Samuel M. Ralston
Encyclopedia
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. He taught school and studied law, becoming a prominent state lawyer.
He became active in his local politics and eventually secured the Democratic nomination for governor. Because he served during the state's 100th anniversary he is sometimes called the Indiana's Centennial Governor. He was responsible for implementing many progressive era
reforms in the state and putting down a violent riot in Indianapolis
. He gained the support of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan
for his anti-Catholic political positions, and with their support was elected to the United States Senate
in 1922. He had become popular among the national Democratic party as the front-runner for the Presidential nomination in 1924, but he dropped out of the race because of his failing health.
, on December 1, 1857 the second child of John and Sarah Ralston. He was of Scottish
decent, his great-grandparents immigrated to Pennsylvania
in about 1760. His older brother John had died at age three, shortly before Samuel's birth. In 1865 the Ralston family moved to Owen County, Indiana
where John purchased a large farm and began to raise livestock.
Ralston, and his three brothers and four sisters, worked on the family farm to help the family subsist. The family suffered from financial difficulty and lost their farm in 1873, they then moved to Fontanent, Indiana. He took up employment in a butcher
shop and later worked in a coal mine to help provide income for the family. His father later opened a butcher shop of his own returning the family to prosperity.
in 1884 having completed a scientific course, but was interested in learning law after attending trial as a spectator. Ralston read law in the office of Robinson & Fowler. Unable to afford boarding, he spent several months sleeping on the sofa of the law office. He began a formal course in September 1884 and was admitted to the bar on January 1, 1886. In June he opened a law practice in Lebanon, Indiana
with partner John A. Abbott, there he remained for several years. He became well known in the state for skills, and was soon one of Indiana's preeminent lawyers, mostly representing businesses.
While attending college he met Jennie Craven and began courting her. The couple later married on December 30, 1889. Together they had three children, Emmet, Julian, and Ruth. The family was Presbyterian and attended church regularly. Raston had also became a member of the Young Men's Democratic Club and took an interest in politics and began stumping on behalf of Democrat candidates.
. Taggart attempted to have Ralston nominated to run for governor in 1908 because of Ralston's anti-prohibition position, but was defeated at the party convention by prohibitionist and future Vice President of the United States
Thomas R. Marshall
. In 1908, Ralston was elected President of the Lebanon School Board and served until 1911, his first election victory.
.
that began in October. The strike was called on the week of the city elections and Republican's accused the strikers of trying to prevent them from voting. The union demanded the passage of a laws to better protect what they believe to be their rights and wanted the governor to call a special session
of the Indiana General Assembly
to pass such a bill. The strike quickly grew into a city-wide riot as the growing mob began to attack police, business leaders, and public officials. Business leaders and Mayor of Indianapolis Samuel Shank demanded the governor call out the army and end the strike, but the unions threatened violence if that happened. On November 5 Ralston finally called out the entire Indiana National Guard
and put the city under martial law. At noon on the 6th, the strikers and their sympathizers gathered around the Indiana Statehouse and began chanting a demand that the troops leave the city. Ralston exited the building and spoke to the crowd offering to withdraw the troops if the strikers would go back to work and negotiate peacefully. He offered concessions and promises that convinced the strikers of his good intentions effectively ended the strike that day. After several days passed, and it became apparent that the strike was truly over, he demobilized the guard.
When the General Assembly convened, Ralston was able to have several acts passed that led to improved working conditions for many workers in the state. Among the laws he advocated and passed was acts banning the sale of narcotic drugs for the first time, a minimum wage
, conservation measures to prevent deforestation, incentives to encourage development of the livestock industry, free vaccinations for several prevalent diseases, and aid in helping the blind find work. His signature work though was his target of the tenement slums in the state. He successfully lobbied for funds to provide running clean water, children's playgrounds, and several other improvements to the living conditions of the urban poor. The final bill he signed empowered the state police to close the brothels in the state, effectively ended any forms of legal prostitution in Indiana.
