 1876, another, or really the same, financial panic was working destruction to business interests all over the country. Both Democracy and Republicanism feared a new party might spring into power, hence met in sundry conventions throughout the country and discussed the financial affairs and really they acted like wise men. more than like politicians. They sought to calm the troubled waters on the sea of finance. The two old parties put each a set of candidates up and in

Nodaway county the contest was heated from the start to the counting out of votes. This went on till the night before the election. The total vote cast was four thousand six hundred and eighty-three for President, the Democratic majority in the county was one hundred and ninety-eight, and all county offi¬ cers on the Democratic ticket were elected.

The financial question had not been settled (at least in the minds of de¬ signing leaders), hence in the winter of 1877-78 the Greenback party had its birth. Meetings were held all over Nodaway county, and men who had been considered tried and true, in both old political parties, went over into the new party. So alarming was the situation to the old party men that con¬ ventions and mass meetings were called, at which the people were entreated not to follow off after strange gods, but take their places in the old parties and work for financial success. However, three tickets were found in the field in 1878 - the Republican, Democratic and Greenback parties. The total number of votes cast in Nodaway county was four thousand four hundred and forty-two. The Democrats elected eleven county officers, while the Re¬ publicans elected two.

In the 1880 presidential campaign Nodaway county Republicans were much divided over the question of U. S. Grant being nominated for a third term. The "Third Term" faction canvassed this county in order to secure a delegation favorable to Grant at the state convention. This inflamed the opposition to Grant, and when the time came for holding the Republican con¬ vention in Nodaway county the opposition evened up by defeating every man who asked their votes as delegates to the state convention. The result was that no Grant men were sent. This also resulted in the selection of S. C. McClusky as one of the Republican delegates from Missouri to the Chicago national convention. He proved himself true throughout the famous con¬ vention, and voted against Grant and in favor of Washburn until the last vote, when he voted for Gen. James A. Garfield, who was nominated and elected.

The total number of votes cast in Nodaway county that year was five thousand seven hundred and twenty-four; the Democrats had a majority over the Republicans of one hundred and eightv-three. The Democrats elected seven of the county officers and the Republicans three.

Since 1874 the county administration has been pretty evenly divided be¬ tween the Democratic and Republican parties. Perhaps no county in the state has been more evenly divided between the two great political organiza¬ tions than Nodaway. The Greenback and Independent parties in their palmy days were unable to carry the county, but were successful in electing a congressman from the district in which Nodaway county is situated. These close political contests have really been of much benefit to this county, even as evenly divided parties are to the nation, by causing one party to watch the movements of their officials, to keep them in the correct lines, knowing that the opposite political party is constantly watching their every official act. This purifies the political atmosphere as does the fierce lightning on a mid¬ summer's day the heavens about us. Indeed, it is no bad sign when a stranger is enquiring "What is the politics of this county or state" to hear the reply. "Pretty evenly divided." While a radical partisan, of either political faith, will not agree with this theory, nevertheless it is true philosophy.

Special Elections

Among the various special elections held within this county, may be named the following: On June 11, 1889, occurred an election in the various town¬ ships in Nodaway county, to determine whether swine should be longer al¬ lowed to run at large or whether or not the owners of such stock should be compelled to restrain the same. The result was a majority of two thou¬ sand three hundred and thirty-seven in favor of restraining swine.

The special elections relating to giving aid to railroad companies in the matter of constructing railway lines through Nodaway county have been touched on in the chapter on Railroads, hence need not be repeated in this connection.

Local Option Special Election

The question of granting license to saloons in Nodaway county was tested at a special election held on September 12, 1907. which resulted in the county (outside the city of Maryville) going six hundred and fifty-five majority against the liquor traffic, while the city went one hundred and ninety-nine in favor of saloons. The vote by precincts was as follows :

According to the state law, any city of two thousand five hundred popu¬ lation may license providing a majority of voters so elect, even though the county outside may go against the proposition, which it did in this case. The fact that Maryville went one hundred and ninety-nine for saloons has given the county seat the only drinking places within the county, and two saloons have a monopoly on the liquor trade.

Another special election was held in September, 1907, to determine whether the county should bond itself in the sum of thirty -five thousand dol¬ lars for funds with which to erect a new poor house, which measure carried by a vote of one thousand six hundred and ninety-seven for and seven hundred and thirteen against.

The Patrons Of Husbandry

The Grange movement - Patrons of Husbandry - had its run in this county, as in all parts of the country. Elkhorn Patrons of Husbandry, in Hughes township, was organized in January, 1873. by the following charter members: J. B. Decker and wife, T. B. Greenelsh and wife, I. Colter and wife, Ed. Thayer and wife, J. M. Lineville and wife. The charter was granted October 15, 1873, and the Grange was reorganized September 20, 1880. A Grange hall was built in 1880 - a frame building, costing seven hundred and fifty dollars. It was organized by Col. Jasper Needham, of Outly, Kansas, November, 1880. The worthy master was W. H. Bell; overseer W. A. Sewell; secretary, J. B. Deekes ; chaplain. D. Fullington ; lecturer, C. E. Bowen ; steward, A. Eorcade. It had a membership of one hundred at one time, about 1882.

There were many other granges in this county, but with the passing of years and a change in opinions about the "middle men," etc., the movement went down. However, it was productive of much good and served well the purpose for which it was instituted.