Harney County
Chapter II
Political
Harney county began its official existence in the spring of 1889 under the following corps of officers, appointed by the governor: County judge, T.J. Shields; county clerk, W.E. Grace; sheriff, P.F. Stenger; commissioners, T.J. Morrison, D.H. Smythe; superintendent of schools, L.B. Baker; surveyor, W.H. Gordon.
In 1890 the following were the successful candidates for office in Harney county: For sheriff, A.A. Cowing, Democrat; for clerk, W.E. Grce, Democrat; for county judge, William Miller, Democrat; for county treasurer, Thomas H. Roberts, Democrat; for assessor, W.E. Alberson, Democrat; for commissioners, William Altnow, Democrat, and N.E. Duncan, Republican; for superintendent of schools, Charles Newell, Republican; for surveyor, T.A. McKinnon, Democrat; for coroner, F.P. Moore, Democrat.
The principal event of the campaign of 1890 was the contest between the different towns for the seat of county government. This struggle for supremacy was very sharp and so close was the vote that it was only by a decision of the courts that Burns was able to maintain its victory over Harney. There were 1,016 votes cast, of which Burns received 512, or a majority of eight over all. Harney contested the election. The detailed story of this contest will be found in the chronological history of the county in another chapter.
The vote in 1892 was as follows: For congressman, C.J. Bright, 19, W.E. Ellis, 257, J.C. Luce, 147, J.H. Slater, 346; for district judge, M.D. Clifford, 272, W. Green, 25, H. Kelley, 483; for prosecuting attorney, sixth district, C.H. Finn, 293, G. Griffin, 157, C.F. Hyde, 329, C.H. Fill, 8; for member board of equalization, W.G. Hunter, 426, W.Morfitt, 339, C.D. Huffman, 1; for joint representative with Grant county, M.R. Biggs, 328, M. Fenwick, 153, C.D. Richardson, 290; for county clerk, H.C. Levens, 365, P.L. Shideler, 396; for sheriff, H. Gittings, 410, P.F. Stenger, 350; for county treasurer, H. Cheatham, 138, J.S. Geer, 249, T.H. Roberts, 154, C. Ziegler, 225, George Huston, 1; for assessor, R.Hendricks, 363, S.W. Miller, 406; for superintendent of schools, D.L. Grace, 302, C. Newell, 465, Peter Martimer, 1, John Vaughn, 1; for county surveyor, F.J. Martin, 328, J.H. Neal, 433; for county commissioner, R.R. Sitz, 396, T. Walls, 375, Samuel Kings, 1; for coroner, C.F. McKinney was elected by a plurality of 29 over several other candidates.
The official vote at the election which took place two years later resulted: For circuit judge, M.D. Clifford, Democrat, 272, W. Green, Populist, 25, Harrison Kelley, Republican, 483; for prosecuting attorney, C.H. Finn, Republican, 293, G. Griffin, Populist, 157, C. F. Hyde, Democrat, 329; for member of state board of equalization, W.G. Hunter, Democrat 426, W. Morfitt, Republican, 339; for joint representative with Grant, M.R. Biggs, Democrat, 328, Mell Fenwick, Populist, 157, C.D. Richardson, Republican, 290; for county clerk, H.C. Levens, Republican, 365, P.L. Shideler, Democrat, 396; for sheriff, A. Gittings, Republican, 410, P.F. Stenger, Democrat, 350; for county treasurer, H. Cheatham, Populist, 138, I.S. Geer, Republican, 249, T.H. Roberts, Independent, 154, C. Ziegler, Democrat, 22; for county assessor, R. Hendricks, Republican, 333, S.W. Miller, Democrat, 406; for superintendent of schools, D.L. Grace, Democrat, 302, Charles Newell, Republican, 465; for surveyor, E. Martin, Democrat, 328, J.H. Neal, Republican, 433; for coroner, R.R. Sitz, Republican, 396, T. Walls, Democrat, 375.
