William Barnes Jr.
William Barnes Jr. | |
---|---|
Chairman of the New York Republican State Committee | |
In office January 21, 1911 – September 30, 1914 | |
Preceded by | Ezra P. Prentice |
Succeeded by | Frederick C. Tanner |
Member of the Republican National Committee from New York | |
In office June 24, 1912 – June 9, 1916 | |
Preceded by | William L. Ward |
Succeeded by | Herbert Parsons |
U.S. Surveyor of Customs for the Port of Albany | |
In office January 31, 1899 – February 28, 1911 | |
Preceded by | John P. Masterson |
Succeeded by | Luther C. Warner |
Personal details | |
Born | Catherine Weed Barnes (sister) | November 17, 1866
Children | 2 |
Parent(s) | William Barnes Sr. Emily Peck Weed |
Education | Harvard University |
Profession | Newspaper publisher |
William Barnes Jr. (November 17, 1866 – June 25, 1930) was an American journalist and politician. The longtime owner and publisher of the Albany Evening Journal, Barnes was most notable as a major behind the scenes player in state and U.S. politics as a leader of New York's Republican Party.
Barnes was born in Albany, New York, and graduated from The Albany Academy in 1884 and Harvard University in 1888. He worked briefly as a newspaper reporter for the Albany Evening Journal before purchasing the Albany Morning Express, of which he was publisher and editor. In 1889 he purchased the Evening Journal, of which he was also editor and publisher. Barnes became active in New York politics as a leader of the Republican Party. In 1891, he became head of the party in both the city and in Albany County. In 1899, Republican nominee James H. Blessing won the election for mayor. This victory brought about Republican dominance in Albany, and Barnes went on to serve as a member of the New York Republican State Committee from 1892 to 1914, and the committee's chairman from 1911 to 1914. He was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1904, 1908, and 1912, and a member of the Republican National Committee from 1912 to 1916. As an ally of Thomas C. Platt, Barnes became a major figure in national Republican politics; his support for successive Republican presidents William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft led to his appointment as the U.S. Surveyor of Customs for the Port of Albany, a lucrative position he held from 1899 to 1911. In 1915, he was a delegate to the New York state constitutional convention.
In 1921, Democrat William Stormont Hackett won the mayor's office, ending Barnes' dominance over Albany politics and ushering in more than 50 years of control by the Democratic organization of Daniel P. O'Connell. In 1925, Barnes sold the Evening Journal to Stephen Carlton Clark, after which he retired and lived in Armonk. He died at his home in Armonk on June 25, 1930, and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery.
Early life
William Barnes was born in Albany, New York on November 17, 1866,[1] the son of William Barnes Sr. (1824–1913) and Emily Peck Weed (1827–1889).[2] His father was an attorney who helped organize the first New York State convention of the new Republican Party in 1854, and served as state Insurance Commissioner from 1860 to 1870, the first person to hold the position after it was created.[3] Emily Weed was the daughter of Thurlow Weed, a prominent newspaper publisher and the longtime head of New York State's Whig Party, who was also a founder of the Republican Party.[2] The younger Barnes was an 1884 graduate of The Albany Academy,[4] and an 1888 graduate of Harvard University.[5]
Early career
Barnes worked briefly as a newspaper reporter for the Albany Evening Journal before purchasing the Albany Morning Express, of which he was publisher and editor.[5] In 1889, he purchased the Evening Journal, of which he was also editor and publisher.[1][5] During years when Republicans were in control of New York state's government, Barnes' publishing business was frequently selected to print official works, including the reports of government agencies and state government directories.[6]
In addition to his newspaper career, Barnes became active in New York politics as a leader of the Republican Party.
