Clark County, Wisconsin - Chapter 10: Political Contests, 1918

From its earliest days, Clark County has been predominately Republican in National affairs, and with a few exceptions has likewise been so in State affairs. The greatest political excitement in the county has been caused by sectional differences, and by local rivalries of men and cliques.

The first matter of political difference in the county was the location of the county seat. When the petition for the creation of the county was prepared, it contained the request that O'Neill's Mills, now Neillsville, be named as the county seat. The loggers and millers scattered along the river below Neillsville were contented with this arrangement, and Elijah Eaton, at the present site of Greenwood realized that while his settlement was nearer the geographical center of the county, it has no possibility of then securing county seat honors. But near the mouth of Cawley's Creek, and two miles above O'Neill's Mills, Samuel Weston had a flourishing settlement, and his shrewd Yankee mind conceived a plan for thwarting his rivals down the river, What means he used to further his scheme is not known, but sometime after the citizens signed the petition, and before the legislature granted it, O'Neill's Mills was stricken out as the county seat, and Section 2, Township 24, Range 2 (the location of Weston's settlement), was substituted, O'Neill's Mills being designated as the polling place.

This was not satisfactory to the people in general, and an act was soon passed authorizing the people to vote on the question of changing the county seat to O'Neill's Mills. The question came up at the general election of November, 1854. The polling places were established at O'Neill's Mills and at Parker's Tavern, eleven miles below, and the campaign was bitterly fought. No voter who presented himself was questioned as to his qualifications, and although the total population of the county in men, women and children was probably not 200, no less than 163 votes were cast, ninety for O'Neill's Mills and seventy-three for Weston Rapids. At Parker's Tavern there was a majority of twenty-one in favor of O'Neill's Mills. At O'Neill's Mills, where Weston's friends voted, the majority against Weston's place was only four, In spite of the large number of votes cast in proportion to the population, it is said that a number of Weston's adherents, though present at Neillsville, were unable to reach the polls, being too thoroughly stupified with whiskey to cross the booms which were then the only substitute for a bridge. A number of interesting stories are told of this incident. Some old settlers assert that Mrs. O'Neill, the good wife of James O'Neill, at whose house the election was held, found that some of the citizens of Neillsville were imbibing too freely, of a barrel of whiskey in the cellar, and insisted that the barrel be taken across the creek where it would be less accessible, but where it was found and most of its contents abstracted by the would-be voters from Weston's Rapids. Another story is that the Weston Rapids lumberjacks were deliberately plied with the liquor by the Neillsville supporters. Others, however, whisper that as a matter of fact, both Neillsville and Weston Rapids adherents gathered around the barrel for a convivial session, and that the only particular in which the two factions differed was in that the Neilslville men had the good fortune to have voted before the party began.

The rivalry does not seem to have extended to the selection of officers, The national political complexion of the county is shown by the fact that C. A. Washburn (Republican) received 107 votes for Congress, and Charles Hoyt (Democrat), 29, and Charles Whipple, 2.

Four county officers, register of deeds, clerk of supervisors, treasurer and surveyor were selected, there being no election for sheriff, clerk of court or district attorney. Samuel C. Boardman, with seventy-four votes for register of deeds, defeated James R, McCaleps, who received sixty-seven votes, and James McLaughlin, who received sixteen. He was also elected clerk of supervisors, with ninety-eight votes, defeating Benjamin F. French, who received thirty-five, and James McLaughlin, who received but fifteen. Benjamin F. French was elected county treasurer, with 127 votes, Thomas Wilson receiving sixteen votes, and Samuel Ferguson, one. Moses Clark was elected surveyor. He received 124 votes, while Allen Boardman received twenty-five, and three were scattering.

In 1856, Clark County had its first presidential election after its organization. John C. Fremont received seventy-three votes to thirty-seven for James Buchanan, and at each presidential election since that time, the county has continued to give a large majority to the Republican candidates. In the fall election of 1859, the alignment was about the same in state politics, Alexander W. Randall receiving seventy-one votes for governor, and Harrison C. Hobart, forty-two.

