▁Common ▁Council ▁as ▁a ▁Republican , ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁before ▁being ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Assembly ▁from ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁Mil w au kee ▁County ▁district ▁( the ▁ 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 1 th ▁W ards ▁of ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Mil w au kee ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁candidate , ▁winning ▁ 8 1 7 ▁votes ▁to ▁ 5 5 2 ▁for ▁John ▁F ell enz , ▁the ▁Reform ▁Party ▁candidate ▁( Rep ublic an ▁inc umb ent ▁Gal en ▁Se aman ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁candidate ); ▁but ▁chose ▁to ▁identify ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁Liberal ▁Republican ▁when ▁the ▁Assembly ▁conven ed ▁for ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁divided ▁between ▁ 4 1 ▁regular ▁Republic ans ▁and ▁ 5 9 ▁identified ▁in ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁Blue ▁Book ▁as ▁"' O pp osition ,' ▁of ▁all ▁kinds ". ▁He ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁standing ▁committee ▁on ▁ins urance , ▁banks ▁and ▁bank ing ; ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁joint ▁committee ▁on ▁pen al ▁and ▁char itable ▁institutions . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁run ▁for ▁re - e lection , ▁and ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Republican ▁Bernard ▁Sch licht ing . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Assembly ▁ ▁Vog el ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁the ▁le ather ▁company ▁( known ▁after ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁as ▁Pf ister ▁& ▁Vog el ▁Le ather ▁Co .), ▁eventually ▁building ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁largest ▁le ather ▁goods ▁mak er ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁Vog el ▁was