Bryant W. Bailey
Encyclopedia
Bryant William Bailey (July 29, 1868–February 3, 1961) was a business
man, politician
, and journalist
who became a leading figure during the 1890s
in the short-lived Populist Party
in the U.S. state
of Louisiana
.
in Winn Parish
, where he briefly attended public schools. In October 1890, he moved from his family property to the parish seat of Winnfield
to become the manager of a branch store of the local Farmers Union Cooperative Association
. By 1894, he was owner of the Bailey Hotel in Winnfield. In 1902, Bailey drilled the first oil well
in Winn Parish, a year after the first such structure had been undertaken in the state in 1901 near Jennings
in Jeff Davis Parish in southwestern Louisiana.
. Thereafter, he joined the Populist Party, which claimed to represent the "common man" against the entrenched "interests." Soon Bailey emerged as a regional leader of the Populists. The party's Louisiana branch was organized on October 2, 1891, at a convention of delegates from seventeen parishes held in Alexandria
, the seat of Rapides Parish
in central Louisiana. In addition to Bailey, another leading Populist at the founding convention was Hardy L. Brian, a Grant Parish
native then residing in Winnfield.
The national Populists offered their first presidential nominee in 1892, General James B. Weaver of Iowa
, who won four states, mostly in the American West. From 1893 to 1907, Bailey edited his Winnfield Comrade newspaper
in Winnfield, which became the ancestral home of the Democratic Long
political faction.Longism was considered an outgrowth of the early Populist movement; indeed some viewed Huey Pierce Long, Jr., as a "radical populist."
In both 1894 and 1896, when the Populists endorsed the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan
of Nebraska
, for U.S. President, Bailey was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives
on the Populist ticket. In 1898, Bailey was the only Populist delegate to the Louisiana State Constitutional Convention held that year in Baton Rouge
. He refused to sign the final document, which after ratification remained in effect until 1921.This Constitution contained the grandfather clause
allowing whites whose fathers or grandfathers were registered to vote as of January 1, 1867, to be exempt from the literacy test
otherwise given to potential African American
voters.The grandfather clause, which spread to other states including Oklahoma
, was subsequently struck down in 1915 in the case Guinn v. United States
as a violation of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
.
. In 1913, after his tenure as sheriff, Bailey began a 20-year stint as vice president and then president of the Bank of Winnfield. Bailey also worked to establish the Northwest Louisiana Game and Fish Preserve. He obtained state legislative funds to build a dam on Saline Lake, a part of Saline Bayou
near the boundary of Winn and Natchitoches
parishes. Bailey worked for improved roads and was partly instrumental in securing the wide city streets of Winnfield. He was influential in removing livestock from municipal streets.
Bailey was a member of the Methodist Church and the Masonic lodge
. He and his wife, the former Penelope Dickerson (January 30, 1872–February 25, 1961), are interred at the Winnfield City Cemetery. Mrs. Bailey died twenty-two days after her husband's passing. There is no indication of any children.
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who became a leading figure during the 1890s
1890s
The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the "Mauve Decade" - because William Henry Perkin's aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion - and also as the "Gay Nineties", under the then-current usage of the word "gay" which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no...
in the short-lived Populist Party
Populist Party (United States)
The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891. It was most important in 1892-96, then rapidly faded away...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Early years
Bailey was born to immigrants from GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in Winn Parish
Winn Parish, Louisiana
Winn Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Winnfield. In 2000, its population was 16,894.The parish has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, where he briefly attended public schools. In October 1890, he moved from his family property to the parish seat of Winnfield
Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
to become the manager of a branch store of the local Farmers Union Cooperative Association
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
. By 1894, he was owner of the Bailey Hotel in Winnfield. In 1902, Bailey drilled the first oil well
Oil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
in Winn Parish, a year after the first such structure had been undertaken in the state in 1901 near Jennings
Jennings, Louisiana
Jennings is a small city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. The population was 10,986 at the 2000 census....
in Jeff Davis Parish in southwestern Louisiana.
Populist Party
Prior to 1890, like most Louisiana voters at that time, Bailey was a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Thereafter, he joined the Populist Party, which claimed to represent the "common man" against the entrenched "interests." Soon Bailey emerged as a regional leader of the Populists. The party's Louisiana branch was organized on October 2, 1891, at a convention of delegates from seventeen parishes held in Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, the seat of Rapides Parish
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
-Military Installations:*Camp Beauregard *Esler Airfield *England Air Force Base *Camp Claiborne *Camp Livingston -Demographics:...
in central Louisiana. In addition to Bailey, another leading Populist at the founding convention was Hardy L. Brian, a Grant Parish
Grant Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,698 people, 7,073 households, and 5,276 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 8,531 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
native then residing in Winnfield.
The national Populists offered their first presidential nominee in 1892, General James B. Weaver of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, who won four states, mostly in the American West. From 1893 to 1907, Bailey edited his Winnfield Comrade newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in Winnfield, which became the ancestral home of the Democratic Long
Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
political faction.Longism was considered an outgrowth of the early Populist movement; indeed some viewed Huey Pierce Long, Jr., as a "radical populist."
In both 1894 and 1896, when the Populists endorsed the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, for U.S. President, Bailey was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
on the Populist ticket. In 1898, Bailey was the only Populist delegate to the Louisiana State Constitutional Convention held that year in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. He refused to sign the final document, which after ratification remained in effect until 1921.This Constitution contained the grandfather clause
Grandfather clause
Grandfather clause is a legal term used to describe a situation in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations, while a new rule will apply to all future situations. It is often used as a verb: to grandfather means to grant such an exemption...
allowing whites whose fathers or grandfathers were registered to vote as of January 1, 1867, to be exempt from the literacy test
Literacy test
A literacy test, in the context of United States political history, refers to the government practice of testing the literacy of potential citizens at the federal level, and potential voters at the state level. The federal government first employed literacy tests as part of the immigration process...
otherwise given to potential African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
voters.The grandfather clause, which spread to other states including Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, was subsequently struck down in 1915 in the case Guinn v. United States
Guinn v. United States
Guinn v. United States, 238 U.S. 347 , was an important United States Supreme Court decision that dealt with provisions of state constitutions that set qualifications for voters. It found grandfather clause exemptions to literacy tests to be unconstitutional...
as a violation of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits each government in the United States from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude"...
.
Winnfield civic leader
By 1904, the Populist Party had disbanded. In 1908, Bailey was elected in 1908 to a single term as a Democrat to the office of Winn Parish sheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
. In 1913, after his tenure as sheriff, Bailey began a 20-year stint as vice president and then president of the Bank of Winnfield. Bailey also worked to establish the Northwest Louisiana Game and Fish Preserve. He obtained state legislative funds to build a dam on Saline Lake, a part of Saline Bayou
Saline Bayou
Saline Bayou is a tributary of the Red River in Louisiana in the United States. In 1986 it became the first blackwater river in the American South to have been designated in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System...
near the boundary of Winn and Natchitoches
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Natchitoches Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Natchitoches. As of 2000, the population was 39,080. This is the heart of the Cane River Louisiana Creole community...
parishes. Bailey worked for improved roads and was partly instrumental in securing the wide city streets of Winnfield. He was influential in removing livestock from municipal streets.
Bailey was a member of the Methodist Church and the Masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
. He and his wife, the former Penelope Dickerson (January 30, 1872–February 25, 1961), are interred at the Winnfield City Cemetery. Mrs. Bailey died twenty-two days after her husband's passing. There is no indication of any children.