Kings County
History
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California - History by Eugene L. Menefee and Fred A. Dodge - Historic Record Company - Los Angeles, California, 1913
CHAPTER XXII
EARLY COUNTY POLITICS
As a political organization Kings county dates from May 23, 1893. The bill creating the county was signed by Governor H. H. Markham March 23, 1893, and the governor appointed a commission for the purpose of carrying out the act. This commission was composed of the following named citizens of the new county : Samuel E. Biddle, E. E. Bush, William J. Newport, William Ogden and John H. Malone. Both Mr. Biddle and Mr. Newport had been members of the board of supervisors of Tulare county.
This commission appeared before Dixon L. Phillips, a notary public, on April 3, 1893, and were sworn into office. They immediately organized by electing S. E. Biddle chairman and by selecting George X. Wendling secretary, then adjourned till the following day, Tuesday, April 4, when the commission met and accepted an offer from the Farmers and Merchants Bank for an office room free of rental in which to hold the meetings of the board. On April 5 another meeting was held and the county was formed into five supervisoral districts, as follows : District No. 1, embracing the southwestern portion of the county with three voting precincts, viz.: West End, Kings River and Lemoore ; District No. 2, embracing the southern portion of the county with three voting precincts, viz. : Paddock, Lakeside and Dallas; District No. 3, embracing the northeastern and eastern portion of the county, with three precincts, viz. : Lucerne, Excelsior and Cross Creek; District No. 4, embracing the northern and northwestern portion of the county with three precincts, viz. : Armona, Grangeville and Lucerne ; and District No. 5, embracing the city of Hanford.
THE FIRST ELECTION CALLED
On the 18th day of April the county commission issued the first call for an election. This call embraced, besides the election of a full set of county officers, the vote upon the question of ratifying the act of the legislature in creating the county, said measure requiring that the vote necessary to ratification must be two-thirds of the electors of the county voting in the affirmative. The call fixed the date of the election on May 23, 1893.
PARTIES GOT INTO ACTION
As there had been unity of action between the members of all political parties within the boundaries of the new proposed county in the effort to secure the county there was much harmonious spirit prevailing among the parties when it came to placing tickets before the people. The one great effort to be made was to secure the county and toward that end the politicians worked in harmony yet with much zeal for their respective candidates.
The first political conventions were held in Hanford on Wednesday, April 19, 1893, the Republicans holding their gathering at Pythian Hall, a framed structure on East Fifth street, which was subsequently burned and never rebuilt, and the Democrats convened in Baker's Hall, at that time the most popular lodge and society hall in the county, but long since abandoned for public meetings. The People's Party also held a convention and placed in nomination a few candidates. So enthusiastic were all parties in their desire to ratify the legislative act and secure the county, that committees were appointed by each convention for the purpose of conferring and securing the nomination of candidates that would lend the most strength to the cause of county formation. The results of the convention day were that the following nominations were made to be placed on the Australian form of ballot : For Superior Judge—Justin Jacobs, Republican; Dixon L. Phillips, Democrat. For District Attorney—Cosmer B. Clark, People's Party; C. W. Talbot, Republican. For County Clerk—Francis Cunningham, Democrat ; Fred R. McFee, Republican. For Sheriff—W. V. Buckner, Republican; R. E. McKenna, Democrat. For Tax Collector—Jesse Brown, Democrat; Frank J. Peacock, Republican. For Treasurer—Stiles McLaughlin, Republican; W. H. Slavin, Democrat. For Recorder—Louis Decker, Republican. For Auditor—C. C. Farnsworth, Democrat. For Assessor—John Rourke, Democrat; John Worswick, Republican. For Superintendent of Schools—A. P. Keran, Republican; C. A. McCourt, Democrat. For Surveyor—E. P. Irwin, Republican; Joseph Williams, Democrat. For Coroner—B. R. Clow, Democrat ; Charles W. Sullivan, Republican.
These were the convention nominations, but the ticket was not entirely filled, leaving the way open for independent candidates and these were supplied as follows: For district attorney, M. L. Short and B. C. Mickle went on the ballot as independents, as did F. M. Frazer for recorder, C. W. Clark for auditor, George W. Murray for auditor and A. S. Bryan for coroner.