But in local politics, in the fifties, the alignment was between two local factions, B. F. French, John 8. Dore and 8. N. Dickinson leading one faction, and Chauncey Blakeslee, Charles Renne and W. C. Tompkins, publisher of the Clark County Advocate, leading the other. The publication of delinquent tax lists was an important source of county patronage, and as Tompkins was issuing the only paper in the county he received this revenue.

Carelessness in bookkeeping, irregularities in assessors' returns, the fluctuating value of county orders, and lax business methods in the sale of tax certificates, soon gave the French-Dickinson-Dore faction their opportunity to score Chauncey Blakeslee, the county treasurer, and at a special meeting of the board on July 5, 1860, a demand was made on the treasurer that he at once deliver to George W. King, the county clerk all tax certificates in his possession within six days. At an adjourned meeting held April 2, it was found that Mr. Blakeslee had not only refused to give up the tax certificates but that he would not even permit the clerk to make a list of them. Thereupon it was ordered by the board that the county treasurer hereafter hold his office in the front room, on the south side of the hall, in the court house instead of at his store. At the same meeting two days later, it was moved by B. F, French that the board appoint a committee to wait upon B. F. Chase, the district attorney, to present the matter of the forfeiture of the county treasurer's official bond, charging therewith: 1 - Selling lands for taxes contrary to law. 2 - Refusing to deliver the tax sale certificates to the clerk of the board. 3 - Neglecting to present his books for examination when requested. 4 - Refusing to pay over money when required according to law. On all these matters the votes were taken by ayes and nays, the votes standing: Ayes - Dickinson and French, 2; nays - Charles Renne, 1.

Suit was brought upon the bond, and a suit had previously been brought by Blakeslee against the county, but neither of the cases were ever brought to trial, for all matters in difference were settled to the satisfaction of all parties a year or so later, when the board had a different membership.

S. C. Boardman also came under the ban of the board's displeasure. He filed a bill for office rent for the years 1857 and 1858 at $3 per month, or $72 for the two years. This bill was promptly disallowed for the reason as stated, that the bill did not specify for what purpose the office was used. In view of the fact that Boardman had been their own clerk, and that every member of the board knew that he furnished a room for conducting the business of the clerk, the reasons for disallowing the bill were extremely technical. Nothing daunted, however, at the next session of the board a few weeks after, Boardman again presented his bill, this time with greater confidence, for his new bill did specify what the office was used for. Once more the board disallowed it, because, as the record reads, a bill of like character had been previously presented and disallowed, that no appeal had been taken from their determination, and that they were without jurisdiction to allow it.

The editor of the Advocate fared still worse. He had been elected county superintendent of schools, and thereupon the board fixed his salary at the sum of $25 per year. He had several bills before the county board aggregating about $2,000, for printing clerk's tax deed list and for publishing the county treasurer's tax sale. The bill for the tax deed list was laid on the table for investigation, and his account for publishing the county treasurer's list was sent back to him for correction with the demand that he consider as one description, each 160-acre tract, it being found that in order to increase the money he would receive, he and the treasurer had divided quarter sections into forties and even twenties, thus more than quadrupling the charge for publication, Subsequently the board disallowed the bill for publishing the clerk's list, stating they did so "for the reason that the clerk never employed the editor of the Clark County Advocate to advertise the lands sold for taxes, that the publication is incomplete, and further that it is not verified." The corrected bill for publishing the county treasurer's list was also disallowed because not verified.

The strength which the two factions at that time were capable of mustering at the polls is shown by the judicial election of April 2, 1861, when for the county judgeship, 8. N. Dickinson received 149 votes and William C. Tompkins, sixty-eight. The sheriff's office, however, evidently carried but few perquisites, for at a special election held May 17, 1861,

George W. King received twenty-four out of the thirty-one votes cast. October 14, 1861, John 8. Dore and S. N. Dickinson started the "Union Flag."

