William H. Murray
William H. Murray | |
---|---|
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives | |
In office 1907–1909 | |
Governor | Charles N. Haskell |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Ben Wilson |
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the Johnston County district | |
In office 1907–1909 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | J. M. Ratliff |
Personal details | |
Born | William Henry Davis Murray November 21, 1869 Collinsville, Texas, U.S. |
Died | October 15, 1956 Tishomingo, Oklahoma, U.S. | (aged 86)
Resting place | Tishomingo City Cemetery 34°13′38.6″N 96°40′43.3″W / 34.227389°N 96.678694°W |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Mary Alice Hearrell Murray |
Children | 5, including Johnston Murray |
Parents |
|
Profession | Teacher, lawyer |
William Henry Davis "Alfalfa Bill" Murray (November 21, 1869 – October 15, 1956) was an American
Murray was elected as a representative and the first
In the 1920s, he traveled South America attempting to start a colony. He eventually negotiated a contract for a colony with the Bolivian government under President Bautista Saavedra in 1922, but the colony, Aguairenda, was largely unsuccessful. President Hernando Siles eventually cancelled the colony's lease in 1928 after it failed to become profitable and Murray returned to Oklahoma.
After returning to Oklahoma, he was elected the ninth
In his later life, Murray published a three-volume memoir and several books which contained racist and antisemitic claims.
Early life, education, and family
William Henry Davis Murray was born on November 21, 1869, in the town of
After the marriage, Murray moved with his father and brothers to Montague, Texas.[2] Uriah opened a grocery store and butcher shop and had seven more children with Mollie Green. On September 18, 1881, he ran away from home with his two older brothers. He worked picking cotton, chopping wood, and as a bricklayer before attending public school in Keeter.[3] Murray attended College Hill Institute in Springtown, Texas, and started selling books to pay for school. He graduated from College Hill with a teaching degree in 1889 and began teaching in a public school in Parker County, Texas.[4]
Early career in Texas
Murray became politically active and joined the Farmers' Alliance and the Democratic Party, and was a vocal critic of the People's Party.[5][6] In 1890, he was a delegate to Texas State Democratic Convention.[7] In 1891, he wrote for the The Farmer's World, a Dallas newspaper.[8] In 1892, he ran the Texas Senate against Oscar Branch Colquitt and George Taylor Jester, coming in third in the Democratic primary.[9] In late 1893, he launched the The Corsicana Daily News and The Navarro County News with his brother George.[10] In 1894, he again lost a race for the Texas Senate to Colquitt.[11]
After
Indian Territory
On March 28, 1898, Murray moved to Tishomingo, the capital of the Chickasaw Nation in the Indian Territory (now eastern Oklahoma), where quickly became a political and legal advisor to Douglas H. Johnston, the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.[12] After he married Johnston's niece Mary Alice Hearrell Murray on July 19, 1899, he was allowed to practice in Chickasaw courts and started a law practice with Chickasaw Senator M. V. Cheadle.[13][12] The couple had five children, including Johnston Murray.[14]
He acquired his nickname "Alfalfa" around 1902 while working as a political operative for Palmer S. Moseley, gubernatorial candidate for the Oklahoma Territory. Murray frequently toured to give talks to local farmers about politics and farming. He often referred to a large tract of alfalfa which he cultivated. Arthur Sinclair, who heard one of his speeches, reported to the editor of the Tishomingo Capital-Democrat that he had just seen "Alfalfa Bill" deliver one of his finest speeches. The name stuck with Murray for the rest of his life.[citation needed]
States of Sequoyah and Oklahoma
Murray's relationship with the Chickasaw Governor Johnston benefited his political career. By 1903, American Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes were talking of seeking statehood for Indian Territory as an independent, Indian-controlled state, to be called the State of Sequoyah.
In 1905, the tribes organized a convention to draw up a state constitution. Governor Johnston appointed Murray to represent the Chickasaw at the convention in Muskogee. Of the six delegates at the convention, four were Native Americans; Murray and Charles N. Haskell were the only non-tribal, European Americans. The delegates drafted a constitution, which in a referendum was overwhelmingly approved by the voters of the Five Tribes.
Trying to avoid another state that might be dominated by Democrats (because of the Five Civilized Tribes' origin in the Southeast and their histories of slave-holding and alliance with the Confederacy in the Civil War), President Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican, opposed separate statehood for Sequoyah. Roosevelt insisted that the Indian and Oklahoma territories had to be admitted as one state – Oklahoma.
