Page 51 - Cornelius Hedges Story

For This And Succeeding Generations Gardiner 38

But Cornelius Hedges daily journal entries contradict this
contention. While in Independence, Iowa, he helped organize a
Democratic Club.128 During the Civil War, he took the position that
both sides were responsible for the war, and personally, he favored
any action that would bring about an honorable peace.129

Upon Lincoln’s re-election in 1864, he wrote “saw newspaper
account of Lincoln’s election - more war, debt and disaster.”130

At the first election after his arrival in Montana, October 24,
1864, Hedges recorded “we all went down and voted - I voted
the Democratic ticket, but didn’t like it, neither the men nor their
principles.”131 The switch to the Republican party occurred sometime
between then and mid-summer of 1867.

By July, 1868, he was definitely a dedicated Republican.132 Thus
it appears that his movement to Montana and the conditions he found
here, and not the Civil War and Lincoln’s election, was the stimulus
to switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. In
1874, Judge Hedges was chosen by the Republican party as a
delegate to Congress, but in those days of Democratic supremacy he
failed of election, although his personal following was remarkable.

As to his effectiveness as a political orator, the Virginia City
Madisonian offered one opinion:

“Hon. Cornelius Hedges, of Helena, arrived in the city the first
of the week. Mr. Hedges talks better on educational topics than he
did on politics when he stood for Congress on the Republican side
last August.”133

Cornelius Hedges office was the scene of a variety of meetings.
It was ever at the disposal of those interests which would benefit the
entire community and territory. For three days in 1875, April 21,
22 and 23, he was very much involved with a railroad convention
and his office served as the meeting chambers of the executive
committee.134 On the evening of May 7, 1875, his office was
occupied first by a School Board session and then by a meeting of
the Presbyterian Church Trustees.135 The Helena Board of Trade,
forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce, met in Judge Hedges’
office on December 2, 1878, and his office was again the scene of
another meeting December 4, 1878, this time of the Agricultural
Society.136 Through much of Hedges lifetime, several meetings of
this type were held in his offices each month.