Davis Waite in Colorado History - Research Paper Example

Biography of Davis H. Waite (Colorado History) Davis Hanson Waite, the Colorado governor was born in Jamestown in New York on 9th April the year 1825 to Olive and Joseph. Waite was the grandson of Silas Waite and of Deborah and Samuel. Governor Waite traces his genealogy to Rawson who lived in Mendon. His father, Joseph Waite relocated from Wardsboro, Vermont to Jamestown in New York in 1814. He died in 1901 at Aspen, Colorado at the age of 76 years. Governor Waite attended the common schools as well as Jamestown academy. He proceeded to study law after which he was admitted to the bar in the year 1846 where he practiced for four year up to 1850. He then moved to Fond du Lac and in the following year 1851 relocated to Princeton still in Wisconsin. From this time to 1857, Governor Waite was involved in mercantile entrepreneurial activities. His first marriage in 1851 was to Frances, the daughter of Celia and Robert Russell from Sauquoit, New York. The second marriage took place in January, 1885 and was to the widowed daughter of John and Jane Crane (Lamm 143). Waite was a member of the Wisconsin legislative assembly in 1856 courtesy of the Republican Party. Between the years 1856 to 1860, Waite served as a trainer at a high school in Houston. It is during this period o his career that he received a dishonoring account on his stand in antislavery perspectives. He went back to Jamestown, New York in 1861, where he employed his acumen in journalism to become an editor of the Chautauqua Democrat, an organ of the Republican of which he was also a co-owner. Additionally, he served as the editor of the Jamestown Journal which he was the sole proprietor for some period of time preceding the year 1876. In the years 1876 to 1879, Waite was involved in ranching activities while practicing law at the same time in Larned, Kansas. In the latter year, Waite also served as a legislative member. He continued to practice law in Leadville, Colorado between 1879 and 1881, in the subsequent years he moved to Aspen where he carried on with his law practice while also doubling as the editor of a reform paper called Union Era. Waite pioneered as the first overseer of all public schools within Pitkin in Colorado in 1881. He also represented the county as a champion of justice and peace (Hartzell 94). Governor Waite belonged to the United States Populist party. Additionally, he was a democrat politician and was the eighth governor of the vast Colorado state. In his tenure from 1893 to 1895, governor Waite was an ardent fan of the Omaha Platform, the party program fronted during the Nebraska convention. It is in the same year of the convention where he was a delegate that he was later elected as the governor of Colorado, one of the largest mining states in America. As a politician, Governor Waite also served as the secretary to the Knights of Labor Assembly. Moreover, he was the chairman of the central committee in the Pitkin County in Colorado (Lamm 149). Under the spearhead of Davis Waite, the 1892 election for gubernatorial seta in Colorado ushered into the Populist experimentation. Following his election as the Colorado governor, Waite played a significant role in the political mainstreaming and enactment of laws. These undertakings in tandem with his populist agenda as stipulated in his renowned “bloody bridles” oratory presentation during the Omaha convention in 1893. In this particular speech, Governor Waite expresses the significance of the American people liberty comparing it to blood flow in horses’ bridles. He asserts that it is better for this kind of blood to low in the bridles of the horses rather than withstand the sight of liberty destruction (Hartzell 171). His biggest challenge was directed to those he perceived to be possessing domination or cartels while ignoring the common citizen. As a result, governor Waite was a strong proponent of bi-metallism while remained an avid oppose to the formation of federalized bank industry. This federalism in banking institutions was seen as a hallmark of landed gentry which would further entrench monopoly in the extensive Colorado state. On this principle based agenda, Governor Waite was able to mount pressure and constant attacks on railroad cartels that continued to gain lump sum land grants which had federal implications (http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/govs/waite.html). One such intervention was the unionization of the American Railroad union in 1893 under the leadership of Eugene Debs who was later to become a socialist presidential candidate. In yet another show of support to the rail workers union, Governor Waite, was instrumental in the Pullman strike. The facility was owned by George Pullman a wealthy businessman who had stores, homes and vast land. This authoritarian rich man ensured that all his employees would purchase goods from his stores thereby ensuring a partial return of their wages to their employer. Clinging onto the same populist principles, Governor Waite was helpful in brokering a deal with the Cripple Creek miners and its owners during the strike in 1894. This deal went ahead to be famously referred to as the Waite Agreement (Langdon 97). The etiology this strike began as a result of the 1893 panic in which silver prices soared deeply down while gold prices remained extremely high. As such gold was in demand so as to stock up federal stores. The consequence of this action would lead to an influx of silver mine workers to gold mining, thus lowering the wages and longer working hours. Mine owners operated a gang of militia troops that terrorized the dwellers mostly mine workers. In a strong rejoinder, Governor Waite sought state military intervention so as to protect the citizens of Colorado. After a martial law threat, the mine owners decided to withdraw their troops and subsequently honored the Waite agreement on working hours and wages. However, despite his interventions to see equality and concern for the common man as depicted in his dealing with Eugene Debs in the Pullman strike and Cripple Creek strike, he was not a socialist (Langdon 116). On the political and reform centered agenda, the Denver depression experienced in 1893 in Colorado had far many implications than expected. On winning the gubernatorial seat in 1893, Governor Waite tried tirelessly to become intolerance on corruption. He was able to achieve this particular objective through a legal redress that gave him the powers to get rid of corrupt policemen. Such officers were perceived to be ones covering up prostitutes and gamblers who in some way contributed to the depression experienced in Denver. In an unexpected suggestion to fight corruption, Governor Waite commented that Colorado should produce its money, the Fandango dollars out of silver sales to Mexico. Not bearing in mind of his famous Bloody Bridle speech, he seemed to have violated the national liberty while suggesting a different dollar specifically for Colorado. Perhaps this may have led to his defeat in the subsequent election (Morris 174). Governor Waite was instrumental in initiating and legislation of a system that allowed women to vote and even seek office positions. This was not only beneficial within the political realms of the United States of America but was specifically crafted for the expansive Colorado sate. However, following his defeat in the next election, Waite reversed his stand on the women’s suffrage stand he had initially supported and implemented. Such a privilege is termed women’s suffrage across all political jurisdictions worldwide and has played a significant role in ensuring equality and equity. It is imperative to note that all these undertakings by Governor Waite of the mineral rich Colorado state are focused and have a strong populist outlook. The main idea and agenda in the actions are centered towards human development and equality within the society. In fact, to some extent, it is ambiguous to find that governor Waite is opposed to the socialist wing yet these actions tend to have social perspectives (Hartzell 159). Following his loss of the subsequent election, Waite continued with his journalistic aspects in various journals and periodicals. He also engaged himself in participating in speaking sessions that touched passionately on the famous Omaha populist convention. He passed on in the year 1901 during a thanksgiving dinner and was laid to rest in Aspen Colorado (http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/govs/waite.html). Works Cited Brockman, Jason. "Colorado State Archives Governors Collection." 8 February 2004. Colorado State Archives Governors Collection. 7 November 2012 . Hartzell, Charles. A Short and Truthful History of Colorado during the Turbulent Reign of Davis the First. Denver: C.J. Kelly, 1984. Lamm, Richard. Pioneers & Politicians: 10 Colorado Governors in Profile. Boulder: Pruett Publishing, 1984. Langdon, Emma. The Cripple Creek Strike: A History of Industrial Wars in Colorado. Denver: Spring, 1984. Morris, John. "The Waite-Diaz Correspondence and the Mexican Dollar Plan." Colorado Magazine 17 January 1961: 49-52. Read More