Marathon County, Wisconsin - Chapter 14, 1913

Political History

At the time of the organization of Wisconsin as a territory and its admission as a state in the Union, the Democratic party was at the height of its power in the United States. Under the lead of its statesmen, the country had enjoyed marvelous growth. By the Louisiana purchase under Thomas Jefferson the whole of the Mississippi and Missouri valley was acquired; Florida was ceded by Spain ; Texas admitted as a state, and by the war with Mexico the boundaries of the Union were extended clear through this continent to the Pacific coast. The United States had become the greatest compact country in the world, and under its free institutions and its immense surplus of fruitful lands, the people were prosperous and contented. Wisconsin was the last state carved out of the old Northwest territory, admitted as a state in 1848. The majority of the people in Wisconsin, like the majority in all the northwestern states, adhered to that party. The policy of the newly admitted western states under its Democratic leaders was friendly to emigration, and it was but natural that these emigrants should range themselves on that side. These western states extended the rights of suffrage to the newcomers in a short time, and encouraged them to become citizens, which was in strong contrast with the policy of the New England and southern states. Indiana, for instance, required only a bona fide residence of six months, and other states one year, besides the declaration of the emigrant to become a citizen, to allow him to vote on all questions coming before the people.

It was undoubtedly this liberality towards emigrants which attracted European settlers and- populated the West. The sudden growth of the North and West excited the jealousy of the narrow-minded minority, which pretended to scent danger to American institutions by extending the right of suffragt in so short time, and they organized a new party, called the "American Party," whose aim was to restrict office to native bom Americans, and ex- tend the right to vote only to such foreign born persons as resided within the United States for twenty-one years. The Democratic party at once took strong ground against the American party, called the "Know Nothing" party, while the Whig party was rather vacillating in their opposition to the demands of the American party, in consecjuence of which, the by far largest portion of the foreign bom population became more closely attached to the Democratic party.

But at about the same time, the slavery problem began to cast its shadow over the Union and led to some desertions from its ranks. At about 1850, the Democratic party in Wisconsin had only a slight majority in the state, which it lost in 185 1, when the Whig party elected their candidate, Farwell, by 507 votes over Upham, tiie Democratic candidate; but Farwell's election was the last triumph of the Whig party, which went out of existence, the bulk of that party going into the Republican party, which sprang into existence a few years afterwards.

In 1853 the Democratic party elected their candidate. Barstow, by a large vote over the combined vote of the Republicans and Whigs, but it was the last Democratic victory for twenty years in Wisconsin.

At the time of the first settlement of Marathon county, or at its organization, the population was nearly entirely native bom, with only a sprinkling of Canadian and Irish, and the Democratic and \\'hig parties nearly balanced «ach other, the \\h\g party having a slight lead, unquestionably due to the influence of \\'alter D. Mclndoe, aided by C. A. Single and his brothers.

The vote of these years is interesting as showing the slow growth in population, aside from the political character, throwing a light on the condition and situation of the people.

The growth of the Democratic vote from 1855 was due to the appearance of new men from the East, especially R. P. Manson, B. G. Plumer and D. L. Plumer, and the new settlements in Marathon City, and the Gemian emigrants. The settlers who founded Marathon City came from Pennsylvania, which w"as then Democratic; and while residing there, had a test of intolerance of the Know Nothing party, which forced them in the Democratic ranks, where they remained ; and as the influx of German and Irish settlers increased, that party grew stronger from year to year in Marathon county; but it asserted itself only in the vote for state or presidential candidates, but not in the election of county officers. County officers, in the first fifteen years, were not remunerative, and consec^uently excited no strife. Then the population was so small, that everybody knew everybody, and the election of county officers was simply a question of personal friendship or personal preference.

It seems that up to i860 there was no election machinery; a caucus was held, candidates nominated, but party lines were not drawn. But after i860, with the growth of population and better pay for county officers, conventions for nomination of officers were held. In the first years of the existence of the county the pay for all officers, except treasurer, was $2.00 per day for actual service, the treasurer receiving fees as town treasurers do now. They were not required to keep open office at stated hours, but conducted their offices on the plan of town officers now. Up to 1854 the offices of county clerk, clerk of the circuit court and register of deeds were filled by the same person, and he was probably in attendance in the county house most of the time during the day. Later, in 1856, the county clerk received a salary of $300 per annum.

Party conventions were called in the early sixties by the Democrats, as that party was in an overwhelming majority, and that ticket seems to have been opposed by independents, so-called. If people were not satisfied with the candidates nominated, they would induce others to run; and sometimes one or the other of these independents would be elected, which has become an impossibility under the present "incorporated character"' of parties, which is claimed a great evolution to take the power from the bosses. But with the growth of the population, with halls for public meeting, with newspapers and chances for hearing good speeches on political topics, there came a stronger organization of political parties. In the fall of 1872, there was a Democratic convention held in the courthouse for the nomination of candidates in accordance with a call duly issued weeks before. There was a strife for the county offices, particularly for sheriff, treasurer, and county clerk; and when the convention was called to order and the delegates took their seats, the right of one of the delegates was challenged on the ground that he was a Republican, and as a supporter of U. S. Grant could not claim a seat in that convention. The delegate admitted the fact as to his political status, but claimed that this was only a convention for nominating county officers, which had nothing to do with politics. He was told that this was a Greeley convention, called as such; that only Greeley supporters would be permitted to nominate a county ticket, and that only candidates supporting Greeley would be nominated, and he was excluded from the convention. The delegate withdrew and, upon a statement made by another delegate that any other Grant supporter, if present as a delegate, should withdraw, two other delegates left the convention, stating that they were present in accordance with the older usage and custom, but if this was a Greeley convention pure and simple, they would withdraw, too, and feel under no obligation to support the ticket to be nominated by this convention.

A Republican convention was called thereupon and a Republican county ticket nominated; and from that time on political conventions were held, strict party ties were drawn more or less, and elections became more than ever before, a test of party strength.

The Democratic party was in the majority, and by organization and popular nominations, gained in numbers and strength, electing with two or three exceptions, every county officer up to 1892, its success being only slightly and temporarily interrupted by the Greenback party in 1877 and 1878.

The Democratic vote for Grover Cleveland in 1892 was 3,791, against 1,959 for Benjamin Harrison, which was the highwater mark of Democratic ascendency, from which it steadily declined, until the county could be fairly relied upon for substantial Republican majorities. But high as Cleveland's majority was, it was comparatively less than the vote for Samuel J. Tilden in 1876, who received 1,796 votes, against 668 for R. B. Hayes.

In the election contests from 1872 on, the Democrats had a superior organization. Hon. B. Ringle, county judge; Hon. W. C. Silverthorn, John C. Clarke and August Kickbusch were a quartet of strong and popular leaders, working in complete harmony, and Greeley received 911 to 491 votes for General Grant.

In 1874, Hon. George W. Cate was nominated for congress by the Democrats in the eighth congressional district, theretofore strongly Republican, and Cate was elected by a slight majority over his Republican opponent, the sitting member of congress, Hon. Alexander McDill ; and in the campaign of 1876 the Democrats gave Tilden the unprecedented majority of 1,128, out of a total of 2,464.

C. H. Mueller was elected as district attorney in 1874, but failed of renomination in 1876, because of the active opposition to him by the gambling fraternity and their friends in high life, so-called. Rog. C. Spooner, who came to Wausau in 1875, was nominated in his place. The opposition to him centered on another young lawyer, Charles V. Bardeen, of Republican proclivities, who made a fine canvass as an independent candidate, but could not wholly overcome the tremendous Democratic majority.

R. C. Spooner was elected, took the office; but a few months afterwards his father, the venerable P. L. Spooner, insisted that he return to Madison, the father not approving of his son's surroundings. R. C. Spooner resigned, and the governor appointed C. V. Bardeen as his successor. This was the beginning of the fine professional career of C. V. Bardeen, who was, fifteen years later, elected circuit judge, then appointed as justice of the supreme court in 1898 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Alf. W. Newman, to which office he was elected, and died in Madison while a member of the supreme court, in 1908.

The decision of the electoral commission, by which R. B. Hayes was given the presidency, had a depressing effect upon many Democrats; they began to despair of future national success. The hard times caused by the money stringency following the contraction of the currency, preparatory to the resumption of specie payment, opened a fruitful field of agitation for the Greenback party. Business was depressed. Lumber had reached bottom prices. Fleets of lumber, mill run; that is, lumber as it was sawed from the log, including the best grades of lumber, and no poor lumber at all, were sold in St. Louis from $io to $15; some for even less, which was less than the original costs.

