Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/20

4 telling the people what he had done and what he could do for his constituents, if elected. Judge Skinner appealed to the people to ignore party considerations in his behalf, and amplified, as well as he could, the bad qualities of the "Durham faction," as indicated in his letter of acceptance. This designation of the democratic party as the Durham faction originated, as it is understood, in this way: Judge O. C. Pratt, who was a prominent member of the democratic party, purchased from John Durham, of Polk County, a band of Spanish cattle. Subsequently he sold this band, which he called "the Durham cattle,' to a purchaser who supposed he was buying blooded stock, and paid the judge a correspondingly high price, and, of course, "was out and injured" in the trade. Thomas J. Dryer, then editor of the Oregonian and an ardent whig, availing himself of this circumstance, characterized the democrats of Oregon as "the Durham faction," and with tireless iteration hurled this epithet at them through the columns of his paper, and the appellation was generally accepted by the enemies of the democratic party. General Lane was elected, receiving four thousand five hundred and sixteen votes, to two thousand nine hundred and fifty-one for Judge Skinner. Some of the people voted according to their personal predilections, but the democrats generally supported General Lane and the whigs Judge Skinner.

The legislature of 1853 met at Salem, December 5. The council consisted of the following members: J. M. Fulkerson, of Polk and Tillamook; L. P. Powers, of Clatsop; John Kichardson, of Yamhill; Ralph Wilcox, of Washington; L. Scott, of Umpqua; James K. Kelly, of Clackamas; B. Simpson, of Marion. Ralph Wilcox was elected president, and Samuel B. Garrett chief clerk. House—L. F. Cartee, J. C. Carson, B. B. Jackson, of Clackamas; L. F. Grover, J. C. Peebles, E. F. Colby,