|
William O'Connell Bradley (March 18, 1847May 23, 1914) was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He served as the 32nd Governor of Kentucky and was later elected by the state legislature as a U.S. senator from that state. The first Republican to serve as governor of Kentucky, Bradley became known as the father of the Republican Party in Kentucky.〔Thatcher, p. xi〕 As a Republican in a heavily Democratic state, Bradley found little success early in his political career. He was defeated for a seat in the United States House of Representatives and in the United States Senate twice each. After rising to national prominence with his speech seconding the presidential nomination of Ulysses S. Grant at the 1880 Republican National Convention, he was nominated for governor in 1887. Although he lost the contest to Simon Bolivar Buckner, he reduced the usual Democratic majority substantially. He was again nominated for governor in 1895. Capitalizing on divisions in the Democratic Party over the issue of free silver, he defeated Parker Watkins Hardin in the general election. His term was marked by political struggles and violence. He was an advocate for blacks and did much to advance their status in the state, but was unable to enact much of his reform agenda because of a hostile Democratic majority in the state legislature. Republican William S. Taylor was elected to succeed Bradley in the contentious 1899 gubernatorial election. When Democratic nominee William Goebel and his running mate J. C. W. Beckham challenged the election results, Bradley formed part of the legal team for the Republicans. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, which found in favor of the Democrats. Despite being a member of the state's minority party, Bradley was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1907. Again, divisions within the Democratic Party played a role in his election. Bradley's opposition to Prohibition made him more palatable to some Democrats than their own candidate, outgoing Governor Beckham. Beckham refused to withdraw in favor of a compromise candidate, and after two months of balloting, four Democratic legislators crossed party lines and elected Bradley. Bradley had a largely undistinguished career in the Senate. On the day he announced he would not seek re-election to his Senate seat, he was involved in a streetcar accident. He died from his injuries on May 23, 1914. ==Early life== William O'Connell Bradley was born near Lancaster in Garrard County, Kentucky, on March 18, 1847.〔"Bradley, William O'Connell". ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''〕 He was the youngest child of Robert McAfee and Nancy Ellen (Totten) Bradley.〔Powell, p. 72〕 The couple also had six daughters, five of whom survived infancy, and one other son, who died as an infant.〔Thatcher, p. vii〕 Bradley's sister, Catherine Virginia (Bradley) Morrow, married Judge Thomas Z. Morrow, who made an unsuccessful run for the governorship of Kentucky in 1883; their son, Edwin P. Morrow, was elected the 40th governor of Kentucky in 1917.〔 While Bradley was still a child, the family moved to Somerset, Kentucky, where Bradley was educated by private tutors and at a private school.〔〔 After the outbreak of the Civil War, he twice dropped out of school and ran away to join the Union Army, first serving as a recruiting officer in Somerset, then enlisting as a private soldier in Louisville.〔Perrin, Battle, and Kiffin, ''Kentucky: A History of the State''〕 Both times, his father removed him from the service because of his young age.〔E. Johnson, p. 673〕 Despite having only this few months of service to his credit, he was referred to as "Colonel Bradley" by many for the rest of his life.〔Wiltz, p. 120〕 In 1861, Bradley became a page in the Kentucky House of Representatives.〔 He studied law under his father, one of Kentucky's leading criminal defense lawyers.〔 Although Kentucky law required that anyone taking the bar examination be at least twenty-one years old, Bradley was allowed by a special provision of the state legislature to take it at age eighteen.〔 This arrangement was contingent on Bradley's being judged competent by two circuit judges.〔 Despite having no college education, Bradley passed the exam and was licensed in 1865, joining his father's firm in Lancaster.〔〔 He later received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Kentucky University (now Transylvania University).〔Thatcher, p. ix〕 On July 13, 1867,〔Powell and Perrin record the date as July 11〕 Bradley married Margaret Robertson Duncan, and subsequently converted from Baptism to Presbyterianism, his wife's faith. The couple had two children, George Robertson Bradley and Christine (Bradley) South.〔Thatcher, p. viii, xix〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「William O'Connell Bradley」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|