Supervisors were nominated from four districts. J. H. Fox, who was a member of the Tulare county board of supervisors at the time held over, and his residence being at Lemoore, which was in District No. 1, no nominations for supervisor were made in that district.
The party nominations in the four remaining districts were: District No. 2—For supervisor, Robert Doherty, Democrat ; R. G. White, Republican, and Frank McClellan, People's Party. District No. 3—For supervisor, George A. Dodge, Republican ; J. G. Mackey, Democrat. District No. 4—For supervisor, Horace Johnson, People's Party; W. A. Long, Republican. District No. 5—S. E. Biddle, Democrat ; Frank J. Walker, Republican.
The election resulted in the choice of a mixed set of county officers, politically, and the carrying of the cause of county creation by an overwhelming majority, the vote on the formation of the county being 1824, of which 1412 were recorded as "Yes" and 412 as "No."
The first set of county officials elected in the county was as follows : Superior judge, Justin Jacobs ; county clerk, Francis Cunningham; sheriff, W. V. Buckner; tax collector, Frank J. Peacock; W. H. Slavin, treasurer; recorder, Frank M. Frazer; auditor, C. C. Farnsworth; district attorney, M. L. Short; assessor, John Rourke; superintendent of schools, C. H. McCourt; coroner, B. R. Clow; public administrator, Mace Allen; surveyor, E. P. Irwin; supervisor, 1st district, J. H. Fox; supervisor, 2nd district, Frank McClellan; supervisor, 3rd district, J. G. Mackey; supervisor, 4th district, W. A. Long; supervisor, 5th district, S. E. Biddle.
SETTING UP HOUSEKEEPING
On Monday morning, May 9, 1893, the commissioners met and canvassed the returns of the election and declared the results. The official count gave the total number of votes as 1919, thus showing that there were 55 who failed to vote either for or against county division.
Superior Judge Jacobs received his commission from the governor on May 31, and filed the same with the clerk of the county commission, Mr. Wendling. The supervisors-elect were given certificates of election and were sworn into office, each member giving a bond of $5000. On June 1 the board of supervisors organized by electing J. H. Fox, of Lemoore, chairman. The several county officers-elect appeared before the board and were sworn in on that day, and the machinery of government for the new county was in working order.
NO COUNTY BUILDINGS
Having finally formed a new county and installed the officers, the next step was to secure office rooms for the transaction of business, until such time as county grounds could be purchased and buildings erected. The supervisors immediately set to work and in a. short time had the several officials housed, although the limited number of vacant office buildings in the county seat necessitated the scattering of the offices all about the city. The Hanford opera house block which had recently been completed at the corner of Irwin and Seventh streets, afforded room for several officials and their records, and on the second floor of that building the recorder, auditor, surveyor, district attorney, county clerk, superior judge and supervisors were temporarily located. The Farmers and Merchants Bank gave accommodations for the tax collector and the treasurer; the assessor and superintendent of schools were located in a one-story brick structure on West Seventh street. Later the sheriff's office and county jail were located on West Sixth street to the west of the corner of Irwin, and the superior court and county clerk were given quarters on the second floor over the jail.
While the arrangements were far from convenient, the county business was carried on economically and well. A steel cage was purchased which answered for a jail for a number of years, and while some desperate criminals were at times confined there, there was never a jail delivery even from that temporary structure.
COUNTY WITHOUT FUNDS
At the final meeting of the board of county commissioners just prior to turning over the affairs to the board of supervisors, Commissioner J. H. Malone offered a resolution which was adopted and made of record, that the new county possessed a population of 5900 souls, and that Kings county be declared a county of the Forty-third class, and when the supervisors took up their work they found themselves with that much of a county to legislate for, but there was not a cent in the treasury. The first matter, therefore, to attend to was to provide the means for carrying on the county business, and the first act of the board of supervisors was to apply to Tulare county for that portion of the road and school funds belonging to the territory within the boundary of the new county, and it was resolved to demand from the old mother county such funds due Kings county on the 1st day of June, 1893, the amount being $14,655.58, and accept that amount from Tulare, provided that the latter would stipulate an agreement that no suit to contest the legality of the Kings county election would be brought. This demand was met by Tulare county to the extent of $13,289.26, of which $10,919.16 was from the road fund, and $2,370.10 from the school fund. With this small amount of ready money, Kings county began its own official career, and faced the promise made during the division campaign to so conduct the affairs of the county that the tax rate under the new order of things would not exceed the tax rate which had prevailed when the new county was a part of Tulare.