This condition of business continued until 1880, and the effect was that every small lumberman, who had run out a fleet of lumber in former years, or cut logs and had it sawed at the mill, expecting to sell the lumber at Wausau or other ri\-er points, was forced out of business, only a few of the larger manufacturers being able to stand up under the heavy losses. Of course the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad had come to Wausau in the fall of 1874, but the lumbermen had not yet found a market in the state west of the Mississippi, and were still more or less controlled by the market on the Mississippi river. Commercial houses in Wausau were forced into bankruptcy, and only a few of the strongest, and they only by stretching their credit to the utmost, survived the business crash which, beginning with the failure of Jay Cook in 1873, swept over the whole country.

This was the situation in 1877, when Samuel F. Carey came to W'ausau in the summer and delivered an address in opposition to the resumption of specie payment, which he claimed was the cause of the financial disturbance and commercial depression. Carey was an orator ; he was an actor, an artist, not a barn-stormer ; he understood human nature; he could play upon the sentiments of his listeners, painting word pictures of the universal distress so vividly that his hearers could see the distress of others as they felt their own, and he completely captured the immense audience which had come to listen to him. The effect of his speech was instantaneous. A Greenback club was formed at once, which drew its members from all existing parties, including the few Prohibitionists, but most of the club members had formerly acted with the Democratic party.

The newly formed Greenback party in \\'ausau assisted M. H. Barnum in establishing a weekly paper devoted to their principles, the Torch of Liberty, and during the summer of 1878, M. H. Barnum founded also a Gemian newspaper devoted to the same cause, the Watchman on the Wisconsin, which was edited by Henry Miller. The German paper ceased to be published soon after the election of 1878, but the material was purchased by Republican politicians in 1 88 1, and the paper reissued under the name of Deutscher Pioneer, ably edited by one Koslowski, and still exists, being now owned by Paul Stolze.

The Torch, after a few years, became attached to the principles of the Republican party, and was later purchased by the Daily Record, a daily Republican sheet.

In the fall election for state officers, there were three tickets in the field. W. E. Smith, at the head of the Republican ticket; Judge JMallory, at the head of the Democratic, and E. P. Allis, at the head of the Greenback ticket, and, as usual, the Republican ticket in the state was elected. In Marathon county the Greenback party elected their candidate for assembly, F. W. Kickbusch, by a small majority, more on his own popularity, however, than on his party strength, Mallory receiving 755 votes to 746 for Allis and 301 for W. E. 5mith.

This success encouraged the Greenback party to renewed exertions, and although an attempt was made by the leaders of the Democratic and Greenback parties in the congressional district to coalesce on member of congress and candidates for the legislature, the feeling between the old and new parties and some of its leaders, and the rank and file had become so bitter, as to make a coalition impossible. The Greenback party was led by men who stood well in the business community as, for instance, D. L. Plumer, August Kickbusch and his brother, F. W. Kickbusch, former Democrats ; R. E. Parcher, James McCrosen and Conrad Althen, former Republicans, with ]\I. H. Barnum, a fluent and ready speaker, as the orator, and they were greatly aided by Robert Schilling of Milwaukee, a very able and eloquent debator.

The election of 1878, when there was a member of congress to be elected, also a state senator for the 21st district, including Marathon county, and one member of the assembly, besides a county ticket, was the most bitter and heated contest ever carried on in Marathon county. Men who had been friends for years refused to speak or recognize each other on the street, because of having changed party affiliations ; charges and counter charges without justifications were hurled at each other, and left sores which never healed. The Republicans put no county ticket in the field ; they centered their energies upon the election of their candidate, T. C. Pound, for congress, and J. A. Kellogg for senator, and were successful in both instances, although the Democratic and Greenback conventions had combined on A. R. Barrows, of Chippewa Falls, for congress, and M. H. ^^'adleigh, of Stevens Point, for the senate. The candidates of the coalition would have been elected if the votes of the two parties could have been combined. But the bitter personal feeling of the rank and file and some of their leaders, and some fine political maneuvers of E. W. Keyes of Madison, who was a candidate for a seat in the United States senate, prevented a hearty combination. In that memorable campaign the bulk of the work on the part of the Democratic party fell upon younger men, Mr. John Ringle and Louis Marchetti, supported by J. C. Clarke and C. F. Eldred, an able and eloquent attorney of Wausau. The

Republican candidate for congress, T. C. Pound, was elected, and also Gen. J. A. Kellogg,' as senator for 21st district of Wisconsin, the Greenback party electing George W. Ghoca, their candidate for sheriff; Henry Miller, county clerk, and A. W. Schmidt, for register of deeds ; while the Democrats elected J. R. Bruneau for county treasurer; Hugo Peters, clerk of circuit court; William N. Allen, for county surveyor, and their candidate for member of assembly, John Ringle, against whom the Greenback party made a very strong fight.

By the virtual repeal of the resumption act in reissuing the redeemed greenbacks after the amount of the same had been contracted to 346 million dollars, by destroying 54 millions redeemed, and by the coinage of two million silver dollars per month under the Bland-Allison act of 1878, contraction of the currency ceased ; it rather expanded slowly. Business began to revive in 1879, and much of the bitterness which had characterized political differences vanished.

The presidential election of 1880 was not exciting, but nevertheless the parties entered into the canvass with a vigor and determination to win. The Democrats nominated Hon. W. C. Silverthom for member of congress of the eigth congressional district, which was overwhelmingly Republican. That party at that time had a good organization in Marathon county. They arranged for a mass meeting and barbecue to be held at the courthouse square in September. An immense concourse of people gathered in the afternoon, listening to the speeches of Gen. E. S. Bragg and Col. E. Juessen, a brother-in-law of Carl Schurz, who spoke in German. After the conclusion of the speeches, a wagon having a wide platform was being driven upon the square, gaily decorated, on which there was in sitting posture a roasted ox, with a number of trenchermen, who began cutting after the square was reached. The roasted animal was a heavy young steer, roasted in the whole in the foundry of the Murrey Manufacturing Company, under the care of Christ Oswald, who did the -work as a labor of love. Other wagons came with bread and apples and there was a gay Democratic time.

In the evening Music Hall was crowded to its full capacity, where the same speakers addressed the meeting. During the speech of General Bragg at the courthouse, a telegram was received by him and read, saying that the state of Maine had gone Democratic, and there was unbounded enthusiasm, which never flagged during the campaign. The Republicans were not backwards. Soon after the Democratic barbecue they held one of their own on the courthouse square, too, putting up a number of tents in which they served chicken and geese, and urged their farmer friends to partake of their hospitaHty. In the afternoon T. C. Pound made a speech, and a Gennan speaker by the name of Koslowski entertained the audience. That was the opening of the RepubHcan campaign, which was kept up by local speakers until the day before election ; but there was shown more respect for the opinion of opponents than had been before. The Greenback party tried to keep up an organization through a club working for their presidential ticket, but aside from that they gave their strength to the Democratic ticket, which was made up of all the county officers elected two years ago, except sheriff, whose term is limited to two years and one term, and for which place the Democrats had nominated R. P. Manson, and old standby Democrat. General Hancock received 1,977 votes; Gen. J. A. Garfield received 1,025 votes; W. C. Silverthorn, for congress, received 2,198 votes; T. C. Pound, for congress, received i,o6g votes, and he was elected by the heavy Republican majorities in other counties. John Ringle was reelected member of assembly, and the whole Democratic county ticket was elected by substantially the same vote that Hancock received, and even higher; but the vote for General Weaver, the Greenback party candidate, was largely reduced from the vote of 1878.

In 1881, arrangements had been made by the people of Wausau for a more than usual solemn celebration of the Fourth of July. A speakers' tribune had been erected from out of the courthouse porch, speakers were appointed in time to prepare themselves for the occasion, and when the sun rose over the east hills everybody was ready to celebrate the day of our independence ; to feel as one people, as members of one great family, and nourish the fire of patriotism ; the sun rose clear, no threatening cloud could be seen on the horizon. Hundreds of farmers came to W^ausau with their families to take part in the celebration. The courthouse square was crowded at about ten o'clock, when the exercises were to begin in the forenoon with music, and sports on the fairgrounds in the afternoon.

Just before the assemblage was to be called to order, Mr. M. A. Hurley approached the speakers' stand with a worn look in his face, holding a yellow telegram paper in his hand and waving 'for silence. The whole audience instinctively felt that some extraordinary announcement was about to be made, and a hush fell over the immense assemblage. With a few words of preparation, Mr. Hurley, his body shaking with emotion, then read the telegram just received, of the terrible shooting of the president, James A. Garfield, at the Washington railroad depot, following up the reading with a statement that from the nature of the wound there was little hope of recovery.

Judge Louis Marchetti made the same announcement in the German language. The effect produced was indescribable. Glen's faces blanched, women cried, and the people who had come together in anticipation of a patriotic festival and frolic, quietly and mournfully wended their way home, with a heavy heart. The telegraph office was besieged in the afternoon for more dispatches, in the hope of getting news holding out hope for the president's life, and everv' ray, slight tliough. was gladly welcomed.