At the fall election of 1861, Louis P. Harvey, Republican, received for governor 175 votes as against twenty-six for Benjamin Ferguson, Democrat. In local affairs, however, the balance of power was shifting. By Chapter 129, Laws of 1861, a commission form of county government was inaugurated, Clark County to be governed by three supervisors elected from three districts, The first board elected consisted of: George M. Arnold, 8. N. Dickinson and Samuel Cawley. For some reason the members of this board failed to qualify; possibly they omitted to take the oath required by the new law and deposit it with the proper officer, but whatever the reason, in February following a special election was held, and the following persons were elected supervisors: George M. Arnold, District No. 1; Richard Dewhurst, District No. 2, and Samuel Cawley, District No. 3. Then it was that Tompkins and Blakeslee came into their own. Tompkins' printing bills were all allowed in full by the new board. His salary as county superintendent of schools was made $300 per year instead of $25, and some months after the Blakeslee suits were all settled and all matters of difference adjusted.

It was but a few years after that a different alignment was had in county politics, French, Blakeslee and Dore became united in county matters and remained identified together during their lives, while Dewhurst, Hutchinson and Boardman worked together politically for many years.

Through the sixties the issues in local politics continued on the basis of personal rivalries, and remained at the fever point over which faction should secure the greatly inflated profits to be derived from the publication of the delinquent tax lists and doing the county printing. The "Union and Flag" had been discontinued, but the plant was still held by John §. Dore, who was about to start the Clark County Journal as a rival of the Clark County Advocate, then holding the county printing. Chauncey Blakeslee, by this time was aligned with the French-Dore-Dickinson crowd, and the success of the Journal depended upon his election. Opposed to French-Blakeslee-Dore ticket, was the Dewhurst-Boardman-Hutchinson ticket, Chauncey Blakeslee and W. T. Hutchinson themselves being rival candidates for the office of county clerk, while Blakeslee's friend, F. H, McIntosh, was opposed to A. G. Manley for the office of county treasurer, The Blakeslee-McIntosh ticket won out by a good majority,

Interesting stories are told of politics in those days. There were no caucuses, conventions or primaries. The tickets were selected by a few leaders. The Blakeslee-McIntosh ticket was selected after closing hours at the store of Hewett, Woods & Co., while the Hutchinson-Manley secret conclaves were held at the postoffice where Hutchinson was the postmaster, or at Manley's "Advocate" office.

The election night in November, 1866, was an especially lively one. The soldier boys had just come back from the war, and were disposed to take their share in public affairs. That day there had been soldiers on both tickets, though the defeated faction had claimed their ticket to rep-

About midnight after the election, six young men went to the Court House and secured the American flag there, and attempted to raise it on the liberty pole. But through some defect in the rope or pulley, the flag could not be raised to the top of the mast, and after raising it half way it was equally impossible to lower it. So, in the morning, there was much excitement and indignation, groups of angry men threatening vengeance under the impression that the half-masted flag was a deliberate insult to the soldiers on the widely vaunted soldiers' ticket. But it was soon found that three of the six young men concerned in the act had themselves been heroic soldiers, and that the attempt at raising the flag had been made in a spirit of rejoicing at the victory of their comrades on the successful ticket, and not in a spirit of derision toward the soldiers on the vanquished ticket.

At the fall election of 1868, party lines were more strictly drawn, the presidential ticket giving the county Republican ticket, headed by 8. C. Boardman for county treasurer, a most decided advantage, although James W. Sturdevant, who, as candidate for treasurer, headed the Independent or People's ticket, was himself a strong Republican in state and national politics. U.S. Grant received 411 votes for president to 137 votes for Horatio Seymour. The Hutchinson-Dewhurst-Boardman ticket was successful. This gave the county printing to Ed. E. Merritt's new Clark County Republican, and took it away from Dore's Clark County Journal, though Dore had a short time before succeeding in eliminating the Advocate. Not only this, but a year later, Dore was defeated for county superintendent of schools by S. S. Smith, a farmer of Loyal, of whom so little previously had been heard that during the campaign, Dore ran in his paper the sarcastic caption, "'Who Is Smith?"

