Waukesha separation

During this time, agitation began in Prairieville and other Waukesha towns for the creation of a separate county from Milwaukee. There were several reasons for this, but the principal cause was probably the desire for Waukesha residents to keep more of their tax money for local improvements, rather than funding the growth of Milwaukee, which was how they perceived their role under the Milwaukee County organization.^[1]: 82 The Barstows became some of the leaders of the separation movement, along with Alexander Randall, with whom they were politically allied throughout these years. Samuel, now serving in the Territorial Legislature, sponsored a bill in the Legislature which put the question of separation to a referendum in the proposed county. The referendum was bitterly contested, but ultimately passed amid allegations of fraud on both sides.^[1]: 83 The town of Prairieville was renamed "Waukesha" in 1847 and became the seat of the new county.

Secretary of State

At the Wisconsin Democratic Convention in September 1849, Barstow was nominated for Secretary of State of Wisconsin on the 5th ballot, defeating incumbent Thomas McHugh and other challengers, including Myron B. Williams and Frederick W. Horn.^[4][5] He went on to win the November general election, defeating Whig candidate Levi Alden and Free Soil candidate Edward D. Holton, and became Wisconsin's 2nd Secretary of State.^[6]

As Secretary of State, Barstow's term was consumed by scandals connected to corruption of federal land grants and state government contracts associated with printing, the state insane asylum, and the state treasury. In particular, he was implicated by a statement from a Madison Argus editor who stated his determination to win a State printing contract even if he had to "buy up Barstow and the balance." The phrase stuck with Barstow for the rest of his career.^[7]

He fought a bitter campaign in the Democratic caucuses attempting to earn renomination, but, at the State Convention in 1851, he was defeated on the third ballot by Charles D. Robinson, of Brown County.^[8]

Wisconsin Governor

In 1852, Barstow's reputation had sufficiently recovered to represent Wisconsin at the 1852 Democratic National Convention in Baltimore. But his legal controversies continued, and, during the 1853 legislative session, Barstow's name was associated with several corrupt acts charged in the impeachment of Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Levi Hubbell, and gave a deposition to the Legislature under subpoena. Hubbell was acquitted, however, and no new charges were brought against Barstow.

The same legislative session, however, also passed a temperance law based on the Maine Liquor Law, creating a statewide referendum on the question. Barstow became a vocal opponent of the act, speaking against it around the state. Through the summer of 1853 he was a nominal supporter of A. Hyatt Smith to receive the Democratic nomination for Governor and participated in several party meetings and caucuses in which delegates were selected. At the state convention however, as Smith was unable to reach a majority after 7 ballots, he dropped out of the race and encouraged his delegates to support Barstow. Barstow was nominated on the 11th ballot, narrowly defeating Jairus C. Fairchild.^[9] The convention also adopted a resolution calling for the defeat of the temperance law.

In the November 1853 general election, Barstow faced off against Free Soil candidate Edward D. Holton for the third time, defeating him again and earning 54% of the statewide vote.^[10] Governor Barstow was sworn in on January 2, 1854. As governor, Barstow supported the railroad to the Pacific and stood against the attempts of the Know-Nothing movement to undermine the citizenship of the foreign-born or slow down immigration. As promised, he opposed and vetoed the temperance law, despite the fact that the referendum had demonstrated popular support for the measure.^[11]

However, allegations of financial impropriety emerged again, this time related to the use of public school funds and improper influence on state-backed loans and other expenses appropriated by his allies in the Democrat-dominated 1854 Legislature. Although he was able to secure renomination by the Democrats in 1853, Barstow lost support within his party as well as in Wisconsin generally.

Disputed election

William A. Barstow in 1853

When Barstow ran for reelection in 1855, he was initially declared the winner over his Republican opponent, Coles Bashford, by a mere 157 votes. However, Bashford claimed the result was fraudulent, and it was soon substantiated that Barstow's win was due to forged election returns from nonexistent precincts in the sparsely populated northern part of the state, in addition to other irregularities such as two separate canvassing boards claiming legitimacy in Waupaca County and attempting to submit conflicting certifications.^[12]

As rival militia units converged on the state capital in Madison, threatening to start a civil war within the state, Barstow was inaugurated in a full, public ceremony on January 7, 1856. On the same day, Bashford was also sworn in quietly as governor in the chambers of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Chief Justice Edward V. Whiton.

The Wisconsin Attorney General, George Baldwin Smith, filed quo warranto proceedings in the Wisconsin Supreme Court to remove Barstow, who threatened that he would not "give up his office alive." After challenging the court's jurisdiction without success and noting that the tide of public opinion had turned against him, Barstow declined to contest the fraud allegations and sent his resignation to the legislature on March 21, 1856, leaving the lieutenant governor, Arthur MacArthur, as acting governor. On March 24, the court unanimously awarded the governorship to Bashford by a count of 1,009 votes in the case Atty. Gen. ex rel. Bashford v. Barstow.^[13]

Wisconsin Secretary of State (1849)

Wisconsin Governor (1853, 1855)