Ed Jackson
Encyclopedia
Edward L. "Ed" Jackson was the 32nd Governor
of the U.S. state of Indiana
from January 12, 1925, to January 14, 1929. A member of Indiana branch
of the Ku Klux Klan
, he became involved in several scandals that continued throughout his term in office. He was tried on bribery charges related to his Klan activities but not convicted because the statute of limitations
had expired. He finished his term in office, but left in disgrace and never again ran for public office.
, the son of Presley and Mary Howell Jackson. His family were members of the Disciples of Christ church, and his father was a mill worker. As a boy, he delivered newspapers and attended public schools. After completing school he took a job in a factory producing stakes and married to Rosa Wilkinson on February 20, 1897. The couple had two daughters, Helen and Edith, before Rosa died during October 1919. Jackson remarried on November 23, 1920, to Lydia Beaty Pierce, and the couple adopted an infant son who they named Edward Jackson Jr.
Jackson began studying law after he finished school and opened a law office in Kennard
in 1893. His business was not very successful at first, and he had to work in a brickyard to provide income for himself. By 1898, his law office had become a full time position and he worked on many cases for the Henry County
prosecutor's office. In 1901, he ran for the prosecutor's position and won, serving until 1906. He was elected as a county circuit court judge in 1907 and remained on the court until 1914, during which time he gained a strong political base of support.
His popularity in the Republican Party helped in winning the nomination to run for Indiana Secretary of State in 1916, and he won the election. His time in office was brief however, as he resigned shortly after World War I
broke out and enlisted in the United States Army
. He was commissioned as a captain in November 1917 and stationed in Toledo, Ohio
. He was soon moved to Battle Creek, Michigan
, and then Lafayette, Indiana
, where he was promoted to major and made commandant of a training facility. He remained there preparing new recruits until he was discharged from the army in February 1919.
. Governor of Indiana
James P. Goodrich
appointed him Secretary of State to fill the seat after incumbent William Roach died in January 1920. As the campaign neared, he ran for the office again, and was reelected in 1922. This time he served a full term. Jackson was interested in running for higher office, and began to seek out supporter for his coming bid for the governorship. He was approached by Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan
D. C. Stephenson
, who felt him out on several issues of interest to the Klan, primarily in eliminating Roman Catholic
influence in the state.
Although the full extent of the Klan's power was unknown at that time, it controlled over half the seats in the Indiana General Assembly
, and a large percentage of the local office in Indiana. The public general, and Jackson, saw the Klan as defenders of justice, morality, and Americanism. Their reputation and influence persuaded Jackson to accept their support. Jackson, however, soon found the deal troublesome as the Klan began demanding certain actions from him. He granted the Klan a state charter, to the disgust of Governor Warren T. McCray
. McCray was one of the only high officials to try to battle the Klan, and Jackson was used to persuade the governor to comply with the Klan's agenda. In 1923, Jackson offered McCray a US$10,000 bribe on behalf of Stephenson if he would fill several public offices with Klan members. McCray, a millionaire, declined the bribe and was offended. The dealing was behind the scenes and not made public.
and the George Rogers Clark Memorial were established with his support.
One his first acts was to support new and stronger prohibition laws. The Wright Bone Dry Law was passed by the General Assembly to increase penalites and jail time for prohibition violators. It also closed some loopholes in the prohibition laws, like banning the sale of whiskey for medicinal purposes. Jackson was soon caught up in a small scandal when his wife became sick in 1925. Jackson personally procured some medicinal whiskey, and she soon recovered from her sickness. Word soon got out about his actions, but he asked the public for forgiveness and assured them it was in fact the prayers of the public and not the whiskey which had cured his wife.
died in office, and Jackson needed to appoint his replacement. He chose Arthur Raymond Robinson
at the advice of Stephenson. Republican leaders were upset with Jackson over the choice, as they had favored the appointment of former senator Albert Beveridge. Opponents began to charge that the Klan was in control of the governorship.
