Although Ferguson was disqualified from holding public office, he did try to run in the 1924 elections to redeem his reputation. Impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment. Its president is in the crosshairs. The campaign proved him to be a man of considerable native ability and the possessor of a captivating personality. Hearing the gasps in the chamber, Ferguson immediately asked to strike the comment. The Senate removed Ferguson from office by a vote of 25-3. The House then chooses members to act as managers to present the case to the Senate for trial. The letter claimed that Winkler was the best person for the job. At age 12 he entered Salado College (a preparatory school) but was eventually expelled for disobedience. An argument over spending tax dollars, an attempt to silence political opponents, and charges of a kangaroo court. This is not a current story but a faint echo of a notorious event in Texas History, the impeachment of Gov. Needed buildings were provided at other eleemosynary institutions. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. So, he quit ahead of time so he could then turn aroundand he was counting on coming right back and getting reelected. In 1917, Gov. Aside from the act instituting the highway department, the second Ferguson administration was marked by little in the way of important legislation. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Dictionaries thesauruses pictures and press releases. When they wouldnt, he started replacing them one by one and withheld state funding from the university to force UT to obey his orders. Seven related to misapplication of public funds, one to embezzlement and one to the diversion of a special fund. In 1930 he conducted the unsuccessful campaign of his wife for the governorship, and in 1932 he conducted her successful campaign for the same office. Ferguson also ran for President of the United States in the 1920 election as the candidate of the American Party. The day before he was thrown out of office he resigned, saying it didn't count. These included misappropriation of state funds, falsification of records, unwarranted interference with the control of the University of Texashe directed the board of regents to fire a leading educator and prominent Democrat, A. Carswell Ellisand refusal to divulge the source of a personal loan of $156,500, a huge sum at the time. How to run for office | Oklahoma has impeached and removed two governors, and West Virginia impeached four members of its State Supreme Court at the same time in 2018. The Constitution gives the House power to impeach the president, officials appointed by the president (including cabinet officers), and judges. The movement to impeach and remove James Ferguson as governor ultimately ended with Ferguson _____. Jim Pa Ferguson became the first person in Texas to be impeached. This independence made him critical of existing policies, earning him sufficient popular support to win office, but also the consequent wrath of the establishment that could have protected him from investigation. He later ran anyway, claiming that he had resigned before he was convicted. Nine of the charges can be described as violations of the law, while the obtaining of $156,500 from a secret source was certainly not in keeping with good policy. Similarly, the Texas Constitution gives the lower house of the legislature power to impeach judges, the governor and statewide elected officials. The most that the select committee can do would be to recommend to the full state house that articles of impeachment be drafted. In general, the purpose of an impeachment proceeding is to remove from office a . Leah LaGrone Ochoa then explores Fergusons hot-and-cold relationship with the Texas press, and Mark Stanley examines the impact of the impeachment on Texas politics in the decades that followed. And this current flap is far from over. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. 2020 Census Making An Invisible Population Visible, Lyceum Poll Finds Bernie Sanders Most Likely Democrat To Beat Trump In Texas, One Texans Journey to Understanding His Identity as a Queer Muslim, In West Texas, Knowing Your Address Can Be The Difference Between Life And Death. Early in his second term the governor became involved in a serious quarrel with the University of Texas. Meanwhile, Winkler fought for his job by enlisting the help of his colleagues. The Texas Supreme Court disagreed, so he had his wife run in his place. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The second had to do with his utilization of the Temple Bank he had controlling interest in as his personal slush fund. The legality of the speaker calling a session was questionable the Texas Constitution says only the governor can call a special session but the point became moot when Ferguson called his own special session to discuss the budget for the University of Texas. The anti-prohibitionists attempted to have a similar convention, but Ferguson, whose statements and Bell County record identified him as an anti-prohibitionist, refused to submit his name to it. The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. Ferguson was reelected by a majority of about 60,000 votes, but opposition was sufficient to show that many Texans, including a number who were not prohibitionists, were displeased with his stewardship. He was associated with the Farmers State Bank of Belton for several years and was a member of the Texas Bankers Association. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. The State Senate reduced the charges to ten, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. That committee has been holding a series of meetings in late 2013. He became a lawyer in 1897, married Miriam A. Wallace in 1899, and expanded into real estate, insurance, and banking. Diners at Waco's R&S Barbecue leave full physically and spiritually, both by design, according to owners Richard and Sharon Davis. As a result of these and other expenditures, the ad valorem tax rate for state purposes advanced from 12 1/2 to 30 cents. Governor have not acted, then by proclamation of the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate. "[14], An effort was begun in June 2013 to try and impeach Hall from his position as regent. The founders did not invent impeachment. The Regents refused. . The Ferguson controversy with the university brought renewed interest in the old charges, however, and at about the same time a number of new charges were made. Impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment. Jim Ferguson so enormously popular 100 years ago. Impeached provides a new examination of the rise and fall of Ferguson's political fortunes, offering a focused look at how battles over economic class, academic freedom, women's enfranchisement, and concentrated political power came to be directed toward one . The veto was retaliation against the university because of its refusal to dismiss certain faculty members whom Ferguson found objectionable, including William Harding Mayes, former Texas Lieutenant Governor and founder and dean of the University of Texas School of Journalism. