Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-18

| quickly gained control, declared that
1t was the right and the duty of
Congress to forbid slavery in the
territories.
The sentiment Of the people as
expressed in these platforms, shows
that Wisconsin took firm stand
against slavery.
This in brief is the political situa-
tiOn, when Wood county was organized
in March 1856. 1t was detached from
| Portage county by an act of the
legislature approved that year.
The first County election was carried
by the Republican Party and the
following officers were chosen:
County Judge, Joseph Wood; County
Clerk and District Atty, L. P. Pow
ers; Circuit Clerk and Register of
| Deeds, L. Kroner: Treasurer, /. L.
MOsher; Surveyor, H. A. Temple:
Sheriff, Ben Buck: Circuit Judge, Geo.
| w. Cate.
In connection with this it is inter-
esting to know that only two of these
gentlemen survive. L. Kroner of this
city, and Geo. W. Cate of Stevens
| Point.
Although there has never been any
| bitterness in the elections, yet the
people have always taken an interest
in politics. Until two years ago Wood
county in National and State elections
had with very few exceptions gone
Democratic. In the county and city
elections have been divided. part of
each ticket being elected, showing
that voters in local politics do not
always vote straight ticket.
| In 1856 Wood county voted for the
| first time for President, giving the
| Republican candidate John c. Free
mont 260 votes, and the Democratic
candidate Buchanan %. This vote
shows that the people of Wood county
| had no sympathy for the South or
| Slavery. From this time on until
1877 no striking political events took
| place, but in that year, besides the
Republican and Democratic parties,
| the Greenback party came into eXiS-
| tence in Wood county and made the
following election an exciting one.
The Republicans stood for an
Honest Money Ticket"
The Greenbacker'S basis of money
was a national debt and not gold, and
that in that debt they had found a
stable substitute for gold. Paper bills
or as they called them ''Greenbacks, :"
were to be used in place of gold.
| This paper money was to be issued
directly by the Government and not
| by any individual corporation. The
| organization of this party was the
result of the Panic of 1873. AS at
present, after our panic of 1893 a
| financial movement for recovery is
going on; and it was during this
period that the Greenback party was
organized. In Wisconsin a Greenback
Convention was held at Sparta in
which the party platform was adopt
ed. The party had a strong hold in
Wisconsin, and Wood county was one
of the strongest greenback counties in
the state. The greenbackers were
composed of both Democrats and
| Republicans, these being about two
| Democrats to one Republican,.
The Democratic party was partly
for gold and partly for greenbacks.
The Republicans called the party a
thoroughbred humbug, and their
campaign cry was that the Democrats
sang 'greenbacks' and whistled coin.
! The Greenbacl> party never carried
an election in the state. but in Wood
county it had a very strong vote and
a large majority for state officers. 4
greenbacker by the name of Sam
Carey canyassed this state making
campaign speeches, and being good
story teller he made a great many
| converts.
In the election of 1877 in Wood
county the Republican candidate for
Gov. VIM. E. Smith got 247 votes.
The Democratic candidate James
Mallory 1876 and Edward p. AlliS the
Greenback candidate COL; this vote
shows that the Greenback was the
controlling party in Wood county,
giving their candidate for Governor
more votes than the Democrats and
Republicans put together. This was
due to the fact that the Democrats
and GreenbackerS worked together
against the Republicans.
The Greenback party was only OF
short duration. In 1879 the vote had
greatly decreased and in 1881 they
received only about One-tifth of the
votes cast. In 1883 there were nc
candidates in the field the party nc
longer existing.
These briefly stated are the princi-
pal events in the political history OF
Wood county; and the remainder OF
this paper will be on the principal
political events of our city.
Grand Rapids was incorporated as a
city under charter granted by the
State Legislature March 6, 1869. In
the winter of this year a mass meet
ing, consisting of the most prominent
; men and taxpayers, was held in Grand
Rapids to determine whether or not
they wished to be under city
charter.
The matter was carefully considered
and discussed and it was decided that
it would be benefit to Grand Rapids
to be under city charter. \ report
Of the meeting was sent to Hon
ChaS. NJ. Webb who was at this time
State Senator, asking him to intro
duce a Bill to that effect. The Bill
was introduced and through his actor
was passed March g. 1869.
The charter is similar to other city
taken as a guide.
Grand Rapids has always taken {
lively interest in national and state
politics. In city elections the vote:
! have not generally been partisan
,, there being no straight ticket:
: elected.
Among the prominent men OF thlH
! city who have held the office of mayo
, are the following:
1S69-Seth Reeves.
5 1S10-L. p. Powers.
: 1S71-JOseph Wood.
2 1872, 1873, 1874 1S75-J. Lunt.
r 1S76-Geo. r. Gardner.
5 1877. 1S7S-I. L. Mosher.