NEGenWeb Project - Adams County
Who's Who in Nebraska, 1940
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of human life--the major movements springing from fundamental
causes. These march on through the decades and the centuries with
the momentum of a giant escalator climbing the heights of human
destiny, while politicians, priests and promoters try to jump on
for a free ride.
The plan of this sketch of Nebraska history is
to place in chronological order the outstanding events arising
under each state administration, with a few adherent facts
explaining how and what came to be. The major issues of Nebraska
life are then outlined in separate topical paragraphs.
State Administrations 1875-1801
Silas Garber of Red Cloud, Republican, was
elected governor in 1874, re-elected in 1876, in both cases by
overwhelming majorities. He was a Union soldier, a man of simple,
economical tastes, fit representative of the frontier where he was
a homesteader. His period of office covered the "hard times" years
of early statehood; the grasshopper invasions; Indian wars on the
frontier; appearance of Greenback and Prohibition parties;
adoption of the constitution of 1875.
Albinus Nance of Polk County, Republican,
followed Governor Garber for two terms, being elected in 1878 and
1880 by a two-to-one vote in each case--characteristic of Nebraska
politics in those years. Nance was called "the boy governor." as
he was thirty years old when first chosen. His four years were
marked by the rise of woman suffrage, economic and liquor issues;
by controversy over the religious beliefs of the University of
Nebraska faculty; by business revival; by tearing down the old
state capitol and erecting a new one at cost of $691,428. In his
administration occurred the first important labor riots in
Nebraska. Common laborers on a big Burlington railroad grading job
in Omaha were paid $1.25 per ten-hour day. They struck for $1.75
and rejected a compromise offer of $1.40. Governor Nance called
out the state militia who, with United States regulars, quelled
the disorders. One man was killed. The strike was broken. This
constituted a first skirmish in the organization of common labor
in the state.
James W. Dawes of Crete was elected governor in
1882 and 1884. The vote for governor in his first election was
significant:
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James W. Dawes, Republican |
43,495 |
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J. Sterling Morton, Democrat |
28,652 |
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E. P. Ingersoll, Anti-monopolist |
16,991 |
This vote marked the rise of independent
political action in the state. New issues were demanding
settlement. A woman suffrage amendment submitted to the voters was
defeated by a vote of 25,756 for and 50,693 against.
By the year 1884 the anti-monopoly, temperance
and other reforms had grown stronger. Another issue of first-class
importance also appeared---the administration of state school
lands.
A fusion of Democrats, Greenbackers and
Antimonopolists was secured, with J. Sterling Morton as candidate
for governor. Mr. Morton made a violent campaign against Governor
Dawes, charging him with complicity in school land frauds.
Governor Dawes and the Lincoln State Journal
made a careful statement from the records to show that the
governor was clear of any corrupt or wrongful act. Mr. Morton paid
no attention to this statement. He repeated and redoubled his
charges. Thereupon the Lincoln State Journal dug up an old attempt
of J. Sterling Morton to grab the Salt Basin lands at Lincoln.
After this, the campaign grew hot, Mr. Morton was compelled to
give attention to these charges of his own land conspiracy.
The election returns on governor were:
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J. W. Dawes, Republican |
72,835 |
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J. Sterling Morton, Democrat |
57,534 |
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J. G. Miller, Prohibition |
3,075 |
In Governor Dawes' second term the
legislature passed an act creating a railway commission, in a vain
effort to quiet anti-railroad agitation.
John M. Thayer of Grand Island, Republican was
elected governor in 1886 and 1888. General Thayer had had a long
military and political career--colonel of the First Nebraska
regiment in the Civil War, brigadier general, a close friend of
General U. S. Grant; U. S. Senator from Nebraska, 1867-73. His
nomination and election marked the high point of power for the
Grand Army of the Republic in state politics.
