Richard J. Baldwin
Encyclopedia
Richard J. Baldwin was the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from 1917 to 1918. He was elected to that position after twenty years of service in the house by the Republican organization of Boies Penrose
. He later served a term in the state senate
.
He was born March 1, 1853, in East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and learned the trade of carpenter. At age 23 he entered the mercantile trade first at Belvidere, now Whitford, West Whiteland, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and in 1878 moved to Chadds Ford, Delaware County, where he operated a general store. He was appointed postmaster of Chadds Ford during Benjamin Harrison's administration and in 1901 was elected Recorder of Deeds for Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Springhaven Golf Club of Media, the Brandywine Golf Club of Brandywine Summit, Pennsylvania, and an honorary member of the Media Fire Company. He was a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows, Improved Order of Red Men, the American Mechanics, and Patrons of Husbandry.
Progressives
criticized Baldwin's selection as speaker, noting his "embittered opposition to legislation on local option, child labor, and workmen's compensation." Baldwin's staunch opposition to progressive reform was such that he was one of only three members of the house to oppose the popular election of senators
.
Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives holds the oldest state-wide elected office in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Since its first session under the Frame of Government in 1682, presided over by William Penn, over 130 House members have been elevated to the speaker's chair...
from 1917 to 1918. He was elected to that position after twenty years of service in the house by the Republican organization of Boies Penrose
Boies Penrose
Boies Penrose was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1897 until his death in 1921.-Biography:...
. He later served a term in the state senate
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such...
.
He was born March 1, 1853, in East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and learned the trade of carpenter. At age 23 he entered the mercantile trade first at Belvidere, now Whitford, West Whiteland, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and in 1878 moved to Chadds Ford, Delaware County, where he operated a general store. He was appointed postmaster of Chadds Ford during Benjamin Harrison's administration and in 1901 was elected Recorder of Deeds for Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Springhaven Golf Club of Media, the Brandywine Golf Club of Brandywine Summit, Pennsylvania, and an honorary member of the Media Fire Company. He was a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows, Improved Order of Red Men, the American Mechanics, and Patrons of Husbandry.
Progressives
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
criticized Baldwin's selection as speaker, noting his "embittered opposition to legislation on local option, child labor, and workmen's compensation." Baldwin's staunch opposition to progressive reform was such that he was one of only three members of the house to oppose the popular election of senators
Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures...
.