In response to Congress's passage of the Enabling Act in 1906, the people of the two territories held a joint convention. Murray was elected as the delegate for District 104, which included Tishomingo. At the convention in Guthrie, Murray worked closely with Robert L. Williams and again with Charles N. Haskell. They became lifelong friends and political allies.
Due to his experience in Chickasaw politics, Murray was elected by the delegates in 1906 as the President of the Constitutional Convention. He kept Haskell close to him; one newspaper reported the latter was the "power behind the throne." Together, the two men controlled the convention, gradually shifting power away from the president and vice-president of the convention,
The proposed constitution included
Oklahoma politics
Speaker of the Oklahoma House
With the state constitution in place, elections were held in 1907 for offices of the new state government. Murray was elected as a state representative and, after being admitted to office, as the first
As a speaker, Murray often opposed the progressive work of Kate Barnard, Commissioner of Charities and Corrections,[16] supported anti-corporate legislation,[17] and pushed for Jim Crow laws similar to those in southern states to limit the rights of African Americans.[18]
"We should adopt a provision prohibiting the mixed marriages of negroes with other races in this State, and provide for separate schools and give the Legislature power to separate them in waiting rooms and on passenger coaches, and all other institutions in the State ... As a rule they are failures as lawyers, doctors and in other professions...I appreciate the old-time ex-slave, the old darky – and they are the salt of their race – who comes to me talking softly in that humble spirit which should characterize their actions and dealings with the white man."[19][page needed]
Murray left the state legislature after one term and did not seek re-election in 1908.[20]
1910 and 1918 gubernatorial campaigns and United States Congress
In 1910, Murray ran for governor but lost in the Democratic primary, but lost to Lee Cruce.[17] In 1912, Murray lead the Oklahoma delegation to the 1912 Democratic National Convention, where he supported Woodrow Wilson. Also that year, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. During his first term he opposed the Federal Reserve Act.[21] He won re-election in 1914, but lost in 1916. He ran in the 1918 Oklahoma gubernatorial election and lost the Democratic primary.[22]
Bolivia colony
Murray first visited South America in early 1919, seeing Panama, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay. He was considering starting a colony of Americans decided on the sparsely settled Gran Chaco.[23] Murray believed "Anglo-Saxon and Germanic races" should settle the area. Murray purchased 500,000 acres at 10 cents per acre with the requirement he settle 200 American families on the land. Between December 1919 and March 1920, he signed up 271 families for his colony. United States Secretary of State Robert Lansing warned Murray that the border dispute between Bolivia and Paraguay made the area he was settling particularly dangerous, but Murray continued his plan until Paraguay built a fort across the river from his claim. Murray returned $50,000 to colonists who had signed up and lost about $5,000 of his own money.[24]
In July 1921, he met with President
In 1922, he negotiated with
Colonists were required to follow the laws of Bolivia and a code of laws personally written by Murray. Amongst Murray's laws were a ban on brothels and saloons, a requirement to build a poultry shed within two years, a law that Murray owned all agriculture equipment, and a requirement he must personally approve all land transfers. Any change to the laws required a majority vote and Murray's consent.
The colonists immediately discovered much of the best land in the area was already leased by local Indigenous people.[30] Colonists, mostly living in the school run by the local Catholic mission, were dissatisfied with the colony's poor living conditions.[31] Most colonists left by the end of 1924 and Murray returned home in June 1925 to recruit more colonists.[32][33] Later that year he shifted to trying to recruit Indians from their village at El Palmer.[33] With the shift in strategy, the colony grew to nearly 400 and ran Bolivia's first cotton gin.[34] Conflict in the Bolivian Legislature led President Hernando Siles to demand he create a profitable cotton colony or relinquish his concession. His lease was cancelled on August 6, 1928, and Murray transitioned to raising cattle before finally leaving Aquairenda on July 24, 1929.[35] He returned to Oklahoma on August 24, 1929.[36] After attending a "Constitutional Convention Reunion" later that year and announced another campaign for governor in January 1930.[37]
Governor of Oklahoma
Murray won the Democratic nomination, defeating Frank Buttram, the son of a tenant farmer and oil millionaire, in the runoff election.