RATIFICATION
On the 6th day of the following July the citizens of the county held a celebration in the city of Hanford at which the creation of the county was joyously ratified in conjunction with the celebration of the one hundred and seventeenth anniversary of the Independence of the United States. The pleasing feature of the celebration was the appearance as orator for the occasion of James H. White, a prominent citizen of Tulare county who refused to remonstrate against the formation of the new county. He was introduced by the Hon. F. A. Blakeley, the assemblyman who introduced and carried through the Kings County bill. Sheriff Buckner was the grand marshal, and conducted a memorable parade, there being many splendid floats displayed in commemoration of the independence of Nation and County.
DISPUTING VALIDITY OF THE COUNTY
As an outgrowth of the heated contest waged between the mother county and the people of the new county, the question as to the validity of the act and the proceedings followed out in the creation and organization of Kings county arose. This question was settled by an opinion issued by Deputy Attorney General Oregon Sanders, approved by the Attorney General W. H. H. Hart, on the 19th day of June, 1893. In the opinion the State Department set forth at length that the three counties created during the legislative session of 1892-93, viz. : Riverside, Madera and Kings, were legally formed, and the acts under which said counties were formed are constitutional. This set at rest for all time any question of the legal standing of those three counties.
FIRST TAX RATE FIXED
At the regular meeting of the supervisors held September 25, 1893, the fixing of the tax rate for the fiscal year 1893-94 was ordered. This was the first action of the kind in the new county, and the rate was made as follows: State, fifty-nine cents and six mills, road eighteen cents, hospital five cents and county general forty-six cents and four mills, making a total rate of $1.45 on the $100 valuation.
COUNTY POLITICS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS
In the month of June, 1894, the several political parties confronted the first regular nominating campaign to place candidates in the field at the general election, which was held in November of that year. The Republicans of the county nominated the following ticket: Superior judge, Justin Jacobs; sheriff, W. V. Buckner; county clerk, F. L. Howard; recorder and auditor, F. J. Peacock; treasurer and tax collector, J. N. Hoyt; assessor, G. W. Follett; superintendent of schools, J. W. Graham; district attorney, A. O. Park; coroner and public administrator, J. A. Moore; surveyor, E. P. Irwin; supervisors: B. L. Barney, W. A. Long, J. M. Hamilton, George B. McCord and Styles McLaughlin; constables, H. M. Bernstein. O. G. Bryan, J. H. Thompson; justices of the peace, J. B. Lewis, G. W. Randall, G. Harrington.
The Democrats placed in nomination the following ticket: Superior judge, Archibald Yell; sheriff, L. E. Hall; county clerk, Francis Cunningham; recorder and auditor, C. C. Farnsworth ; treasurer and tax collector, W. H. Slavin; assessor, John Rourke: superintendent of schools, C. A. McCourt; district attorney, M. L. Short; coroner and public administrator, B. R. Clow; supervisors: D. Gamble, Jesse Brown; John Dawson, C. D. Coates, H. Clawson: constables: A. E. Blakeley, George E. Goodrich; justices of the peace: Rufus Abbott, Joseph Williams, Frank Bullard, G. N. Furnish.
The People's Party also placed nominees in the field, as follows : For sheriff, J. C. Goar; county clerk, John Gerow; recorder and auditor. F. M. Frazer; treasurer and tax collector, John Wyruck assessor. F. E. Howe; superintendent of schools, N. Z. Woodward: district attorney, Cosmer B. Clark; coroner and public administrator. T. J. McQuiddy; surveyor, David Ross; supervisors: S. H. Von Schmidt, E. J. Gibson, T. F. Dillon, Frank McClellan, T. W. Standart; constables, J. K. Davis, C. L. Pritchard, G. L. Meadows, Bascom Runyon; justices of the peace: J. P. Ford, James Shay.
The election was held November 6, and there was a total of 1843 votes cast. That year Kings county cast its plurality vote for M. M. Estee. Republican candidate for governor, giving him 696. James H. Budd, the Democratic candidate, received 598; J. V. Webster, People's Party candidate, received 400, and Henry French. Prohibition candidate, received 93 votes.