At the election held on Oct. 3, 1868, to vote on the question of issuing $100,000 bonds to the Green Bay & Lake Pepin Railroad Company, now the Green Bay & Western, the question was purely one of locality, and political factions were not involved. To earn the bonds, the railroad must cross the county and pass at least within five miles of Neillsville. The vote in favor of the proposition was 224 to 144. Loyal and Mentor, where the road was not to extend, voted almost solidly for the bonds; Pine Valley and Levis, which were along the proposed route, voted almost solidly for it, while in Grant and Weston there was a small majority favoring it. The road crosses a corner of the county, but not within five miles of Neillsville, so the bonus was never paid.

In 1869, Robert J. MacBride, Democrat, was elected judge of probate and was re-elected in 1873, but this was a personal rather than a political choice.

The period from 1870 to 1880 was an active one in Clark County politics. The Granger and Greenbacker movements were at their height. The county was divided into two factions along geographical lines over the question of more firmly establishing the county seat at Neillsville by the erection of a new court house. And greatest of all, was the question of the

In national affairs, the county remained Republican. In 1872, U. S. Grant received 801 votes for president against 119 for Horace Greeley; in 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes received 1,255 votes against 660 for Samuel J. Tilden; and in 1880, James A. Garfield had 1,512 votes, against 671 for Winfield S. Hancock.

Twice in this period, however, the only two times in the history of Clark County, the county gave a majority of votes against the Republican gubernatorial candidates. In 1873, during the Granger excitement, William R. Taylor, the Democrat-Liberal candidate for governor, received 429 votes, and C, C. Washburn, the Republican candidate, received but 362, while the remainder of the state ticket ran in about the same proportion. In 1877, the question of demonetizing silver, denounced as "The Crime of 1873," was an issue in state politics, and again the Republican candidate for governor failed to receive a majority, Edward P. Ellis, Greenbacker, receiving 816 votes; William F. Smith, Republican, 449 votes, and J. A. Mallory, Democrat, 153 votes. The remainder of the ticket ran in about the same proportion. At the fall election of 1879, the Greenback movement in this county had nearly subsided, William E. Smith, the Republican candidate for re-election as governor, receiving 1,005 votes in Clark County, against 347 for James G. Jenkins, Democrat, and 151 for Reuben May.

During several sessions of the legislature in the seventies, strong efforts were made to divide Clark County and to include certain area in the northern and northeastern portions in a new county to be formed, The people in the southern part of the county were strongly opposed to any division, but in the northern and northeastern part there was con- - siderable sentiment favoring it, especially in the vicinity of such places as Colby, which had hopes of securing county seat honors. For the most part those opposed to a division held control of the county board, and for several years that board employed John S. Dore to attend the sessions of the legislature and lobby against any proposed division. Dore did what he could himself, and when pressed too hard sent to Neillsville for reinforcements. Sometimes there were as many as twelve or fifteen citizens of Neillsville at Madison at one time, paying their own expenses and doing all in their power to oppose any bill calling for a division. In 1874, a bill creating another new county finally passed the assembly, and received a tie vote in the senate, being defeated only by the deciding vote of the presiding officer, Lieut. Gov. Charles D. Parker. In 1875, in order to settle the question, the people of Clark County gave their tacit consent to the creation of Taylor County, thus taking off ten townships at the north. This was the last serious effect to divide the county, though the county seat question has been agitated at various times to the present day.

In 1876, the county seat question came to a serious crisis. The increased setlement in the northern part of the county, caused a concerted movement to change the county seat to Greenwood, and the people of Neillsville determined to lessen the feasibility of such removal by securing the erection of a substantial court house at Neillsville. The county board that fall cast vote after vote on the court house proposition in various forms, the tie being broken only when the appropriation for a court house was made to include an appropriation for the town of Mayville, thus securing the support of the Mayville supervisor. The new court house thus approved was completed in 1876, and is still in use.

But the greatest political excitement of all during this period was that attending the alleged defalcations of various county officials. County affairs were in a bad condition, county orders were sometimes selling as low as 40 per cent of their face value, there were various complications attending the assessment of lands, the payment of taxes and the sale of tax certificates, and added to this there were bitter feuds between various political cliques. Various officers were accused, civil suits were won against several, there was one criminal prosecution carried through the courts, and others threatened.

