it was 1,260 Republican, 344 Democratic, 644 Greenback, 187 Prohibition, and in the latter 1,701 Republican, 308 Democratic, 736 Greenback and 42 Prohibition. In. 1880 Garfield received 2,054, Hancock 539, and 467 were Greenback and 1 Prohibition. The State election of 1881 gave candidates for governor-Sherman, 1,474; Clark, 474; Kinne, 283, and Allen, 1, while in 1883 they were Republican, 1,912, Democrat, 840, Greenback, 263, and Prohibition, 1. In the great campaign' of 1884 the vote sprang back into the two old paths and gave Blaine 2,314, Cleveland, 1,212, with 11 St. John and 2 Butler votes. The only appreciable change in the county vote in the next two State elections was the appearance of the Union Labor party. In 1885 there were 1,978 Republican, 1,083 Fusion Democrat and 22 Prohibition, and in 1887 the return was 1,897 Republican, 991 Democrat, 51 " Union Labor " and 2 Prohibition. The last presidential contest showed the vote to be Harrison, 2,420; Cleveland, 1,050; Streeter (U. L.), 98, and Fisk (Pro.), 37; The State election of 1889 showed much the same with the usual falling off, 2,196 Republican, 937 Democratic, 37 Union Labor, 15 Prohibition and 3 scattering. There need be no further comment, for whatever the activity of any party, the vote is the only real description of political opinion. Locally there was a Republican bolt in 1867, and slight breaks in the seventies and in 1889. It may be mentioned though that the above Prohibition vote does not in the least indicate Story County's fighting power for a distinctively prohibitory amendment or any prohibitory measure disconnected with national politics. In the vote on the -amendment in June, 1882, the county stood 1,921 for, and but 553 against-a clear majority of 1,368, with not a single precinct giving a majority against it.
A marked characteristic of Story County has been its general unity in any organized movement within or embracing the county. Associations have been formed for various sorts of protection, for the promotion of agriculture, horticulture, stock improvement, public fairs, various kinds of agitation-political, railway, temperance and the like. The medical fraternity have also united to promote common interests, while the old soldiers have also re-welded the old-time fraternal links, as have the pioneers of the Skunk and Indian Creek regions. Probably the first association was the Story County Agricultural Society, organized August 14, 1858, at the court-house, with John Scott as president. A fair was held in the courthouse and yard, on a homely, modest scale. After the war the society was reorganized, and although a similar society sprang up in the west part of the county, all united later on to form one. A reorganization took place on January 2, 1869, with forty stockholders and a capital of $200. This has since been increased to $3,000, and the membership is 325. They have held twenty-four annual exhibitions and have twenty-nine acres of land at Nevada, with an excellent half-mile track, two good halls, amphitheater, barns, booths, pens, etc. The presidents of the association since 1880 have been Col. John Scott, Solomon Young, James C. Lovell, F. D. Thompson, W. K. Boardman, A. M. Norris and George H. Maxwell.
The Story County Grange movement began very early, probably before 1871, and grew rapidly, so that at its county reorganization on February 15, 1873, there were fifteen granges in the county. R. R. Paine was chosen president at this time. Their stores and other cooperative schemes arose all over the county, and their influence in a political way became very marked, both as to local and State affairs. The movement has gradually died out or merged