The county contest was strenuously fought. That was the year when Populism was strong in this and Tulare county, and James McClellan, Populist nominee for assemblyman, was elected, the district then being composed of Kings county and a portion of Tulare.
The final count of the votes cast elected the following county officials: Superior judge, Justin Jacobs (R.) ; sheriff, W. V. Buckner (R.) ; clerk, Francis Cunningham (D.) ; recorder and auditor, F. J. Peacock (R.) ; treasurer and tax collector, W. H. Slavin (D.) ; assessor, G. H. Follett (R.) ; superintendent of schools, J. W. Graham (R) ; district attorney, M. L. Short (D.) ; coroner and public administrator, J. A. Moore (R.) ; surveyor, E. P. Irwin (R.) ; supervisors : B. L. Barney (R.), W. A. Long (R.), T. F. Dillon (P.P.). Frank McClellan (P.P.), Styles McLaughlin (R.); constables : H. M. Bernstein (R.), George E. Goodrich (D.), G. N. Furnish (D.); justices of the peace: George W. Randall (R.), J. B. Lewis (R.), G. L. Meadows (P.P.).
These officials took office on the following January 1st.
ELECTION OF 1896
The election of 1896 concerned only National and district matters, with the exception that in the second supervisoral district of the county there was a. vacancy to he filled. Supervisor Frank McClellan resigned his office, and the contest for the vacancy was between George W. Clute, Republican, and F. M. Frazer, People's Party. The latter won the election. Kings county at this election went with the Fusionists, the McKinley electoral ticket receiving but 673 votes to 863 for the Bryan electoral ticket. The county also voted a plurality of 118 for C. H. Castle, Fusion candidate for congress, defeating W. W. Bowers, the Republican candidate. The county cast forty-seven independent votes for W. H. Carlson. and twenty-two for J. W. Webb, Prohibition candidate. James McClellan. Fusionist, carried the county for assemblyman against George B. McCord, Republican, by a majority of 203. The total registration of the county at this time was 1883, and the total vote cast was 1613.
ELECTION OF 1898
On account of the death of Superior Judge Justin Jacobs, which occurred on September 18, 1898, some new interest was injected into county politics. Upon the vacancy on the bench being created, Governor James H. Budd appointed Dixon L. Phillips, of Hanford, to fill out the unexpired term. Mr. Phillips had been prominent in the work of organizing the county, and being strong with the governor politically, his application met with executive approval. He took his seat on the bench September 29.
M. L. Short, who was then district attorney, filed his petition to become an independent candidate for judge at the coming election. Horace L. Smith, an attorney, who shortly prior to this time had located in Hanford, also came out for judge as an independent. and Dixon L. Phillips appeared in the race as a Fusionist supported by the Democrats, Populists and Silver Republicans. The campaign was a lively one, but the Republicans had no candidate for the judgeship. There was no regular Democratic ticket for the county this year, but all opposition to the Republican party went by the title of Fusionists. The race for the judgeship resulted in a victory for M. L. Short, he receiving a clear majority of 219 votes over his competitors.
The Republicans nominated W. V. Buckner for sheriff, while George E. Shore was the Fusion candidate. Buckner was elected; (F.) Cunningham (F.) defeated B. A. Fassett (R.) for clerk; F. J. Peacock (R.) and J. M. Bowman (F.) ran a neck-and-neck race for recorder, each receiving 900 votes. The result of this tie caused the board of supervisors to call a special election to decide the tie. The date of said election was December 6, and the total vote which was cast at that election was 1537, of which Mr. Bowman received 827 and Mr. Peacock 710, and Bowman was declared elected.
Bowen Irwin (F.) defeated A. G. Park (R.) for district attorney, and S. M. Rosenberger (R.) won the auditorship against S. Sensabaugh (F.). For treasurer W. H. Slavin (F.) was successful, his opponent being A. M. Stone (R.). Peter Van Valer (R.) tried conclusions with John Wyruck (F.) for tax collector, the former winning. G. W. Follett (R.) defeated Frank McClellan (F.) for assessor, and W. M. Thomas (R.) won the race for coroner and public administrator over Dr. Foley (F.). J. W. Graham (R.) was chosen superintendent of schools, his opponent being J. J. Duvall (F.). E. P. Irwin (R) defeated C. W. Talbot (F.) for surveyor.
