CHAPTER III. STATE CAMPAIGN OF 1856. First Republican State Ticket-Democratic-Native American-Republican Success-Aggregate Vote for State Officers-Members of CongressElectoral Tickets. The political contest opened up early in the year; that being the year of the Presidential election, the State conventions were necessarily early. There were three parties to claim the suffrages of the people. The Democrats held their convention at Springfield, May 1; the Native Americans, at the same place, May 6, and the Republicans at Bloomington, May 29, when this party was first organized of which we speak at length in the preceding chapter. The State tickets, for the most part, were made up of able, eminent men, and on the electoral tickets the reader will observe such names as Abraham Lincoln, Henry P. H. Bromwell, David L. Phillips, John A. Logan, Orlando B. Ficklin, Wm. A. J. Sparks, Joseph Gillespie, Shelby M. Cullom and Wm. H. Parrish. Heretofore the Democratic party had encountered little or no opposition in the State or Presidential elections, but the formation of the Republican party, which was composed largely of anti-slavery Democrats, had induced the belief that the party was in danger of losing its power in the State, and the campaign was therefore the more active and earnest on their part, and their activity created a corresponding industry on the part of the other parties, and the result was, that for five months the people in all parts of the State were kept in attendance night and day upon meetings of one or the other of the parties, and agreeably to the fears of far-seeing Democrats, the Democratic party lost the State election, notwithstanding its candidate for President carried it by a plurality of 9,150 over Fremont, while the Republican State ticket was elected throughout by a plurality over the Democratic ticket ranging from 4,697, to 8,191 and the Republican candidate for Treasurer had a majority of 20,213 over his Democratic competitor. The following is the aggregate vote for State officers, members of Congress, and Presidential electors: The records at the office of the Secretary of State show only these figures, and it is presumed that they represent the highest number of votes cast for the respective electoral tickets. CHAPTER IV. STATE GOVERNMENT-1857. Governor-William H. Bissell. Auditor of Public Accounts-Jesse K. Dubois. Superintendent of Public Instruction-Wm. H. Powell. TWENTIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY. The Twentieth General Assembly convened January 5, and consisted of the following members: |