Conrad Meyer Zulick
Encyclopedia
Conrad Meyer Zulick was an American
jurist
and Democratic party
activist who became the seventh Governor of Arizona Territory
. During his term the Indian Wars
ended and the territorial capital was moved from Prescott
to Phoenix
. He is also known for having been a prisoner in Mexico
at the time of his appointment.
, to Anthony and Jane Morton (Cummings) Zulick. His father was an immigrant from Frankfurt, Germany, while his mother was a Pennsylvania native. Zulick's family lived at a private school called Minerva Hall where, supplemented by private tutors, he received his early education. He was trained as an attorney
and in June 1860 was admitted to the New Jersey bar
. Zulick also campaigned for Stephen A. Douglas
in the 1860 presidential election
.
When the American Civil War
began, Zulick became adjutant
for the Second Division of Colored Volunteers. He rose to unit command before being discharged as a colonel for a service-incurred disability. Following discharge, he moved to Newark, New Jersey
and became the first Surrogate of Essex County from the Democratic Party. Zulick married Caroline L. Nightingale and the couple had one daughter, Lillian Carlotta. Zulick's grandson was Naval aviator
DeWitt C. Ramsey.
President Andrew Johnson
appointed Zulick Collector of Internal Revenue for Essex County, while in 1879 he was elected Surrogate Judge of Essex County. Zulick was a delegate to the 1880 Democratic National Convention
and campaigned for his party. At the same time he turned down offers for political nominations to be Governor of a member of Congress as he had developed business interests in Arizona and planned to move to the territory. By late 1884 he had moved to Tombstone, Arizona Territory
.
of New Jersey. President Grover Cleveland
nominated him as a recess appointment
on October 14, 1885, with the U.S. Senate confirming the appointment on December 10, 1885. The appointment was renewed for a full four-year term on May 5, 1886. At time of his appointment, Zulick was imprisoned at Nacozari, Sonora. He had gone to the town in his role as President of the New Jersey and Sonora Copper Mines to resolve a financial dispute. After arriving he found out that under Mexican law he could be arrested and held until the company's debts were paid. A rescue mission was organized and former army scout M. T. "Doc" Donovan freed the prisoner during a 2 am foray. Zulick was not informed of his appointment as governor until he had crossed the border back into the United States.
Following his rescue, Zulick enjoyed a series of receptions in Tombstone
, Tucson
, and Phoenix
as he journeyed to the capital. The predominately Democratic population and newspapers in turn celebrated the appointment of the first territorial governor from their party. Zulick was sworn in on November 2, 1885.
The issues facing the new governor included smuggling along the Mexican border, patronage problems, and the recent escape by Geronimo
and a group of Chiricahua Apache from the San Carlos Reservation. To address the smuggling issue, Zulick proposed four mounted inspectors be hired to patrol the border, ensuring that duties on alcohol and tobacco were collected and to prevent problems with livestock migrating over the border. The patronage issues were due to Republican appointees from the previous administration refusing to leave their positions until a court degree forced them to vacate.
The Apache uprising caused more political problems for Zulick than the border smuggling. Concern over the "hostile" Indians caused most Arizonans to call for action against the Apache. Then, while the U.S. Army escalated military operations against the insurgency, the governor issued a December 23, 1885, proclamation telling the territory's citizens "not to take the law into your hands to punish the Apaches." This decree was view unfavorably by the population with one newspaper editorializing, "He proclaimed that the citizens of Arizona were lawless ruffians, and in their wrath there was danger that they would hurt a few poor Indians." Soon afterward Zulick's popularity plummeted and he was being referred to as a "trickster of the smallest caliber" and a "failure". Despite his low approval among the populace, the governor maintained the confidence of President Cleveland and was thus safely remained in office.
The territory faced financial problems during Zulick's administration. The 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature
had left Arizona with a territorial debt of US$ 1,101,625. Motivated in part by the excesses of this legislative session, the U.S. Congress on July 30, 1886 passed a statue limiting territorial debt. Under these restrictions, the 14th Arizona Territorial Legislature appropriated only US$ 44,216.73, down from the US$ 294,323.00 appropriated by the previous session. In addition to appropriations, the session granted the governor's request and passed a "Stock and Sanitary Law" requiring the registration of cattle brands and the quarantine of livestock imported into the territory to check for infectious disease. The session also saw Zulick declare the curse of hostile Indians had come to an end following the capture of Geronimo's band. Despite these events, the action Zulick was most associated with in the session was the repeal of a "test oath law" designed to limit voting rights of Mormon immigrants to the territory. After arguing that "A man may be an advocate of bigamy or polygamy, or belong to the church that so believes, but until he puts forth his belief in practice he has offended no law", Zulick was accused of making a political deal with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to control the territory.