His two projects with the longest impact on the state were the Utilities Law and the Vocational Education Act. Ralston advocated and obtained significant increases in education spending and began a system of free vocational education for the state's school students. The regulations he enacted on the public utility companies began a process that would take running water and electricity to the entire state. The state park system and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources
was created along with several state parks. Carl G. Fisher
lobbied Ralston to help him promote the creation of a large highway project. At his urging, Ralston helped launch an ambitious project to build a major inter-state highway. He arranged a meeting of seven governors and was able to sell them on a plan to build a highway thought their states connecting Jacksonville, Florida
with Chicago, Illinois with each state funding its portion of the road. About twenty percent of the roads length would run through Indiana. The road was largest highway project in the United States up until that point, and resulted in the creation of the Dixie Highway
, now US-31. Other important measures were passed during his term including Indiana's first worker's compensation program, the creation of the state's primary election
system, and the creation of an inheritance tax
.
He also made substantial contributions to the state's financial situation. The state had been in debt since the start of the internal improvements
in the early 1830s and had twice verged on total bankruptcy, in 1847 and 1863, and once entered a partial bankruptcy in 1841. Although the state had was not in immediate financial risk, it was still heavily burdened by debt. Ralston was insistent on paying off the states debt and creating a rainy day fund
, and advocated amending the constitution to prevent the state from borrowing funds in the future. Through a combination of spending cuts and increased taxation and with the support of the General Assembly, the government was able to payoff the entire state debt and create a $3.76 million surplus fund by the time he left office.
, Ralston was called on by United States President Woodrow Wilson
to help ready Indiana's levies. Numerous regiments, totaling more than 130,000 men, were mustered in Indiana and sent overseas in the state's largest deployment since the American Civil War
. With most of the Indiana National Guard out of the state, Ralston reactivated the Indiana Legion, which had recently been renamed the Liberty Guard, an organization that had not seen action since the American Civil War
. In 1916 tensions began to increase between the United States and Mexico
and there was a possibility of war. The majority of the American forces were at that time in Europe, and Wilson requested Ralston to mobilize a full brigade
of Hoosier
s to defend the Mexican border. It was the largest single unit call the state had responded to, as the federal government typical only called out regiment
s. Several thousand men were quickly assembled and dispatched to the border.
Historians note that Ralston had one of the most eventful terms in the state's history, and faced more challenged than any governor, except for Oliver Morton. The state constitution
prevented him from seeking a second term as governor, and he left office on January 8, 1917 after delivering a farewell address and urging the General Assembly to adopt additional progressive legislation that he was unable to have passed during his term.
beginning in 1922. Because of his friendly relationship with the Indiana branch of the Ku Klux Klan
, he was able to get their endorsement. Ralston delivered a speech at St. Mary's of the Woods where he condemned religious interference with the state. The Klan's primary goals at the time were to remove all catholic
influence from the government and public schools, and to shut down catholic private schools. His speech earned him considerable popularity among the group who said he "was not afraid to tell off the papists to their faces." The Klan was one of the most influential group within the state at the time, and they reprinted his speech and circulated it. Their support of Ralston was one of their most forceful attempt to have a candidate elected in Indiana, as they feared the Republican candidate who had publicly condemned the organization. The Klan fell apart in 1926—the year after Ralston's death—after a scandal, revealing that the majority of Indiana's politicians, including Ralston, had ties to the Klan.
Ralston won election to the United States Senator from Indiana defeating Albert Beveridge in November 1922. The New York Times ran a lengthy story on his wife, referring to her as a "Chicken Farmer" because she was reluctant to move to Washington D.C., she did not want to leave her chickens unattended. He took up his Senate seat on March 4, 1923. In the senate he advocated the adoption of the Melon Tax Plan, which was effectively a wealth redistribution plan.
In 1924 he was the front runner and expected to be the Democratic presidential nominee, but for reasons that were unknown at the time, he dropped out of the race just before the national convention. He later revealed that due to his failing health he did not believe he was fit to become President. His steadily worsening health lead to his death on October 14, 1925, he died in his home near Indianapolis. He was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery
in Lebanon.
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 and a United States Senator from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
. Born into a large impoverished family, he took many jobs as a child including working in a coal mine. He taught school and studied law, becoming a prominent state lawyer.
He became active in his local politics and eventually secured the Democratic nomination for governor. Because he served during the state's 100th anniversary he is sometimes called the Indiana's Centennial Governor. He was responsible for implementing many progressive era
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...
reforms in the state and putting down a violent riot in Indianapolis
Indianapolis Street Car Strike of 1913
The Indianapolis Streetcar Strike of 1913 and the subsequent Indianapolis Police Mutiny and 1913 Indianapolis Riots was a breakdown in public order in Indianapolis, Indiana. They began as a workers strike by the union employees of the Indianapolis Traction and Terminal Company and their allies on...
