He was re-elected in 1916. Impeachment is the power of a legislative body to address charges of impropriety or criminality by a government official, such as a governor or lieutenant governor. His wife was defeated for re-election in 1926, following questions of improper use of her pardoning power. She even used the word Christian in the law, implying that Christian forgiveness was appropriate here. 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. Jordan, Barbara Charline The most that the select committee can do would be to recommend to the full state house that articles of impeachment be drafted. After a trial, the Senate voted him out of office by a vote of 25-3 and banned him from holding any state office. Even his former political allies couldn't find him innocent in the face of such damning evidence - and his own indefensible behavior. He submitted his resignation the day before he was scheduled to be formally convicted. Title 6, Chapter 665 of the Texas Government Code addresses the impeachment and removal of public officers by the state house. Carillo in 1975. Ferguson declared that the legislature constituted little more than a "kangaroo court," but only a few In July 1917, he was indicted for misappropriation of funds. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud have brought together top scholars to shine a light on this unique chapter in Texas history. With charges growing against Ferguson, the House of Representatives drew up 21 charges against him and voted to impeach. In 1925, Miriam became the first female governor of Texas after campaigning as a stand-in for her husband, and James E. Ferguson became the first gentleman of Texas for her two terms. He ended up back in the Governors Mansion for a third time when she became the first woman governor in Texas history. Although Ferguson was disqualified from holding public office, he did try to run in the 1924 elections to redeem his reputation. Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Fergusonreveals how power ebbed and flowed in twentieth-century Texas and includes several annotated primary documents critical to understanding the Ferguson impeachment. Elections in 2023 | Landowners were assured, however, that they need not be alarmed by the proposal, as it would benefit all concerned. [5], On December 31, 1899, he married Miriam A. Wallace at her family home. And this current flap is far from over. Ballotpedia's election legislation tracker, Political favoritism in admissions to the University of Texas, Forgivable loans program at the University of Texas Law School, House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations (TSAO), Joint Committee on Oversight of Higher Ed Governance, Excellence & Transparency, University of Texas System Board of Regents, 1987 Memorandum within the Texas Legislative Council regarding removal of state officers by the state legislature, Analysis of Constitutional Impeachment Procedures in Texas, Texas House Bill 588, the "Top 10% Rule" (1997), https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Impeachments_in_Texas&oldid=8020920, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. Thats how she likes it. The incumbent State Librarian was Ernest Winkler, who was a professional historian with years of experience as a librarian. Though as of this writing, three presidents have been impeached, none have ever been removed from office. [2], Impeachments have historically been reserved for cases in which a public official committed a criminal act. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. Committee member Dan Flynn said he was not surprised by the findings and was pleased the university counsel reached a conclusion.[21][22][23][24]. 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. Ferguson's attack against Mayes resulted in a drive by the legislature to impeach Ferguson. On December 31, 1899, he married Miriam A. Wallace; they had two children. Though he had signed legislation creating three new colleges, he found himself in a feud with professors at the University of Texas. Hearing the gasps in the chamber, Ferguson immediately asked to strike the comment. "Ferguson Impeachment Though he had signed legislation creating three new colleges, he found himself in a feud with professors at the University of Texas. The regents refused. Meanwhile, Winkler fought for his job by enlisting the help of his colleagues. In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. Elected in 1914 and re-elected in 1916, he faced 21 articles of impeachment and resigned during the trial in the Senate on September 24, 1917, one day before the Senate voted to remove him from office and disqualify him from holding office again. 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. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. ." The convention did not endorse Ferguson, but the other anti-prohibition candidates withdrew from the race. Found in volume 15,291 (available at govinfo). In addition, he established Farmers State Bank. Though he had signed legislation creating three new. Ma placed a distant fifth. When his reasoning was questioned, he would respond, I am governor of Texas. Its our 10th year participating in Amplify, and to celebrate, weve got $15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters. This is why I so often say, Im W. F. Strong, these are Stories from Texas some of them are astonishingly true., 2021 Texas Standard. Only two Texas public officials have been impeached in the state's history. Eight federal judges have been convicted in the Senate and removed from office. Scandals of all sorts, from the brazen to the bizarre, have occurred for decades at all levels. 