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. He was elected governor in 1914, his first election. Dr. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. And once again, there is talk of impeachment in the Legislature. He blamed his directors for running a shoddy operation. On July 21, 1917, in the midst of the excitement, Ferguson appeared before the Travis County grand jury, and several days later it was announced that he had been indicted on nine charges. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. The House sent 21 articles of impeachment to the Senate. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Both elected and non-elected officials can be impeached in Texas. [9] According to his accusers, Hall filed requests of more than 800,000 pages, which some Texas administrators called an unnecessary burden. There were . Almost a century later, the Ferguson impeachment presents both striking similarities and key differences to the ongoing saga involving University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall. James Edward Ferguson: James E. Ferguson Born Bell County, Texas August 31, 1871 Died Austin, Texas September 21, 1944 Governor of the State of Texas . Proclamation of the speaker following the submission of a written petition signed by at least 50 members of the House. When he was four years old, his father died. "[19] Texas state legislators have never previously tried to remove an appointed official. In 1917, Gov. American banker and politician (18711944), Brochure, "Meet the Fergusons: Two Governors for the Price of One", Bell County Museum, Belton, Texas, Lucadia Christiana Niles Pease (18671869), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Texas Politics Project, Governors of Texas, 12. He liked to say he was no city slicker and no college dude. A government doesnt require educated fools to run properly. The 1920 presidential election was won by Republican candidate Warren Harding. To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. If the Senate is not in session, there are four ways by which it may be convened.[7]. Though no Texas official has been impeached and removed from office at the state level since Ferguson, Texas politics has hardly been scandal-free. The impeachment process begins with the House of Representatives. Ouida Ferguson Nalle, The Fergusons of Texas, or "Two Governors for the Price of One": A Biography of James Edward Ferguson and His Wife (San Antonio: Naylor, 1946). ii) During the period between World Wars I and II, James and Miriam Ferguson were the most powerful couple in Texas. He was an avowed enemy of the KKK, but to hear him talk about black people, youd have thought he had earned his hood. The vote made him ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust or profit in the state of Texas. The Legislature then came back into session to consider impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned. Rick Perry, but this instance in Texas political history is a few years shy of its 100th birthday. November 2013 testimony prompted committee-member Trey Fischer to request the inquiry. The United States Constitution provides that the President of the United States shall only be removed from office upon "Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. No. Three new normal schools were authorized. Which Way Will Harris County Precinct 3 Turn In 2020? His father died when he was 4. After 10 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor has not acted, then by proclamation of, After 15 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor and Lt. Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. The framers considered impeachment an important check on the power of the presidency and against corruption. He only made the ballot in Texas, winning just under 10% of the vote. Samuel Houston (1793-1863), American statesman and soldier, was the person most responsible for bringing Texas into the Union. The accusations against Mayes were that he used his ownership of newspapers, including the Brownwood Bulletin, to spread negative information about Ferguson. In retaliation, Ferguson vetoed the entire appropriation for the university. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges which included misapplication of public funds, embezzlement and the diversion of a special fund. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. [1] Impeachments in Texas begin in the Texas House of Representatives which must cast a majority vote in favor of impeachment. As historian Cortez Ewing pointed out, Ferguson was the voice of the people, and with his sixth-grade education, he promoted the idea that he had not suffered the damages of higher degrees. The prohibitionists passed over their better-known leaders and gave their support to Charles H. Morris of Winnsboro, a political unknown. Ferguson would often call into question the value of a college diploma, saying it was book learning gone to seed. He said some professors took three years to learn that you couldnt grow wool on an armadillo. His constituency, he claimed, resided where the creeks forked and he felt they were getting short-changed by not getting enough basic education, while the kids at UT were getting too much of it., He said those kids go up to Austin for four years and return home with nothing but a mandolin and liver damage. As my brother Redneck Dave would say, That right there is funny. The charges were then sent to the state Senate for trial. The prohibitionists held an elimination convention and pledged their support to Thomas H. Ball of Houston. Texas History Minute: Jim Ferguson only Texas governor to be impeached, removed By Ken Bridges Jan 30, 2020 0 1 of 2 Gov. [17] Governor of Texas Rick Perry's spokesperson said the investigations send a "chilling message" to gubernatorial appointees. He left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. [18] He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater. Please subscribe to keep reading. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. He was replaced by William P. Hobby after the Texas House of Representatives found him guilty in ten of twenty-one charges. 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The Senate, acting as a court of impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and convicted the governor of 10 of them. James T. DeShields, They Sat in High Places: The Presidents and Governors of Texas (San Antonio: Naylor, 1940). Provision was made for the establishment of the Austin State School. This is simply not true. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. ex-governor banned from holding state office. Ferguson, a political novice, suffered from the lack of a viable power-base. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. He was impeached in 1917 and removed from office. She even used the word Christian in the law, implying that Christian forgiveness was appropriate here. You have permission to edit this article. Only 17 federal officers have been impeached since 1776. Pat Neff. As a political speaker he had few equals. "Ma" Ferguson became the second female governor in the United States, with Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming being the first. He ended up back in the Governors Mansion for a third time when she became the first woman governor in Texas history. Before the process could be completed, Ferguson resigned from office, contending that the legislative action against him was a kangaroo court. After an unsuccessful campaign for president in 1920, Ferguson ran the gubernatorial campaign of his wife, Miriam Ma Ferguson, in 1924. Scandals of all sorts, from the brazen to the bizarre, have occurred for decades at all levels. The Legislature is aghast at the meddling with the flagship state university. He tapped Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian, despite his lack of training or experience in the field. While there, legislators legally took up another matter, impeachment. . After a trial, the Senate voted him out of office by a vote of 25-3 and banned him from holding any state office. A powerful governor clashes with the University of Texas at Austin. They then sent the charges to the State Senate for trial. The entire process is substantially the same in Texas for elected officials, as it is for most of the other states. He loaned himself so much money that he practically bankrupted his own bank. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com. You have permission to edit this article. An effort was begun in 2013 to investigate the possibility of impeaching University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall. However, the date of retrieval is often important. When his reasoning was questioned, he would respond, I am governor of Texas. The policy of state aid to rural schools was begun, and a rather timid law requiring compulsory school attendance was passed. Three others dealt with the veto of university funding as an abuse of power and official oppression. He was kicked out of a local prep school, Salado College, at age 12 for misbehavior. [11] Another leading Ferguson critic on the UT campus was the historian Eugene C. Barker. The ruling declared that he could no longer hold office in Texas, but he ran the campaigns of his wife, Miriam "Ma" Ferguson. He was kicked out of a local prep school, Salado College, at age 12 for misbehavior. House Speaker Franklin Fuller called a special session to consider charges of impeachment against the governor. James Ferguson is the only governor to be impeached and convicted. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. He can be reached by email: Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. The Senate, sitting as a High Court of Impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and finally convicted the governor on ten . [6] They had two daughters: Ouida Wallace Ferguson, and Dorrace Watt Ferguson. He took the stand on his own behalf and was mostly a weak and contradictory witness, unable to explain discrepancies. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. we are currently accepting new members. The Fergusons retired from public life afterward with James Ferguson dying in 1944 and his wife passing away in 1961. Though he was kicked out of office and disgraced in front of his colleagues, Ferguson was still very popular among his hard-core supporters and rallied back. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. System has not protected the privacy rights of students, staff, and patients. In 1924, unable to run under his own name, he Mr. Ferguson, known as "Pa", ran his wife's campaign for the governorship against Judge Felix Robertson, the candidate endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan. Two years later they lost a reelection bid amid new scandals concerning excessive pardons and political patronage abuses. The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. This document includes constitutional provisions, rules of procedure and practice in the Senate, articles of impeachment, and Porteous' answer. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. She was reelected in 1932 and served January 17, 1933 January 15, 1935. After all, he was known as Farmer Jim. While the campaign of 1916 was in progress, the Ferguson administration had been charged with a number of irregularities. Has Austin Eliminated All Restrictions On People Experiencing Homelessness? But the mere fact that Ferguson had been impeached and made ineligible to hold any office of trust or profit under the state did not in any sense remove him from the field of Texas politics . [10], After being re-elected in 1916, Ferguson vetoed the appropriations for the University of Texas. The charges of impeachment grew from a controvesy with the University of Texas administration, and resulted in Ferguson being charged with misapplication of public funds among nine other charges. With charges growing against Ferguson, the House of Representatives drew up 21 charges against him and voted to impeach. He was a popular figure, signing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. And here, Ferguson made his second blunder. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ferguson-impeachment. The fight with the university touched off a massive scandal. StrongJanuary 29, 202010:48 amArts & Culture, Stories From Texas, Bain News Service /Wikimedia Commons [Public domain]. Five of the articles sustained by the Senate charged Ferguson with the misapplication of public funds, three related to his quarrel with the University, one declared that he had failed properly to respect and enforce the banking laws of the state, and one charged that he had received $156,500 in currency from a source that he refused to reveal. Gould, Lewis L. "The University Becomes Politicized: The War with Jim Ferguson." This led to a special session being called by the Legislature, to press for Fergusons impeachment. Copyright 2022 Coordinating Council for Women in History. He showed up most every day to his own trial, invited or not, with two armed Texas Rangers as escorts. Jordan wa, Houston, Sam BIBLIOGRAPHY: Norman D. Brown, Hood, Bonnet, and Little Brown Jug: Texas Politics, 1921-1928 (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1984). Title 6, Chapter 665 of the Texas Government Code addresses the impeachment and removal of public officers by the state house. Jim Ferguson got in trouble for throwing his weight around, and for using the publics money as a personal slush fund. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. [7], If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate is required to sit as a court of impeachment. Unlike federal offices, which require formal charges brought against an individual and in most cases criminal charges, the Texas Constitution does not provide specific grounds for impeachment. But Ferguson ran for governor in the 1918 Democratic primary. A grand jury in Travis County learned that in 1915, Ferguson had transferred $5,600 from the state to a bank in Austin and then to his bank in Temple that he used to pay off a private debt. The tenant law was passed but remained on the statute books only a short time before being declared unconstitutional. Of course, her husband was the only one the amnesty applied to. The convention did not endorse Ferguson, but the other anti-prohibition candidates withdrew from the race. She won that and the general election,[2] saying that she intended to rely on her husband for advice. Some legislators justified the impeachment on the grounds that Hall did not disclose several lawsuits that he was involved in when he originally completed his Regent background check. Though no Texas official has been impeached and removed from office at the state level since Ferguson, Texas politics has hardly been scandal-free. When the Democratic Party dominated the Texas political landscape, winning the Democratic primary often sealed the election results. Angry that two professors had openly criticized his administration, Ferguson demanded that the Board of Regents fire them. The excitement that greeted the veto was soon overshadowed by the greater excitement that surrounded the impeachment trial. Impeached provides a new examination of the rise and fall of Fergusons political fortunes, offering a focused look at how battles over economic class, academic freedom, womens enfranchisement, and concentrated political power came to be directed toward one politician. Ferguson then went on a tour of Texas, voicing his disdain for the university and what he called the university crowd in public speeches. The Legislature cannot call itself into special session. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). He lost the 1922 Democratic Primary race for U.S. Senate by a wide margin. The incumbent State Librarian was Ernest Winkler, who was a professional historian with years of experience as a librarian. ." In 1917, James Ferguson was impeached and removed from office as governor of Texas while under indictment. He told Vinson that he fought him on this he was in for the biggest bear fight in Texas history. That fairly summarized his attitude about his power. Texas History Minute: Jim Ferguson only Texas governor to be impeached, removed. U.S. Congress | School districts | All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | site credit, on Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Ferguson, Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Ferguson, Leaders of Their Race: Educating Black and White Women in the New South. The controversy grew out of the refusal of the board of regents to remove certain faculty members whom the governor found objectionable. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. It proved his undoing. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ferguson-impeachment, "Ferguson Impeachment Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's office in April 2013 with the full list. The Texas Senate reduced the charges to 10, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than two dozen books, most recently Anti-Black Violence in Twentieth-Century Texas. An overview by John R. Lundberg offers a comprehensive survey of the impeachment process. In 1916 Ferguson's reelection seemed certain. Tags Unable to run under his own name, Ferguson ran his wife's campaign for Governor; Miriam A. Ferguson, known as "Ma" Ferguson, was twice elected as governor, serving two non-consecutive terms, from 1925 to 1927 and 1933 to 1935. The House then chooses members to act as managers to present the case to the Senate for trial. Norman Kittrell, Governors Who Have Been and Other Public Men of Texas (Houston: Dealy-Adey-Elgin, 1921). He had been an opponent of Ferguson for the Democratic party's nomination for governor in 1914.[11]. When the House is not in session, there are three ways that the House may be convened for purposes of impeachment. Ballotpedia features 395,442 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. months before, both the House and the Senate had refused to sustain charges against him, and his removal from office was far from certain when the legislature convened in special session. Ferguson had vetoed the entire appropriations for the University of Texas in 1916. 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