James A. Garfield's body was borne to the grave on the 26th day of September, 1881, and at the same time a solemn public service was held at the courthouse square, made more impressive by the part therein taken by the Hon. G. L. Park, circuit judge, who was visiting in Wausau at that time.

The year 1881 closed fairly prosperous to all classes of people in ]\Iarathon county. The best of feeling prevailed, which was shown when the flood of 1881 threatened to sweep away the guardlock, to the certain destruction of the three mills below, w-ith all the many millions of feet of lumber in the yards, when hundreds of people volunteered their help in strengthening the same and erecting a levee or dam on its east side to prevent a break. Everybody then felt that the wiping out of these mills would be a calamity to everybody else, not only to the owners.

In the election for state officers in 1881, the Democratic candidate, N. D. Fratt. received 1.305; his opponent. Jer. Rusk, 6go votes, and Rusk was elected by a greatly reduced majority for governor of the state.

When the next election came around, the dissension in the Republican party forebode Democratic success. In tliat year the Democrats nominated Judge G. L. Park, of Portage county, for congress; John Ringle for senator of the 21st senatorial district of Wisconsin, and J. E. Leahy for member of assembly. These were exceptional strong nominations.

The Republican congressional convention was held at Wausau, and after a stormy session, and after charges of bribery of delegates were openly made, Isaac Stevenson received his first nomination for congress, against E. L. Brown, of W'aupacca, and Charles M. Webb, of Wood county. Stevenson was little known outside of ^Marinette, Oconto and Shawano counties ; his nomination left a bitter taste in the mouths of the supporters of Brown and Webb, while on the other hand the nomination of G. L. Park was hailed with acclamation by the Democrats.

and Marathon county was in the new ninth congressional district, which included sixteen counties, or nearly one-third of the entire state. It was organized as an absolute certain Republican district, but in the election G. L. Park received 12,518 votes, and Isaac Stevenson received 12,774 votes. Judge Park contested the election of Stevenson on the ground of fraud and corruption, especially for the casting of hundreds of illegal votes in Marinette county by men claimed to ha\e come across the state line from Menominee, Michigan, on election day to cast their vote for Stevenson. There were many facts and circumstances to substantiate the claim. But Judge Park was a very sick man at the time of his nomination, more seriously sick than he himself suspected. The slight attempt of speaking during the canvass, which he made against the advise of his physicians and friends, had a bad effect on his health, and he was forced to suspend the canvass.

The new congress did not go into session until a year after the election, and meanwhile Judge Park's condition had become much worse, and he then knew that his days were counted; that his life would ebb away before his contest would be decided, although he knew, at least was satisfied that it would be decided in his favor, but he withdrew the contest to die in peace. He closed his eyes on the 4th day of June, 1884, only a few weeks after the withdrawal of his contest against Isaac Stevenson.

Judge Park had received in Marathon county, 2,493 votes ; Isaac Stevenson, 896 votes ; and John Ringle was elected senator over F. 'SI. Guernsey by a majority of 375 votes in the counties of Marathon, Shawano and Waupacca, which then constituted the 21st senatorial district. The Democratic candidate for member of assembly, J. E. Leahy, was elected, and the whole Democratic county ticket was reelected, with John Werner as sheriff in place of R. P. Manson, who as sheriff, was by law ineligible for reelection.

In anticipation of a heated political campaign, R. H. Johnson, the owner and editor of the Central Wisconsin, the only Republican newspaper then in Marathon county, converted his paper in a daily in 1883, and engaged Arthur Dodge as editor. Dodge was a keen political writer, well versed in political warfare, and the Central was a by far better daily than the city could really afford, by which is meant that Mr. Johnson must have lost money in the venture. But he was postmaster at the time, and it may be that hope of political preferment was one of the leading motives in undertaking the costly change. The paper rendered yeoman service to Blaine and Logan in the campaign of 1884. Not to be outdone, Mr. E. B. Thayer, of the Wausau Weekly Rcinew, purchased the old long-established Pilot, combined the two weekly papers, and issued a daily in 1884; so that Wausau had the convenience of having two daily papers when it could hardly afford one. The Daily Pilot ceased soon after election, but the Central continued for a few months longer, but it too could not exist, and both were reduced to weekly editions.

The political events of 1884 were the most exciting in Marathon county. The lumber business at Wausau and in the whole Wisconsin valley had largely increased ; factories had come, and with them a greatly enlarged population in cities as well as counties. The nomination of Blaine and Logan had been enthusiastically received by the Republicans, not less so than the nomination of Cleveland and Hendricks by the Democrats. The Democrats were the first to open tlie campaign in an infomial way by receiving with acclamation the returning delegates and the body of citizens which had attended the national convention at Chicago. Clubs were formed, local speakers were heard in every town and village, and both parties vied with each other in arranging for meetings.

Among the local speakers, M. A. Hurely and Neal Brown, the latter having come to Wausau as a practicing lawyer in 1880, took prominent part; with them was L. A. Pradt and W. H. Mylrea, young attorneys. L. A. Pradt had formerly resided in the town of Holeton and was well acquainted, especially on the "Line," and W. H. Alylrea had come to Wausau the previous year and was in partnership with C. V. Bardeen. Each of these men mentioned made his mark in the history of ]\Iarathon county, and even in a larger sense in after years. Of the business men who took a prominent part for Blaine and Logan was C. S. Curtis and J. E. Leahy, James McCrossen and A. Stewart. Curtis had come to Wausau in 1880 and erected his sash, door and blind factory, which under his management became the largest industrial concern in Wausau ; J. E. Leahy was a great admirer of James G. Blaine, and in supporting him followed his own fomier inclinations. Another active worker in the Republican field was K. S. Markstrum, a young man who came from Sweden in 1874; a painter by trade, with a good school education, who took to politics like a duck to water. He was appointed deputy revenue collector in 1881. He spoke fluently English, German and Scandinavian, with an ability as a mixer which gave him a large personal acquaintance in the county. The Democrats succeeded in keeping up their organization with hard work and sacrifices. They felt the loss of J. E. Leahy and J. C. Clarke, who had sold out and commenced life anew on a tobacco plantation in Virginia.

B. G. Plumer, W. H. Knox, D. L. Plumer, F. W. Kickbusch and J. Gensman were the business men who took the most prominent part on the Democratic side, with John Ringle, District Attorney C. F. Eldred and Louis Marchetti looking after the organization.

It was a hurrah campaign from beginning to end. Torchlight processions were in vogue nearly every week for the last four weeks before election, each party vieing with the other in the number of torches carried. Rockets and red lights were much in evidence to arouse enthusiasm, but little argument. In first class speakers the Democrats easily overmatched the Republicans. The Blaine Club opened its campaign with a torchlight procession and a meeting in the splendid new opera house (since burned), with Lucius Fairchild a candidate for United States senator, as speaker ; the Democrats replied with a bigger procession and ex-Senator James R. Doolittle as orator. His audience was much too large for the opera house and he spoke from the band stand at the courthouse square. Then the Republicans made much of Joseph Brucker, whom they had brought in the county to stump the German towns, who posed as a businessman, because he had a little excelsior mill in Medford. He, too, had a great torchlight procession in the city of Wausau, and spoke in the large skating rink, being introduced as the "silver tongued pinery boy," but the Democrats has no difficulty in replying with homespeakers. The Republicans held many meetings with the local talent addressing the voters, M. A. Hurley, Neil Brown and L. A. Pradt; but had only ex-Governor Fairchild and Colonel Goodwin from Milwaukee, while the Democrats had James R. Doolittle, Gen. E. S. Bragg and A. K. Delaney. Nevertheless the campaign was carried on without animosity, as appears from this incident : One evening there was a great Blaine procession ; Scandinavian clubs and others from outside the city were in line, besides all city clubs. It was really a very well arranged affair ; there were at least one thousand men in line marching in good order, with music and flags galore. Mr. Conrad Althen stood outside his store, on the sidewalk on Jackson street, to look it over, being himself in sympathy with it, and so were his clerks, all looking on, leaving the store empty. When the procession had passed and Mr. Althen returned to his office, he found to his great surprise that somebody had emptied his safe of the cash on hand, and in telling the story in a sort of laughing way, told it thus : Well, I went out to count the Republicans in line,

He was laughed at some more and told not to take so much interest in Republican processions, but should rather honor the Democrats with his attention. The best of it was, that he was in the habit, and done so that evening, to deposit all the cash received until 4 o'clock in the bank, so that there was only so much in the safe as was received after that time. Of course nobody thought the thief could ever be caught and he was not.

crats nominated James Meehan of Portage county, also a lumberman, in opposition to him. At the time of Meehan's nomination at Grand Rapids, there were two torchlight processions there, one for Cleveland and Hendricks and one for Blaine and Logan. A train of fourteen box cars, filled with torch bearers, went down to Grand Rapids to help their brethren of Wood county to make a show of strength against the combined Blaine and Logan clubs of Wood county, Stevens Point, Amherst and Plover. The AX'ausau clubs took all their campaign wagons along with them on a ilat car, and also their gun to make noise, which they did not fail to do, and they did outnumber the other side.