General Thayer was past the period of real
progressive leadership when he became governor. He belonged to the
Civil War era. Under his four-year administration new causes were
marshaling and marching on. The Republican party was faction-torn
between the friends and opponents of new reforms--railroad
control, farm legislation, prohibition, woman suffrage. An
amendment to the constitution raising the pay of legislators from
$3 to $5 per day was defeated by the voters at the polls but
"counted in" by a committee of the legislature. This last session
of the legislature under Governor Thayer (1889) was the most
extravagant in expenditure and most under corporation control of
any session. It helped start the political revolution which
followed.
Political and Social Revolution
The year 1890 is the first great dividing
line in the story of Nebraska statehood. It marked the passing of
the most desirable free land. It marked the rise of a new school
of economic thought. It marked the advent of a new poltical (sic)
party, strong enough to defeat both the old political parties and
eventually to permeate both of them with its doctrines. For the
nation it marked the end of the Civil War controversies and the
coming of the conflict between corporate wealth and the common
man. For the world it marked the extension of government into
business affairs; the development
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Nebraska History |
Who's Who |
of land, factory and trade policies which have changed
international relations.
Nebraska had a leading part in this new world
era. The first national convention of the People's Party was held
in Omaha July 4, 1892. The "Omaha Platform," adopted there, stated
the issues of Land, Finance, Transportation, as the basis of a new
political program for the first time. The main items in this first
People's party platform, made in Nebraska, were these:
Land-The land, including all the natural
sources of wealth, is the heritage of the people and should not be
monopolized for speculative purposes. Alien ownership of land
should be prohibited.
Finance--A national currency, safe, sound and
flexible, issued by the general government only; a full legal
tender for all debts, public and private. Distribution direct to
the people at a tax not to exceed two per cent per annum. Postal
savings banks, established by the government.
Transportatton--Railroads, telegraph and
telephone lines, being a means of exchange and a public necessity,
be owned and operated by the government in the interest of the
people.
Taxation--A graduated income tax.
Elections--The Australian ballot; the initiative
and referendum; election of United States senators by the people;
one-term president.
Foreign Immigration--Further restriction.
Labor--Adoption of eight-hour labor law.
Civil Service--Applicable to all government
employes.
Powers of Government--"We believe that the
powers of government--in other words, of the people--should be
expanded (as in the case of the postal service) as rapidly and as
far as the good sense of an intelligent people and the. teachings
of experience shall justify, to the end that oppression, injustice
and poverty shall eventually cease in the land."
Most of these principles, then so fiercely
denounced, have today been incorporated into law and practice with
approval of all political parties. The final
proposition--"Extension of Powers of Government"--is marching
onward, even though its applications are in controversy.
Besides providing the birthplace of the Populist
party and its famous declaration of new issues, Nebraska
contributed William Jennings Bryan, who in 1896 became the
national leader of the united Populist and Democratic parties--a
world-renowned leader in the great causes of peace and people's
rights, and one of the conspicuous figures in world history.
The place of Nebraska in the era of world
revolution which dates from 1890 is achieved for all time. There
can be added here only a summary of state events up to the
entrance of America into the World War.
The vote for governor at the election of 1890, as shown by the returns, was:
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John H. Powers, People's Independent |
70,187 |
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J. E. Boyd, Democrat |
71,331 |
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L. D. Richards, Republican |
68,878 |
In the minds of competent judges there has
never been any question that John H. Powers was honestly elected
governor--that the fraudulent vote in Douglas County overcame the
honest votes cast in the rural precincts.
Three forces produced this astonishing result:
(a) The Farmers' Alliance movement, which organized farm
discontent and taught the new economics in the schoolhouses; (b)
the prohibition constitutional amendment submitted to the voters,
which frightened the liquor interests and threw all their votes
and financial aid to the Democratic party; (c) failure of the corn
crop over much of the state, which added to popular discontent and
gave more time for political discussion.
The People's Independent party contested the
election before the legislature, where it had a majority. The
contest was badly managed and failed. An attempt was made by Gov.
