Buffalo County, Nebraska - Chapter 50: Rolitical Parties in Buffalo County, 1916

In the year 1871 there was created an organization of the repubHcan party in the county and such an organization has continued to the present time (1915), and at each election the party has had a ticket in the field under the heading "Republican Party." From the beginning the republican party had a regular precinct (at first, township later) committee and a county central committee and county chairman located at the county seat. Until the primary law was passed in 1907 delegates were elected at precinct caucuses, who attended a delegate county convention at which republican candidates were nominated for election to office. The republican party was a regularly organized political force in politics. Just when the democratic party became an organized force in politics in the county can not be recalled. For many years the county was overwhelmingly republican.

It is recalled that in Gibbon Precinct in the early history of the county there w^as only one democratic vote cast, and as election day approached this voter would write Dr. George L. Miller, editor of the Herald, a democratic daily published at Omaha, and Doctor Miller would mail a national and state democratic ticket on which this lone voter would write the names of local candidates. Until the Australian ballot was adopted in 1897 each political party looked after the printing and distribution to voting precincts of its own party ballots. There were instances where members of the opposition party stole the tickets after they were printed and, as in those days there was no telephone or quick means of transportation, distant country voting precincts were without ballots on election day. And strange as it may seem to the reader in his day and generation, such tactics were deemed not dishonorable on the theory "all is fair in love and war."

From the beginning there were two tickets in the field at each election, one republican, the others usually styled "Independent." The independent party for several years was largely made up of dissatisfied and disgruntled members of the republican party, dissatisfied and disgruntled because their friends were not nominated for office, for in local (county) politics the struggle was for county office, there being no principle at stake, on which the people were divided, as regards county government or county afifairs.

The records seem to disclose that until the year 1891 the republican party regularly elected its candidate for county treasurer and it appears that of twelve men who have served as county treasurer since 187 1, nine were republican, Lyman Carey being elected on the independent ticket in 1891. Of fourteen men elected as county commissioners from 1871 to 1883 (when town.ship organ- izalion was adopted), with one exception, Patrick Walsh, all were nominated and elected on the republican ticket. Beginning with the year 1872, it appears that thirty-one men have served from Buffalo County as representatives in the State Legislature, and of this number it appears that twenty were nominated and elected as republicans, eleven as peoples independent or democratic.

The first to be elected on the independent ticket was Simon C. Ayer, who having been elected as a republican and served two terms as county clerk, ran as an independent candidate for the Legislature and defeated the regularly nominated candidate on the republican ticket, F. G. Hamer. This was in the year 1880.

It appears that sixteen state senators have served from the senatorial district comprising Buffalo County since the year 1872, and of this number ten were nominated and elected as republican, six as anti-monopoly, people's, independent or democratic. In the year 1888 Gen. A. H. Connor, who as a republican had been elected state senator in the year 1882, ran as an independent candidate on the independent ticket, as it might be termed, and was elected.

It appears that in the judicial district of which Buffalo County has formed a part since the beginning, there have been twelve district judges, of whom seven were elected as republican and five populist or democrat, the first of the latter to be elected being Silas A. Holcomb in the year 1891. At an early date in the history of Buffalo County both the Union Pacific and Burlington railroads took an active part in local as well as state politics. At the county seat town each company retained an attorney a part of whose duties was to take an active interest in local politics, this attorney often serving as the county chairman of a political party. On the recommendation of this attorney free transportation was given parties, in the county, of what is termed standing and influence, especially those of influence in matters political, and at times this attorney was supplied with such passes duly signed officially, all needed being to write the individual's name. It is recalled that in 1876 N. H. Hemiup of Kearney was a candidate for attorney general at the republican state convention, held at Lincoln, and to the delegates from Buffalo County as well as to Judge Hemiup and such friends (helpers) as he desired free transportation was issued by the Burlington. This is not mentioned as an isolated case, but rather to illustrate that the free pass system, and the interference of railroad corporations in Buffalo County affairs - politics - began at an early date in the history of the county and continued until the abolition of the free pass evil in 1907.

It is recalled that at an early day a republican rally was held at Shelton, and the county chairman, who was also pass distributer in the county for the Union Pacific, took a delegation of republicans from the county seat town to Shelton to attend the rally, and, as the saying is, "enthuse the boys." When the rally was over, hotel accommodations at Shelton not being ample, the county chairman and his party boarded an east-bound passenger train, rode to Grand Island, there took the west-bound passenger to Kearney, the passenger cars of the Union Pacific serving as a warm and comfortable lobby in which to lounge for a few hours, all free - to those of influence in affairs political.

This rebate was of such advantage that grain elevators, for instance, had a virtual monopoly of the buying and shipping of grain and were enabled to take undue profits in the business.

For instance, a man engaged in the milling business and selling his product over the state and having free transportation with which to seek customers, had a great advantage over a competitor not thus favored.

The railroad corporations made no discrimination as between political parties in the distribution of free transportation. It mattered not to the corporation whether the officer elected to office or the citizen of the county active and influential in political affairs was a member of the republican, democratic, populist, farmers' alliance or independent party.

A representative or senator-elect of the Legislature received in his mail a free pass over the railroads of the state good for a year. A judge in our District Court was tendered free transportation over lines of railroad in the state. The county sheriff", county treasurer, all state officers, officers of the State Board of Agriculture, of the State Horticultural Society, speakers at farmers' institutes, and with scarce an exception such free transportation was accepted and made use of.

In the year 1884 Joseph Scott, who had served as clerk and treasurer of Buffalo County, was a candidate for state commissioner of public lands and buildings at the republican state convention held at Omaha.

