When James Ferguson failed to get his name on the ballot in 1924, Miriam entered the race for the Texas governorship. 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. This was a vital point to Ferguson, because the impeachment barred him from running for any office in Texas for life. Carillo in 1975. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). In 1924, his wife, Miriam Ma Ferguson won election as governor as a stand-in candidate in a tightly-contested race. After he returned to Texas, he studied law in Bell County and was admitted to the bar. As a result of these developments, the speaker of the House called a special session to consider charges of impeachment against the governor. Ferguson convinced his wife to run one more time in 1940. The vote made him ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust or profit in the state of Texas. Jim Ferguson so enormously popular 100 years ago. Dan Moody. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. The Constitution gives the House power to impeach the president, officials appointed by the president (including cabinet officers), and judges. So to prove this to them, Ferguson called a special session to consider a UT funding bill he could sign. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. Title 6, Chapter 665 of the Texas Government Code addresses the impeachment and removal of public officers by the state house. In 1913, William Sulzer was impeached and removed from office as governor of New York. 1. so that gubernatorial elections will not be influenced by a presidential election 2. so that candidates cannot run for governor and a federal office at the same time 3. so that voters will not become overwhelmed by too many candidates in one year 4. because Texas happened to become part of the US during an off-year Similarly, the Texas constitution gives the lower house of the legislature power to impeach judges, the governor, and statewide elected officials. Before the process could be completed, Ferguson resigned from office, contending that the legislative action against him was a kangaroo court. The framers considered impeachment an important check on the power of the presidency and against corruption. He started his own newspaper that fall, Ferguson Forum, to promote his views that the impeachment was illegitimate. (February 23, 2023). After 20 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor, Lt. Jordan wa, Houston, Sam House Speaker Franklin Fuller called a special session to consider charges of impeachment against the governor. This call was of doubtful legality, but Ferguson removed all question by calling the legislature to meet for the purpose of making appropriations for the University of Texas. ii) During the period between World Wars I and II, James and Miriam Ferguson were the most powerful couple in Texas. Bruce A. Glasrud is professor emeritus of history at California State University, East Bay, and retired dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Sul Ross State University. 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. He said the governor served the people, but he used the power of the office to reward his friends and crush not just his political enemies, but good servants of the state whose only offense was not voting for him. It proved his undoing. Dictionary of American History. The colleges were permitted to begin building programs, and the educational appropriation bills were more generous than usual. A powerful governor clashes with the University of Texas at Austin. He liked to say he was no city slicker and no college dude. A government doesnt require educated fools to run properly. Jim Pa Ferguson became the first person in Texas to be impeached. Instead, the House immediately turned its attention to 21 articles of impeachment. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. The House immediately turned its attention to the numerous charges against the governor and, after a lengthy investigation, prepared twenty-one articles of impeachment. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. In the United States legal tradition, impeachment is comparable to an indictment in a criminal court. While there, legislators legally took up another matter, impeachment. The most discussed plank in his platform, which appealed especially to tenant farmers, proposed a law that would limit the rent charged by landlords and prevent the collection of bonuses. The House sent 21 articles of impeachment to the Senate. Dr. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He was defeated in the Democratic primary by his successor and incumbent, William P. Hobby of Houston, previously the lieutenant governor. Both elected and non-elected officials can be impeached in Texas. Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's office in April 2013 with the full list. Early in his second term the governor became involved in a serious quarrel with the University of Texas. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud have brought together top scholars to shine a light on this unique chapter in Texas history. James Ferguson was brought down by his lunch.Full story: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/. In July 1917, he was indicted for misappropriation of funds. Seven related to misapplication of public funds, one to embezzlement and one to the diversion of a special fund. July 2, 20146 AM Central. The following sections are outlined in Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. Of course, her husband was the only one the amnesty applied to. Ferguson was removed from office and deemed ineligible to hold any position of honor, trust, or profit under the laws of Texas by the Court of Impeachment by a vote of twenty-five to three. So, he quit ahead of time so he could then turn aroundand he was counting on coming right back and getting reelected. James Edward Ferguson Collection, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. James E. Ferguson", Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature 18462006, "Governor Ferguson Is Impeached By The Senate Saturday, By 27 to 4: 10 of 21 Charges Sustained By High Impeachment Court", "Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 18462010", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_E._Ferguson&oldid=1136223529, Candidates in the 1920 United States presidential election, Impeached state and territorial governors of the United States removed from office, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from March 2020, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 09:22. His wife was defeated for re-election in 1926, following questions of improper use of her pardoning power. The chairman of the investigating committee, William H. Bledsoe of Lubbock, called for impeachment. 100% remote. James Ferguson. [18] He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater. You are currently viewing a legacy feature of the Texas Politics Project website. 