William C. Allen became deputy county treasurer under S. C, Boardman, Jan. 1, 1871, and during the two succeeding years had entire charge of the office. In the fall of 1872, he and Richard Dewhurst were candidates for the office of treasurer, and after a bitterly contested election, the official canvass showed Judge Dewhurst to be duly elected by a vote of 541 to 536. Allen, however, claimed that certain votes cast and counted for Judge Dewhurst were illegal, and that a fair count of the legal votes actually cast by legal voters for the office would show that he, Allen, was the duly elected treasurer. Both men claimed to be the treasurer-elect, and as such, both filed their official bonds. On the first Monday in January Judge Dewhurst presented himself at the treasurers' office and made a formal demand for the books, papers and moneys belonging to the office, but Allen refused to surrender the office and continued to act as treasurer. Therefore, through his attorneys, Lyndes & Burroughs, of La Crosse, Judge Dewhurst, as relator, in the name of the State, brought quo warranto proceedings against Allen, citing him to show by what right he claimed to hold the office. Alen, in his reply, through his attorneys, Robert J. MacBride and B. F. French, alleged that he had been duly elected, and specified certain illegal votes which he declared were cast and counted for his opponent, and also asserted among other things that a number of votes marked "Dewhiry" were wrongfully counted for Dewhurst. The case came to trial before Judge Romanzo Bunn, at the September term of the Circuit Court in 1873. Judge Dewhurst's attorneys were completely outgeneraled. It had been their intention to show that many of the votes cast for Allen were illegal, but when they attempted to introduce testimony to this effect, they were confronted with a rule of the Supreme Court that in quo warranto proceedings in which an election was involved, neither party would be allowed to offer proof of the illegality of the vote of any person, unless there should be stated in the pleadings or in a notice served in writing on the opposite party twenty days before the commencement of the trial, the name of the voters alleged to have cast illegal votes, and the statement of the grounds upon which the illegality was claimed. Taken unawares, Judge Dewhurst's attorneys were forced to ask for a continuance in order that the formality might be complied with. But before the case came to trial again, Judge

Dewhurst's attorneys discontinued action, judgment was entered for the defendant and Allen continued in office. It is now the general opinion that while illegal votes were cast on both sides, Judge Dewhurst was fairly entitled to the office.

Allen was fairly elected in the fall of 1874, receiving 680 votes, against 606 received by Hiram W. Renne, of the town of York. John S. Dore and Allen were bitter enemies, and Dore's influence, coupled with the growing knowledge that there were gross irregularities in the handling of county funds, caused the board first to fix the treasurer's bond at $150,000, and then to refuse to accept the bond even though he succeeded in obtaining bondsmen with securities for this large amount. Allen, however, filed the bond without the approval of the board and continued to exercise the duties of the office for another year. In the fall of 1874 William T. Hutchinson was elected county treasurer to fill the vacancy caused by Allen's failure to present a bond which the board would accept. Hutchinson duly took the oath of office, filed a bond which was approved by the board, and made demand upon Allen for the moneys, papers, books and the like, pertaining to the county treasurer's office. Upon Allen's refusal to surrender the office, Hutchinson, with Attorney General A. Scott Sloan, as relator, in the name of the State, brought quo warranto proceedings, his attorney being S. U. Pinney, of Madison. Allen was represented by Robert J. MacBride. The trial came on at Sparta, before Judge Romanzo Bunn, without a jury. The facts were not disputed, the only question to be decided being a pure question of law. On the part of the State, for Hutchinson, it was claimed that the board never having approved Allen's bond, a vacancy existed in the office, and that Hutchinson was rightfully elected to fill the vacancy. On Allens' part it was claimed that the action of the board was arbitrary, and that the bond which they had refused was correct as to form, and ample as to sureties. Judge Bunn ruled with the State, and entered judgment ousting Allen from office, holding that when the board refused to approve of an alleged good and sufficient bond, it was Allen's proper course to remove the action of the county board to the courts for review on a writ of certiorari, that the time for such action had passed, that the matter urged in his defense could not be given in the quo warranto action.