The following year Indiana Attorney General
Arthur Gulliom arrested Edward Shumaker, the leader of the Indiana Anti-Saloon League
. He charged Shumaker with contempt of court because of newsletters he was circulating attacking the Indiana Supreme Court for what he viewed as lax enforcement of prohibition laws. He was convicted and sentenced to serve time on the Indiana work farm. Shumaker was a Klan member and leader of a key Republican support group, so Jackson pardoned him. Gulliom took the pardon to court and had the pardon overturned by the Supreme Court and Shumaker was required to serve his term.
High profile problems continued for Jackson. In 1925, Stephenson had been arrested for the rape and murder of Madge Oberholtzer
, convicted, and sentenced to thirty years in prison. He demanded that Jackson pardon him, but after his debacle in the Shumaker pardon and Stephenson’s obvious guilt, he refused. Stephenson was angered and began to take out revenge on Klan members for not helping him out of prison. He started talking to reporters from the Indianapolis Star and giving names of people who had been bribed and taken part in other illegal activity. He had kept a "black box" of records which provided evidence many of his accusations. Among the numerous people people exposed was Jackson, in regards to the $10,000 bribe he offered to McCray years earlier.
Numerous religious and civic groups in the state demanded that Jackson resign. His case, like many other Klan bribery cases, was brought to court. His trial ended in a hung jury
, but regardless the outcome, the statute of limitations precluded any possible conviction in his case. Despite the final result of the trial, he became the subject of attacks across the state and the Indiana Klan's power collapsed. He left office disgraced and ended his political career.
, where he remained until 1937. That year he moved to a large farm he purchased near Orleans
, where he raised cattle
and maintained an apple orchard and remained active in several local clubs. In 1948, he suffered a massive stroke
that left him bedridden for the rest of his life. He died in his home on November 18, 1954, and was buried in the Green Hill Cemetery of Orleans.
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
of the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
from January 12, 1925, to January 14, 1929. A member of Indiana branch
Indiana Klan
The Indiana Klan was a branch of the Ku Klux Klan, a secret society in the United States that practiced racism and terrorism against minority ethnic and religious groups. The Indiana Klan rose to prominence beginning in the years after World War I when rising levels of eastern and southern European...
of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, he became involved in several scandals that continued throughout his term in office. He was tried on bribery charges related to his Klan activities but not convicted because the statute of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
had expired. He finished his term in office, but left in disgrace and never again ran for public office.
Family and background
Edward Jackson was born on December 27, 1873, in Howard County, IndianaHoward County, Indiana
Howard County is one of 92 counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is part of the Kokomo, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Howard and Tipton counties. Originally named Richardville County, it was rechristened in 1844 to commemorate General Tilghman Ashurst Howard. As of...
, the son of Presley and Mary Howell Jackson. His family were members of the Disciples of Christ church, and his father was a mill worker. As a boy, he delivered newspapers and attended public schools. After completing school he took a job in a factory producing stakes and married to Rosa Wilkinson on February 20, 1897. The couple had two daughters, Helen and Edith, before Rosa died during October 1919. Jackson remarried on November 23, 1920, to Lydia Beaty Pierce, and the couple adopted an infant son who they named Edward Jackson Jr.
Jackson began studying law after he finished school and opened a law office in Kennard
Kennard, Indiana
Kennard is a town in Greensboro Township, Henry County, Indiana, United States. The population was 471 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Kennard is located at ....
in 1893. His business was not very successful at first, and he had to work in a brickyard to provide income for himself. By 1898, his law office had become a full time position and he worked on many cases for the Henry County
Henry County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,508 people, 19,486 households, and 13,971 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile . There were 20,592 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
prosecutor's office. In 1901, he ran for the prosecutor's position and won, serving until 1906. He was elected as a county circuit court judge in 1907 and remained on the court until 1914, during which time he gained a strong political base of support.
