Resuming the thread of political annals with the election of 1882, the first following the establishment of Garfield County, we find the following tabulation: For delegate to Congress, Thomas Burke, democrat, 673 to 442 for T. H. Brents, republican; for joint councilman from the counties of Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Whitman, J. E. Edmiston, democrat; joint councilman for Columbia and Garfield, N. T. Caton, democrat; representative, Elisha Ping, democrat; joint representative, John Brining, republican; sheriff, J. H. Hosler, democrat; auditor, J. W. Jessee, democrat; probate judge, J. W. Ostrander, democrat; county commissioners, E. Bird, democrat, J. F. Kirby, republican, and E. Crouch, democrat; prosecuting attorney, J. K. Rutherford, democrat; treasurer, F. C. Miller, republican; assessor, Henry Hunter, republican, by a majority of one vote; superintendent of schools, Julia Newkirk, democrat; surveyor, E. D. Miner, republican, without opposition; coroner, Dr. J. Clarke; sheep commissioner, O. E. Mack, democrat.
As will be seen, fourteen of the successful candidates were democrats and five were republicans. The total vote for congressional delegate, which might be considered representative of the general voting population, was 1,115. Thus it will be seen that Columbia County, like Walla Walla, was, during the period before statehood, predominantly democratic, though not by such steady majorities as to be counted on confidently. The gradual transition of those, as of other communities in the state, to prevailing republican dominance, is one of the interesting movements of the times. Various reasons, some good and some poor, may be assigned, varying according to political predilections of the observer. Broadly speaking, the transition was mainly due, in the author's judgment, to that tremendous movement of thought following the civil war, favorable to nationalism, the dominance of nation over state. The strife culminating in the Civil war and reconstruction thoroughly discredited the theory of state sovereignty, and the vast enlargement of Federal power swept into the ranks of nationalists an ever-increasing number of young men. This was more marked in the West than elsewhere, for the reason that state lines and state pride and ties have always been loose and weak in the new land where all sections and nations met on a common footing.
The republican party of the '60s, the party of Lincoln, Seward, Chase and Greeley, was based on a moral issue, that of the inherent wrongfulness of slavery. That of the '70s had rather a political basis, that of national power against local power. The transition again in the period from 1912 to date, whereby the pendulum has swung from republican to democratic leadership, has been based primarily upon economic questions, the conviction having become common that monopoly and privilege had become entrenched behind Federal patronage and that a new order of freedom for the individual must be secured. In the counties under consideration in this volume, as in others in the state and in the West generally, we see the manifestation of these tides of thought and changes of viewpoint. As local studies any one of our counties, Columbia among others, though conservative like most farming sections, furnishes abundant matter for reflection.
The election of 1884 was marked by the short-lived woman suffrage provision. By reason of this the total vote was considerably increased. In Dayton there was a total vote of 1,264, of which women cast 364.
The officials chosen were as follows: Congressman, C. S. Vorhees, democrat, 1,015 to 959 for J. M. Armstrong; joint councilmen, B. B. Day, republican, and C. H. Warner, democrat; representative, A. E. McCall, democrat; joint representative, S. A. Wells, republican; sheriff, J. H. Hosler, democrat; auditor, J. A. Kellogg, republican; county commissioners, J. W. Fields, W. R. Marquis, John Fudge, all republicans; prosecuting attorney, R. F. Sturdevant, republican; probate judge, J. Y. Ostrander, democrat; treasurer, F. C. Miller, republican; assessor, Garrett Romaine, republican; superintendent of schools, R. O. Hawks, republican; surveyor, W. McBride, democrat; coroner, Dr. E. H. Van Patten, democrat; sheep commissioner, H. B. Day, republican. A question of considerable local interest was that frequent one of the building of a courthouse. This proposal carried 986 to 588. Another interesting question before the territory was that of taxing church property. The vote in Columbia County was 802 in favor and 701 against. The proposition, however, did not win in the territory. Twelve republicans and seven democrats were garnered into the official storehouse, as a result of the election of 1884. The tide was turning toward republicanism. In the election of 1886 the republican candidates scored a sweeping success, every county office except that of probate judge being filled by one of that party. The democratic candidate for Congress, however, Charles S. Vorhees, again led the procession with 974 to 940 for C. M. Bradshaw. Wm. Ayers, democrat, was chosen to the council, and George Eckler, a republican, was chosen to the House of Representatives. The local officers were these: Sheriff, W. R. Marquis; auditor, Jay A. Kellogg; county commissioners, John Fudge, J. W. Fields and D. W. Gritman; prosecuting attorney, C. R. Dorr; probate judge, J. H. Gough; treasurer, F. C. Miller; assessor, Garrett Romaine; school superintendent, R. O. Hawks; surveyor, John Patrick; coroner, Dr. E. Bories; sheep commissioner, H. B. Day. There was one rather curious event in that election, leading to a decision by Attorney R. F. Sturdevant, which has some general interest. D. W. Gritman and Alexander Price had an equal number of votes for commissioner, 946. The former was a republican, the latter a democrat. Mr. Sturdevant decided that though the number of votes was equal, Mr. Gritman was entitled to the seat for the reason that the statute provided that no two commissioners should be from the same district and that Mr. Gritman had a majority over the other candidate in his district, while Mr. Price was in a minority in his own district, though having a tie with Mr. Gritman. The decision seems sound and logical. A complication of that sort is avoided by the present law providing for nominations by district, not at large.
ONE OF THE FIRST HOUSES IN DAYTON
The election of 1888, the last of the territorial days, was in an "off" year, and excited comparatively little contest. There were only 1,351 votes as against 1,914 in the preceding election. The falling off was mainly due to the invalidation of the Woman Suffrage law by Judge Langford, and the consequent elimination of women's votes. The democrats came back in this election, results being as follows: C. S. Voorhees for Congress led John B. Allen by one vote. In the territory, however, the election went the other way, and Mr. Allen took his seat in Congress. M. M. Godman, democrat, was chosen to the council and A. H. Weatherford, of the some party, was chosen representative. The county officers were these: Sheriff, W. R. Marquis, republican; auditor, Jay A. Kellogg, republican; county commissioners, Alexander Price and Daniel Lyons, democrats, and J. C. Lewis, republican; prosecuting attorney, E. H. Fox, democrat; probate judge, J. H. Gough, democrat; assessor, M. R. Hanger, democrat; superintendent of schools, G. S. Livengood, democrat; coroner, Dr. E. H. Van Patten, democrat.
To Columbia County, as to the other counties of the state, the year 1889 was a great date, for it was the date of statehood. The general plan for the election of delegates to the state convention provided for the division of the territory into twenty-five districts, each to have three delegates, of which not more than two could be from any one party. Each party, therefore, nominated two candidates. Those for District No. 9, including all of Columbia County and the precincts of Waitsburg, Coppei, Eureka Flat and Prescott, in Walla Walla County, were: democrats, Lewis Neace and M. M. Godman, and, republicans, E. C. Ross and R. F. Sturdevant. Mr. Ross having the least vote, the others were declared duly chosen.