In 1876 the county board brought suit against W. C. Allen, former treasurer, and his bondsmen, against Ira B. Pope, former county clerk, and his bondsmen, and against S. C. Boardman, former county treasurer, and his bondsmen. On Oct. 6, 1878, judgment was secured against Allen and his sureties, Chauncey Blakeslee, J. W. Sturdevant, James O'Neill and James Hewett, for $29,235.13. April 17, 1877, a judgment of $4,000 was secured against Pope, and his sureties, Hans Johnson, Hiram Palmer and A. W. Clark. June 26, 1878, judgment was secured against Boardman alone for $9,566.64, his sureties, who had previously from time to time paid a good share of his indebtedness, not being made parties in the judgment. All these judgments have long since been satisfied by money or compromise, and the defendants released. Considerable property was turned over to the

Criminal proceedings were also brought against Allen, Pope and Boardman, but only that of Allen came to trial, and he was found not guilty by the jury.

Allen was arrested March 14, 1876, and was tried before Judge Romanzo Bunn, at the April, 1877, term of the Circuit Court, the trial lasting from April 21 to April 28. §, U. Pinney, of the firm of Gregory & Pinney, of Madison, was associated with the district attorney in the prosecution, Allen was represented by Robert J. MacBride and by J. M. Morrow, of Sparta. The jury consisted of Walter Brown, Jacob Demouth, Wilfred Nichols, Erwin S. Brooks, George McAdams, William Sires, W. H. H. Kilty, H. R. Hare, C. C. Long, G. W. Wilson, S. A. Brown and Thomas Thompson. Owing to the intense public feeling in the matter of the alleged defaleation, the jury was kept together during the entire trial, and not allowed to have conversation with any one outside of their own number.

After the case was given to the jury they remained out all night, deliberating over the matter. In the morning they brought in the following verdict:

"We, the jury, empaneled to try the above entitled action, do find the defendant not guilty of the several counts in the information, but find him guilty of the defalcation existing in the treasury prior to his term of office for thirty days or more."

This, of course, was an acquittal, and the defendant was discharged. The verdict was one which they had framed themselves, and the latter part of it was a surprise to all connected with the case. The lawyers had several times during the trial quoted a statute to the effect that if any public official should conceal a defalcation that he knew existed in his predecessor's accounts, and not cause the bringing of a criminal action against him within thirty days, he was liable to a fine of $500, and it was the intention of the jury to declare that Allen was innocent of embezzlement, but that he had wilfully concealed the embezzlement of his predecessor.

The principal political events of the period from 1880 to 1890 consisted in personal rivalries between individual candidates for local office. Considerable excitement was caused by the trouble between the county and the town of Levis, and local feeling was at its height at one election during this period when nearly an entire Democratic county ticket was elected.

The moving of the Dells Dam bridge in the town of Levis to the town of Warner, in 1880, obscured for a time all other political activity in the county. The town of Levis, in 1879, with some assistance from the county, constructed a new iron bridge across Black River, but the Dells Dam of the Black River Flooding Dam Association raised the water until the new bridge was endangered. Accordingly, a committee consisting of §. B. Hewett and F. D. Lindsay, made arrangements with the Association for a right-of-way over their dam, and recommended that the new bridge be removed. Acting upon this recommendation, the county board, on April 29, 1880, appointed F. D. Lindsay, Ezra Tompkins and 8. B. Hewett to re- move the bridge to any point on Wedge's Creek in Levis Township that they might deem advisable. How confusion arose in the face of so definite an order was not clear even to those most intimately concerned, but before long the majority of the committee was involved in a controversy with the officials of the town of Levis over the ownership of the bridge. Law suits were threatened on both sides, and the climax came on July 4, 1880, when, to forestall an injunction which it was rumored was to be issued that day, S. B. Hewett and F. D. Lindsay, two of the committee, assisted by T. J. La Flesh, Hiram Palmer, Arch, Day and Ed. Tolford, removed the separate parts of the bridge, consisting of girders, timbers, planks, iron rods, chords and bolts, and deposited them on the court house square at Neillsville, more than eight miles from the mouth of Wedge's Creek. This action led to a suit of replevin on the part of the town of Levis, but the case was never tried. In the fall of 1880 the county board adjusted the matter by voting the town of Levis $326 to build a bridge across Wedge's Creek, and agreeing for five years to keep in repair the right-of-way across the flooding dam. The old bridge was donated to the towns of Eaton and Warner, to be placed across Black River, near the town line between Eaton and Warner.

