Leonard M. Landsborough
Encyclopedia
Leonard M. Landsborough was an agriculturist in the Florin, California
, area and a member of the California State Assembly
. A member of the Populist Party and then a Democrat, he was active in a movement to protect the rights of Japanese farmers in the Sacramento Valley
. He resigned from the Assembly after being indicted for malfeasance while he had been a Sacramento County employee.
Landsborough testified in favor of Japanese farmers in California, who were being threatened with legal penalties and, as alien Japanese, were not legally able to own property in the state.To get around this stricture, he told a U.S. Congressional investigative committee in 1920, he had been "purchasing land in his own name" and pledging to hand it over to the U.S.-born children of the immigrants when they became adults. He was a member of the American Committee of Justice, which worked against Initiative 1, the Alien Land Law, on the November 2, 1920, California ballot.
Landsborough died in Sacramento on March 14, 1927, at the age of 69.
In October 1893, Landsborough was elected adjutant of a temporary committee chosen to form a California State unit of the Industrial Legion of the United States organized by "prominent leaders of the People's Party who are also prominent in the Farmers' Alliance
." It was to be "modeled much after the Grand Army [of the Republic
] and partakes of a secret organization character." He was also a member of the state executive committee of the Farmers Alliance.
Three years later, in August 1896, the Democrats and the Populists of Sacramento County formed a fusion ticket to contest the state and county elections. Landsborough was chosen to run for the Assembly in the 22nd District
, and he won the November general election by 1,272 votes to 1,074 for William Lovdal, the Republican candidate.
Just the next month, though, the news broke that Landsborough had been skimming money from men who had been summoned for jury duty while he was a deputy county clerk. He did this by raising the figure of their jury pay and pocketing the difference in cooperation with a money lender, F.C. Hyde. Landsborough made a full confession to the county clerk, and repaid the money, $143.50, but later he was indicted by a grand jury
and was charged with forgery and fraudulent conduct. Upon trial the next May, he was acquitted of the charges, with the jury being out "but a few minutes."
Landsborough took part in the state convention of the Democratic Party in Sacramento in September 1902, and in April 1910 he ran for a seat "for trustees of the high school
."
Florin, California
Florin is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, area and a member of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
. A member of the Populist Party and then a Democrat, he was active in a movement to protect the rights of Japanese farmers in the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
. He resigned from the Assembly after being indicted for malfeasance while he had been a Sacramento County employee.
Biography
He was born as Leonard Modrahan Landsborough in Australia, probably in 1858, and moved to the United States, where he married Californian Agnes Ethel Rutter, the daughter of James Rutter, a pioneer settler in the Sacramento Valley who was known for the quality of the grapes from his vineyards. There were five children, Thomas R., Amy L., Leonard B., Lloyd and Georgie B.Sidney Perry, May 22, 2006, Ancestry.comLandsborough testified in favor of Japanese farmers in California, who were being threatened with legal penalties and, as alien Japanese, were not legally able to own property in the state.To get around this stricture, he told a U.S. Congressional investigative committee in 1920, he had been "purchasing land in his own name" and pledging to hand it over to the U.S.-born children of the immigrants when they became adults. He was a member of the American Committee of Justice, which worked against Initiative 1, the Alien Land Law, on the November 2, 1920, California ballot.
Landsborough died in Sacramento on March 14, 1927, at the age of 69.
Public life
Landsborough was appointed deputy county clerk about 1892 by Sacramento County Clerk W.B. Hamilton, "and since that time he has been one of the most trusted employes in the service of the county." He was active in Populist politics and in 1894 received the Populist nomination for clerk of the California Supreme Court.In October 1893, Landsborough was elected adjutant of a temporary committee chosen to form a California State unit of the Industrial Legion of the United States organized by "prominent leaders of the People's Party who are also prominent in the Farmers' Alliance
Farmers' Alliance
The Farmers Alliance was an organized agrarian economic movement amongst U.S. farmers that flourished in the 1880s. One of the goals of the organization was to end the adverse effects of the crop-lien system on farmers after the American Civil War...
." It was to be "modeled much after the Grand Army [of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
] and partakes of a secret organization character." He was also a member of the state executive committee of the Farmers Alliance.
Three years later, in August 1896, the Democrats and the Populists of Sacramento County formed a fusion ticket to contest the state and county elections. Landsborough was chosen to run for the Assembly in the 22nd District
California's 22nd State Assembly district
California's 22nd State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is represented by Democrat Paul Fong of Sunnyvale.-District profile:...
, and he won the November general election by 1,272 votes to 1,074 for William Lovdal, the Republican candidate.
Just the next month, though, the news broke that Landsborough had been skimming money from men who had been summoned for jury duty while he was a deputy county clerk. He did this by raising the figure of their jury pay and pocketing the difference in cooperation with a money lender, F.C. Hyde. Landsborough made a full confession to the county clerk, and repaid the money, $143.50, but later he was indicted by a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
and was charged with forgery and fraudulent conduct. Upon trial the next May, he was acquitted of the charges, with the jury being out "but a few minutes."
Landsborough took part in the state convention of the Democratic Party in Sacramento in September 1902, and in April 1910 he ran for a seat "for trustees of the high school
Elk Grove High School (Elk Grove, California)
Elk Grove High School or EGHS, is a public four-year high school located in Elk Grove, California,in the United States. It is part of the Elk Grove Unified School District, which also includes Cosumnes Oaks High School, Florin High School, Franklin High School, Laguna Creek High School, Monterey...
."