COUNTY ELECTIONS
Turning now from national and state choices to the county officers we find the following:
In 1890, the chosen candidates were: For representative to the state legislature, James Palmer; sheriff, Gilbert Dickson; clerk, R. R. Spedden; auditor, Benjamin Butler; treasurer, R. E. Wills; attorney, W. N. Noffsinger; assessor, H. H. Wise; superintendent of schools, H. C. Benbow; surveyor, Hayden Gearhardt; coroner, G. W. Black; commissioners, John Lubling, George Stallcop, and Robert Story. All of the above were on the republican ticket except R. E. Wills.
In 1892, the following were the successful candidates: Representative, F. W. D. Mays; superior judge, J. E. Edmiston; attorney, W. E. Greene; auditor, Joseph Davidson; sheriff, Gilbert Dickson; clerk, E. W. Gibson; treasurer, H. A. Adams; assessor, R. L. Kirby; superintendent of schools, H. C. Benbow; surveyor, Hayden Gearhardt; coroner, J. R. Gose; county commissioners, C. A. Shaffer, E. B. Fletcher, and Robert Story; sheep commissioner, G. F. Jackson. The parties were much more evenly divided than in the previous election, for Messrs. Mays, Edmiston, Greene, Davidson, Adams, Gose and Fletcher were democrats, the others republicans.
In 1894, results were these: Representative, A. E. Allen; attorney, G. W. Jewett; clerk, E. W. Gibson; auditor, S. T. Sanford; sheriff, N. O. Baldwin; treasurer, H. M. Beach; superintendent of schools, E. V. Kuykendall; assessor, H. L. Wilson; surveyor, Edward Truax; coroner, G. W. Black; commissioners, George Ruarck and Chris Brockman.
That was the populistic year, for of the above, Messrs. Allen, Sanford, Beach, Wilson, Ruarck, and Brockman are all set down as P. P.'s.
In 1896, the county officers were as follows: Representative, James Parker; sheriff, N. O. Baldwin; auditor, S. T. Sanford; assessor, H. L. Wilson; clerk, A. E. Dickson; treasurer, H. M. Beach; attorney, G. W. Jewett; superintendent of schools, Emma Nelson; surveyor, Edison Griggs; commissioner, Chris Brockman; coroner, G. W. Black. That was another populistic year, for six of the successful candidates were of that faith.
In the election of 1898, the ebb of the tide of populism became visible, for of the successful aspirants, only three were P. P'.s. The chosen candidates were these: Representative, C. M. Baldwin; sheriff, S. S. Russell; clerk, A. E. Dickson; auditor, J. A. Strain; treasurer, H. Dixon; attorney, E. V. Kuykendall; assessor, J. P. Buchet; superintendent of schools, Emma Elsensohn; coroner, W. P. Williamson; commissioners, S. S. Young and August Young.
Election results of 1900 were thus: Representative, W. L. Howell; sheriff, J. A. Strain; auditor, E. M. Pomeroy; treasurer, W. H. Dixon; clerk, H. A. Adams; assessor, F. W. Messenger; superintendent of schools, Nellie Vallen; attorney, Frank Cardwell; coroner, C. G. Black; surveyor, J. M. Reid; commissioners, A. H. Malone and D. R. Lewis. In this election the populists no longer appeared, but several democrats carried away the trophies, the following being of that party, Howell, Strain, Cardwell, and Malone.
In 1902, the successful ones were: Representative, W. L. Howell; auditor, Frank Burch; sheriff, J. A. Strain; clerk, A. A. Kirby; treasurer, H. A. Adams; attorney, J. T. Ledgerwood; assessor, F. W. Messenger; superintendent of schools, Nellie Vallen; surveyor, J. E. Tupper; coroner, C. G. Black; commissioners, J. O. Miles and D. B. Williams. In that list were four democrats.