At the Democratic meeting the speakers were John W. Cary, W. C. Silverthorn and C. F. Eldred. The Republican meeting was addrtssed by W. T. Price, a lumbennan and good speaker, and member of congress from the adjoining eighth district.

There was a clash between the two processions which looked very serious for a minute or two, but they separated and no harm was done. Republican papers afterwards said that the Democratic torchlight procession had broke up the Republican meeting. But the fault was probably on both sides. W. C. Silverthom was the Democratic candidate for attorney general, and was kept busy on the rostrum all over the state, but his name nevertheless materially strengthened the Democratic ticket in the county.

\Mien Cleveland's election became assured on Thursday afternoon following election day, there was a huge bonfire half way up the east hill, which was still unoccupied at that time. The whole Democratic county ticket was elected with the exception of sherifif, for which office William Kickbusch, Republican, was chosen, all officers having been reelected, except B. J. Pink, who was nominated in place of C. F. Eldred for district attorney as a Democrat and elected.

There was a reaction in 1886. The bomb throwing on the Hajnnarket square in Chicago in May of that year and the so-called labor riots in Milwaukee about the same time had some influence in favor of the Republican ticket.

Isaac Stevenson was reelected over John Ringle to congress ; and the county offices were divided between the parties, the Democrats electing : N. A. Healy, for sheriff; A. \V. Schmidt, for register of deeds; Hugo Peters, clerk of circuit court ; B. Gowan, surveyor, and Charles Quandt, coroner. The Republican candidates elected were : John W. Miller, county clerk ; William Kickbusch, county treasurer, and W. H. Mylrea, district attorney. Henry Miller, Democrat, was elected as member of assembly.

President Cleveland's veto of the dependent pension bill, and his message recommending a reduction of the tariff gave the Republicans the issues for the next campaign.

There was some notable shifting in the voting population on the tariff issue in both parties, but the Grand Army of the Republic took strong ground against the president, and no doubt brought about his defeat. On the tariff issue the Democratic party in Marathon county gained a young attorney, who had already taken a prominent part in politics. It was Neal Brown, who declared for Cleveland and tariff reform, and became one of the staunchest advocates of his election. The Republicans brought up John F. Scanlan from Chicago to make the opening address in the opera house, and his speech was thought to have made much of an impression, especially on the citizens of Irish extraction, who were nearly all Democrats.

Neal Brown was chosen by the Democrats to reply at the same place without much delay. This meeting was the great Democratic demonstration in that campaign. The opera house was splendidly lighted, the stage was made a veritable exotic garden, the Hon. R. P. Manson, one of the most, if not the most popular lumbermen, was chosen to preside, and ever3rthing was done to make the first appearance of Neal Brown on the Democratic forum a memorable event. He was received with loud acclamation and his address was an excellent and eloquent presentation of the Democratic position on the tariff. Mr. Scanlan had quoted statistics until his hearers had got tired, as showing good and bad times under high and low tariff, and replying and referring to the same statistics, Mr. Brown said that according to Mr. Scanlan's notion, when whiskey was low in price times were good and when whiskey was high, times were bad, and it may be, said Mr. Brown, that these facts may have influenced Mr. Scanlan's notions as to what were good and bad times.

This good-natured sally at Mr. Scanlan's expense, as well as many other humorous references to Republican arguments, kept the whole house in excel-

Cleveland received 3,358 votes to 2,144 for Harrison. The Republican nominee for congress, M. H. McCord, was elected over his Democratic competitor, General Early, of Chippewa county.

Under the new apportionment, Marathon county was divided in two assembly districts, and both districts went Democratic, electing Joseph Chessak from the first, and M. P. Beebe member of assembly of the second district.

For county officers the Democrats elected M. E. Manson for sheriff; Hugo Peters, clerk circuit court; A. W. Schmidt, register of deeds; P. F. Curran, surveyor, and Charles Quandt, coroner; C. F. Eldred, district attorney, and J. R. Bruneau, treasurer. Of the Republican candidates only John W. Miller for county clerk was elected.

There was a new issue in 1890 brought on by the disposition of Gov. W.- D. Hoard not to make concessions to a popular demand for the repeal of the so-called Bennett Law. This act was passed by the legislature in 1889, and seemingly gave the state some sort of supervision over private and parochial schools, in the teaching of the English language. Such at least was the claim made by the religious denominations, having parochial schools, and they were quick to resent the interference of the state. It cannot be honestly denied, that the law squinted that way.

The Democratic party in their state convention declared for the repeal of the law, the Republican convention only for an amended act, thus making up the issue, which went into history as the "Little Red School House" campaign because the Republicans had taken up as their cry "For the little red house," meaning the public schools, and the Democrats as their answer, "For all the schools."

When the votes were counted, the election turned out a veritable landslide to the Democratic party. George W. Peck, Democrat, was elected governor over W. D. Hoard, Republican, by a plurality of 28,320. Both houses of the legislature had a Democratic majority, and William F. Vilas was chosen by them as senator in place of John C. Spooner whose term expired Thomas hynch was elected member of congress for the ninth congressional district over M. H. McCord, the sitting member.

lican, 1,490 votes, and the Democrats also elected Thomas O'Connor and Neal Brown as members of the assembly and their whole county ticket with little varying majorities, to wit: August Martin, sheriff; William J. Gehrke, county clerk; J. C. Berg, county treasurer; C. F. Eldred, district attorney; Edward C. Kretlow, register of deeds; Hugo Peters, clerk circuit court; P. C. Werle, surveyor; Charles Ouandt, coroner, and F. A. Strupp, school superintendent.

The Democratic part}' was then well entrenched not only in the solid South, but in the northern states as well and looked confidently forward to the next presidential election.

That year marks the high tide of Democratic ascendency in state and nation, from which it steadily declined. The dissensions in the Republican party continued under President Harrison; the McKinley tariff act, the attempt to pass the force bill, so-called, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which satisfied neither the bi-metallists nor the gold standard men, with the final breach between Harrison and James G. Blaine plainly showed that there was no complete unity in that party.

Simultaneously with the passage of the Bennett law, in Wisconsin, similar laws were enacted in some western states, for instance, in Illinois and Ohio, which were repealed when the Democrats came into power on the pledge to repeal these laws, which established a friendly feeling between the leaders of that party and the religious denominations having parochial schools, which asserted itself in the presidential election nearly to the same extent as it had in the state elections of 1890, although the national leaders of the Democratic party insisted that it was the position of the Democratic party on the tariff solely and alone, which gave them their victories in 1890, and they felt confident that the people would sustain them to the same extent in 1892.

In Wisconsin as well as in Illinois and Ohio, the Democratic party was in possession of the state governments. In Wisconsin the administration of Gov. George W. Peck was very commendable. It had carried out its promise in repealing the obnoxious Bennett law ; it had carried through the supreme court to a successful conclusion its cases against the fonner state treasurers for the return to the state of the interests paid to them by banks on state deposits which they kept as their own. It had thereby established the principle that interests on state money deposited in banks belonged to the state. The amount recovered by the state from the last two state treas- urers amouned to something like $300,000 alone. Taxes were reduced, and the state was growing in population and wealth. Under those circumstances the state Democracy entered into the compaign of 1892 with the full confidence of holding its strength, in which it was not disappointed.

It had good leaders in Senator William F. Vilas and Gen. Edw. S. Bragg, who was as popular as Senator Vilas, even more so by the older members of the party. A United States senator in place of Philitus Sawyer was to be elected by the next legislature, which gave particular zest to the Democrats to carry the state, and General Bragg was supposed to be the logical candidate for the place as the foremost Democratic statesman next or as the equal to Vilas. There was a spirited canvass, the Republicans nominating Col. J. C. Spooner much against his will for governor, who made a strong canvass against great odds, and was defeated, but left at least his party united for the future.

Thomas Lynch was re-elected to congress, as well as the Democratic state ticket, both assembly districts in Marathon county were carried by the Democrats, electing A. B. Barney of Spencer and John Ringle of Wausau, as also the entire Democratic county ticket, to wit: Adolph Salzmann, sheriff: William J. Gehrke. county clerk; J. C. Berg, county treasurer; C. F. Eldred, district attorney ; Edward C. Kretlow, register of deeds ; Hugo Peters, clerk of circuit court; P. C. Werle, county surveyor; Charles Ouandt, coroner, and F. Strupp, school superintendent.

