James H. Davis (congressman)
James Harvey "Cyclone" Davis | |
|---|---|
 Davis in 1914 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's At-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1915 - March 3, 1917 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel E. Garrett |
| Succeeded by | Daniel E. Garrett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 24, 1853 |
| Died | January 31, 1940 (aged 86) Kaufman, Texas |
| Resting place | Sulphur Springs, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | People's Party |
| Spouse | Belle Barton |
James Harvey "Cyclone" Davis (December 24, 1853 – January 31, 1940) was a
Biography
Early life
Davis was born near Walhalla, South Carolina. He moved to Texas with his parents, William Barton and Salina (Moore) Davis, who settled in East Texas in Wood County near Winnsboro, in 1857.[1] Davis attended the common schools and taught school from 1875 to 1878. He was able to study under the tutelage of attorney John D. Templeton during his sixteenth year. He strenuously applied his native talents to academics at night and soon qualified for a teaching certificate. He married Belle Barton, a distant cousin, on December 25, 1878. The couple had four children.[1]
Populist and Democrat
He was elected judge of Franklin County, Texas in 1878 as a Democrat. At the time he was the youngest county judge in Texas.[1] Subsequently, he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1882 and commenced practice in Mount Vernon, Texas. Later, he engaged in the newspaper-publishing business, buying the Mount Vernon-Franklin Herald and was President of the Texas Press Association from 1886-1888.
Although he was a passable writer, his real talent lay in oratory. He campaigned for
When President
He received the nickname "Cyclone" from an 1894 debate with Kentucky Attorney General Watt Hardin. According to an Associated Press reporter, Davis so demolished his opponent that only one sweep of the "Texas Cyclone" was sufficient cause for Hardin to cancel the remaining scheduled debates.[1]
Cyclone Davis was an unsuccessful Populist candidate for
Out of office
Garrett returned the favor two years later and defeated Davis in a rematch. Davis returned to his home in
Davis' son Arlon Barton "Cyclone" Davis was a perennial candidate for office and ran in the Democratic Party primary of the 1948 United States Senate election in Texas, receiving nearly one percent of the vote.
In 1964,
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g Handbook of Texas online
- ^ Congressional Biography
- ^ "Biography (Jim Ranchino)". clio.missouristate.edu. Archived from the original on June 25, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
Further reading
- United States Congress. "James H. Davis (id: D000110)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Davis, Cyclone. Memoir. Sherman, TX: Courier Press, 1935.
- Texas Handbook Online, Texas State Historical Association.