His popularity in the Republican Party helped in winning the nomination to run for Indiana Secretary of State in 1916, and he won the election. His time in office was brief however, as he resigned shortly after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out and enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was commissioned as a captain in November 1917 and stationed in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. He was soon moved to Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
, and then Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
, where he was promoted to major and made commandant of a training facility. He remained there preparing new recruits until he was discharged from the army in February 1919.
Ku Klux Klan
After leaving the military, he opened a new law office in Lafayette, and before returning to politics he joined the Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. Governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
James P. Goodrich
James P. Goodrich
James Putnam Goodrich, , a Republican, was the 29th Governor of Indiana from 1917 to 1921. His term focused on reforming the operations of the state government and overseeing the state's contributions for World War I. He nearly died twice during his term, and spent a considerable time bedridden...
appointed him Secretary of State to fill the seat after incumbent William Roach died in January 1920. As the campaign neared, he ran for the office again, and was reelected in 1922. This time he served a full term. Jackson was interested in running for higher office, and began to seek out supporter for his coming bid for the governorship. He was approached by Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan
Indiana Klan
The Indiana Klan was a branch of the Ku Klux Klan, a secret society in the United States that practiced racism and terrorism against minority ethnic and religious groups. The Indiana Klan rose to prominence beginning in the years after World War I when rising levels of eastern and southern European...
D. C. Stephenson
D. C. Stephenson
David Curtiss "Steve" Stephenson was an American Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in the U.S. state of Indiana and 22 other Northern states. He is considered to have been one of the most successful Klan leaders up until his downfall after his conviction for murder...
, who felt him out on several issues of interest to the Klan, primarily in eliminating Roman Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
influence in the state.
Although the full extent of the Klan's power was unknown at that time, it controlled over half the seats in the Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
, and a large percentage of the local office in Indiana. The public general, and Jackson, saw the Klan as defenders of justice, morality, and Americanism. Their reputation and influence persuaded Jackson to accept their support. Jackson, however, soon found the deal troublesome as the Klan began demanding certain actions from him. He granted the Klan a state charter, to the disgust of Governor Warren T. McCray
Warren T. McCray
Warren Terry McCray was the 30th Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from 1921 to 1924. He came into conflict with the growing influence of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan after vetoing legislation they supported...
. McCray was one of the only high officials to try to battle the Klan, and Jackson was used to persuade the governor to comply with the Klan's agenda. In 1923, Jackson offered McCray a US$10,000 bribe on behalf of Stephenson if he would fill several public offices with Klan members. McCray, a millionaire, declined the bribe and was offended. The dealing was behind the scenes and not made public.
Prohibition
The Klan's support of Jackson did not seem to make any significant impact at the polls, as he campaigned against Democrat candidate Carleton B. McCulloch. Republican party leaders did not want Jackson to take an open endorsement from the Klan for fear it would hurt some parts of the ticket. To remedy the situation, Jackson gave a speech guaranteeing "full civil and religious liberty for Jews, Catholics, and blacks." Although merely lip service, it prevented the leadership of the Klan from agreeing to openly endorse him. Jackson won the election by nearly 100,000 votes. He was inaugurated on January 12, 1925. He stressed the need to run the government economically. His administration oversaw the payoff of the state's US$3.5 million debt and a significant reduction in taxes. He also increased attention on the Department of Conservation. The Indiana Dunes State ParkIndiana Dunes State Park
Indiana DunesDesignationState Park; National Natural LandmarkLocationPorter County, Indiana, USAAddress1600 N 25 EChesterton, IN 46304Nearest CityPorter, IndianaCoordinatesAreaDate of Establishment1925...
and the George Rogers Clark Memorial were established with his support.