Continued career
As an ally of Thomas C. Platt, Barnes became a major figure in Republican politics at the national level, and supported successive Republican presidents William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft.[1] His prominence led to his appointment as the U.S. Surveyor of Customs for the Port of Albany, a lucrative position Barnes held from 1899 to 1911.[7][8]
Barnes was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1904, 1908, and 1912, and chairman of the state Republican Committee from 1911 to 1914.[1] From 1912 to 1916, Barnes was a member of the Republican National Committee.[9] In 1915, he was a delegate to the New York state constitutional convention.[1]
Incumbent President Taft was a candidate for reelection
Later career
In a July 1914 editorial, Roosevelt accused Barnes of being a corrupt party boss who conspired with
For several years after the trial, Barnes lived in
Retirement and death
In 1925, Barnes sold the Evening Journal to Stephen Carlton Clark, after which he retired and lived in Armonk.[2] He died at his home in Armonk on June 25, 1930,[13] and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery, Section 109, Lot 3.[14]
Family
On June 12, 1888, Barnes married Grace Davis of Cincinnati, Ohio.[13] Their children included sons Thurlow Weed Barnes (1889–1976) and Landon Barnes (1894–1964).[13] William and Grace Barnes divorced in 1922, and in 1923 he married Maude (Fiero) Battershall, who died in 1929.[13]
Barnes' siblings included Thurlow Weed Barnes (1853–1918), an 1876 Harvard graduate who was active in New York's Republican Party and worked for the Albany Evening Journal.
Notes
- ^ In 1894, Republican Oren Elbridge Wilson won the mayor's office, but his victory was made possible by a coalition of Democrats and anti-Barnes Republicans.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p The Encyclopedia of New York State, p. 151.
- ^ a b c d e "Barnes Genius At Setting up Political Machine", p. 20.
- ^ "William Barnes Sr., Dead", p. 5.
- ^ The Men of New York, p. 17.
- ^ a b c New York State Men, p. 36.
- ^ "Seeking the State Printing", p. 15.
- ^ Congressional Record (1899), p. 704.
- ^ Congressional Record (1911), pp. 2141, 2505.
- ^ "Former G.O.P. Chief is Dead".
- ^ "Roosevelt, Beaten, to Bolt Today".
- ^ The Gilded Age & Progressive Era, p. 387.
- ^ Machine Politics: A Study of Albany's O'Connells, pp. 13, 40–43.
- ^ a b c d "Barnes, State G.O.P. Leader, Dies", p. 20.
- ^ "Albany Rural Cemetery Burial Cards".
- ^ a b "Thurlow Barnes, Capitalist, Dead", p. 9.
- ^ Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting.
Sources
Books
- Eisenstadt, Peter R. (Syracuse University Press) (2005). The Encyclopedia of New York State. Binghamton, NY: Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing. ISBN 978-0-8156-0808-0.
- Hills, Frederick Simon. (1910). New York State Men: Biographic Studies and Character Portraits. Vol. 1. Albany, NY: The Argus Company.
- New York State Bar Association (1913). Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting. Albany, NY: The Argus Company. pp. 713–716 – via Google Books.
- Perry, Elisabeth Israels; Smith, Karen Manners (2006). The Gilded Age & Progressive Era: A Student Companion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-515670-6.
- Robinson, Frank S. (1977). Machine Politics: A Study of Albany's O'Connells. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books. ISBN 978-0-87855-147-7.
- United States Senate (1899). Congressional Record (1899). Vol. 32. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
- United States Senate (1911). Congressional Record (1911). Vol. 46, Part 3. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
- The Men of New York: A Collection of Biographies and Portraits of Citizens of the Empire State Prominent in Business, Professional, Social, and Political Life During the Last Decade of the Nineteenth Century. Vol. II. Buffalo, NY: G. E. Matthews & Company. 1898.
Newspapers
- "Seeking the State Printing" (PDF). the New York Times. New York, NY. December 5, 1894.
- "Roosevelt, Beaten, to Bolt Today; Gives the Word in Early Morning; Taft's Nomination Seems Assured". The New York Times. New York, NY. June 20, 1912.
- "William Barnes, Sr., Dead". Newspapers.com.
- "Barnes, State G.O.P. Leader, Dies". Binghamton Press. Binghamton, NY. Associated Press. June 26, 1930 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Thurlow Barnes, Capitalist, Dead". Newspapers.com.
- "Barnes Genius At Setting up Political Machine". Binghamton Press. Binghamton, NY. June 26, 1930 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Former G.O.P. Chief is Dead". Newspapers.com.
Internet
- Albany Rural Cemetery (Menands, NY) (June 27, 1930). "Albany Rural Cemetery Burial Cards, 1791-2011, Entry for William Barnes". Ancestry.com. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
External links
- Media related to William Barnes Jr. at Wikimedia Commons
- William Barnes Jr. at The Political Graveyard