The supervisors elected were J. T. McJunkin, Styles McLaughlin and George Tomer, Republicans, and L. S. Chittenden and W. S. Burr, Fusionists. The unsuccessful candidates were S. B. Hicks, C. H. Brooks, James McDonald, all Fusionists, and George Curry, Independent.
Township officers were elected as follows : Justice of the peace George W. Randall, C. M. Smith and Bert Goldsmith, Republicans, and H. J. Light, Fusionist. Constables chosen were H. M. Bernstein (R.) and George Goodrich and Granville Furnish, Fusionist.
The county gave a slight majority for J. C. Needham, Republican, for Congress. Also a plurality of twenty votes for Henry T. Gage, Republican, for governor. The total vote of the county was 1921.
ELECTION OF 1900
In November, 1900, the total vote of the county as counted was 2082. The county contest was over the election of superior judge, member of the assembly and surveyor. The Presidential election of this year also called upon the county to vote for a member of congress. In the county election the principal fight was between E. T. Cosper, an ex-assemblyman, and M. L. Short, the incumbent on the bench. Mr. Short was the Democratic nominee, and won the election over Mr. Cosper, Republican, by a vote of 1048 to 950.
R. H. Myers (R) for the assembly, received 997 votes; R. Mills (D.), 887, and W. R. McQuiddy (Pro.), 99 votes. The county gave J. C. Needham (R.), for congress, a plurality of 144. The presidential electors on the Republican ticket carried the county, the vote being 1032, to 877 for the Democratic electors, 42 for the Social Democrats and 48 for the Prohibitionists.
COUNTY ELECTION OF 1902
This campaign was between the Republicans and Democrats, the former Populistic organization having passed out of the running. The Republicans nominated the following ticket : Sheriff, W. V. Buckner; clerk, Samuel Mullin; recorder, Clark Applegarth; tax collector, Peter Van Valer; auditor, S. M. Rosenberger; district attorney.
H. Scott Jacobs ; assessor, George W. Murray; treasurer, J. M. Camp; superintendent of schools, J. W. Graham; surveyor, John Benedict; coroner and public administrator, W. M. Thomas.
For supervisors the following were nominated : S. McLaughlin, F. P. Watson, H. D. Barton, John Worswick and James Manasse.
The township officers nominated were : For justice of the peace, C. M. Smith and George W. Randall. For constable, H. M. Bernstein and C. E. Kendall.
R. H. Meyers, who had been elected two years previous to the assembly, succeeded during his term to get through a bill making Kings county an assembly district by itself and he was, therefore, given the Republican nomination for that office for a second term, not, however, without much opposition in the county convention.
The Democrats placed before the people the following ticket : For sheriff, L. S. Chittenden; clerk, F. Cunningham; district attorney, Rowen Irwin; recorder, J. M. Bowman; assessor, M. B. Washburn; treasurer, William Slavin; superintendent of schools, Mrs. N. E. Davidson; coroner and public administrator, T. Card. For supervisors—J. Hayes, W. S. Burr, J. R. High, A. R. Davis, R. Mills.
The nominees for township officers on this ticket were: For justice of the peace—G. L. Meadows, W. H. Vaughn, P. Carrasco. For constables—George Goodrich, J. Alcorn, C. W. Keller and G. Furnish.
The candidates who ran independent of party tickets were: G. W. Follett for assessor, and J. W. Ferguson for justice of the peace.
The result of the election held on November 2 was favorable to the following set of officers : Assemblyman, John G. Covert (D.); sheriff, W. V. Buckner (R.) ; clerk, F. Cunningham (D.); district attorney, H. Scott Jacobs (R.); recorder, J. M. Bowman (D.); auditor, S. Rosenberger (R.); tax collector, Peter Van Valer (R.) assessor, George W. Murray (R.); treasurer, W. H. Slavin (D.); superintendent of schools, Mrs. N. E. Davidson (D.); coroner and public administrator, W. M. Thomas (R.); surveyor, John Benedict (R.).
Supervisors elected were: S. McLaughlin, H. D. Barton, both Republicans, and R. Mills, A. R. Davis and W. S. Burr, Democrats.
