Louis A. Arnold
Encyclopedia
Louis A. Arnold was an American
schoolteacher, HVAC
worker and Socialist from Milwaukee who served two terms (1915–1922) as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate
representing the Milwaukee-based 7th Senate district.
on July 13, 1872; four months later his parents moved to Newburg
in Washington County, Wisconsin, where his father had a hardware store
. He attended the public schools, and graduated from the West Bend high school. He taught school one year and then went to work for the Vilter Manufacturing company of Milwaukee, where he was engaged in erecting icemaking
and refrigerating plants
.
." In the Social Democracy Red Book of 1900 he was listed among "One Hundred Well-Known Social Democrats." He was the Socialist nominee for a number of offices, including Congressman
from the fourth Congressional district
. He was a City of Milwaukee alderman
for the 17th Ward
from 1908 to 1912; tax
commissioner of Milwaukee from 1912 to 1915; and was elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 1914 (succeeding fellow Socialist Gabriel Zophy
) and re-elected in 1918.
due to their organized opposition to U.S. participation in the First World War
. Like Berger, he was re-elected despite the highly publicized indictment, receiving 4,730 votes to 4,532 for Republican
David Love.
After the Senate
He was the 1922 Socialist nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
and came in third to Progressive
Republican
John James Blaine and Democrat
Arthur A. Bentley, with 39,570 votes (12.18% of a total of 481,828).
He was elected in 1933 as a Wet
delegate to the Wisconsin convention which voted to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
schoolteacher, HVAC
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
worker and Socialist from Milwaukee who served two terms (1915–1922) as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...
representing the Milwaukee-based 7th Senate district.
Background
Arnold was born in Boonville, IndianaBoonville, Indiana
Boonville is a city in Boon Township, Warrick County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,834 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Warrick County. Founded in 1818 and named for Jesse Boon, father of Ratliff Boon...
on July 13, 1872; four months later his parents moved to Newburg
Newburg, Wisconsin
Newburg is a village in Ozaukee and Washington Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,119 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Newburg is located at...
in Washington County, Wisconsin, where his father had a hardware store
Hardware store
Hardware stores, sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware including: fasteners, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products directly to consumers for...
. He attended the public schools, and graduated from the West Bend high school. He taught school one year and then went to work for the Vilter Manufacturing company of Milwaukee, where he was engaged in erecting icemaking
Icemaker
An ice maker, ice generator,or ice machine may refer to either a consumer device for making ice, found inside a home freezer; a stand-alone appliance for making ice, or an industrial machine for making ice on a large scale...
and refrigerating plants
Refrigeration
Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...
.
Politics
Arnold was a member of Milwaukee's moderate, social-democratic "Sewer SocialistsSewer Socialism
Sewer Socialism was a term, originally more or less pejorative, for the American socialist movement that centered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and existed from around 1892 to 1960...
." In the Social Democracy Red Book of 1900 he was listed among "One Hundred Well-Known Social Democrats." He was the Socialist nominee for a number of offices, including Congressman
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...
from the fourth Congressional district
Wisconsin's 4th congressional district
Wisconsin's 4th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, encompassing a part of Milwaukee County and including all of the city of Milwaukee and its working-class suburbs of Cudahy, St. Francis, South Milwaukee, West Milwaukee,...
. He was a City of Milwaukee alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
for the 17th Ward
Wards of the United States
In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...
from 1908 to 1912; tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
commissioner of Milwaukee from 1912 to 1915; and was elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 1914 (succeeding fellow Socialist Gabriel Zophy
Gabriel Zophy
Gabriel Zophy was an American carpenter, building contractor and Socialist from West Allis who served one term as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate representing the Milwaukee County-based 7th Senate district ; cities of South...
) and re-elected in 1918.
Indictment
On October 29, 1918, a few days before the election in which he was a candidate for re-election, Arnold (as state secretary of the Socialist Party of Wisconsin) was one of five Socialists (the most prominent being Congressman Victor Berger) indicted under the Espionage Act of 1917Espionage Act of 1917
The Espionage Act of 1917 is a United States federal law passed on June 15, 1917, shortly after the U.S. entry into World War I. It has been amended numerous times over the years. It was originally found in Title 50 of the U.S. Code but is now found under Title 18, Crime...
due to their organized opposition to U.S. participation in the First World War
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...
. Like Berger, he was re-elected despite the highly publicized indictment, receiving 4,730 votes to 4,532 for Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
David Love.
After the Senate
He was the 1922 Socialist nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
and came in third to Progressive
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
John James Blaine and Democrat
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...
Arthur A. Bentley, with 39,570 votes (12.18% of a total of 481,828).
He was elected in 1933 as a Wet
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
delegate to the Wisconsin convention which voted to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition...
.