Edward W. Carmack
Encyclopedia
Edward Ward Carmack was an attorney
, newspaper
man, and political figure
who served as a U.S. Senator
from Tennessee
from 1901 to 1907.
Following his political service, and after an unsuccessful run for Governor of Tennessee, he returned to his job as editor of the Nashville American. He was shot to death on November 9, 1908 over a feud precipitated by his editorial comments in the paper.
. He attended The Webb School
, then at Culleoka, Tennessee
. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1878 and began practicing in Columbia, Tennessee
. He served as Columbia city attorney in 1881, and was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives
in 1884.
Carmack joined the staff of the Nashville Democrat in 1889, later becoming editor-in-chief of the Nashville American when the two papers merged. He later (1892) served as editor
of the Memphis Commercial, now The Commercial Appeal
.
. Wells, known as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement", was also not one to withhold her opinions and spoke out about the plight of African Americans in Post-Reconstruction era in the South. Memphis in the 1890's was a hotbed of racial tension, and lynching
crimes were commonplace. Wells launched an anti-lynching campaign in her newspaper, the Free Speech.
The Free Speech received national attention in 1892 for its coverage of the so-called Curve Riot. Not a riot at all, the Curve Riot was an attack on the People's Grocery Store by a group of undercover police serving a warrant on the black-owned business. Will Barret, the store's white competitor, had convinced a local court that the People's Grocery was a nuisance. The court ordered the owners arrested. Fearing an attack, supporters of the People's Grocery armed themselves to defend the store. In the ensuing melee, three deputies were wounded. Crying "race riot," other armed whites joined the police and captured over thirty African-Americans, including three of the store's owners: Tom Moss, Calvin McDowell, and Will Stewart. A mob later seized the three from the jail and lynched them. Wells wrote passionately of the atrocity and advised her readers to abandon Memphis and move to the western territories. Many followed her advice. Carmack demanded retaliation against "the black wench" for her denunciation of the lynchings. As a result, the offices of the Free Speech were demolished. Fortunately, Wells was out of town when the attack occurred. She did not return to the South for another thirty years.
in 1896, and served two terms in that body, March 4, 1897 - March 4, 1901. He was then elected to the U.S. Senate by the Tennessee General Assembly
, serving one term in that body, March 4, 1901 - March 4, 1907. Carmack served on the Lodge Committee
investigating war crime
s in the Philippine-American War
.
Carmack failed to secure reelection to a second Senate term, being succeeded by former governor of Tennessee Robert L. Taylor
, and returned to the practice of law. He then contended for the 1908 Democratic nomination for governor
; when this proved to be unsuccessful as well, he then returned to editing the Nashville American.
over something he had said in the newspaper regarding Col. Duncan B. Cooper which had prompted a feud.
Perhaps in large measure because of the spectacular and violent nature of his death, a large bronze statue of Carmack, engraved with several quotes from Carmack on its surroundings and pedestal, was erected on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol building in which Carmack's figure seems to be gesturing to the plaza across the street. His remains were returned to Columbia, and he was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery there.
There is a continued effort by a Nashville attorney and professor to have the statue of Edward Carmack removed from outside the Tennessee State Capitol.
The statue has been at the location for years and honors a former newspaper publisher and U.S. senator who died 100 years ago.
Headlines from a century ago said Carmack was shot to death after a gun battle in downtown Nashville with two members of a prominent family.
"I don't think anyone knows who he is or why he's there," said attorney and professor Lewis Laska. "Edward Ward Carmack was one of the most racist politicians in Tennessee history."
Laska feels the statue should come down because of what Carmack stood for.
"He wanted the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution repealed. That's the amendment that gave black men the right to vote. He thought that lynching was a good idea because it kept black people 'in their place,'" said Laska.
"I think it's plainly ridiculous that we have a statue memorializing a man who was backward-looking and frankly one of the most racist politicians in the history of Tennessee," said Laska.
The 100th anniversary of Carmack's death is the same year that America elected its first black president.
Laska's been advocating the removal of the statue since 1999.
For many years the public library on Hartsville Pike (Hwy 25E) in Gallatin, TN was named in his honor. A new public library was opened in 2008 in downtown Gallatin and local authorities decided not to use his name.
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...
, 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...
man, and political figure
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
from 1901 to 1907.
Following his political service, and after an unsuccessful run for Governor of Tennessee, he returned to his job as editor of the Nashville American. He was shot to death on November 9, 1908 over a feud precipitated by his editorial comments in the paper.
Early life
Carmack was born in Sumner County, TennesseeSumner County, Tennessee
Sumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...
. He attended The Webb School
Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tennessee)
The Webb School is a private coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, founded in 1870. It has been called the oldest, continuously operating boarding school in the South...
, then at Culleoka, Tennessee
Culleoka, Tennessee
Culleoka is an unincorporated community in Maury County, Tennessee, United States.The Culleoka School, enrolling kindergarten through grade 12, is operated as a unit of Maury County Public Schools....
. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1878 and began practicing in Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia is a city in Maury County, Tennessee, United States. The 2008 population was 34,402 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It is the county seat of Maury County....
. He served as Columbia city attorney in 1881, and was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
in 1884.
Carmack joined the staff of the Nashville Democrat in 1889, later becoming editor-in-chief of the Nashville American when the two papers merged. He later (1892) served as editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the Memphis Commercial, now The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, a major North American media company. Scripps also owned the former afternoon paper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, which it folded in...
.
Relationship with Ida B. Wells
Throughout his career Carmack was known to use his newspapers to attack rivals. During Carmack's tenure with the Appeal, his editorials began an interesting dialogue with another famous Tennessee journalist, Ida B. WellsIda B. Wells
Ida Bell Wells-Barnett was an African American journalist, newspaper editor and, with her husband, newspaper owner Ferdinand L. Barnett, an early leader in the civil rights movement. She documented lynching in the United States, showing how it was often a way to control or punish blacks who...
. Wells, known as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement", was also not one to withhold her opinions and spoke out about the plight of African Americans in Post-Reconstruction era in the South. Memphis in the 1890's was a hotbed of racial tension, and lynching
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
crimes were commonplace. Wells launched an anti-lynching campaign in her newspaper, the Free Speech.
The Free Speech received national attention in 1892 for its coverage of the so-called Curve Riot. Not a riot at all, the Curve Riot was an attack on the People's Grocery Store by a group of undercover police serving a warrant on the black-owned business. Will Barret, the store's white competitor, had convinced a local court that the People's Grocery was a nuisance. The court ordered the owners arrested. Fearing an attack, supporters of the People's Grocery armed themselves to defend the store. In the ensuing melee, three deputies were wounded. Crying "race riot," other armed whites joined the police and captured over thirty African-Americans, including three of the store's owners: Tom Moss, Calvin McDowell, and Will Stewart. A mob later seized the three from the jail and lynched them. Wells wrote passionately of the atrocity and advised her readers to abandon Memphis and move to the western territories. Many followed her advice. Carmack demanded retaliation against "the black wench" for her denunciation of the lynchings. As a result, the offices of the Free Speech were demolished. Fortunately, Wells was out of town when the attack occurred. She did not return to the South for another thirty years.
Political career
Carmack was elected to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited 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...
in 1896, and served two terms in that body, March 4, 1897 - March 4, 1901. He was then elected to the U.S. Senate by the Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
, serving one term in that body, March 4, 1901 - March 4, 1907. Carmack served on the Lodge Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Philippines
The Committee on the Philippines was a standing committee of the United States Senate from 1899 to 1921. The committee was established by Senate resolution on December 15, 1899, to oversee administration of the Philippines, which Spain had ceded to the United States as part of the settlement of the...
investigating war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s in the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
.
Carmack failed to secure reelection to a second Senate term, being succeeded by former governor of Tennessee Robert L. Taylor
Robert L. Taylor
Robert L. Taylor, born in Ottumwa, Iowa in 1924, is the founder and president of the Antique Airplane Association Inc. as well as co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Airpower Museum with which organization he shares ownership of Antique Airfield in Blakesburg, Iowa.For the majority of...
, and returned to the practice of law. He then contended for the 1908 Democratic nomination for governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
; when this proved to be unsuccessful as well, he then returned to editing the Nashville American.
Death and legacy
On November 9, 1908, he was shot down on the streets of NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
over something he had said in the newspaper regarding Col. Duncan B. Cooper which had prompted a feud.
Perhaps in large measure because of the spectacular and violent nature of his death, a large bronze statue of Carmack, engraved with several quotes from Carmack on its surroundings and pedestal, was erected on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol building in which Carmack's figure seems to be gesturing to the plaza across the street. His remains were returned to Columbia, and he was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery there.
There is a continued effort by a Nashville attorney and professor to have the statue of Edward Carmack removed from outside the Tennessee State Capitol.
The statue has been at the location for years and honors a former newspaper publisher and U.S. senator who died 100 years ago.
Headlines from a century ago said Carmack was shot to death after a gun battle in downtown Nashville with two members of a prominent family.
"I don't think anyone knows who he is or why he's there," said attorney and professor Lewis Laska. "Edward Ward Carmack was one of the most racist politicians in Tennessee history."
Laska feels the statue should come down because of what Carmack stood for.
"He wanted the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution repealed. That's the amendment that gave black men the right to vote. He thought that lynching was a good idea because it kept black people 'in their place,'" said Laska.
"I think it's plainly ridiculous that we have a statue memorializing a man who was backward-looking and frankly one of the most racist politicians in the history of Tennessee," said Laska.
The 100th anniversary of Carmack's death is the same year that America elected its first black president.
Laska's been advocating the removal of the statue since 1999.
For many years the public library on Hartsville Pike (Hwy 25E) in Gallatin, TN was named in his honor. A new public library was opened in 2008 in downtown Gallatin and local authorities decided not to use his name.