Murray was inaugurated as the ninth Governor of Oklahoma on January 12, 1931, and filled state jobs with many of his political allies and members of the
During "Alfalfa Bill" Murray's campaign for governor, he promised to crack down on corruption and favoritism for the rich, to abolish half the clerk jobs at the State House, to appoint no family members, to reduce the number of state-owned cars from 800 to 200, never to use convict labor to compete with commercial labor, and not to abuse the power of pardon. Once in office, he appointed wealthy patrons and 20 of his relatives to high office, purchased more cars, used prisoners to make ice for sale and clean the capitol building, and violated all the other promises. When the State Auditor pointed out that 1,050 new employees had been added to the state payroll, Murray simply said, "Just damned lies." For each abuse of power, Murray claimed a mandate from "the sovereign will of the people."[43]
The government of Oklahoma faced failure, not only because of the massive deficit, but because many of Oklahoma's citizens could not pay their debts. To speed the collection of funds, at Murray's urging the Legislature created the Oklahoma Tax Commission. This three-member commission was responsible for the collection and administration of taxes, licenses and fees from all citizens. The new agency established safeguards against tax evasion and helped to stem the drain on the state's tax revenue.[42] In 1933, he supported the abolition of Oklahoma's state property tax, leaving that tax revenue for local governments.[44]
Due to the severity of the depression, Murray relied on the
Murray also used the Guard during the
Murray used the Guard to reduce oil production in the hopes of raising prices. Because of the vast quantity of newly opened wells in Texas and Oklahoma, oil prices had sunk below the costs of production.[42] Murray and three other governors met in Fort Worth, Texas to demand lower production. When the Oklahoma producers did not comply, on August 4, 1931, Murray called out the Guard, declared martial law, and ordered that some 3,000 oil wells be shut down.[citation needed]
By the end of his administration in 1935, Murray had used the National Guard on 47 occasions and declared martial law more than 30 times. As the state constitution prevented governors from succeeding themselves in office, Murray could not run for reelection and left office on January 15, 1935.[citation needed]
1932 presidential campaign
In August 1931, Murray launched a campaign for the 1932 United States presidential election in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.[47] His slogan was "Bread, butter, bacon, and beans."[48] He testified in front of the United States Congress in January 1932 on the effects of the Great Depression in Oklahoma and dominated the 1932 Oklahoma Democratic State Convention, earning the Oklahoma Democratic Party's support for his campaign.[49] He railed against Wall Street and demanded cash bonuses for veterans.[50]
He campaigned against
"Alfalfa Bill" was very gracious ... While we talked at length, he dwelt upon the virtue in the possible candidacies of everybody except
Franklin Roosevelt and himself, even suggesting me as a candidate. He understood the favorite son game. I soon saw that I was fencing with a past master in politics. Had I listened to him very long, he would have been at work to make a favorite son candidate out of me. I was then moving Heaven and earth to keep down other favorite son candidates. ... Favorite son moves were the most dangerous things we had to fight. ...[52]
He was introduced at the 1932 Democratic National Convention by Henry S. Johnston and received little support outside the Oklahoma delegation.[50]
1938 gubernatorial and 1942 senate campaigns
In 1938, Murray ran for governor, and lost in the Democratic primary.
Later life and death
His wife, Mary Alice Hearrell Murray, died in Oklahoma City on August 28, 1938. Her body lay in state in the Oklahoma Capitol on the afternoon of August 29, 1938; she was the first woman to receive the honor. She was buried in Tishomingo the following day.[55]
After his retirement, Murray became widely known for his radical
Murray's son, Johnston Murray, had followed his father into Democratic Party politics.[6] The senior Murray administered the oath of office to his son in 1951 after he was elected as the state's fourteenth governor.[42]
He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1951.[58]
Murray did not live long past his son's governorship. He died on October 15, 1956, of a stroke and pneumonia. He is buried in Tishomingo.[59]
Legacy and honors
- Murray State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, is named in William Murray's honor. The community college is located in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.[60]
- Alfalfa County, Oklahoma and Murray County, Oklahoma are named in his honor.[51]
- Lake Murray is named in his honor.[51]
- Lake Murray State Park is named in his honor.[18]
- The Alfalfa Bill Century Bike Ride is an annual fundraiser in Johnston County.[18]
- The William H. Murray bridge, more commonly known as Pony Bridge, is officially named after Murray.[61]
Removal of honors
In June 2020, Murray Hall and North Murray Hall at
Antisemitism and racism
In the 21st century, Murray's legacy has drawn criticism from historians, such as William Savage Jr, because he supported
Works
- Memoirs of Alfalfa Bill Murray and the True History of Oklahoma, three volume work (1945)[51]
- Murray's Essays on Pocahontas and Pushmataha (1924)[65][66]
- The Negro's Place in the Call of Race[51]
- Palestine[57]
- Rights of Americans[57]
- Uncle Sam needs a Dictator[57]
State of the State speeches
- First State of the State Speech Archived October 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Second State of the State Speech Archived October 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Third State of the State Speech Archived October 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
References
- ^ Bryant 1965, p. 103.
