Part 60 (2/2)

1849 Bishop David Edwards, presiding 1853 Bishop L. Davis, presiding 1856 Bishop L. Davis, presiding 1862 Bishop J. Markwood, presiding 1865 Bishop J. Markwood, presiding 1867 Rev. D. K. Flickinger, presiding in place of Bishop Markwood, absent 1869 Bishop J. d.i.c.kinson, presiding 1872 Bishop J. d.i.c.kinson, presiding 1878 Bishop M. Wright, presiding 1883 Bishop J. Wright, presiding 1888 Bishop J. d.i.c.kinson, presiding 1892 Bishop J. d.i.c.kisnon, presiding 1899 Bishop N. Castle, presiding

CHAPTER x.x.xV

_County and District Politics_

It has been stated that the first election in the county was held at Westport in 1838 when thirty-two votes were cast in the county. This is said to have been the most quiet election on record. Gradually the people located claims, as more lands were thrown open to settlement, and politics began to cut a figure at an early date. While many of the settlers came from the south, a majority, however, came from Ohio, from the middle states, and from New England. Thus it would appear that the population of Iowa was a part of the free state movement which had peopled the central states. The foreign population did not come to Iowa until the early '50s, when the Germans, Scandinavians, Scotch, and Irish came in large numbers to take up the cheap lands which were offered to the settlers.

The early settlers were for the most part democrats, with a sprinkling of whigs and abolitionists. Some of these voted for Taylor for president in 1844, nearly all of whom supported Fremont later.

Thus in Brown towns.h.i.+p Ed Crow, Horace Brown, and the Butlers were democrats, while the Plummers, Yoc.u.ms, Hamptons, Stanleys, and Dewees families were originally whigs, who joined the republican party in 1856. In Franklin towns.h.i.+p the members of the United Brethren church in and around Lisbon, and the Methodists around Mount Vernon were stanch abolitionists, joining the republican party when that was formed.

Around Bertram a large number affiliated with the democratic party, which was true of the settlers in and around Center Point. In the northern part of the county, James Nugent, A. C. Coquillette, Joe Whitney, Peter Henderson, and many others were republicans, or joined the party later. In Maine towns.h.i.+p the Jordan families were divided in politics, some belonging to one party, others to another. These men were a st.u.r.dy lot of pioneers and did much in a political and financial way to build up the county.

In Rapids towns.h.i.+p and Cedar Rapids, many of the old settlers were democrats, such as N. B. Brown, D. M. McIntosh, the Bryan boys, E. R.

Derby, William Harper, the Weares, J. J. Snouffer, Hart brothers, and many others. Judge Greene was one of the most prominent democrats who joined the republican ranks in the Greeley campaign. The Weares joined the republican party during the Civil war period. Some of the prominent republicans of an early day were E. N. Bates, the Carrolls, Elys, Leaches, Higleys, J. S. and T. Z. Cook, Isaac Cook, Dr. S. D.

Carpenter, Dr. E. L. Mansfield, Gabriel Carpenter.

In Marion towns.h.i.+p, which was then and for many years afterwards the political center of the county, the whigs, who later became republicans, were such men as N. M. Hubbard, R. D. Stephens, Joseph Young, William Cook, William G. Thompson, James E. Bromwell, William Smythe, Robert Smythe, Robert Holmes, the Herveys, and the Daniels family.

Among the democrats were such prominent men as Colonel I. M. Preston, S. H. Tryon, S. W. Durham, H. W. Gray, Dr. T. S. Bardwell, T. J.

McKean, J. C. Barry, James Green, L. M. Strong, C. T. Williams, and James Brown.

During the territorial days Robert Lucas was a democrat, while John Chambers was a whig, succeeded by James Clarke, another democrat.

During these early territorial days Linn county cut very little figure in the affairs of the newly organized territory, as the river counties had most of the settlers and otherwise controlled political affairs in general. In the first a.s.sembly which met at Burlington, November 11, 1838, this county was represented by Charles Whittelsy in the council, and by Robert G. Roberts in the house. The district then was composed of Cedar, Johnson, Jones, and Linn counties.

The second a.s.sembly met at the same place November 4, 1839, this district being represented in the council by Charles Whittelsy, and by George H. Walworth in the house. The district this year was composed of Cedar, Jones, and Linn counties.

The third a.s.sembly convened at Burlington November 2, 1840, and now, for the first time, Linn county was represented in the council by a resident of the county, in the person of George Greene. In the house sat George H. Walworth and H. Van Antwerp.

The fourth a.s.sembly convened at the newly selected capital at Iowa City, and in the council or upper house sat again George Greene, and in the house were Thomas Higginson and Thomas Denson.

In the fifth a.s.sembly sat J. P. Cook in the council and George H.

Walworth and J. C. Barry in the house, the latter being a resident of Linn county.

In the sixth a.s.sembly sat J. P. Cook in the council, George H. Walworth and Robert Smythe in the house, Smythe being a resident of the county.

For many years he was a prominent politician in Iowa, and sat in the lower and upper houses for many years.

In the seventh a.s.sembly, which convened at Iowa City in May, 1845, sat William Abbe in the council, and Joe K. Snyder and John Taylor in the house. William Abbe was the first actual settler in the county and one of the best known persons in eastern Iowa in early days. Mr. Abbe also sat in the a.s.sembly which met at Iowa City in December, 1845.

Linn county was also represented by able men in the const.i.tutional conventions, and no doubt the members from this county did much in the adoption of our const.i.tution. In the first const.i.tutional convention which convened October 7, 1844, there sat as members from this county the following persons: T. J. McKean, L. M. Strong, and S. W. Durham, all democrats. This convention numbered fifty-three democrats and seventeen whigs. In the second const.i.tutional convention, which met at the seat of government May 4, 1856, Linn and Benton counties were represented by Socrates H. Tryon, of Marion. In this convention, which was smaller than the first, the party vote stood twenty democrats and ten whigs.

In the third const.i.tutional convention, which met January 19, 1857, there sat H. W. Gray, of Marion, as a member of the convention, and Ellsworth N. Bates, of Cedar Rapids, as a.s.sistant secretary, a young man of brilliant parts.

The first governor of the newly made state, Ansel Briggs, was a democrat, as was Stephen Hempstead, his successor. James W. Grimes, who had located at Burlington in 1836, was nominated for the office of governor at the whig convention in 1854, and made a memorable canva.s.s.

His well known anti-slavery views rendered him acceptable to all who were opposed to the extension of that inst.i.tution. While many conservative whigs agreed with the democrats on the slavery issue, still all cla.s.ses who favored free soil united in the support of Grimes, who was favorably known and had been a member of the legislature, and who had made a favorable impression upon the new settlers who had come into the state to find homes. Grimes was elected, and this was the first defeat of the democrats since Iowa was organized as a territory.

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