The election for United States senator did not pass off as wished by the rank and file of the Democrats. Gen. E. S. Bragg received the most votes in the caucus, but lacked a majority. Alexander Mitchell of Milwaukee being a strong competitor, with Col. J. H. Knight of Ashland a third candidate.

Senator Brown and Assemblyman John Ringle voted in the caucus for Colonel Knight, seeing that their votes could not give Bragg a majority and in the hope that by staying with the third candidate they would prevail upon their co-supporters to go to General Bragg when the general break-up would come. But the deadlock lasted a long time, and when the final break-up came, Messrs. Brown and Ringle voted for Bragg, even when they saw his defeat staring them in the face. The other member from Marathon county had consistently voted for Mitchell against the strongly expressed wish of not only the Democrats of the county, but the people without regard of party as well. Alexander Mitchell was in Milwaukee a very popular man; he had generously spent large amounts of money for charitable and humanitarian purposes, which was rightly or wrongly construed against him, inasmuch as he had not done much else to endear him to the party. He was elected through the efforts of a lobby from Milwaukee in his favor, and charges of corrupting the vote of members of the assembly and senators were made, but no proof was ever offered on that score. Nevertheless it gave the Republican party a chance to hurl the cry of corruption upon their opponents 1894.

In 1893 a financial panic not unlike the panic of 1873 paralyzed business. It is not within the scope of this book to attempt to analyze the causes of the disturbance, but the fact must be mentioned. It began with the failure of the great banking house of Baring Brothers in London in previous years, had spread over Europe and South America and made itself felt in this country.

The distress following in the wake of this panic was not near so severe in Wausau as in other parts, especially in the crowded factory and tenement districts of the country, and farmers were less affected than any other class. It is true that lumber shipments ceased entirely for a while; that mills were shut up for a time; that many men were consequently out of employment; but municipal works undertaken at that time here at Wausau in that period tempered to some extent the rigors which otherwise would have been more seriously felt.

The party in power was of course held responsible for the business stagnation, and the year 1894 witnessed a complete political revolution in Marathon county as well as everywhere else. The Democratic party seemed to be swept out of existence in the nation. It had elected 244 members to the house of representatives in 1892, but in 1894 only 104, and these almost without exception from the Southern states. The Democratic majority in Marathon county was nearly wiped out.

The administration of George W. Peck in the state was a splendid success. It had in final judgments for the benefit of the people in money and judgments, which were absolutely good, the sum of a little over $600,000, all against ex-treasurers for interests on bank deposits which these treasurers had received from the banks and kept. It had been honest and economic and was free from bossism. But it had to suffer for the business depression, together with the national government.

George W. Peck, Democrat, for governor received in Marathon county, 3,272 votes; William Upham, Republican, for governor, received in Marathon county, 3.049 votes ; Thomas Lynch, Democrat, for congress, received in Marathon county, 2,765 votes; and Alexander Stewart, Republican, for congress, received in Marathon county, 3,557 votes and was elected the first member of congress from Marathon county since Walter D. Mclndoe. It is a curious fact that Alexander Stewart after the death of W. D. Mclndoe succeeded to his mill property and also to congress, which latter event, however, took place twenty-two years after Mclndoe's death.

The eastern assembly district of Marathon county elected George Werheim. Republican, and the western district, Robert Plish, Democrat: the county officers were divided between the two parties, the Republicans electing their candidates for district attorney, A. L. Kreutzer ; Theo. Beste, for sheriff; Gustav Braeger, for county clerk; and the Democrats, Carl Paff, for county treasurer; Edward C. Kretlow, for register; Hugo Peters, for clerk of circuit court, and John F. Lamont, for school superintendent ; Dr. D. Sauerhering, coroner, and William N. Allen, county surveyor.

The county clerk, Gust. Braeger, died soon after election, and the county board filled the vacant place by electing William Gehrke. who had been defeated in the election.

In the years from 1894 to 1896 business had revived to some extent, but was still far from being satisfactory. The Wilson tariff bill had been passed, and manufacturers were almost a unit in naming it as the cause of the hard times. Others laid it to the financial condition, especially to the contraction of the currency, which undoubtedly had taken place under Cleveland's administration, and the unconditional repeal of the silver purchasing clause of the Shennan act. and it was apparent that both of the great political parties were divided among themselves on the great issue of remonitizing silver. No question since the Civil war had so taken hold of the people and divided them. The conventions of the great parties were followed with the utmost interest, and their platfomis were eagerly applauded or condemned, as people chose one side or the other. It was the hottest contest since 1876, only more intense in feeling, and for a long time William J. Bryan seemed to have a long lead on the Republican candidate, William McKinley.

The presidential contest in Marathon county was excited as everywhere else, and there were defections from the party here as elsewhere, which for a long time seemed to be wholly balanced by accessions from the other party. The older Democrats stood faithfully by Bryan's colors, they were in fact bi-metallists before the convention, and jubilant with the work of the same, and while they felt the loss of some of their fomier friends, they were materially assisted in the canvass by former Senator J. E. Leahy, who made a number of speeches for Bryan. The great debate between "Horr and Harvey" was distributed in thousands of circulars all over the county, and had its effect. The prospect for the Democratic ticket seemed bright until two weeks before election when it began to pale, and it became apparent that there was a strong resistless undercurrent against Bryan, and when the vote was counted, it turned out that Marathon county for the first time since its existence had given a Republican majority for president, small though it was. William McKinley received 3,958 votes; William J. Bryan, 3,829 votes; Alexander Stewart for congress, 4,095 votes; William O'Keefe, his competitor, 3,768 votes; but the Democrats saved the majority of county officers out of the general wreck, electing Karl Kronenwetter for sheriff, Carl Faff for county treasurer, William J. Gehrke for county clerk, Edward C. Kretlow for register, William N. Allen for county surveyor, and Dr. D. Sauerhering for coroner, while the Republicans elected A. L. Kreutzer, district attorney and A. A. Bock, clerk circuit court.

The candidate for governor on the Democratic ticket this year was W. C. Silverthorn of Marathon county, who made a splendid canvass of the whole state, running nearly 4,000 votes ahead of William J. Bryan, and he carried Marathon county by 530 majority over Edward Scofield, a splendid home endorsement for the Democratic candidate.

Both assembly districts went Republican, chosing Henry M. Thompson in the western district and M. H. Barnum in the eastern district of Marathon county.

Republican ascendency continued ; the Spanish- American war broke out, and while the war itself was not popular in this county, still there was a feeling that the administration should be supported. Marathon county, through its militia, Company G of the Third Regiment, Wisconsin National Guard, took an honorable part in the war, which will be referred to later under the chapter of "The City of \\'ausau."

The election passed off rather dull with the following result in this county : For governor, Edw. Scofield, Republican, received 3,068 votes; N. W. Sawyer, Democrat, received 2,765 votes ; for congress, Alexander Stewart, Republican, received 3.217 votes; W. W. Ruggles, Democrat, received 2,723 votes. Both assembly districts were carried by the Republicans, electing G. E. Vandercook for the western and Herman Miller for the eastern district ; the county ofificers elected were Thomas Malone for sheriff; H. H. Mansoh for district attorney, William J. Gehrke for county clerk, Edward C. Kretlow for register, all Democrats, and Anton Mehl county treasurer, A. A. Bock clerk circuit court, and W. C. Dickens coroner, Republicans.

A. L. Kreutzer, Republican, was nominated for state senator of the twenty-fifth senatorial district, composed of the counties of Clark and Marathon, receiving 5.314 votes to 3.708 votes for his opponent, R. B. Salter, Democrat.

At this time business had revived : the effects of the panic were passing away, labor found ready employment with a tendency of a rise in wages, not the least caused by the large number of young husky men and workers who had joined the army.

When the political conventions for presidential nominations were held, mills and factories in Wausau were running full time, the people were satisfied with existing conditions, and McKinley's re-election was only a question of majorities. The war in the Philippine Islands was still going on, and William J. Bryan's declaration in favor of the independence of a Philippine republic did not strengthen him before the people.

In the election the vote of Marathon county was : For president, William McKinley, 4,717 votes; for president, William J. Bryan, 3,768 votes; for governor, Robert M. LaFollette, Republican. 4,480 votes ; for governor, Louis G. Bohmrich. Democrat, 4,018 votes; for member of congress, W. E. Brown, Republican, 4,635 votes : for member of congress, E. Schweppe.

