Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-08-19
THE LOCAL CAM
PA|CN OF 1881
Charles Aldrich, G. M. Blair, G. B.
Pray, L. L. Estes and Lewis
Crary for the Legis-
lature.
ALDRICH FINALLY NOMINATED.
introduced the First Anti-Free Pass
Bill. L. Kamrar for the
Senate.

TON the TIlSIOIy VI I1dmllIOL
County by F. @. and J. w. Lee:
Early in 1881, it began to be urged
that the legislature should submit tc
the voters of the state the question
Af adopting an amendment to the
constitution of the state, providing
for the prohibition of the manufact-
ureSS. sale Of Intoxicating liquors.
There Hal been considerable temper
anoe agitation and the republicans
in state convention had declared,
not in favor of prohibition, but in
favor of submitting the amendment
to vote of the people.
Charles Aldrich, G. M. Blair, G..
B. Pray, L. L. Estes and Lewis Crary
were, as early as june, avowed can
didates for the republican nominal
tiolr..svr representative. In response
to a public communication from a
temperance organization, each can
didgte except Aldrich declared in
favor of submitting the amend
ment, because the republican party
was in favor of the submission, each
apparently carefully avoiding the
expression of any personal opinion
as to whether the amendment should
carry or be defeated, upon final vote
of the people. Charles Aldrich, how
eve took advanced ground He fav-
overed the submission of the amend
ment as matter of personal con-
viclion and declared strongly in fav-
or ~ its adoption.
So many candidates from Webster
City, all having strong claims upon
the ring" for supports, presented a
problem in political manipulation Of
no mean proportions. At that time,
Webster City was still classed as a
town and was part of Boone town
ship. AS Boone township had three
candidates, viz. Pray, Estes and
Crazy, it was finally determined that
primary election Of the voters of
the townships should decide which
Of ..ie three should have the ten
votes of the township in the county
convention The primary was held
August 20, 1881. Aldrich and Blair,
both entered the contest and the re-
suit was as follows: G. B. Pray,
ISL. Charles Aldrich, 90; Lewis
Crazy, 81; l.. l.. Estes, 60; G. NJ.
Blair. 49,
As Pray had received a strong
plurality, 1t was decided that the
vote OF Boone township should be
cast for him, and Estes and Crary
withdrew from the contest.
CHARLES ALDRICH FOR REPRE-
SENTATIVE.
At the county convention held at
Webster City, August Is, August
Anderson, OF Marion township, was
also proposed as candidate and the
first ballot resulted as follows: G..
B. Pray, Is: Charles Aldrich. 20;
G.. M Blair, 4.
Aldrich having received major
ity of the votes was declared the
nominee of the convention. In the
meantime, at the republican sena-
torial convention, which convened
at Ackley, August Attn, Hamilton
county presented the name of John
L. Kamrar for state senator, and af-
ter 1875 ballots he received the nom
nation.
KAMRAR AND ALDRICH.
Hamilton county had every reason
to be proud of her candidates for
both senator and representative, for
in the following session OF the gen
eral assembly they both took first
rank as legislators. John l.. Kam-
rar came to the county in 1869 and
commenced business as wagon
maker. He continued in this bust
ness only short time, when he en-
tered the Office of Judge D. ID. Mir
acIe. studied law and later was ad-
W tuC ~ was SOoh
covered that the young wagon-mak-
err had wonderful aptitude for trial
work, and soon he was in great
demand where hard fought jury
case was to be tried Figuratively
speaking. in his trial work he was
still driving spokes, with the same
yigor and precision that he had ex-
ercised at the wagon-maker's bench.
He went into politics, stih driving
spokes. always In the thick Of the
fray, whether 1t was a fractional
fight within the party or in the gen
eral election campaign. Besides
making scores Of warm friends, he
made many bitter enemies. bat he