The delegates to the convention from Buffalo County, some fifteen in number, Mr. Scott and the Midway Band of Kearney were accorded free transportation by the railroads to attend the convention.

And as an illustration pertaining to methods and customs in politics in those days, as showing how political conventions were run, nominations made, Mr. Scott related that officials of the republican state committee informed him he could have the nomination as state land commissioner on condition that he would contribute S500 to the campaign fund of the committee. Mr. Scott agreed, and as soon as nominated he gave the treasurer of the state committee his personal check for that amount.

Under the caucus and convention plan of making nominations of candidates, the Republican County Central Committee of Buff'alo County expended from five hundred to fifteen hundred dollars in a campaign to elect the nominees of the party. This money was contributed not only by candidates for office, but by active and enthusiastic members of the party who took great pleasure and delight in the success of the party.

This money was expended in what was recognized to be a legitimate manner, expenses of campaign speakers, holding of campaign rallies, rent of halls, advertising in newspapers, means and methods to enthuse the voters and the hiring of teams on election day to haul voters to the polls. Like expenditures were made by the opposition or independent or democratic party, but as a rule in much less amounts.

The interference of corporations in the pohtical affairs of the people, as the years came and went, became a great and growing evil, and in Buffalo County, as in other counties of the state, there grew up a party pledged to oppose such abuse of power and influence.

At the first the party was known as the anti-monopoly or populist party. In a county history it is not possible to go into the merits of the controversy which involved other questions, such as the free coinage of silver on the ratio of sixteen ounces of silver to one of gold as a basis of money value ; the question of the general Government loaning money on grain warehouse certificates. This party was largely made up of farmers, but the democratic party, being a minority party, fused with the populist party in the election of county officers and it might be added, state officers as well. In Buffalo County the leaders of the antimonopoly party movement were (as recalled from memory) J. E. Miller, C. A. Borders (familiarly known as "The Tall Cottonwood of the Divide"), Emory Wyman, A. Steadwell, David Nichols, George N. Smith, A. J. Scott, W. L. Hand, Phelix Hayes, John A. Hogg, Dea Wenzell, Fred A. Nye, John Stebbins, F. Gaylord, L. L. Hile, Lyman Carey, A. H. Boltin and W. L. Green, and the movement gained such headway as to result in the election of H. H. Seely county clerk in 1891, John Nutter sheriff, Lyman Carey treasurer, and in 1892 George N. Smith state senator and John Stebbins and David Nichols representatives in the Legislature.

The power and influence of the anti-monopoly, farmers' alliance, populist party in the county was not of long duration, but later much of the strength of these parties fought their political battles in the county under the leadership of the democratic party, giving to that party strength and prestige.

In the history of partisan political parties in Buffalo County, in a general way, it can be said that in all the years the republican party has been the dominant party, maintaining year by year a county organization ; that the democratic party, while in the minority, has at all times had the courage of its convictions, maintained a county organization, striven to elect of its members to county and state offices, ever willing to fuse with other organizations in the effort to defeat, for office, the nominees of its traditional enemy in politics, the republican party.

The records seem to disclose that since the year 1871 there have been elected to office in Buffalo County, of members of the State Legislature, board of county commissioners (not of the board of county supervisors) and of county officers, approximately one hundred and sixty-eight officers. Of this number the records seem to disclose that 70 per cent were elected as republicans on a republican ticket. Of the remaining 30 per cent (which might be classed as nominated and elected on an independent ticket) the records seem to disclose that approximately eight per cent were nominated and elected as democrats on a county democratic ticket.

The following is a copy of a letter written in the year 1899 by Hon. J. E. Miller, a state senator representing Buffalo County. It is of great value as a matter of political history both in Buffalo County and the State of Nebraska. The suggestion as to the abolition of the free pass evil thus made in 1899 became the law of the land in Nebraska in the year 1907 :

"Dear Sir - Enclosed please find complimentary ticket which has been presented to me by a representative of your road and which I herewith return unsigned and unused, and I would most respectfully request that you make a record to such effect on your books.

"While I take this action I do not wish to infer that I am ungrateful for this distinguished favor. In explanation of my action I have to say, first, there is a constitutional provision for defraying the traveling expenses of the members of the Legislature equal to the cost of three trips to the capital.

"I am led to believe that the quite general custom, prevalent for many years, of public servants accepting free passes on the railroads, has not to any appreciable extent saved to the state the cost of transportation. On the other hand, it has no doubt been a source of revenue to the members of the Legislature not contemplated in the constitution.

"Second - It has been affirmed, and generally belie\ed, that the acceptance of free passes by public officers and legislators is intended to have, and does have, a soothing influence on those who make or enforce the laws regulating freight and passenger rates in the state.

"Whether public opinion is right or wrong, I shall not attempt to say. But you will readily see that the practice leads to a great public scandal, involving the managers of our great railways as well as the government of our fair state.

"It is further alleged that a great host, commonly called 'visiting statesmen,' importune the railroads for free transportation that they may cx)ngregate at the capital, where, 'tis said, they confuse the minds of the legislators, and cause them to do things they should not do, and leave undone the things they should have done. The custom of honoring public officials and prominent men with complimentary tickets, while probably small in the beginning, has grown to such proportions that I verily believe the railway managers would welcome a law that would relieve them of that which is surely a great sovirce of loss to them, and which would compel each individual to bear his just share of the operating expenses of these public highways.

"I would not prevent you from making reduced rates to excursionists (other than visiting statesmen), or from transporting free the employes of the roads, or those in destitute circumstances.

"Should this suggestion meet with your approval, I am at your service, and shall be glad to be honored as your spokesman in presenting the same to the Senate, of which body I have the honor to be a member.