John M. Thayer to hold over on the ground that James E. Boyd had
not been naturalized. Two of the three Republican judges of the
Nebraska supreme court decided against Boyd. Judge Maxwell, third
Republican, wrote a minority opinion in favor of Boyd. The case
went to the U. S. supreme court, which sustained Judge Maxwell and
placed Boyd in office.
The legislature passed the "Newberry Railroad
Bill," reducing railroad rates. Governor Boyd vetoed the bill,
thereby driving many Democrats into the new People's Independent
party.
Lorenzo Crounse of Fort Calhoun, Republican, was
elected governor in 1892. The vote was:
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Lorenzo Crounse, Republican |
78,426 |
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C. H. Van Wyck, People's Independent |
68,617 |
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J. Sterling Morton, Democrat |
44,195 |
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C. F. Bentley, Prohibition |
6,235 |
No party had a majority in the legislature.
It required a fusion of the People's Independents with the few
Democrats to organize the two houses. Later in the session a
similar fusion chose William V. Allen, Populist, U. S.
senator.
A new railroad bill was passed by the
legislature and signed by Governor Crounse. The railroads took the
bill to the federal courts, where it was thrown out.
Legislative investigation of state institutions
showed great frauds (amounting to many thousands of dollars) under
the Republican administration. Three state officers were impeached
by the legislature and tried before the Nebraska supreme court,
comprised of three Republican judges. Two judges, Post and Norval,
held the impeached officers were careless but not guilty of
malfeasance. Judge Maxwell wrote another minority opinion
sustaining the impeachment.
Populism Victorious
Silas A. Holcomb of Broken Bow was the first
Populist governor of Nebraska. He was elected in 1894 with
endorsement of the Bryan Democrats and with the help of Edward
Rosewater. Both Democratic and Republican parties were torn into
discordant factions. Yet so strong was the hold of
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the old political machine that Holcomb's election was by a slender plurality, and made possible only by the bolt of Edward Rosewater and his Omaha Bee.
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Silas A. Holcomb, Populist-Democrat |
97,815 |
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Thomas J. Majors, Republican |
94,613 |
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P. D. Sturdevant, Gold Democrat |
6,985 |
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E. A. Gerrard, Prohibition |
4,440 |
The legislature, elected along with the
governor, was three-fourths Republican. The Union Pacific railroad
was chiefly responsible for this. It needed a U. S. senator at
Washington to help it reorganize and avoid the large debt owed to
the national government. Its money and influence secured such a
legislature-which promptly elected John M. Thurston, general
attorney of the Union Pacific, to the United States senate. The
genius of E. H. Harriman reorganized the Union Pacific and made it
what it is today--one of the greatest railroads in the world.
Governor Holcomb was re-elected in 1896 and with
him the entire Populist Democrat state ticket, with a large
majority of both houses of the legislature. Investigation by the
legislature revealed bad management and defalcation of public
funds by former Republican administrations. Joseph F. Bartley,
Republican, former state treasurer, was tried and sent to the
penitentiary for twenty years for embezzling $555,796.66.
Important reform measures passed by the legislature included the
Sheldon School Land bill, originated and championed by
Representative A. E. Sheldon, which stopped further sale of school
lands and saved the state more than ten million dollars.
W. A. Poynter of Albion, Populist, was elected
governor on the fusion ticket in 1898, and with him the rest of
the fusion state ticket. The Republicans secured a majority in the
state legislature--which, in turn, elected M. L. Hayward of
Nebraska City as U. S. senator.
Charles H. Dietrich of Hastings, Republican, was
elected governor in 1900 over W. A. Poynter by the narrow
plurality of 861. The entire Republican state ticket was elected
by slightly larger pluralities. The legislature was also
Republican in both houses. Fusion quarrels of Democrats and
Populists, and large Republican campaign funds, were chief causes
of the change.
There were two U. S. senators to elect by the
legislature when it met in 1901. M. L. Hayward had died and the
six years of John M. Thurston had expired. The fight in the
Republican party over election of these two senators was the
bitterest in the history of the state. It furnished one of the
strongest arguments for election of U. S. senators by the people.
