This is pretty cool: A list of Indiana Governors with dates of service and links to a portrait and a brief biography. For example, we have Henry Lane of Crawfordsville who served two days as Governor. Seems he had a deal with Oliver Morton, (a lawyer, Wayne County native, and Miami University alum — hmm, sounds like somebody I know) the other main Indiana Republican leader. Back in those days, the state legislature elected the state’s members to the United States Congress. Senate. Morton was originally a Democrat, so Lane was more palatable to the conservative old-line Whigs. So, Morton and Lane agreed that Lane would run for Governor and Morton as Lt. Governor. If they were elected and the Republicans gained control of the legislature, Lane would be elected to the U.S. Senate, Lane would then resign the Governorship, and Morton would succeed him. And that’s what happened.
Thank you that is cool. I bookmarked it.
I found the same sort of information in Wikipedia – they also have lineages of Hoosier Senators too – way cool!
My father worked for Shell Oil – I grew up in Maracaibo, Venezuela, in the state of Zulia. Damned if Wikipedia didnt also have all the governors of Zulia too as well as the complete Presidential Succession in History of Venezuela – in English too!!!
Plus, he’s got a statue! Reportedly, he annoyed the crap out of Lincoln.
From time to time, when we would pass Morton’s statue, my boss would solemnly intone “He gave us salt.”
“Back in those days, the state legislature elected the state’s members to the United States Congress.”
Actually, in those days, prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment, the state legislatures selected their US Senators. The US Representatives were elected by the voters of the state, though. Here’s a nice synopsis:
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment17/
There is a very small (miniscule?) movement to repeal the 17th Amendment, which provided for the direct election of US Senators. While this may seem counter-intuitive, or even a move towards disenfranchisement, those who promote the repeal believe that a vital link in the checks & balances was removed as an unintended consequence to widening the franchise. Here’s a link to a detailed call for repeal:
http://articlev.com/repeal_the_17th_amendment.htm
Also, that our US Senators have become disinterested in their role- representing their state- and instead have national constituencies. I have some sympathy for this. If you look at Indiana’s Senators Lugar and Bayh, you would have a hard time directly correlating the emphasis they place on the job (Lugar & foreign policy; Bayh and… running for President?) to the representation of Hoosiers. Many other US Senators have significantly wider national audiences than from their state, and certainly receive the majority of their campaign funding from outside their states rather than from within.
I don’t think this will ever go anywhere, but I thought it might be fun for some of the faithful readers here.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/mortonbio.htm
Oliver Morton packed a lot into his 54 years. He was only 33 when he ran for governor in 1856.
There is a bookstore located right off the main lobby of the Indiana State Library (Ohio and Senate streets in Indianapolis) that has a wealth of books and articles about Indiana.
Doug – There is a book,Indiana Canals, that should be in the Purdue Library since it was written by a Purdue professor,Paul Fatout, and published by Purdue University Press. It is fascinating reading anyone interested in Indiana politics. I was struck by the more things change the more they remain the same axiom. The political issues involving the canals were almost the same as the interstate issues today.
Those damn canals just about brought British troops occupying Indianapolis to ensure payment of the bonds. It even forced our new 1851 Constitution … dont’t get me started about those watery boondoggles!
Thanks for the tip, Jim.
Mike, thanks for the correction on legislative election of U.S. Senators, not Representatives. I knew that, but mistakenly typed “Congress” instead of “Senate.”
The way my American history teacher in high school told it was that the legislature really, really liked the idea of canals. They hired one engineer. That engineer said, “nope, won’t work. Among other things, the soil isn’t very good for the project.” Then they hired another engineer. Pretty much the same response. The third engineer was no fool – “Great idea!” was the response. Only, as history shows, it wasn’t.
I’ve been reading the PROBE report. Maybe we could “competitively source” the position of governor. Doug, it sounds as if you are as qualified as anyone else. :)
Sorry, I believe Doug is over qualified for the position of Governor. He actually knows the law, believes in his fellow Hoosier and doesn’t have cronies lined up to buy every piece of our government. Besides he writes about cool things that a history buff like me (IN Governors and my fave Morton) and so forth!
You guys are too kind! But these days I can’t even seem to find the surface of my desk or update this blog with any kind of frequency. So, running a state is probably beyond my grasp. And yet, oddly, I still expect my son to rule the world one day. Nothing like living vicariously through one’s children I suppose.