The election of President Benjamin Harrison
signaled the end of Zulick's time as governor. A new governor however was not appointed till after the start of the 15th Arizona Territorial Legislature
. The first piece of legislation passed during this session moved the territorial capital from Prescott to Phoenix. Zulick's support for statehood was shown in Public Act Number 59, which called for convening a constitutional convention
. While this act was passed, the convention was never called as the governor's successor, Lewis Wolfley
, felt it was an "unwise measure". The final act of the Zulick administration was appointment for a full slate of territorial officials. Despite the slate being rejected by the legislature in favor of a competing slate nominated by Governor Wolfley, many of those nominated by Zulick refused to leave their appointed posts. This dual set of territorial officials would lead to political trouble for the incoming governor.
, on March 2, 1926, and was interred in Easton Cemetery
in Easton.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and Democratic party
Democratic 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...
activist who became the seventh Governor of Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
. During his term the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
ended and the territorial capital was moved from Prescott
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. He is also known for having been a prisoner in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
at the time of his appointment.
Background
Zulick was born June 3, 1839, in Easton, PennsylvaniaEaston, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, to Anthony and Jane Morton (Cummings) Zulick. His father was an immigrant from Frankfurt, Germany, while his mother was a Pennsylvania native. Zulick's family lived at a private school called Minerva Hall where, supplemented by private tutors, he received his early education. He was trained as an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and in June 1860 was admitted to the New Jersey bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
. Zulick also campaigned for Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
in the 1860 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 was a quadrennial election, held on November 6, 1860, for the office of President of the United States and the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout the 1850s on questions surrounding the...
.
When the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
began, Zulick became adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
for the Second Division of Colored Volunteers. He rose to unit command before being discharged as a colonel for a service-incurred disability. Following discharge, he moved to Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and became the first Surrogate of Essex County from the Democratic Party. Zulick married Caroline L. Nightingale and the couple had one daughter, Lillian Carlotta. Zulick's grandson was Naval aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
DeWitt C. Ramsey.
President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
appointed Zulick Collector of Internal Revenue for Essex County, while in 1879 he was elected Surrogate Judge of Essex County. Zulick was a delegate to the 1880 Democratic National Convention
1880 Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention of 1880 met June 22 to 24 of that year, at the Cincinnati Music Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio. George Hoadly served as temporary chairman and John W. Stevenson served as permanent president. Delegates nominated Winfield S. Hancock of Pennsylvania for President of the...
and campaigned for his party. At the same time he turned down offers for political nominations to be Governor of a member of Congress as he had developed business interests in Arizona and planned to move to the territory. By late 1884 he had moved to Tombstone, Arizona Territory
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
.
Governorship
Zulick's appointment as Territorial Governor was due mainly to lobbying by Senator John R. McPhersonJohn R. McPherson
John Rhoderic McPherson was a United States Senator from New Jersey who served three terms of office, from 1877 - 1895....
of New Jersey. President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
nominated him as a recess appointment
Recess appointment
A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...
on October 14, 1885, with the U.S. Senate confirming the appointment on December 10, 1885. The appointment was renewed for a full four-year term on May 5, 1886. At time of his appointment, Zulick was imprisoned at Nacozari, Sonora. He had gone to the town in his role as President of the New Jersey and Sonora Copper Mines to resolve a financial dispute. After arriving he found out that under Mexican law he could be arrested and held until the company's debts were paid. A rescue mission was organized and former army scout M. T. "Doc" Donovan freed the prisoner during a 2 am foray. Zulick was not informed of his appointment as governor until he had crossed the border back into the United States.
Following his rescue, Zulick enjoyed a series of receptions in Tombstone
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
, Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, and Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
as he journeyed to the capital. The predominately Democratic population and newspapers in turn celebrated the appointment of the first territorial governor from their party. Zulick was sworn in on November 2, 1885.