- ^ Bryant 1965, p. 103-104.
- ^ Bryant 1965, p. 104.
- ^ Bryant 1965, p. 105.
- ^ Bryant 1965, p. 106.
- ^ Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c Henry 1985, p. 14.
- ^ Bryant 1965, p. 108.
- ^ Bryant 1965, p. 110.
- ^ Bryant 1965, p. 112.
- ^ a b Bryant 1965, p. 113.
- ^ a b Luthin 1954, p. 104.
- ^ Bryant Jr., Keith L. "Murray, William Henry David [Alfalfa Bill]". The Handbook of Texas Online – Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 105.
- ^ Henry 1985, p. 11.
- ^ Thompson, Trait; Bass, Elizabeth M. B. (March 28, 2021). "Connecting the Dots of History — Celebrating Kate Barnard". The Oklahoman. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Luthin 1954, p. 106.
- ^ a b c Lackmeyer, Steve (March 24, 2022). "'Alfalfa Bill' Murray, governor celebrated across Oklahoma, oppressed minorities with Jim Crow laws". The Oklahoman. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Egan, Timothy. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2006.
- The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 107.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 107-108.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 400.
- ^ a b Bachhofer 1996, p. 401.
- ^ a b Bachhofer 1996, p. 402.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 403.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 404.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 405.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 406.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 408.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 409.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 413.
- ^ a b Bachhofer 1996, p. 416.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 417.
- ^ Bachhofer 1996, p. 420.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 108.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 109.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 110.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 112.
- ^ Gould, Lewis L. (1980). Progressive Oklahoma: The Making of a New Kind of State by Danney Goble. The Journal of American History Vol. 67, No. 3. p. 714.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 113.
- ^ a b c d e f "William H. Murray" (PDF). Oklahoma Department of Libraries. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2006. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 112-114.
- ^ Wertz, By Joe (October 19, 2011). "Why Oklahoma Hates State Property Taxes". StateImpact Oklahoma. NPR. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "State's most colorful leader". KOTV-DT. December 4, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Stipek, Joey (August 4, 2013). "Oklahoma City neighborhoods: A brief history of … JFK neighborhood". The Oklahoman. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 118.
- ^ "Throwback Tulsa: Colorful 'Alfalfa Bill' fell short in presidential bid in 1932". Tulsa World. October 18, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 119.
- ^ a b Luthin 1954, p. 120.
- ^ a b c d e f g Savage, William W. Jr. (June 18, 2020). "History is clear: Alfalfa Bill Murray was a terrible bigot". NonDoc. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- Huey Pierce Long, Jr., Every Man a King: The Autobiography of Huey P. Long (New Orleans: National Book Club, Inc., 1933), pp. 304–305.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 124.
- ^ "William Henry Murray". National Governors Association. January 10, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Moore, Jesse E. "Alice Hearrell Murray". Chronicles of Oklahoma Vol. 17, No. 2. – Oklahoma Historical Society. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
- ^ "Oklahoma State purges racist governor's name". The Ada News. CNHI News Service. June 20, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Luthin 1954, p. 125.
- ^ "William H. Murray, Class of 1951". oklahomahof.com. Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Henry 1985, p. 15.
- ^ Rodden, Kirk A. "Murray State College". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ Culver, Galen (January 26, 2024). "The longest bridge on Rt. 66 is in the last stages of a 2-year rebuild". KFOR-TV. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- Oklahoma State University. June 26, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Simmons, Beau (June 19, 2020). "Oklahoma State removes Murray's name from buildings". Stillwater News Press. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Korth, Robby (July 30, 2020). ""Alfalfa Bill" Murray Had A Big Impact On Oklahoma. He Was Also A Virulent Racist". KOSU. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Luthin 1954, p. 103.
- ^ "Murray's essays on Pocahontas and Pushmataha, historical and biographical, with copious notes on Oklahoma history;". loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
Works cites
- Bachhofer, Aaron II (Winter 1996). "Oklahoma's Exiles: William H. Murray and Friends in the Bolivian Chaco, 1924-1929". Chronicles of Oklahoma. 74: 398–425. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- Bryant, Keith L. Jr. (1965). ""Alfalfa Bill" Murray: The Formative Years in Texas". East Texas Historical Journal. 3 (2): 103–118. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- Henry, Robert H. (July–August 1985). "Alfalfa Bill Murray" (PDF). Oklahoma Today. Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation. pp. 11–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- OCLC 1098334.
External links
- William H. Murray Collection, Carl Albert Center, Oklahoma University
- "William H. Murray", Sooner State Genealogy