It lasted until March 28, when D. E. Thompson and Edward
Rosewater, the two leading candidates, withdrew and D. E. Thompson
named both the next Nebraska senators--Gov. C. H. Dietrich and J.
H. Millard, president of the Omaha National bank. D. E. Thompson
was superintendent of the Burlington railroad in Nebraska, and the
result of this election illustrated railroad control in Nebraska
politics.
Lieut. Gov. E. P. Savage became governor May 3,
1901, when Governor Dietrich resigned to become U. S. senator.
Governor Savage pardoned Joseph F. Bartley, convicted embezzler of
public funds who had been sentenced to twenty years in the state
penitentiary. This caused strong protest in the state and an
uprising of Republicans at. their state convention. A reform
movement started in the Republican party.
John H. Mickey of Osceola, Republican, was
elected governor in 1902 and re-elected in 1904. The Populist
party had fused with the Democrats until it had lost its early
enthusiasm. The Democratic party had broken away from Bryan and
nominated for president a representative of the gold standard and
the corporation interests, Alton B. Parker. Col. Theodore
Roosevelt became leader of the Republican party on a reform
program.
George L. Sheldon of Nehawka, Republican, was
elected governor over A. C. Shallenberger, fusion, in 1906.
Sheldon represented the Roosevelt Progressive section of his
party. During his two-year term free passes on the railroads were
abolished, passenger fares reduced to two cents per mile; a state
railway commission created; a direct primary law enacted,
providing that candidates for office should be named by the voters
instead of by conventions. The Sheldon administration carried
forward the Populist promised program. It marked triumph of the
people over railroad corporations.
Ashton C. Shallenberger, fusion candidate,
defeated George L. Sheldon for re-election in 1908. A leading
force in this election was the Democrats' third nomination of W.
J. Bryan for the presidency, and the revived enthusiasm of
Nebraskans in the campaign. Besides this, the railroad and liquor
interests were opposed to Sheldon, and a new issue the guaranty of
bank deposits--had arisen. It was strongly championed by Mr.
Shallenberger, thereby winning thousands of votes.
Bank Guaranty Act
The legislature passed a bank guaranty act
which was signed by Governor Shallenberger. The legislature also
passed a daylight saloon act, requiring saloons to close from 8 p.
m. to 7 a. m. Governor Shallenberger signed this bill also. It
cost him his re-election. The liquor interests organized the
state, rushed the wet vote into the Democratic primaries, defeated
Shallenberger and nominated, James C. Dahlman, mayor of Omaha, by
the close. vote of 27,591 to 27,287.
Chester H. Aldrich, Republican, defeated James
C. Dahlman, wet Democrat, by a vote of 123,070 to 107,760 at the
election of 1910. W. J. Bryan, defeated for the presidency a third
time in 1908 by aid of the liquor interests, became an avowed
champion of prohibition and cast his influences.
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against liquor control of the Democratic party, thereby aiding
Aldrich.
Acts of the legislature of 1911 include some of
the most important in the state's history. Among them were a
co-operative association law; the beginning of a road system, and
matching state tax money with federal funds for road construction;
a sanitary health act; a state board of control for state
institutions, and the submission of initiative and referendum to
the voters.
John H. Morehead of Falls City, Democrat,
defeated Chester H. Aldrich for re-election in 1912 by a slender
plurality of 3,428. In this famous campaign year the national
Republican party split into two groups. The regular Republicans
nominated W. H. Taft for re-election as president. The Progressive
party named Theodore Roosevelt. This split overwhelmingly elected
Woodrow Wilson as president and elected John H. Morehead as
governor of Nebraska.
In 1914 Governor Morehead was re-elected over R.
B. Howell, Republican. The legislative reform committee made its
report--a landmark in Nebraska state government. The legislatures
of 1913-15 carried forward the program of social legislation by
enactment of workmen's compensation; the "Blue Sky act" to prevent
fraud in sales of stock, and the first state budget law making the
governor responsible for an estimate of state income and
expenditure.