In the early part of this period there were several elections that were practically unanimous. In 1880, Herman Schuster was elected register of deeds by a vote of 2,235 to 1, and D. 8. Bullock was elected surveyor by a vote of 2,250 to 2. Two years later, Mr. Schuster was re-elected by a vote of 1,945 to 185. In the spring of 1881 there was a close contest for district attorney, C. A. Youmans receiving 735 votes, nearly 150 less than the combined vote of his opponents, James O'Neill, who received 704, and R. F. Kountz, who received 184. In the fall of that year J. A, Parkhurst received a nearly unanimous vote of 1,615 to 2 for clerk of court.

At the congressional election of 1882, William T. Price, Republican, was elected over W. F. Bailey, Democrat, but in Clark County, Judge Bailey led the ballot, having 1,088 votes, while Mr. Price had 1,039.

A Republican Presidential majority was piled up as usual in 1884, James G, Blaine receiving 1,953 votes, and Grover Cleveland, 1,244. The combined vote of the other presidential candidates was 156 votes. Jeremiah M. Rusk, the Republican candidate for governor, received 2,000 votes, while Nicholas F. Fratt, the Democratic candidate, received 1,208. The contest for state senator for the Eleventh District was very close in this county, M. C. Ring receiving 1,674 votes, and John Edwards 1,631. James O'Neill was elected to the assembly over Richard Dewhurst by a vote of 1,517.

In 1886, Jeremiah M. Rusk, Republican, received 1,429 votes to 959 for Gilbert M. Woodward, Democrat, but in local county affairs the entire Democratic ticket was elected, with the exception of the treasurer and the county superintendent of schools. Charles F. Grow, though elected on the Republican ticket as county clerk, was a Democrat. All the contests were close, there were several candidates for each office, and in most cases the candidates were elected by a plurality, hardly any of them receiving a majority. It is notable that Mr. Grow received 1,286 votes for county clerk, against 1,279 for E. M. McConnell, and 291 for other candidates ;

The period of 1890 to the present time was characterized by the Bennett law agitation in its early years, and by the political upheavals which led to the election and re-election of Woodrow Wilson, the years between being marked by the rise and ascendency of Robert M. LaFollette, Clark County, until the outbreak of the World War, being one of LaFollette's strongholds.

The Bennett Law agitation, which defeated the Republican state ticket in 1890 and 1892, materially overcome, but did not wipe out, the Republican majority in Clark County. James O'Neill, of Neillsville, candidate for attorney general, both of these years, received a handsome majority in Clark County, but throughout the state went down in defeat with the rest of the Republican ticket.

In 1890, William D. Hoard, Republican, received 1,600 votes for governor, against George W. Peck, Democrat, who received 1,493, and in 1892, John C. Spooner, Republican, received 2,046, against Governor Peck, who received 1,728. In 1894, William H. Upham, Republican, received 2,361 votes, against Governor Peck, who received 1,283. In 1896, Edward Schofield, Republican, received 3,299 votes, against Willis C. Silverthorn, who received 1,841. Since then, with two exceptions, the Republican majority for governor has ranged between 1,100 and 2,600, the exceptions being 1904, when George W. Peck reduced Robert M. LaFollette's 1900 majority of 2,261 votes to only 542 votes, and 1914, when John C. Karel reduced Emanuel Phillip's 1912 majority of 1,217 votes to 707 votes. In 1916, Phillip received 3,378 votes and Burt Williams 1,375 votes.