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. He was indicted and impeached during his second term, but according to Ferguson technically impeached, after he resigned office. [5], In 2013, the Texas State Legislature began an impeachment trial for Regent Wallace Hall. Encyclopedia.com. Join us! The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. Elections in 2023 | In the wake of the controversy, issues from Fergusons past campaign for governor in 1916 came back into the spotlight. He resigned his office the day before the judgment was announced and contended that it did not apply to him. Kay Reed Arnold then follows the Ferguson story into the halls of academia at the University of Texaswhich Ferguson threatened to closesparking a fierce response by faculty, alumni, students, and, especially, the Womens Committee for Good Government. Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. | 1914 campaign literature in which Ferguson fires back against criticisms from his 'dry' opponent, Thomas H. Ball, and others in the prohibition faction. The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. He tapped Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian, despite his lack of training or experience in the field. To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. State executives | The impeachment process begins with the House of Representatives. Impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment. In order for an official to be impeached, articles of impeachment must be brought by the Texas House of Representatives. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. FERGUSON IMPEACHMENT. The Senate, sitting as a High Court of Impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and finally convicted the governor on ten of them. Hall investigated the university's forgivable-loans program and admissions policies and preferential treatment to politically-connected individuals. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. The founders did not invent impeachment. he was accused of misuse of public funds following his call for a special legislative session When a governor is removed from office, resigns, or dies or becomes incapacitated while in office, who becomes governor? Nine years later, Ferguson died of a stroke. Ma placed a distant fifth. It appears that neither governor was brought to trial. With strong support from progressive and anti-Prohibition forces, "Farmer Jim" was elected governor of Texas in 1914. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. Ferguson was first elected in 1914, and was reelected in 1916. The Legislature is aghast at the meddling with the flagship state university. He often said, civilization begins and ends with the plow. Ferguson was a mesmerizing speaker and storyteller and was splendidly fluent in the dialects of rural Texas. He was kicked out of a local prep school, Salado College, at age 12 for misbehavior. The Senate removed Ferguson from office by a vote of 25-3. [2], Impeachments have historically been reserved for cases in which a public official committed a criminal act. [10], After being re-elected in 1916, Ferguson vetoed the appropriations for the University of Texas. 27 February 1917 in Floresville, Texas; d. 15 June 1993 in Houston, Texas), governor of Tex, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ferguson-impeachment. Even his former political allies couldnt find him innocent in the face of such damning evidence and his own indefensible behavior. 4. 23 Feb. 2023 . Ferguson, had a stormy two-term reign and was impeached in 1917 over charges of misappropriation of funds regarding the University of Texas as well as embezzlement. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. Ferguson then went on a tour of Texas, voicing his disdain for the university and what he called the university crowd in public speeches. Ferguson cleverly resigned, claiming then that the Senate couldnt uphold an impeachment for someone who wasnt actually in office. While the campaign of 1916 was in progress, the Ferguson administration had been charged with a number of irregularities. This is not a current story but a faint echo of a notorious event in Texas history, the impeachment of Gov. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. Ferguson declared that the legislature constituted little more than a "kangaroo court," but only a few James Edward (Pa) Ferguson (1871-1944), Texas governor, son of James Edward and Fannie (Fitzpatrick) Ferguson, was born on August 31, 1871, near Salado, Bell County, Texas. Their campaign slogan: Two governors for the price of one.. The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. Winds light and variable. 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. . The State Senate reduced the charges to ten, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. 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. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. [7], If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate is required to sit as a court of impeachment. The campaign proved him to be a man of considerable native ability and the possessor of a captivating personality. Eight federal judges have been convicted in the Senate and removed from office. Texas History Minute: Jim Ferguson only Texas governor to be impeached, removed. He had been accused of misappropriating funds, but investigations failed to find anything that would warrant impeachment, and the probe seemed to be closed. Its our 10th year participating in Amplify, and to celebrate, weve got $15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters. In 1924, unable to run under his own name, he ran his wife's campaign for the governorship against Judge Felix Robertson, the candidate endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan. 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. Ma Ferguson was elected as Govenor or Texas in 1925 and in 1933. Almost a century later, the Ferguson impeachment presents both striking similarities and key differences to. No. And she won. Ferguson was born to the Reverend James E. Ferguson, and Fannie Ferguson near Salado in south Bell County, Texas. If the Senate is not in session, there are four ways by which it may be convened.[7]. January 1996 in Austin, Texas), first black southern woman in the United States Congress. A reiteration and compilation of documents created in the House impeachment proceedings. He made only a few speeches and must have known long before the votes were cast that Mrs. Ferguson had no chance to win. Laws governing impeachment in Texas are governed by Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. . "[19] Texas state legislators have never previously tried to remove an appointed official. They then sent the charges to the State Senate for trial. With charges growing against Ferguson, the House of Representatives drew up 21 charges against him and voted to impeach. Dictionaries thesauruses pictures and press releases. Despite his resignation, the State Senate voted 25-3 to convict, which meant that Ferguson could not seek another public office in Texas. The fight with the university touched off a massive scandal. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. 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. Became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office by a vote of 25-3 Jim or Pa born! Dr. Ken bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan growing against Ferguson, the impeachment process with! Generous than usual run properly Regent Wallace hall styles convention regarding the best way format. 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