Keith Neville of North Platte, Democrat, was
elected governor over Judge A. L. Sutton of Omaha, Republican, in
1916. Leading issues in the campaign were the World War, a
prohibition amendment to the Nebraska constitution, and the fight
in the Democrat party against W. J. Bryan. Mr. Bryan was beaten
for delegate to the Democratic national convention by W. B.
Price:
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W. B. Price |
41,153 |
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W. J. Bryan |
37,793 |
The liquor element in the Democratic party was the chief cause of Mr. Bryan's defeat as national delegate. He had the satisfaction of seeing the liquor men "get theirs" in the victory of the state prohibition amendment by the following vote:
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For Prohibition |
146,574 |
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Against Prohibition |
117,532 |
Keith Neville, when candidate for governor, announced that he
preferred liquor license, but pledged his support to whichever
policy should be adopted by the voters. This pledge he kept by
signing a stringent prohibitory liquor law.
1917-1929
WORLD WAR EXPANSION
Nebraska Participation--1917-1919
The World War came to Nebraska against her
will. A majority of her people were opposed to America's entrance.
That majority included most of the German and Irish elements; many
Scandinavians, and a large section of the original American stock,
who wanted Britain and France to win the war, but wished to keep
America in the peace column and avoid the debt and despotism which
are products of war. The most potent campaign slogan for Woodrow
Wilson in the election of 1916 was--"He kept us out of war." In
this election Nebraska gave him more than 40,000 plurality.
Suddenly, after long and bitter diplomatic
controversies and promises over freedom of the seas and
submarines, we found ourselves at war with Germany and Austria on
April 6, 1917. Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska voted against
the American war program.
In Nebraska the great war presented a crisis in
public opinion and political action. The peace element and the
pro-German element found themselves swamped by a great rising wave
of national patriotism and war spirit. Keith Neville, Nebraska's
war governor, moved promptly to the support of President Wilson.
The Nebraska State Council of Defense, created by special act of
the legislature, became the strong arm of the state upholding the
nation's war policy.
The state war program included the sale of U. S.
Liberty Bonds; aid in federal conscription of soldiers; rationing
of food to all persons; increased farm production to feed overseas
armies; punishment of persons criticising or opposing the war or
failing to subscribe their quota of war bonds and Red Cross funds;
promotion of military companies of Home Guards--over 15,000 strong
in two hundred towns; a strong propaganda of literature and public
speeches in support of the war; suppression of the German language
and literature; punishment of "profiteering" and hoarding of
food.
The enforcement of this war program involved the
suppression of free speech, free press and the limitation of other
freedoms enjoyed by Nebraska citizens. That is the price of
war--suppression of minorities. The shortest and quickest way to
end the war was the end sought, and the longer the war lasted the
more intense grew the war feeling.
Nebraska's service in the World War may be
summarized thus:
Nebraska contributed 47,801 men for the army
and navy, of whom 1,000 died in service.
Two hundred forty million dollars of Liberty
Bonds were purchased--more than her quota.
War Savings Stamps--more purchased, according to
population, than in any other state in the Union.
Nebraska Base Hospital No. 49 (overseas), with
the best life saving record of any hospital corps.
Vast increase of food supplies from Nebraska
farms and factories.
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Nebraska History |
Nebraska also furnished Gen. John J.
Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force, and
Senator George W. Norris, her most distinguished opponent of
war.
Governors--1919-1929
Samuel R. McKelvie of Lincoln, Republican, defeated Keith Neville for re-election in 1918. The vote stood:
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S. R. McKelvie, Republican |
120,888 |
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Keith Neville, Democrat |
97,886 |
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J. D. Graves, Prohibition |
3,409 |
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United States senator: |
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George W. Norris, Republican |
120,086 |
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John H. Morehead, Democrat |
99,690 |
This election was Nebraska's political
aftermath of the World War. German and Irish voters (former
Democrats) largely lined up for the Republican ticket. They
claimed they had been swindled by the Woodrow Wilson slogan--"He
kept us out of war." They were joined by many other who resented
the actions of the State Council of Defense: Invasion of the
rights of free speech, free press and free action during the war.