The township officers chosen were: Justices of the peace—George W. Randall, Republican, and G. L. Meadows and P. Carrasco. Democrats. Constables—H. M. Bernstein, Republican, and G. E. Goodrich and C. W. Keller, Democrats.
At this election Kings county gave 999 votes to Franklin K. Lane, Democrat, for governor and 956 votes to George C. Pardee, Republican. There were 51 Socialist and 28 Prohibition votes cast.
ELECTION OF 1904
Locally this election was a contest between the parties over the election of a member of the assembly. J. H. Fox, of Lemoore, was the nominee of the Republicans, while the Democrats put forward John F. Pryor of Hanford. Mr. Pryor was successful, receiving 926 votes, to 884 cast for Mr. Fox.
James C. Needham, Republican candidate for congress carried the county, receiving 1110 votes, while the Democrats cast 620 votes for W. M. Conley. The Socialist vote for congressman was 95, and the Prohibitionists cast 50 votes. The Roosevelt electoral ticket received 1112, and the Parker electoral ticket 593.
ELECTION OF 1906
This was a general state and county campaign, and the interest so far as the county fight was concerned was centered in the contest for the office of the superior judge. The nominees were Robert W. Miller, Republican, and John G. Covert, Democrat, and the official returns showed how close the race was, as Mr. Miller received 1081 votes and Mr. Covert 1087.
I. V. Buckner (R), who had been sheriff of the county since its first organization, was re-elected to the office, and F. Cunningham (D), who was the first clerk of the county still maintained his hold upon the politics of the county and was re-elected over Clarence Ruggles (R), and T. W. Baker (S), J. L. C. Irwin (D), for district attorney was elected, his competitor being H. Scott Jacobs (R). J. M. Bowman (D) won the recordership, defeating J. T. Baker (R) ; S. M. Rosenberger (R), was elected auditor, defeating C. T. Walker (D) and J. H. Rathbun (S) ; Peter Van Valer (R) was again successful in his race for tax-collector, defeating F. M. Frazer (D) and J. Pfeifer (S). L. C. Dunham (R) was chosen treasurer, defeating M. B. Washburn (D.), and B. Freese (S.). George W. Murray (R.) was re-elected assessor, receiving the largest vote of any candidate on either ticket, 1509, his opponent being J. W. Barbour (D). The office of coroner and public administrator was won by W. M. Thomas (R), his competitors being J. M. Bond (D), and A. L. Weddle (S). Mrs. N. E. Davidson (D) was successful in her candidacy for superintendent of schools for the second term, defeating Miss Inez Covert (R), and E. E. Douglass (S). For surveyor John Benedict (R) defeated C. W. Talbot (D).
The contest for supervisors was a victory for the Democrats, as that party elected G. E. Shore, W. S. Burr, L. Y. Montgomery and J. E. Hall, representing the country district. Their Republican opponents were: H. L. Jennings, J. M. Denham, H. D. Barton and Charles Latham, respectively. Frank Smith (R), of the Hanford district won over R. Mills (D) for re-election.
In the township offices for justices of the peace J. M. Camp (R), J. W. Ferguson (D), C. M. Smith (R) and E. Erlanger (R), were successful, the other candidates being B. W. Moore, G. L. Meadows, James Shay and P. Carrasco, Democrats. For constables, H. M. Bernstein (D), G. E. Goodrich (D), H. Ammerman (R), and E. Brothers (R) were elected, the other candidates being L. Adkins (D), and W. P. Hayes (D).
The contest for the office of assemblyman at this election was a lively fight, as the question of the division of Fresno county was then a burning issue, and Kings county people had united with the people of the Coalinga district of Fresno county for the purpose of slicing the latter county in two from the north boundary of Kings county westerly along the fourth standard parallel line and adding the territory thus cut off to Kings county.
William L. McGuire, a young attorney of Hanford, was nominated for the assembly, he having the county expansion issue as peculiarly his own, and he was backed by a powerful force of people interested in the oil bearing territory on the west side of Fresno county, and other interests. The Democrats nominated Patrick Talent, of Hanford. The Socialists put up F. M. Senteney. William R. McQuiddy was an Independent candidate for the office. After a spirited contest between McGuire and Talent, the former won the election by a vote of 1133. Mr. Talent received 898; Mr. Senteney 70 and Mr. McQuiddy 95. _
Congressman J. C. Needham (R) still maintained his hold upon the voters of the county, receiving 1202 votes, to 832 cast for H. A. Greene (D), 89 cast for R. Kirk (S), and 41 cast for H. E. Burbank (P).