Democrat. 3,866 votes. Both assembly districts of Marathon county elected Republicans, A. L. Cook and Herman Miller, and the Republicans elected the following county officers : A. F. Marquardt, sheriff ; Anton Mehl, county treasurer ; W. J. Kregel, county clerk ; A. A. Bock, clerk circuit court ; R. H. Brown, county surveyor; \Y. C. Dickens, coroner; the only successful Democratic candidates were Fred W. Genrich, district attorney, and Edward C. Kretlow, register of deeds.

There was no change of any consequence in 1902, except the usual lighter vote in off years, so-called. For governor, R. M. LaFoUette, Republican, received 3,745 votes; Dave S. Rose, Democrat, 3,657 votes; for congress, W. E. Brown, Republican, 3,749 votes; Burt Williams, Democrat, 3,515 votes. The eastern assembly district elected Herman Miller, Republican, but the western district went Democratic, electing Willis F. LaDu, and the county offices were again divided between the two parties, to wit : \\'. R. Chellis, Republican, sheriff; W. J. Kregel. Republican, county clerk; A. A. Bock, Republican, clerk circuit court; Fred W. Kitzki, Republican, coroner; and Edward C. Kretlow, Democrat, register; J. C. Heinrichs, Democrat, county treasurer; \\'illiam H. Gowan, Democrat, county surveyor; Fred W. Genrich, Democrat, district attorney, and John F. Lamont, Democrat, school superintendent.

The term of State Senator A. L. Kreutzer had expired and a convention was held at Wausau for the twenty-fifth congressional district of Wisconsin. The delegates from Clark county strongly opposed the re-nomination of Senator Kreutzer, not on any particular ground, but merely because they claimed that Senator Kreutzer having had one term and he being from Marathon county, it was the turn of Clark county to name one of their citizens for this place, and they even threatened a bolt if their claim was not recognized. There was a little more than this claim of right on behalf of Clark county behind that opposition. Sen. A. L. Kreutzer had not been a blind follower of Governor LaFollette, but exercised his right as legislator to follow his conviction in matters not strictly party affairs. His course was not at all times wholly pleasing to the governor, who acted dictatorially and demanded unconditional obedience from all Republicans. In Clark county the followers of the governor held unlimited sway, and they no doubt believed that by the nomination of one of their own politicians they would rise high in the esteem and favor of the governor. But Senator Kreutzer's course had been quite satisfactory to the people of both counties; he had proved himself a very acceptable legislator and senator and was not afraid to go before the people upon his record. He was nominated, the delegates of Marathon county standing faithfully by him, and made the canvass, carrying both counties, although the Democrats had nominated a candidate from Clark county in the expectation of making gains in that county.

The result of the election was quite a vindication for Senator Kreutzer. He received in Marathon county 4,058 votes ; in Clark county, 2,622 votes, against his competitor, Mulvey, who received in Marathon county 3,256 votes and in Clark county, 1,638 votes, giving Senator Kreutzer a majority of 1,786 in the two counties.

The Republican party got stronger and stronger in county as well as in state and nation, as shown by the following vote in 1904: For president, Theodore Roosevelt. Republican, 6.144 votes; A. B. Parker, Democrat, 3,225 votes; for governor, R. M. LaFollette, Republican, 4,782 votes; George W. Peck, Democrat, 4,566 votes; for member of congress, W. E. Brown, Republican, 5.695 votes ; \y. M. Ruggles, Democrat, 3.645 votes. Both assembly districts in Marathon county elected Republicans, Fred Prehn from the westem and A. F. Marquardt from the eastern district, and the Republican party succeeded for the first time in electing every man on the county ticket, to wit : F. F. Damon, sheriff; William R. Chellis, register of deeds; R. H. Juedes, county treasurer; John King, county clerk; F. E. Bump, district attorney; A. A. Bock, clerk circuit court; R. H. Brown, county surveyor; W. C. Dickens, coroner. That year was the high tide of Republican ascendency; it never reached so high a vote as in that election.

There was a great falling off in the vote in the state election, as shown by the following figures : For governor, James O. Davidson, Republican, received 3,696 votes; John A. Aylward, Democrat, 3,435 votes; for member of congress, E. A. Morse, Republican, 3,920 votes; D. D. Conway, Democrat, 3,151 votes. But the Democrats regained the western assembly district, electing Nicholas Schmidt member of assembly, while Aug. F. Marquardt, Republican, was re-elected in the eastern district.

The twenty-fifth senatorial district elected S. M. Marsh of Clark county in place of Sen. A. L. Kreutzer, whose term had expired and who was not a candidate. Of county officers the Republicans elected William R. Chellis register of deeds; John King, county clerk; R. H. Juedes, county treasurer; A. A. Bock, clerk circuit court ; R. H. Brown, county surveyor, and" W. C. Dickens, coroner, while the Democrats succeeded with their candidates for district attorney, F. P. Regner, and Frank O'Connor, sheriff.

In this year for the first time all officers were nominated by direct primary, which law had been passed in the last term of Governor LaFollette, who made the passage of this act a question of party loyalty and thereby succeeded in engrafting it upon the statutes of Wisconsin. But it failed by far in remedying all the political and social ills of the state, and the governor himself had occasion to oppose his party candidates nominated in accordance with this very act. An amendment which even he could not force through a very obliging and willing legislature, providing for a second choice, was passed under the reign of Gov. Francis McGovern, but it only had the effect of muddling up the situation still more.

It was pointed out as an argument against the primary law that under this act the poor man would have no chance to be nominated against a wealthy man, and this contention was fully proven when Isaac Stevenson received the popular nomination for United States senator after an expenditure of over $100,000, and as a remedy the "corrupt practice act" was passed, intended to put a barrier to the ertravagant use of money.

As to primary nomination so far as Marathon county is concerned, it may be safely said that if the main object of the act was to bring out the people to make their choice, it was not as good as the old caucus system was. There were at least three times as many people attending caucuses and electing delegates than there were votes cast in the primary. It is clear that the people took more interest in the old caucus system than they do now in the primaries, but time may bring the change.

In this year Gov. R. M. LaFollette was a candidate for the presidency and held the organization of the Republican party in the hollow of his hand; only delegates friendly to support his nomination were recommended to the voters and had the support of the regular state organization; delegates for William Taft were opposed with all the vigor and determination of a remorseless triumphant party machinery. Among the few who had the temerity to offer themselves as delegates for William H. Taft was Walter Alexander of Wausau with Theo. W. Brazeau, a state senator from Wood county as a running mate. The whole power of the state administration which inchided an organization in every county was thrown against the two men. Brazeau was not entirely a novice in politics, having been through several elections before, but Walter Alexander was for the first time in his life a candidate for popular suffrage, and that on the unpopular side, too. Up to this time he had given his whole time to business, especially that of the Stewart Lumber Company, only helping some particular friend at times, for instance, when Alexander Stewart was a candidate for congress, but he had at all times been a consistent Republican and a supporter of that party.

To be a candidate for an office was a new experience for him, but he went into the canvass with an enthusiasm born of his conviction to be on the right side; he was one of the pioneers though young in years, and favorably known throughout the Wisconsin valley in business circles as well as to the pinery boys or laborig men and farmers. It is doing only common justice to Walter Alexander to say that he had the respect and good will of the people generally, and he had the honor and satisfaction of being elected on his own personal strength. His running mate, Theo. Brazeau, had not the same personal strength as Mr. Alexander and failed, thus giving W. Alexander the distinction of being elected as the only Taft delegate from Wisconsin.

The vote in Alarathon county in 1898 was: For president, William H. Taft, Republican, 5,228 votes; William J- Bryan, Democrat, 4,722 votes; for governor, J. O. Davidson, Republican, 5,089 votes ; John A. Aylward, Democrat, 4,804 votes ; for member of congress, E. A. Morse, Republican. 5,239 votes ; Wells M. Ruggles, Democrat, 4,656 voteS ; for member of assembly, first district, Nicholas Schmidt. Democrat. 2,490 votes; A. E. Beebe, Republican. 2.070: second district, A. F. Marquardt. Republican. 2.763 votes; A. J. Plowman. Democrat. 2.070 votes.

The Republicans elected their candidates : For county clerk, John King ; county treasurer, Herman Vetter; register of deeds, W^illiam R. Chellis; clerk circuit court. A. A. Bock; county surveyor, R. H. Brow-n, and coroner, W'. C. Dickens, and the Democrats their candidate: For sheriff, John Sell, and district attorney, F. P. Regner.

1910. - This was an off year, so-called, and the election caused no commotion at all. The factional disputes in the national Republican party, which had been patched up with some difficulty in later years, became more acute, and while not manifesting themselves in open opposition to the party nominees asserted themselves by tens of thousands of voters staying away from the polls, some quietly voting with the opposition; but the factional differences in the Democratic party and discouraged by the many defeats which the party had suffered, prevented it from gaining that ascendency in the state which it might have reached under a strong leadership and united effort. The result was a large falling off in the Republican vote, with a perceptible gain in the Democratic vote.