The issues facing the new governor included smuggling along the Mexican border, patronage problems, and the recent escape by Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
and a group of Chiricahua Apache from the San Carlos Reservation. To address the smuggling issue, Zulick proposed four mounted inspectors be hired to patrol the border, ensuring that duties on alcohol and tobacco were collected and to prevent problems with livestock migrating over the border. The patronage issues were due to Republican appointees from the previous administration refusing to leave their positions until a court degree forced them to vacate.
The Apache uprising caused more political problems for Zulick than the border smuggling. Concern over the "hostile" Indians caused most Arizonans to call for action against the Apache. Then, while the U.S. Army escalated military operations against the insurgency, the governor issued a December 23, 1885, proclamation telling the territory's citizens "not to take the law into your hands to punish the Apaches." This decree was view unfavorably by the population with one newspaper editorializing, "He proclaimed that the citizens of Arizona were lawless ruffians, and in their wrath there was danger that they would hurt a few poor Indians." Soon afterward Zulick's popularity plummeted and he was being referred to as a "trickster of the smallest caliber" and a "failure". Despite his low approval among the populace, the governor maintained the confidence of President Cleveland and was thus safely remained in office.
The territory faced financial problems during Zulick's administration. The 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature
13th Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 13th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which began on January 12, 1885, in Prescott, Arizona. The session's accomplishments included allocation of a variety of territorial institution including a university, normal school, prison, and...
had left Arizona with a territorial debt of US$ 1,101,625. Motivated in part by the excesses of this legislative session, the U.S. Congress on July 30, 1886 passed a statue limiting territorial debt. Under these restrictions, the 14th Arizona Territorial Legislature appropriated only US$ 44,216.73, down from the US$ 294,323.00 appropriated by the previous session. In addition to appropriations, the session granted the governor's request and passed a "Stock and Sanitary Law" requiring the registration of cattle brands and the quarantine of livestock imported into the territory to check for infectious disease. The session also saw Zulick declare the curse of hostile Indians had come to an end following the capture of Geronimo's band. Despite these events, the action Zulick was most associated with in the session was the repeal of a "test oath law" designed to limit voting rights of Mormon immigrants to the territory. After arguing that "A man may be an advocate of bigamy or polygamy, or belong to the church that so believes, but until he puts forth his belief in practice he has offended no law", Zulick was accused of making a political deal with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to control the territory.
The election of President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
signaled the end of Zulick's time as governor. A new governor however was not appointed till after the start of the 15th Arizona Territorial Legislature
15th Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 15th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which began on January 21, 1889, in Prescott, Arizona, moved to Phoenix on February 7 and did not adjourn till April 11...
. The first piece of legislation passed during this session moved the territorial capital from Prescott to Phoenix. Zulick's support for statehood was shown in Public Act Number 59, which called for convening a constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
. While this act was passed, the convention was never called as the governor's successor, Lewis Wolfley
Lewis Wolfley
Lewis Wolfley was an American civil engineer who served as the eighth Governor of Arizona Territory. He is commonly regarded as the first territorial governor to be a resident of Arizona at the time of his appointment and was the only bachelor to hold the position.Wolfley's political career was...
, felt it was an "unwise measure". The final act of the Zulick administration was appointment for a full slate of territorial officials. Despite the slate being rejected by the legislature in favor of a competing slate nominated by Governor Wolfley, many of those nominated by Zulick refused to leave their appointed posts. This dual set of territorial officials would lead to political trouble for the incoming governor.
After office
After leaving office as governor, Zulick moved to a farm near Phoenix where he raised figs, grapes, and oranges. He also purchased roughly 150 mares and raised horses. In November 1890, he was elected to the 16th Arizona Territorial Legislature. With Grover Cleveland's return to the presidency in 1893, Zulick was suggested as a possible territorial governor. This suggestion was repeated in 1895 as part of the efforts to remove L. C. Hughes from office. Upon retirement, Zulick returned to New Jersey. He died in Asbury Park, New JerseyAsbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 16,116. The city is known for its rich musical history, including its association with...
, on March 2, 1926, and was interred in Easton Cemetery
Easton Cemetery
Easton Cemetery is a historic cemetery and burial site of many notable individuals, located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.-Notable burials:*Jefferson Davis Brodhead...
in Easton.