The famous campaign of 1896 was as closely contested in Harney county as in other parts of eastern Oregon, as will be seen from the official vote herewith presented:
For congressman, second district, A.S. Bennett, 220, W.R. Ellis, 217, F. McKercher, 8, H.H. Northrup, 27, Martin Quinn, 273 for supreme court judge, Robert S. Bean, 230, John Burnett, 243, Joseph Gaston, 241; for prosecuting attorney, Charles W. Parrish, 265, O.F. Buse, 118, M. Dustin, 111, C.A. Sweek, 260; for joint representative with Grant C. S. Dustin, 360, E. Hall, 316; for member state board of equalization, J.H. Holland, 309, G.W. Pierce, 305; for county clerk, E.L. Beede, 163, Harrison Kelley, 315, S.W. Miller, 277; for sheriff, A. Gittings, 236, John Jacquemin, 200, John McKinnon, 310; for treasurer, W.N. Jorgensen, 137, L. Waldenberg, 198, J.C. Welcome, 391; for assessor, J.O. Cawlfield, 190, Albert A. Reineman, 268, W.S. Waters, 275; for superintendent of schools, W.C. Byrd, 290, Horace A. Dillard, 269, Charles Newell, 192; for surveyor, V. Deffenbaugh, 207, T.A. McKinnon 322, J.A. Neal, 197; for commissioner, Charles Bonnett, 158, George Hagey, 287, W.B. Johnson, 268; for coroner, Lloyd Culp, 242, Austin Goodman, 169, Thomas W. Stephens, 293.
The result of the election in 1898 may be gleaned from the following figures: Circuit judge, M.D. Clifford, Union and Democrat, 474, Charles W. Parris, Republican, 289, Thornton Williams, Indpendent, 65; prosecuting attorney, Errett Hicks, Union and Democrat, 435, William Miller, Republican, 335; senator, A.W. Gowan, Republican, 356, J.W. Morrow, Union and Democrat, 440; representative, R.N. Donnelly, Republican, 269, George D. Hagey, Union and Democrat, 457; member state board of equalization, J.R. Gregg, Democrat, 438, William Hall, Republican, 310; county judge, Charles P. Rutherford, Populist, 253, James A. Sparrow, Republican, 345, Thomas Walls, Union and Democrat, 257, clerk, H.A. Dillard, Populist, 290, Harrison Kelley, Republican, 190, Henry Richardson, Union and Democrat, 385; sheriff, E.H. King, Republican, 351, A.J. McKinnon, Union and Democrat, 514;, treasurer, H.E. Cheatham, Populist, 137, J.J. Tupker, Union and Democrat, 198, J.C. Welcome, Republican, 522; assessor, J.W. Buchanan, Union and Democrat, 335, J.H. Loggan, Populist, 233, W.S. Waters, Republican, 289; superintendent of schools, W.C. Byrd, Union and Democrat, 475, Charles N. Cochrane, Republican 326; surveyor, George Whiting, Republican, 523; commissioner, Robert Drinkwater, Populist, 184, Charles R. Peterson, Union and Democrat, 272, A. Venator, Republican, 359; coroner, W.L. Marsden, Republican, 573, S.B. McPheeters, Union and Democrat, 245.
The vote in 1900: For join representative ninth district, W.D. Baker, Democratic-People’s candidate, 309, I.S. Geer, Republican, 333, John L. Sitz, Straight Republican, 194; for district attorney, ninth district, Will R. King, Democratic-People’s, 402, William Miller, Republican, 388; for county clerk, R.T. Hughet, Republican, 335, Henry Richardson, Democrat, 495; for sheriff, Thomas Allen, Republican, 403, George Shelley, Democrat, 423; for county treasurer, R.C. Angevine, Democrat, 357, R.A. Miller, Republican, 467; for assessor, J.W. Buchanan, Democrat, 470, M.B. Hayes, Republican, 349; for school superintendent, J.C. Bartlett, Democrat, 491, Charles N. Cochrane, Republican, 325; for surveyor, J.R. Johnson, Democrat, 488, Frank M. Jordan, Republican, 327; for commissioner, Thomas Bain, Republican, 292, R.J. Williams, Democrat, 485; for coroner, W.L. Marsden, Republican, 637.
The result of the last campaign, that of 1902, in Harney county was as follows: For congressman, W.f. Butcher, Democrat, 382, D.T. Gerdes, Socialist, 45, F.R. Spalding, Prohibitionist, 12, J.N. Williamson, Republican, 470; for joint senator, 25th district, John L. Rand, Republican, 472, William E. Smith, Democrat, 427; for joint representative, 27th district, Fred J. Palmer, Republican, 348, E.H. Test, Democrat, 516; for county judge, W.C. Byrd, Democrat, 443, H.C. Levens, Republican, 507; for county clerk, R.T. Hughet, Republican, 390, Frank S. Reider, Democrat, 556; for sheriff, Thomas Allen, Republican, 540, George Shelley, Democrat, 409; for assessor, W.E. Alberson, Democrat, 413, J.E. Loggan, Republican, 530; for treasurer, James M. Dalton, Democrat, 450, R.A. Miller, Republican, 488; for commissioner, Edward j. Catlow, Democrat, 410, C.F. Miller, Republican, 515; for coroner, W.L. Marsden, Republican, 712; for surveyor, John H. Neal, 24, F.M. Jordan, 62.
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©Shauna Williams