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. He told the UT president, Dr. Robert E. Vinson, that he wanted them fired. November 2013 testimony prompted committee-member Trey Fischer to request the inquiry. 9, 1916) Gen. John J. Pershing led US forces in a hunt for Villa from March 14, 1916 to Feb. 7, 1917 The day before he was thrown out of office he resigned, saying it didn't count. Only two elected officials in the history of Texas have ever been successfully impeached. Of course, her husband was the only one the amnesty applied to. 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. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. 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). During the events that led up to the final quarrel, the University of Texas Board of Regents had repeatedly refused to remove certain faculty members whom Ferguson found objectionable. Governor have not acted, then by proclamation of the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate. An argument over spending tax dollars, an attempt to silence political opponents, and charges of a kangaroo court.. 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. 4. At age 12 he entered Salado College (a preparatory school) but was eventually expelled for disobedience. After a trial, the Senate voted him out of office by a vote of 25-3 and banned him from holding any state office. He convened the commission, and the body approved that Barker write a letter to the Governor-elect. There are 150 members of the Texas State House. ii) During the period between World Wars I and II, James and Miriam Ferguson were the most powerful couple in Texas. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Proclamation of the speaker following the submission of a written petition signed by at least 50 members of the House. The question was eventually carried into the courts, where the judgment of the Court of Impeachment was sustained. Ferguson made bond of $13,000 and announced his candidacy for a third term as governor. The landholdings of the prison system were greatly increased, and because of the rising price of farm commodities, the system became self-sustaining; during the years of war prosperity, it showed a profit. James Edward Ferguson Collection, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. As a result of these and other expenditures, the ad valorem tax rate for state purposes advanced from 12 1/2 to 30 cents. [9] According to historian Dan Utley, Ferguson planned to use state appointments as part of a spoils system to reward his political supporters. He had been an opponent of Ferguson for the Democratic party's nomination for governor in 1914.[11]. How to vote | Ma Ferguson was elected as Govenor or Texas in 1925 and in 1933. To be the Democratic nominee for governor was the same as being elected governor. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. Tags He was elected governor in 1914, his first election. He tapped Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian, despite his lack of training or experience in the field. He gave a speech in his own defense and blamed the charges on that N-word loving senator from the north, Senator Johnson. Not Lyndon. After 20 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor, Lt. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud, eds. So to prove this to them, Ferguson called a special session to consider a UT funding bill he could sign. This led to a special session being called by the Legislature, to press for Fergusons impeachment. Ferguson was first elected in 1914, and was reelected in 1916. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. He was associated with the Farmers State Bank of Belton for several years and was a member of the Texas Bankers Association. "Ferguson Impeachment Democrat James "Pa" Ferguson Jr. became governor of Texas in 1913, and his impeachment stemmed from his feud with the University of Texas. [4], In Texas, two officials have been successfully impeached -- Governor James Ferguson in 1917 and Judge O.P. Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. And here, Ferguson made his second blunder. Provision was made for the establishment of the Austin State School. He became a lawyer in 1897, married Miriam A. Wallace in 1899, and expanded into real estate, insurance, and banking. He had attempted to stack the board of regents with friends who would help fire these professors and staffers, and he had called for the resignation of the universitys president, Robert Vinson. He later ran anyway, claiming that he had resigned before he was convicted. An overview by John R. Lundberg offers a comprehensive survey of the impeachment process. Bruce Rutherford, The Impeachment of Jim Ferguson (Austin: Eakin Press, 1983). There were . As a political speaker he had few equals. 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. Even his former political allies couldnt find him innocent in the face of such damning evidence and his own indefensible behavior. However, the judgment to impeachhanded down one day after his resignation-was upheld, preventing him from holding public office in Texas. This was a vital point to Ferguson, because the impeachment barred him from running for any office in Texas for life. When James Ferguson failed to get his name on the ballot in 1924, Miriam entered the race for the Texas governorship. The following sections are outlined in Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. 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