. He gained the support of the Indiana Ku Klux 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...
for his anti-Catholic political positions, and with their support was elected to the United States Senate
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...
in 1922. He had become popular among the national Democratic party as the front-runner for the Presidential nomination in 1924, but he dropped out of the race because of his failing health.
Family and background
Samuel Ralston was born near New Cumberland, OhioNew Cumberland, Ohio
New Cumberland is an unincorporated community in Warren Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The community is serviced by the Mineral City, Ohio post office, ZIP code 44656. It is located on Conotton Creek, State Route 212 and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway.-References:...
, on December 1, 1857 the second child of John and Sarah Ralston. He was of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
decent, his great-grandparents immigrated to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in about 1760. His older brother John had died at age three, shortly before Samuel's birth. In 1865 the Ralston family moved to Owen County, Indiana
Owen County, Indiana
Owen County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1920. As of 2010, the population was 21,575...
where John purchased a large farm and began to raise livestock.
Ralston, and his three brothers and four sisters, worked on the family farm to help the family subsist. The family suffered from financial difficulty and lost their farm in 1873, they then moved to Fontanent, Indiana. He took up employment in a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
shop and later worked in a coal mine to help provide income for the family. His father later opened a butcher shop of his own returning the family to prosperity.
Education
As a boy he attended public school in Owen County. As he grew older, he began working as a school teacher during the winter months while attending college during the summer. After completing high school he married Mary Josephine Backous on December 26, 1881; she died six months later. Ralston graduated from Central Indiana Normal College in Danville, IndianaDanville, Indiana
Danville is a town in Center Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was 9,001at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of Hendricks County. -History:...
in 1884 having completed a scientific course, but was interested in learning law after attending trial as a spectator. Ralston read law in the office of Robinson & Fowler. Unable to afford boarding, he spent several months sleeping on the sofa of the law office. He began a formal course in September 1884 and was admitted to the bar on January 1, 1886. In June he opened a law practice in Lebanon, Indiana
Lebanon, Indiana
Lebanon is a city in and the county seat of Boone County, Indiana, United States. The population was 15,792 at the 2010 census. The city was named Lebanon because a stand of hickory trees on the site reminded one of the town's commissioners of the Biblical cedars of Lebanon...
with partner John A. Abbott, there he remained for several years. He became well known in the state for skills, and was soon one of Indiana's preeminent lawyers, mostly representing businesses.
While attending college he met Jennie Craven and began courting her. The couple later married on December 30, 1889. Together they had three children, Emmet, Julian, and Ruth. The family was Presbyterian and attended church regularly. Raston had also became a member of the Young Men's Democratic Club and took an interest in politics and began stumping on behalf of Democrat candidates.
Early campaigns
Ralston had been a Democrat for all of his adult life. Living in a Republican dominated area though, he had a difficult time to obtain political office. He ran for the Indiana State Senate in 1888 but was defeated. In 1896 and 1898 he ran for Indiana Secretary of State but was defeated both times. During his times running for office, he became friends with party boss Thomas TaggartThomas Taggart
Thomas Taggart was a U.S. political figure, serving as mayor of Indianapolis and influential in state and national politics.-Early life and family:...
. Taggart attempted to have Ralston nominated to run for governor in 1908 because of Ralston's anti-prohibition position, but was defeated at the party convention by prohibitionist and future Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas Riley Marshall was an American Democratic politician who served as the 28th Vice President of the United States under Woodrow Wilson...
. In 1908, Ralston was elected President of the Lebanon School Board and served until 1911, his first election victory.
Governor
In 1912 Taggart again supported Ralston's nomination for Governor, and this time succeed and was nominated on March 17. Ralston received the endorsement of numerous groups in the state, including the women’s suffrage movement and many churches. Ralston won the general election by plurality and became the Governor of Indiana on January 13, 1913, defeating Progressive candidate Albert Beveridge, and the Republican candidate former Governor Winfield T. DurbinWinfield T. Durbin
Winfield Taylor Durbin was the 25th Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from 1901 to 1905. His term focused on progressive legislation and suppression of white cap vigilante organizations operating in the southern part of the state...
.
