John Cashman, Politician: A Progressive Legacy

In a certain sense John Cashman’s life had a government association right from the beginning. His parents William and Hannah Cashman patented the property on which he was born – now on Kewaunee County Highway V  -  in 1858 when the town was called Fredrickton. By the time John was born in November 1865, he was their 8^th child and the town was renamed Franklin.

John Cashman attended school in Franklin, going on to Valparaiso University before returning to teach in Kewaunee and Brown Counties. His teaching career does not appear to be chronicled, however the Montpelier 1957 Centennial Book lists Cashman as the first teacher at Pilsen School in 1891, and an autograph book found by historian J. Biebel suggests he taught in Casco during 1885. Among the book’s most interesting signatures is that of William E. Minahan, who went down with the Titanic. Other autographs included that of Minahan’s brother J.R. for whom St. Norbert (DePere) college stadium and science building are named. The Minahans and brother Hugh are well associated with Kewaunee County. Ransom Moore, “The Father of 4-H,” Eddie Decker, son of Edward, and Burke, Frawley, Erichsen, DeWane and Finnel were among the other names found.

Cashman was a well-known farmer when in 1901 he won a civil service position as a meat inspector in the Bureau of Animal Industry in the Department of Agriculture, a Chicago job paying $1,200 a year. From there he went to the Internal Revenue Service. Making good use of the additional educational opportunities the city offered, he earned a law degree via night school. Within a few years of returning to his Town of Franklin farm in 1919, he ran for elected office. In that first attempt at politics in 1922, he was elected to the state senate representing Door, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc counties, an office he held for most of his life, leaving briefly in the 1930s during an unsuccessful attempt to run as the Democratic candidate for Congress. Two years following his first election, Governor Blaine appointed Cashman to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. It was his failing health in 1946 that prompted him to withdraw his name from the election. He died soon afterward.

Cashman was a political Progressive who had a significant impact on Wisconsin and on the nation beyond. He was a LaFollette delegate to the national convention in 1924 and, as so many other Progressives, he was an isolationist. Cashman stood out as an orator, winning prizes for his orations while taking his law classes in Chicago. That ability brought him even national attention when in 1923 he sought legislation to abolish Wisconsin school textbooks containing pro-British interpretations on the American Revolution. He was back at it during the 1930s when he again worked toward abolishing pro-British texts on the causes for World War l, again from Wisconsin schools.

While Cashman campaigned for LaFollette, one of his stops included Algoma where he was introduced to residents and businessmen by Highway Commissioner Moses Shaw. Speaking from an automobile parked at the Union Oil Station,* Cashman said LaFollette’s record had been carefully examined over a period of 35 years and the only thing anyone could begin to criticize was LaFollette’s war record, but, as Cashman pointed out, the war was over. Cashman continued telling listeners that LaFollette was poor and couldn’t afford to put posters on every street corner.

It isn’t clear if comments on LaFollette's finances were believed, but residents did agree that it was up to every man to take his wife to the polls. When Cashman went on to say that women voters were just like men,” only better,” he was surely courting women, most of whom would be voting in their first presidential election. Wisconsin was one of the first three states to pass the 19^th Amendment, which was ratified in August 1920. Securing the woman's vote was as important then as it is today.

Cashman told the crowd on the corner that while most countries had a ruling king, those in the U.S. could think for themselves. He pointed out that farmers were so busy they didn’t have time to think, but if they did not, corporations would do it for them. He praised Governor Blaine saying that he did away with secrecy laws, thus exposing tax dodgers and tax frauds.

John Cashman is credited with writing the bill authorizing the tax on gasoline to pay for road construction. The current 2014 Wisconsin race for governor has brought that tax to the fore. According to Biebel, it was Cashman who got the bill passed which authorized construction of DePere’s Claude Allouez Bridge in 1932.That bridge was torn down within recent years, following the building of a new bridge.  Cashman drew national attention in the mid-1930’s when his bill restricting the sale of colored oleomargarine and taxing it, in Wisconsin, was passed. As late as the 1960s some Algoma still residents drove to the Illinois border to purchase yellow oleo, something available in any store today.

Cashman was politically progressive even beyond being a part of the Progressive party. Some would say he took the bull by the horns, though historian R. Selner said he also used his fists. Devoting his life to politics and protecting farming, Cashman made an impact. He didn’t appear to take the easy way out and certainly didn’t speak in the vague sound-bite manner of politicians 65 years after his death. When Algoma Record Herald reported on Cashman's retirement in May 1946, his stormy political career was noted in the large-type headline. The paper editorialized that when Cashman was elected in 1922, he "owned the most vitriolic tongue in the legislature." The article continued saying, "A sure way to start a fight with Cashman was to suggest lowering or reducing the oleo tax."

Anybody compiling a list of Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shore counties in order of supposed importance would probably rank Kewaunee County dead last. It is the only lake shore county lacking TV or radio stations or a major newspaper outlet, but it does beat the others having more cows than people. And there are few places in the U.S. can match that cow-human ratio! Even so, Cashman stood out as so many other Kewaunee County residents have, and, just as so many others, he has faded into history. The legacy is there. Memories of names and dates are not.

*The station was on the southwest corner of 4^th and Steele, remembered by most as Meyers’ Deep Rock.Union sold to Deep Rock about the time of Cashman's speech.

Sources: Algoma Record Herald articles; Commercial Development in Algoma, WI c. 2006; Interviews with J. Biebel & R. Selner, 2008; John Cashman papers in the Area Archives at UW-Green Bay; Kewaunee County News, (blogger's article) 2008; Montpelier 1957 Centennial Book.