Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/66

 58 W. C. WOODWARD along new lines political realignment was rapidly being affeeted. 8 3 The senatorial election of 1866 was the first of a long series of political intrigues and imbroglios which have been associated with the history of the Republican party in Oregon and which have made the state noted for its senatorial vendettas and deadlocks. And it is at least significant that in this first fac- tional fight, appeared the man round whom the fierce political warfare of the state was long to rage John H. Mitchell. Gov- ernor Gibbs was the Union caucus nominee for senator, with 21 votes, Mitchell following with 15. Had all who entered the caucus abided by its decision, Gibbs would have been elected with one vote, to spare. But three members bolted the caucus nominee, and the highest vote which Gibbs received during the contest was 33. 8 s The first ballot stood : Gibbs, 33 ; J. S. Smith, Democrat, 21; Nesmith, 9; scattering, 6. The votes given Nesmith were from Democratic members. From the first to the eighth ballot there was little change, except that Nesmith's support went to Smith. H. W. Corbett received one vote on every ballot until the, eighth, when he received 5. The ninth ballot : Gibbs 20, Smith 30, Corbett 9, Jesse Applegate 4, W. C. Johnson 5. From then on to the fourteenth ballot Corbett in- creased slowly, Gibbs again attaining his maximum strength on that ballot. The Democrats changed from Smith to J. K. Kelly and on the fifteenth ballot transferred their support to Ex- Governor Whiteaker. W. C. Johnson then withdrew the name of Gibbs in the interest of party harmony and nominated Cor- bett. The sixteenth and final ballot read : Corbett 38, Smith 14, Prim 7, Kelly 5, Nesmith 4, Whiteaker 1. Some of the Union members, in switching from Gibbs to Corbett, took occasion to 83 Deady, Oct. 27, to Bulletin. Nesmith, Washington, D. C., Nov. 13, to Deady: "I knew from the first that I had no party in the state and that there was no show. Some Republicans commended my course in support of the war. . . but denounced me freely because I was not in favor of its prosecution after the rebels had ceased to resist. Besides, I was not up to their standard with respect to the superiority of the negro over the white man. On the other hand a portion of the Democracy could not forgive me for having supported the war and because I did not support the rebellion." 85 Oregonian, Sept. 29 and Oct. 6.