The result in Marathon county was : For governor, Adolph N. Schmitz, Democrat, 4,087 votes; Francis McGovern, Republican, 2,952 votes; for member of congress, John F. Lamont, Democrat, 4,255 votes ; E. A. ]\Iorse, Republican, 2,833 votes; for member of assembly, first district, Nicholas Schmidt, Democrat, 2,010 votes; first district, N. G. Tank, Republican, 1,185 votes; second district, A. J. Plowman. Democrat, 2,134 votes; A. F. Marquardt, Republican, 1,683 votes. The Democrats also elected all their county officers, excepting only county clerk, to wit : Frank O'Connor, sheriff ; John Schirpke, county treasurer; John Sell, register of deeds: Kurth Beyreis, clerk of circuit court; William H. Gowan, county surveyor; F. P. Regner, district attorney, and Edw. E. Schulze, coroner; and the Republicans, John King, county clerk.

W. W. Albers was the Democratice nominee for senator of the twentyfifth senatorial district, opposed by Dr. N. G. Daniels of ilarathon county, the Republican nominee. This district was the same as in former years, and the vote for senator in Marathon county was :

1912 - The preliminaries to the Republican convention of 1912 so far as Wisconsin was concerned were exceedingly dull and one sided. Sen, R. M. LaFollette still held undisputed sway over his party, and he could safely leave the state to be taken care of in his interest by his numerous lieutenants, while he canvassed other states for delegates. But while there was a perfect quiet in this state, matters had taken on a wholly different aspect in the nation.

The beginning of the first session of congress evidenced the existence of two factions in the Republican party striving for supremacy and drifting further apart every day, plainly indicating that a day of complete rupture was soon at hand. The personally conducted canvass for delegates to the national convention by Colonel Roosevelt and President Taft was to say the least, distasteful to the American people. The rivalry between the Democratic candidates was active, but not venomous, just enough to give a zest to the canvass. There was some strife between the adherence of Champ Clark and Woodrow Wilson in this congressional district, which resulted in the election of Edward C. Kretlow of Wausau and A. G. Pankow of Marshfield as Clark delegates over their opponents, E. B. Thayer and R. B. Goggins of Wood county, who had no particular choice except that they were not bound to vote for Clark. The Republican delegates were A. W. Prehn of Wausau and E. E. Winkins of Marshfield, pledged with the whole delegation to Senator La Follette. At the Republican convention A. W. Prehn with ten others voted for the Roosevelt candidate for temporary chairman, the governor of Wisconsin, thereby earning the enmity of the senator and his adherents.

The rivalry between Taft and Roosevelt widened after the convention, and the sequel to that convention and the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt as the candidate of a third, "the Progressive party," is too fresh in the minds of the people to need any discussion. In the national Democratic convention at Baltimore, Woodrow Wilson, governor of Xew Jersey, was nominated through the powerful influence of \\'illiam J. Bryan, and with his running mate, Thomas R. Marshall, governor of Indiana, a ticket was completed, which gave entire satisfaction to the Democratic party. There were less sores left after the convention had finished its work than is usually the case. The sting of defeat of Clark after he had received a majority, but lacking the required two-thirds was lessened by the assurance that his election to congress and re-election as speaker of the house of representatives was a foregone conclusion. The heated words spoken by William J. Bryan and hurled back at him by the attacked delegates made honors easy between the affected persons, and the party went into the campaign with a united front as it had not done since 1892.

But there was no enthusiasm, no shouting, no heated controversies. State and county officers were nominated, and they made their canvass. Political meetings were many but not largely attended. The Democrats in this part of the country were unable to secure a speaker of national reputation and renown, and the brunt of the campaign had to be borne wholly by their own speakers. On the other hand Governor McGovem personally canvassed the county in his own interest. Congressman McKinley, a very eloquent speaker, gave an address in favor of President Taft, Congressman Lenroot in favor of Theodore Roosevelt. Senator LaFollette delivered a long address

Although many of the Republicans throughout the state threatened dire vengeance on Governor McGovern, who had declared for Theodore Roosevelt after receiving and accepting the Republican nomination, still the threat did not materialize to any alarming extent, and Francis McGovern received a small majority in the state over Judge Karel, his Democratic opponent, and was elected in spite of the fact that Milwaukee county, the home of both candidates, gave Karel the unprecedented majority of 15,000 votes.

The Democratic nomination for congress in the eighth congressional district was given to A. J. Plowman, who had represented the second district of Marathon county in an able and conspicuous manner in the legislature of 191 1. His Republican opponent was Senator Brown of Waupaca county, a lawyer by profession, who had the immense advantage over his opponent of a majority in this district of 3,920 on the light vote of 1910 and a majority of 9,552 in the vote of 1908. Nevertheless, the Democratice candidate, A. J. Plowman, bravely and unflinchingly carried the forlorn hope of the Democracy, making a splendid canvass against overwhelming odds. In the election he received in Marathon county 4.310 \otes and his opiX)nent. E. E. Brown, received 3,690 votes.

The result of the election brought many surprises. Wilson and Marshall carried Wisconsin by a big plurality, Marathon county giving them 4,443 votes; to William H. Taft, 3,033 votes; to Theodore Roosevelt, 1,274 votes; to E. V. Debs, Socialist, 597 votes ; Francis McGovern received 3.865 votes ; J. C. Karel received 4,374 votes.

The first assembly district elected for member of assembly, Francis A. "Schilling, Republican, and the second district, Oscar Ringle, Democrat.

The Democratic candidate. Judge Karel, made his canvass on a platform demanding the repeal of the income tax law, which Gov. Francis E, Mc- Govern favored. It is now an open secret that the tax commission recommends not less than twenty-nine amendments to this law, and when so amended, as is most likely the case, its putative father will hardly be able to recognize the child. Still the cry that the income tax reached only the rich and made them pay, helping the poor, served its purposes. In the election of county officers, honors were divided, the Democrats electing H. J. Abraham for sherifif ; John Sell, register of deeds ; Kurth Beyreis, clerk of the circuit court; John Schirpke, county treasurer; R. M. Frawley, coroner, and William N. Gowan, surveyor; the Republicans elected Edward Gorman for district attorney and Louis H. Cook for county clerk.

County Superintendent Oe Schools

Up to the year 1882 the election for state officers were held in une\en years, and national election in even years, but by an amendment to the state constitution passed in 1882, the election for all state and national officers were ordered to be held in the same year, making elections bi-annual and in even numbered years. Under the old law the count\- superintendent was elected in the uneven years, then with the state and national election in the fall. He was the only county officer of Marathon county whose election up to 1884 was held in uneven years, and the persons wlio held the office in Marathon county were M. D. Coursey. a lumberman, then Jacob J. Hoffmann, a Lutheran minister for the years 1866 and 1867. when he removed from this county. He was followed by Rev. Thomas Green, who held this office from 1868 to January, 1885; he was succeeded by Ludwig Findorf. who was county superintendent for one term from January. 1885. to January, 1887.

F. A. Strupp was elected as school superintendent and held tlie office from January, 1889, to January, 1895. In the year 1894 John F. Lamont was elected and re-elected four times and held the office until the law was changed so that the elections for school superintendents were held in the spring uninfluenced by political considerations. Declining to l)e a candidate for another term he was succeeded by J. F. Farrell, who was elected for two terms, was succeeded by W. Pivernetz, who is now holding his second term which will expire July i, 1913. the term of school superintendent beginning and ending on that date.*

Judges Of Courts Of Records

From the organization of the state the elections of all judges were fixed to be held in the spring election at the time with the election of town officers.

The spring election was and is known yet as "town meeting day" because on that day the town oiificers must make report to tlie assembled town electors ; town taxes are levied by the people themselves on that meeting, and the term "town meeting" has a fixed legalized meaning.

The election of judges was set for that day to keep the judiciary out of political elections and judges out of political entanglements. There were frecjuently contested judicial elections, but the candidates were either independent candidates nominated by the bar, or upon calls from the people, but never were they nominated on a party ticket, at least so far as circuit judges and justices of the supreme court were involved. The nearest to a party nomination in opposition to a sitting justice of the supreme court was in 1895, when Judge George Clementson of Lancaster was a candidate in opposition to Justice Winslow, and was supported by a political committee of Milwaukee county, but it did not succeed. It has been the universal rule in this state to keep judges who have proved themselves learned and upright men, in their places during good behavior, and the state has been the gainer by that policy.

At the time of the organization of this county, it was attached to the third judicial circuit of Wisconsin, which included all the territory north of Dane county, with Judge Charles H. Larrabee as circuit judge. He held several terms of court at Wausau, but either because there was no court house or no pressing business, the terms were only for one day at a time, and for over one year there was no term at all.

