The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-01-25
POLITICS AND Political PARTIES IN
STARK COUNTY IN EARLY TIMES


Aspolitics has been the order of the day II
may DC interesting TO our readers to learn how Il
was VI the early times of our county --l-
PiV years ago newspapers were scarce. and
stump speaking was unknown. The majority Of
our early settlers were In moderate circumyan.
ces ana II required industry and rigid economy
70 MAKE suthcient money to meet back payments
on land pay taxes and supply themselves with
the necessary wants OF life; consequently. there
was no time TO spend in political discussions Az
ter the war OF 1872, aud the accession of James
Monroe TO the Presidency, everybody seemed so
well satisfied with the times that they were ali of
one party and that period became known in hia.
Iory' as the era of good feeling" So popular
was the administration Of Mr. Monroe. that on
MS second election, he received all tho electoral
votes except one
Ihere We're local questions upon which the
people would divide, and as in every community
S wen as IN every society, there are the Leades
ana the ted so 1t was at that day. or the former
may be mentioned Samuel Coulter first postmas.
Ter In Canton He was a Presbyterian, of reid
Ialth' somewhat intOlerant, but of good repute.
aggressive and not inclined TO concession or com.
promise There were many Of the communitv
VINO SNAPPED their opinions in accordance with
MS sJudgment Gen. George Sudger was a leader
on IN opposite side He was a nan of command
ing appearance, good address, agreeable social
Qualities and had acquired considerable reputa.
uon and popularity as an officer in the war of
1872 He was also an Associate Judge. In these
Two men were embodied the principles or rather
the lmpelling motives to political action of the
two parties of that day They were known as the
coulter party and the "shdger party" Among
the more prominent who figured on the one side
or the other, may be mentioned William Raw.
nolds Dr. Fogle, James w. Lathrop, John saxton.
John Myers John Harris, Rudy Bair John Angus.
tine John Hoover, Michael 0swalt, John Beatty
the stumps, Loutzenheisers, Latimers, Dewalts
and Slussers. They were not so tenacious In
those days as at present in sticking to party. Un.
Gle Dan Dewalt and Judge Loutzenheiser, both of
whom come down to us from that generation.
were sometimes with Stdger and sometimes with
Coulter
There were cliques and factions then as now.
The Ohio REPOSITORY was the only paper then in
circulation, and the editor, John Saxton, anxious
to conciliate all parties, was often in great per.
plexity how to avoid giving offence Hestudous.
~ avoided expressing any preference between
rival candidates but allowed the free use of his
columns to correspondents from both sides.
Most OF the questions at that day were of local
interest-building bridges, locating roads, &c
There was Jealousy felt on the part of the rural
inhabitants toward the citizens Of the town The
former were mostly Pennsylvania German and
without much book'learning themselves were in.
cllned TO the belief that bOoklearning rather en-.
couraged rascality. and hence, were distrusful OF
the toWnspeople, To secure their confidence and
their votes, strategic movements were as neoes.
sary Then as at the present day. There would be
any number Of candidates for the same Office.
ana as county nominating conventions or pri-
mary elections were unknown, all of them stood
poll at the general election. Coulter was the
first Representative elected to the Legislature
Inc next was William Henry then living on Tus.
carawas river, owner Of store and ferry. This
was IN 1874 when the total poll of the county for
Governor was 252. The first Senator elected from
stark was John Myers, (father of H. H. Myers)
ana he secured the usual vote under pledge 10
have tax penalty remitted which had been i'm
posed upon land purchased of the Government,
In 1917 the Legislature passed joint resolution
submitting the question of calling a convention
10 amend the constitution. At the election held
in 1915 the vote of Stark was: For the conven.
ton, 1872: against the convention bS7.
Michael Oswalt, of Bethlehem township q man
vi integrity ana goOd common sense, but without
education, was three times elected Representa-.
1--WE, and twice Senator. Gen. Augustine was
elected eight times in succession to the Senate.
Alter the Presidential contest in 1894, when
Gen. Jackson was defeated for the Presidency by
an imputed bargain and sale" between Adams
ana Clay, party linesw were more distinctly drawn,
and ever since, we have had two prominent par.
ueSi Democratic on the one side, and the oppo-
site under different names-"Federal Repub
lican, "Whig," and lastly Republican" Wha {
name 1t will not assume, remains to be seen.
The demonstrations of the Democrats on the
election ofGen. Jackson in 1923, were quite as i'm.
posing as any we have had by either party since
Tar barrels were then abundant and when
dozen or more were piled up, they made huge
ire There was an illumination of the court
house and many private dwellings which added
greatly to the eclat of the occasion. .aI