The county cast 1056 for James N. Gillett (R) for governor ; 967 for T. A. Bell (D), and 49 for J. H. Blanchard (Pro.) and 94 for W. H. Langdon, Independent and Labor Union.
ELECTION OF 1908
This county struggle had one feature which was similar to the campaign of 1906, in that county expansion was again to the front. The McGuire plan to annex the southwestern portion of Fresno county to Kings two years ago failed after a severe struggle, and in 1907-8 plans were laid for another attempt to annex some of Fresno territory, but not to such an extent as in 1906. This annexation struggle did not develop, however, until after the election in November, 1908, after which, W. J. Webber, Democratic member of the assembly who was elected over Harry P. Brown, Republican, took his seat in the legislature and introduced a bill known as the Webber bill, which was finally enacted, and added 208 square miles of Fresno territory to the northwestern portion of the original county of Kings. This was not accomplished, however, without much litigation between the counties of Fresno and Kings, but the courts finally settled by decision the validity of the procedures, and Kings county went upon the map in new form with a vast area of very fertile land watered by Kings river added to it.
The county contest this year was confined to the election of an assemblyman, Mr. Brown receiving 1042 votes, while Mr. Webber received 1072. J. M. Foster, Socialist, received 95.
In the vote for congressman, J. C. Needham (R), received 1180 votes ; F. P. Fellz (D) 883; W. M. Pattison (S), 103, and J. W. Webb( Pro.) 55.
The Republican electoral ticket received 1198 votes; the Democrat ticket 859 ; Independent League 12; Socialist 112, and Prohibition 71.
ELECTION OF 1910
The increased vote cast at this election illustrated the growth of the county in population and annexation, for the total vote cast for the candidates for governor was 2997. Hiram Johnson as the Republican nominee, carried the county by 351 plurality over Theodore A. Bell, whose vote was 1149. Stit Wilson, Socialist, received 305, and Meade, Prohibitionist, 43.
The contest over the assemblyman was between W. J. Webber (D), Frank J. Walker (R), and W. R. McQuiddy (Pro.). Mr. Walker won on a narrow plurality of six votes.
For the first time since the county was organized the Republicans put forth a new candidate for sheriff in the person of Lyman
D. Farmer, a young man who was the deputy of Sheriff Buckner at the time of the convention. Mr. Farmer was pitted against George E. Goodrich (D). Farmer won the election with a majority of 247.
F. Cunningham (D) for clerk was re-elected to the office, defeating A. F. Florey (R) ; J. L. C. Irwin (D) defeated Frank E. Kilpatrick (R), for district attorney; D. Bunn Rea (R) was elected auditor over James Manning (D) ; L. C. Dunham (R) was elected treasurer, defeating H. L. Conklin (D) ; George W. Murray (R) had no opposition for the office of assessor; M. B. Washburn (D) was elected tax-collector, defeating J. Worswick (R) ; J. M. Bowman (D) defeated Perry Griswold (R) for recorder; Mrs. N. E. Davidson (D) was elected superintendent of schools, defeating W. J. M. Cox (R) ; J. Clarence Rice (R) defeated J. D. Hefton (D) for coroner and public administrator; A. J. Neilsen (R) was elected county surveyor, defeating J. M. Thomas (D).
The supervisors elected were: T. E. Cochrane and A. F. Smith, Republicans, and J. L. Hall, Frank Blakeley and William Vaughan, Democrats. The defeated candidates were: W. S. Burr and James Butts, Democrats; J. M. Dean, Socialist, and Styles McLaughlin and H. D. Barton, Republicans.
Justices of the peace elected were: J. W. Ferguson, G. L. Meadows and H. J. Light, Democrats, and C. M. Smith and Jesse Harris, Republicans. Constables chosen were: H. M. Bernstein, John Bartlet and C. C. A. Henden, Republicans, and Perry Gard and S. Blank, Democrats.
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.