When the seventh judicial circuit was established in 1854, George W. Gate was elected circuit judge and held the office until the end of the year 1874, when he resigned, having been elected member of congress in the fall of that year. He was succeeded as circuit judge by Gilbert L. Park who held the office until his death in 1884.

After the death of Judge G. L. Park, Charles ]\L Webb was chosen circuit judge and re-elected until his death in August. 191 1, but when the sixteenth judicial circuit was established in 1891, including Marathon county. Charles V. Bardeen was elected as judge and afterwards was appointed and elected to fill the place on the supreme court made vacant by the death of Justice Newman. W. C. Silverthorn succeeded Judge Bardeen from 1898 to 1908 when he resigned, and A. H. Reid was elected and now presides over the circuit court.

County Judges

Tlie first county judge of Marathon county was William H. Kennedy, from 1851 to 1859; he was succeeded by Hiram Calkins, who held the office for three years, then was succeeded by C. Graham for one year. From 1864 to the end of the year 1881, B. Ringle was county judge, and he in turn was succeeded by Louis Marchetti, whose last term would have expired in January, 1894, but who resigned before the completion of his term. John J. Sherman was elected county judge in 1893 and took the unexpired term of his predecessor, but removed from the county at New Year, 1894, and resigned and Henry Miller was appointed for his unexpired tenn and elected judge from January i, 1895, to the expiration of his last term in December, 1909. He was succeeded by Clyde L. Warren, who was elected in the spring of 1909, and his term will expire January, 1914, the term of the county judge beginning on the first Monday in January after election.

The municipal court of Marathon county was created by statute in the session of the legislature of 1878. the act amended the session of 1879. by which act the jurisdiction was raised, giving that court the same jurisdiction as a justice of the peace, except that the amount in controversy instead of $200.00, as in justice court, was raised to $500.00. besides giving the municipal court exclusive jurisdiction of all cases arising under the ordinances of the ctiy of Wausau.

In the year 1905 the municipal court was made a court of record, giving it all the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace, and over all cases arising under the ordinances of the city of Wausau, and jurisdiction in suits at law and equity where the amount in controversy does not exceed the sum of $23.- 000, and jurisdiction in all criminal cases except murder.

The election returns since 1896 show a total change of party strength in this county, more so than in most other counties in the state, a greater change in favor of the Republican party ; in fact, than on an average throughout the nation. What was the cause of this change?

The main cause lies in the fact that this county has become the manufacturing center of the Wisconsin valley; that manufacturers, as a rule, and in Marathon county with hardly an exception, are with the Republican party, because in favor of a high protective tariff. Then the hard times from 1893 to 1898 were laid rightly or wrongly at the door of the Democratic party, as being caused by the \\'ilson tariff.

The younger growing generation naturally ranged itself with the winning side, and the successive defeats from 1894 to 1910 disheartened many Democrats, and they staid away from the polls. The younger generation of Democrats had an uphill contest ever since 1896, when a number of old influential leaders opposed Bryan. Most of them returned in 1900, but they could not bring back their following.

In later years the speaker canvassing the county in the interest of the Derhocratic party and its candidates were younger men, notably F. W. Genrich and F. P. Regner, the latter canvassing the county thoroughly since 1906. They were assisted in the last few years by J. F. Lamont. J. P. Coates, John Ford, and R. E. Puchner. On the Republican side A. L. Kreutzer, F. E. Bump, C. B. Bird, M. B. Rosenberry were a quartet of eloquent speakers with C. S. Curtis and A. W. Trevitt and John Oskoneski assisting, but they have not been heard since 1908. Anton Mehl has been the stand by Republican German speaker in this county, addressing meetings more or less in every campaign, with Edw. Gorman and A. W. Prehn. especially in 1910 and 1912.

Neal Brown has not been heard in this county since 1902, although he made a state canvass in 1908. .The last speaker of national reputation heard in Marathon county was ex-Gov. J. P. Altgeld in 1900 and Judson M. Harman in 1904. The Republicans had Sen. R. M. LaFollette speak here in 1902 and 1912.

Marathon county has been governed by honest, patriotic men since its organization. No scandals have ever darkened its history. As a rule, its officers were honest, efficient in the discharge of their duties, and accommodating, some more than others. A few, very few, have been found short in their accounts when the office was turned over to the successor, but in every instance the county was reimbursed, and in only one instance were the bondsmen the losers, and that not to a large amount.

It may be said in passing that those that proved unfaithful were not known as strong, active partisans, and either party had its share of unfaithful public servants. Especially is it gratifying and to the credit of the county board, which holds the purse strings of the county, that in all those matters over which this body has large and discretionary powers, in the building of public buildings, bridges, and highways, no spot can be found to darken the fair record of Marathon county.

to the office of county clerk in 1872 and twice re-elected. The office kept by him, the books are a model of its kind, especially the important tax abstracts and tax sale books. But that alone would not recommend liim to any particular mention. At the close of his third term he was elected as a member of the assembly for the session of 1879. It was in that session in his first term, too, that he met and defeated the powerful Wisconsin Central Railroad lobby, who had obtained another five years' exemption bill from taxes for their lands through the senate, and they felt confident and assured of passing it through the assembly. The real manager of that railroad, a powerful Republican politician, Charles L. Colby, was at Madison to attend personally to the passage of the measure. A tyro in politics would have accomplished nothing against him. But Mr. Ringle understood how to combat lobby, and after a hard fight and witliout calling upon the county for any assistance in tlie way of liome support or home lobby, he killed the iniquitous measure. Tlie only iielp he had was from a friend who hurriedly circulated throughout the county a number of remonstrances which were signed by thousands of people and forwarded to Madison. Still in those days petitions and remonstrances had not much weight in the legislature, but nevertheless it gave the member a weapon in hand to work.

In the same session, also single handed, lie defeated the liill to di\ide tlie county. This is surely a record to be proud of. When there was a great danger of a smallpox epidemic in 1874. he urged the city council to purchase from the county for the sum of $40.00 the forty acres of land which the city bought and now owns on the southwest side, for the site of an isolation Iiospital. He had to urge it strong, because at that time it was thought to be too far away. Now it is one of the most \aluable possessions of the city. Will be made into a fine park before long.

Another gentleman who needs be mentioned especially is J. R. Bruneau. who died in harness close at the end of his term as county treasurer. As has been said in another place, his first election in the year 1898 was the most stubbornly contested: he took charge of the office in 1879. Any one who read the former chapters may have been surprised to learn of the discount on county orders in this now wealthy county. County orders sold at fifty cents on the dollar. Yes, for years. Towards the close of the sixties orders had come to about sixty-five and seventy cents, and at the close of the temi of F. \\'. Kickbusch orders had advanced to eighty and eighty-five cents, and may even have touched par. when presented at tax paying time.

With the advent of J. R- Bruneau this discount vanished at once. County orders were cashed and have been ever since. How was it accomplished?

By Mr. Bruneau not only acting as treaurer, as holder of the funds, but in the capacity of comptroller as well. When he saw the funds dwindle, he called the attention of the county board to the state of finances. By his books he could tell day after day what the balances were in the different funds. He convinced the members that it was more profitable for the county to borrow money when needed at the rate of 6 or even 7 per cent a year, being 2 per cent for three months, than letting orders go to protest and a discount. He "taught" the county board to keep expenses within the income of the county.

From the time that orders were cashed, the county contracted on a cash basis ; its business was sought by contractors and merchants ; the county saved thousands of dollars year after year by his acting in the double capacity of treasurer and comptroller.

J. R. Bruneau was elected and tiiree times re-elected and declined the fifth nomination. After he was out of the ofiice for two years, he submitted under pressure from party friends to another nomination and was elected. He had accepted under misgivings, pleading ill health as an excuse or rather justification for declining further service.

Time proved that his health was not as strong as might have been wished, and he peremptorily refused another nomination, saying that he would be happy when his term would be ended. It ended sooner than expected from sudden failure of the heart. He died without previous warning a few weeks before the, end of his term. His office was turned over to his successor immediately after the funeral, with every account and fund and cash in the best of order. No man has given more faithful service, and no one was more accommodating or more efficient in public life than J. R. Bruneau.

The election of Woodrow Wilson and Thomas R. Marshall marks the beginning of a new era in American politics. The feeling engendered by the Civil war and the color line is wiped out. If the Spanish- American war had no other good results, it had at least that result. There is now a united country. Economical and sociological problems will divide the people South as well as North. Wilson enters upon the administration with the hearty good will of the people, including his opponents, and if he can rise to the heights of statesmanship and be able to control and unify the conflicting elements in his own party, the country will enter upon an era of prosperity as no other country in the world.