Indianapolis riots
One of the first events Ralston became involved in was a strike by the street car workers 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...
that began in October. The strike was called on the week of the city elections and Republican's accused the strikers of trying to prevent them from voting. The union demanded the passage of a laws to better protect what they believe to be their rights and wanted the governor to call a special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
of 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...
to pass such a bill. The strike quickly grew into a city-wide riot as the growing mob began to attack police, business leaders, and public officials. Business leaders and Mayor of Indianapolis Samuel Shank demanded the governor call out the army and end the strike, but the unions threatened violence if that happened. On November 5 Ralston finally called out the entire Indiana National Guard
Indiana National Guard
The Indiana National Guard is the armed force of the state of Indiana. It consists of the Indiana Army National Guard and the Indiana Air National Guard, and is part of the larger Army National Guard and the Air National Guard...
and put the city under martial law. At noon on the 6th, the strikers and their sympathizers gathered around the Indiana Statehouse and began chanting a demand that the troops leave the city. Ralston exited the building and spoke to the crowd offering to withdraw the troops if the strikers would go back to work and negotiate peacefully. He offered concessions and promises that convinced the strikers of his good intentions effectively ended the strike that day. After several days passed, and it became apparent that the strike was truly over, he demobilized the guard.
When the General Assembly convened, Ralston was able to have several acts passed that led to improved working conditions for many workers in the state. Among the laws he advocated and passed was acts banning the sale of narcotic drugs for the first time, a minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
, conservation measures to prevent deforestation, incentives to encourage development of the livestock industry, free vaccinations for several prevalent diseases, and aid in helping the blind find work. His signature work though was his target of the tenement slums in the state. He successfully lobbied for funds to provide running clean water, children's playgrounds, and several other improvements to the living conditions of the urban poor. The final bill he signed empowered the state police to close the brothels in the state, effectively ended any forms of legal prostitution in Indiana.
Progressive agenda
Ralston's predecessor had attempted to have a new constitution adopted but his plans were ruled unconsitional by the Indiana Supreme Court who ruled a constitutional convention needed to be held. Ralston also favored creating a new constitution to enact numerous reforms that under the present constitution would have been illegal. To accomplish this goal, he began urging the General Assembly to call a constitutional convention. A bill was passed by the assembly in 1913 grant the state permission to adopt a new constitution. The measure had to be submitted to a statewide referendum, as required by the current constitution, before the convention could be held. Outside of Indianapolis and the few industrial cities, there was little support for reform for industrial workers, the majority of the state's population was still rural. When the public voted in 1914, the measure was defeated, 235,140–338,947.His two projects with the longest impact on the state were the Utilities Law and the Vocational Education Act. Ralston advocated and obtained significant increases in education spending and began a system of free vocational education for the state's school students. The regulations he enacted on the public utility companies began a process that would take running water and electricity to the entire state. The state park system and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining natural areas such as state parks, state forests, recreation areas, etc...
was created along with several state parks. Carl G. Fisher
Carl G. Fisher
Carl Graham Fisher was an American entrepreneur. Despite having severe astigmatism, he became a seemingly tireless pioneer and promoter of the automotive, auto racing, and real estate development industries...
lobbied Ralston to help him promote the creation of a large highway project. At his urging, Ralston helped launch an ambitious project to build a major inter-state highway. He arranged a meeting of seven governors and was able to sell them on a plan to build a highway thought their states connecting Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
with Chicago, Illinois with each state funding its portion of the road. About twenty percent of the roads length would run through Indiana. The road was largest highway project in the United States up until that point, and resulted in the creation of the Dixie Highway
Dixie Highway
The Dixie Highway was a United States automobile highway, first planned in 1914 to connect the US Midwest with the Southern United States. It was part of the National Auto Trail system, and grew out of an earlier Miami to Montreal highway. The final result is better understood as a small network of...
, now US-31. Other important measures were passed during his term including Indiana's first worker's compensation program, the creation of the state's primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
system, and the creation of an inheritance tax
Inheritance tax
An inheritance tax or estate tax is a levy paid by a person who inherits money or property or a tax on the estate of a person who has died...
.
He also made substantial contributions to the state's financial situation. The state had been in debt since the start of the internal improvements
Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act
The Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act was a bipartisan law passed by the Indiana General Assembly and signed by Whig Governor Noah Noble in 1836 that greatly expanded the state's program of internal improvements. It added an additional $10 million to spending and funded several projects,...
in the early 1830s and had twice verged on total bankruptcy, in 1847 and 1863, and once entered a partial bankruptcy in 1841. Although the state had was not in immediate financial risk, it was still heavily burdened by debt. Ralston was insistent on paying off the states debt and creating a rainy day fund
Rainy day fund
Rainy day fund, rainy day reserve, or emergency fund are terms used to describe a reserved amount of money to be used in times when regular income is disrupted or decreased in order for typical operations to continue. In the United States, the term is usually used to apply to the funds maintained...