During these periods of fluctuating political fortunes, the county continued overwhelmingly Republican in national affairs. The votes for five suceeding presidential elections were as follows: 1892 - Benjamin Harrison, 2,040; Grover Cleveland, 1,711. 1896 - William McKinley, 3,327; William Jennings Bryan, 1,316. 1900 - William McKinley, 3,864; William Jennings Bryan, 1,157. 1904 - Theodore Roosevelt, 4,091; Alton B. Parker, 1,043. 1908 - William H. Taft, 3,491; William Jennings Bryan, 1,576. In 1912, when the Progressive wave swept the county, Woodrow Wilson nearly held Bryan's vote, polling 1,528 ballots. Taft lost heavily, though he still received a plurality with 2,032 votes. Roosevelt received 644 votes, Eugene V. Debs, 45; and Eugene W. Chapin, 109. In 1916, Charles F. Hughes received 3,371 votes, and Woodrow Wilson 1,614, the Socialist vote being' 130 and the Prohibition vote 87.

County officers, judicial officers and legislators since 1890 have for the most part been elected with comfortable majorities, for while there have been many interesting and hard fought contests, few of the final results have been close.

Probably the most interesting contests have been fought out in the caucuses under the old convention system. The manipulating of delegations, the trading of votes, the delicate adjustment of tickets to represent picturesque features of Clark County life, and are the memories which will live the longest in the minds of those who took part in them, but their story is beyond the scope of this work, and in addition to this the events are too recent to be viewed without partiality. For the future historian the subject is fraught with the deepest possibilities.

In 1890 several of the local election contests were close, a number of those elected receiving less than half the total vote. For congress, N. P. Haugen received 1,535 votes, W. F. Bailey 1,491, and W. C. Jones 131 votes. For state senator, R. J. MacBride received 1,563 votes, H. M. Stocking 1,506, and H. W. Hunt 129. For assemblyman, Phillip Rossman received 1,561 votes, W. H. Mead 1,557 votes, and W. F. Cutts 101 votes. The contests for county clerk, county treasurer, county register of deeds and county coroner were likewise close. For county clerk, H. M. Root received 1,569 votes, George Burke 1,533 votes, and George B, Bagley 128 votes. For county treasurer, H. N. Withee received 1,584 votes, F. J. Vine received 1,511, and J. C. Miller received 118 votes. For register of deeds, William Zazenhouse received 1,602 votes, Henry Schildhaur 1,478 votes, and Fred W. Davis 134 votes. For coroner, W. B. Lyman received 1,539 votes, J. S. Mulvey received 1,506 votes, and W. W. Warner 144 votes,

In 1892 two of the contests were also close. For county clerk, H. M. Root received 1,930 votes, George Burke 1,859, and George Bagley 133 votes. For sheriff, James W. Page received 1,933 votes, Ira F. McIntyre 1,856 votes, and Joseph Mack 139 votes.

The next close contest was in 1915. In that year James O'Neill, elected in the district, received 1,421 votes for circuit judge, Emery W. Crosby 1,982, and C. G. Price 1,309 votes. For county superintendent of schools, Besse Kennedy received 2,663 votes, and E. C. Hirsch 2,560 votes. In 1917, Elizabeth Kennedy, for the same office, received 1,876 votes, Robert Letsche 1,836, and Arthur Dietz 1,676 votes,

During the same period there were several elections that were practically unanimous. In 1903, James O'Neill, for circuit judge, received 1,934 out of 1,948 cast, excelling the record of A, W. Newman, in 1888, who, for the same office, received in this county 1,349 votes out of 1,358 votes cast. In 1909, Judge O'Neill received in this county the entire 2,806 votes cast. In 1901, for county judge, George L. Jacques received 2,197 out of 2,209 votes cast, while in 1909 and 1913, Oscar W. Schoengarth received the entire vote for that office, 2,685 in 1909, and 2,517 in 1913. In 1905, A. O. Rhea received, for county superintendent, 2,594 votes out of 2,603 cast. In 1907 he received the entire vote of 2,464, while in 1912, Elizabeth Kennedy received the entire vote of 2,501 for the same office. In 1910, for clerk of court, George A. Ure received 2,229 votes out of 2,736 votes cast. In 1912 he received the entire vote of 3,014 for clerk of court, and William Huntley the entire vote of 1,365 for coroner. .

In 1916, W. L. Smith, as candidate for the assembly at the Republican primaries, was defeated by C. M. Bradford by a vote of 1,233 to 1,064, but Mr. Bradford died a few days before the election, Mr. Smith's name consequently went on the ticket, and he was elected.