One his first acts was to support new and stronger prohibition laws. The Wright Bone Dry Law was passed by the General Assembly to increase penalites and jail time for prohibition violators. It also closed some loopholes in the prohibition laws, like banning the sale of whiskey for medicinal purposes. Jackson was soon caught up in a small scandal when his wife became sick in 1925. Jackson personally procured some medicinal whiskey, and she soon recovered from her sickness. Word soon got out about his actions, but he asked the public for forgiveness and assured them it was in fact the prayers of the public and not the whiskey which had cured his wife.
Klan politics
In the autumn of 1925, United States Senator Samuel M. RalstonSamuel M. Ralston
Samuel Moffett Ralston was Democratic politician, the 28th Governor of and a United States Senator from the U.S. state of Indiana. Born into a large impoverished family, he took many jobs as a child including working in a coal mine...
died in office, and Jackson needed to appoint his replacement. He chose Arthur Raymond Robinson
Arthur Raymond Robinson
Arthur Raymond Robinson was a United States Senator from Indiana.-Early life:Born in Pickerington, Ohio, Robinson attended the common schools, graduated from the Ohio Northern University in 1901, the Indiana University Law School at Indianapolis in 1910, and the University of Chicago in 1913...
at the advice of Stephenson. Republican leaders were upset with Jackson over the choice, as they had favored the appointment of former senator Albert Beveridge. Opponents began to charge that the Klan was in control of the governorship.
The following year Indiana Attorney General
Indiana Attorney General
The Indiana Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Indiana in the United States. Attorneys General are chosen by a statewide general election to serve for a four-year term...
Arthur Gulliom arrested Edward Shumaker, the leader of the Indiana Anti-Saloon League
Anti-Saloon League
The Anti-Saloon League was the leading organization lobbying for prohibition in the United States in the early 20th century. It was a key component of the Progressive Era, and was strongest in the South and rural North, drawing heavy support from pietistic Protestant ministers and their...
. He charged Shumaker with contempt of court because of newsletters he was circulating attacking the Indiana Supreme Court for what he viewed as lax enforcement of prohibition laws. He was convicted and sentenced to serve time on the Indiana work farm. Shumaker was a Klan member and leader of a key Republican support group, so Jackson pardoned him. Gulliom took the pardon to court and had the pardon overturned by the Supreme Court and Shumaker was required to serve his term.
High profile problems continued for Jackson. In 1925, Stephenson had been arrested for the rape and murder of Madge Oberholtzer
Madge Oberholtzer
Madge Augustine Oberholtzer was an American schoolteacher who worked and lived in Indianapolis. Kidnapped and raped by D.C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan, she died of a staph infection from wounds inflicted upon her by Stephenson...
, convicted, and sentenced to thirty years in prison. He demanded that Jackson pardon him, but after his debacle in the Shumaker pardon and Stephenson’s obvious guilt, he refused. Stephenson was angered and began to take out revenge on Klan members for not helping him out of prison. He started talking to reporters from the Indianapolis Star and giving names of people who had been bribed and taken part in other illegal activity. He had kept a "black box" of records which provided evidence many of his accusations. Among the numerous people people exposed was Jackson, in regards to the $10,000 bribe he offered to McCray years earlier.
Numerous religious and civic groups in the state demanded that Jackson resign. His case, like many other Klan bribery cases, was brought to court. His trial ended in a hung jury
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
, but regardless the outcome, the statute of limitations precluded any possible conviction in his case. Despite the final result of the trial, he became the subject of attacks across the state and the Indiana Klan's power collapsed. He left office disgraced and ended his political career.
Later life
After his term as governor, Jackson resumed his law practice, opening an office in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, where he remained until 1937. That year he moved to a large farm he purchased near Orleans
Orleans, Indiana
Orleans is a town in Orleans Township, Orange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,273 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Orleans is located at ....
, where he raised cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and maintained an apple orchard and remained active in several local clubs. In 1948, he suffered a massive stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
that left him bedridden for the rest of his life. He died in his home on November 18, 1954, and was buried in the Green Hill Cemetery of Orleans.