Senator Norris was strongly supported because he had opposed the
war.
The overwhelmingly Republican legislature
elected with Governor McKelvie enacted the largest body of new law
ever created in one session--more than 1,200 pages. It passed the
"Civil Administrative Code," reorganizing state government; it
levied a one and one-half mill tax to erect a new state capitol;
it ratified national prohibition and woman suffrage; it provided
for a state constitutional convention to revise the constitution;
it declared the English language the official language of the
state, and forbade teaching any subject in any other language, or
teaching any child any language but English until the child had
passed eighth grade examinations.
S. R. McKelvie, after a hard fight in the
Republican primary, was re-elected governor in 1920 by the
following vote:
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S. R. McKelvie, Republican |
152,863 |
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J. H. Morehead, Democrat |
136,433 |
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Arthur G. Wray, Progressive |
88,905 |
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J. D. Graves, Prohibition |
6,041 |
It was a Republican landslide year in the
nation for Warren G. Harding as president. In the Nebraska
legislature there were only four Democrats in the house and none
in the senate.
War and Post-War Conditions
Armistice day, Nov. 11, 1918, is still
celebrated as the end of the World War. It might be observed as
the beginning of world trouble. In Nebraska the armistice brought
greater disaster than the World War. The war was a stimulus to
every aspect of Nebraska life. Prices of our products were
trebled. Farm land prices rose even faster. Building boomed. Labor
was employed. Wages rose. Money was loaned freely. New enterprises
started. Stocks and bonds were issued. Salesmen sold everything to
everybody on installments, and everybody grew richer overnight
with advance in market price of what he had bought. New
corporations and offices called for more office workers, and young
people eagerly went to schools to train for the new office
positions.
Inventive genius felt the stimulus of greater
demand. Machine farming replaced the old style horse farming, and
multiplied many times the productive power of man. More acres were
broken out. More farm tonnage was created. Motor trucks came in to
expedite market hauling. The tempo of life was speeded up to its
uttermost unit. Paved highways replaced mud roads. It was an era
of expansion.
When the war ended, wise ones who had studied
history predicted an early fall of prices and hard times. It did
not come when predicted. Europe was destitute and needed
everything. Uncle Sam loaned Europe all the money she needed to
buy our goods, and we went on producing them.
Millions of Nebraska dollars from the sale of
two dollar wheat, one and a half dollar corn, twenty dollar beef
and pork, poured into bank deposits. We created several hundred
new banks to receive these deposits and lend them out with
generous hand.
In the midst of this fools paradise in which we
lived there came warnings. Far sighted financiers foresaw the
breakers. In 1921 word went out to the banks of the west to call
loans and reduce debts. The livestock industry felt the first
blow. Nebraska stock ranges and feed yards were full of livestock
bought at top prices--paid for with money borrowed at the local
banks.
The banks ordered the stockmen to reduce their
loans. The stockmen rushed their stock to the livestock markets.
Prices crashed. The livestock sold for less than the bank debt.
The borrower himself was sometimes "sold out" and lost everything
he had, Even the banks were not able to avoid loss in this sudden
fall of prices. A number of them failed. The Bank Guaranty Fund
created by the law of 1909 was large enough for a time to pay off
the depositors of the failed banks.
Breathing Space Before Panic
The sharp credit deflation and depression of
1921 lasted only a little more than a year. Financial leaders and
general world conditions came to the rescue. By the end of 1922
there was a distinct improvement and by 1923 the process of
business restoration was under way. The price of the World War in
destruction of property and dislocation of distribution was
deferred for a number of years, and the people of Nebraska drew
easier breath during those years.
Reform and Reconstruction
Attempts to reconstruct and improve Nebraska
state government took organized form in 1913 with the appointment
of a joint committee of the senate
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© 1999, 2000, 2001 for the NEGenWeb Project by Ted & Carole Miller