, and advocated amending the constitution to prevent the state from borrowing funds in the future. Through a combination of spending cuts and increased taxation and with the support of the General Assembly, the government was able to payoff the entire state debt and create a $3.76 million surplus fund by the time he left office.
World War I
As the United States entered World War IWorld 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...
, Ralston was called on by United States President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
to help ready Indiana's levies. Numerous regiments, totaling more than 130,000 men, were mustered in Indiana and sent overseas in the state's largest deployment since the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. With most of the Indiana National Guard out of the state, Ralston reactivated the Indiana Legion, which had recently been renamed the Liberty Guard, an organization that had not seen action since the American Civil War
Indiana in the American Civil War
Indiana, a state in the Midwestern United States, played an important role during the American Civil War. Despite significant anti-war activity in the state and southern Indiana's ancestral ties to the Southern United States, it did not secede from the Union...
. In 1916 tensions began to increase between the United States and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and there was a possibility of war. The majority of the American forces were at that time in Europe, and Wilson requested Ralston to mobilize a full brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of Hoosier
Hoosier
Hoosier is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. Although residents of most U.S. states typically adopt a derivative of the state name, e.g., "Indianan" or "Indianian", natives of Indiana rarely use these. Indiana adopted the nickname "Hoosier State" more than 150...
s to defend the Mexican border. It was the largest single unit call the state had responded to, as the federal government typical only called out regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s. Several thousand men were quickly assembled and dispatched to the border.
Historians note that Ralston had one of the most eventful terms in the state's history, and faced more challenged than any governor, except for Oliver Morton. The state constitution
Constitution of Indiana
There have been two Constitutions of the State of Indiana. The first constitution was created when the Territory of Indiana sent forty-three delegates to a constitutional convention on June 10, 1816 to establish a constitution for the proposed State of Indiana after the United States Congress had...
prevented him from seeking a second term as governor, and he left office on January 8, 1917 after delivering a farewell address and urging the General Assembly to adopt additional progressive legislation that he was unable to have passed during his term.
Senator
Ralston campaigned for the United States SenateUnited 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...
beginning in 1922. Because of his friendly relationship with the Indiana branch of the Ku Klux 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...
, he was able to get their endorsement. Ralston delivered a speech at St. Mary's of the Woods where he condemned religious interference with the state. The Klan's primary goals at the time were to remove all 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 from the government and public schools, and to shut down catholic private schools. His speech earned him considerable popularity among the group who said he "was not afraid to tell off the papists to their faces." The Klan was one of the most influential group within the state at the time, and they reprinted his speech and circulated it. Their support of Ralston was one of their most forceful attempt to have a candidate elected in Indiana, as they feared the Republican candidate who had publicly condemned the organization. The Klan fell apart in 1926—the year after Ralston's death—after a scandal, revealing that the majority of Indiana's politicians, including Ralston, had ties to the Klan.
Ralston won election to the United States Senator from Indiana defeating Albert Beveridge in November 1922. The New York Times ran a lengthy story on his wife, referring to her as a "Chicken Farmer" because she was reluctant to move to Washington D.C., she did not want to leave her chickens unattended. He took up his Senate seat on March 4, 1923. In the senate he advocated the adoption of the Melon Tax Plan, which was effectively a wealth redistribution plan.
In 1924 he was the front runner and expected to be the Democratic presidential nominee, but for reasons that were unknown at the time, he dropped out of the race just before the national convention. He later revealed that due to his failing health he did not believe he was fit to become President. His steadily worsening health lead to his death on October 14, 1925, he died in his home near Indianapolis. He was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery
Oak Hill Cemetery
Oak Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery and botanical garden located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It includes the Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel and Van Ness Mausoleum which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
in Lebanon.
Electoral history
External links
- Indiana Historical Bureau: Biography and portrait
- http://www.ruralhistoryproject.com/reports.asp?F=1&ReportID=14
- Indian County History - Ralston Biography
- Ralston's Biography at the National Governors Association