HISTORY OF MANITOWOC COUNTY


of these three exceptions was Professor C. F. Viebaln, who in I879 was chosen
school'superintendent over John Hussey by a majority of 56i. The second was
R. D. Smart, who owing to his personal popularity and disaffection in the
demo-
cratic ranks, defeated J. P. Wickert for county judge in the spring of i88i
by
87o votes. The third was John Bibinger, who in i882 was elected sheriff over
W. Wieboldt. A year before Judge Norman Gilson had been chosen circuit
judge over Campbell McLain, his republican opponent,'by a majority of 3,I02,
one of the largest ever given in the county for any candidate. In i882 the
pro-
hibitionists put up a county ticket but did not develop essential strength.
At
this time the odd year elections for county superintendent and clerk of court
ceased and thus political energies could be more centralized.
A county jail was erected in the early 'gos, and the old courthouse remodeled,
the county office annex being removed. The latter part of the decade i880-i890
saw as few republicans in office in the county as had the earlier years of
it. County Judge C. H. Schmidt, who had defeated Judge Smart in
I885, died   in i888, and   Emil Baensch, a   republican, was chosen   to
fill the vacancy. A year later, his term having expired, he defeated Hubert
Falge by I,253 votes, the most decisive republican victory for some time.
Democratic landslides occurred in i89o and i892, but by i894 the beginning
of
another change in county politics came about and the years of exclusive demo-
cratic rule were brought to an end.  In that year the populists put up a
county
ticket, which secured about three hundred votes, forming no inconsiderable
ele-
ment as the first third party movement in the county since the prohibition
ticket
of i882 with the exception of a few local candidates on the labor ticket
in i888.
The democrats secured every office with the exception of sheriff, to which
Henry Schmidt was elected over Daniel Tracy. Then came the campaign of
i896, resulting in a victory for all of the republican nominees except the
county
clerk. In i898 a reaction took place, the republicans securing only the county
treasurership, to which Peter Kaufman was elected, but in i900 the party
again
gained ground, electing the sheriff, county clerk, district attorney, treasurer
and
surveyor, while the democrats secured the register of deeds, coroner and
clerk
of court, the county superintendent being chosen on a non-partisan basis.
Owing
to an error in the returns from the fourth ward of the city of Manitowoc,
E. S.
Schmitz, the democratic nominee for district attorney, was seated by the
board
of canvassers but after continuing in office for two months and after some
liti-
gation had been commenced, a compromise was effected, whereby the republi-
can candidate, A. L. Hougen, took the position. A municipal court was estab-
lished in the county in 1895 and both this and the probate court were for
some
time gcvrned by non-partisan principles, owing to the balance existing between
the two parties in the county, but in i9oi the matter was again taken into
politics,
a republican, A. P. Schenian being chosen municipal judge and a democrat,
John Chloupek, becoming judge of the probate court. Michael Kirwan of
Manitowoc succeeded Judge Gilson on the circuit bench in i899, defeating
At-
torney Prescott of Sheboygan, by a sweeping majority.
The election held in the fall of I902 again witnessed an almost equal division
of the spoils, the democrats succeeding in electing the sheriff, register
of deeds,
clerk of court and coroner, while the republicans chose the county clerk,
treas-
urer, district attorney, and surveyor, while for county school superintendent,


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