Walter Lafferty
Encyclopedia
Abraham Walter Lafferty (June 10, 1875 - January 15, 1964) was a U.S. Representative
from the state of Oregon
. Lafferty spent the majority of his career both as a legislator and as an attorney attempting to have millions of acres of land previously owned by the Oregon and California Railroad
come under Oregon state control, rather than the control of the U.S. federal government.
of Missouri
. He was born near Farber
to Abraham M. and Helen Kinney Lafferty. He attended public schools in Pike County
and went on to study law at the University of Missouri
, graduating in 1896. He was admitted to the bar
that year and commenced practice in Montgomery City
. He served as prosecuting attorney of Montgomery County
from 1902 to 1904. He also served three years as a captain in the Missouri National Guard
.
's General Land Office
in Portland, Oregon
. He served in that position for a year before resigning to open a law practice in Portland.
In 1907, Lafferty took a case that would define the rest of his career: representing 18 western Oregon counties against the Oregon and California Railroad
to claim timber revenue from, and possession of, lands formerly granted to the railroad by the U.S. government. In 1870, the United States government had granted the railroad three million acres (12,000 km²) of land to build a line from Portland south to California
. The railroad was to sell land to settlers at $2.50 an acre, but widespread abuse resulted in developers, aided by politicians, acquiring large parcels through fraudulent means in what became known as the Oregon land fraud scandal
. Then in 1903, the Southern Pacific Railroad
, which had acquired the O&C, had stopped selling the parcels altogether. Lafferty fought the case for years and in 1915, it ended when the U.S. government took back control of the land, paying the railroad $2.50 per acre for the land. Lafferty did not consider this a victory since the railroad was compensated and the state of Oregon did not get possession of the land.
to the United States House of Representatives
, representing Oregon's 2nd congressional district
. In 1912, after Oregon was granted another congressional district based on the 1910 census
, he was elected to represent Oregon's 3rd congressional district
, running as both a Republican and a Progressive
, allying himself with Progressive Presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt
. Lafferty identified himself as a Progressive Republican for the 63rd United States Congress
. While in Congress, Lafferty continued his fight on behalf of his constituents affected by the railroad land issue. He also supported equal suffrage for men and women.
When a "vice scandal
" broke out in Portland in November 1912 surrounding the city's gay male subculture, Lafferty vowed to bring the scandal to Washington's attention, though his efforts were short-lived.
In 1914, Lafferty again ran for the Republican nomination for his seat, but was defeated in the primary
by Clifton N. McArthur
. Despite the loss, Lafferty ran in the general election
as an Independent Progressive, but McArthur prevailed by a slim plurality
over Lafferty, Democrat Austin F. Flegel, and Progressive Arthur Moulton. In 1916, the situation repeated itself: Lafferty sought the Republican nomination and lost to McArthur, and then ran as an Independent in the general election. As before, McArthur again defeated him, along with Democrat John J. Jeffery.
, when he served as a major at a San Francisco training camp.
Lafferty, who never married, was dogged by several scandals during his political career. During his first term in Congress, he solicited the acquaintance of two young women to whom he had not been formerly introduced, including the daughter of a federal official, in violation of social norms of the times. He was forced to apologize for his actions. Several years later, in 1919, Lafferty was indicted by a Multnomah County
grand jury for contributing to the delinquency of a 14-year-old girl. Lafferty, who was in New York City
at the time of the indictment, did not return to Oregon to face the misdemeanor charge. He opened a law practice in New York, where he lived for the next 14 years.
In 1933, he purchased the historic Riversdale Mansion in Riverdale, Maryland
, living there until he sold it to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
in 1949.
When not fighting in court, Lafferty continued to try to reclaim his old seat in Congress. To reintroduce himself to constituents after his lengthy absence from Oregon, Lafferty launched a series of advertisements that featured an unusual assortment of information, such as excerpts from letters, snippets of poetry, pictures of notables such as Abraham Lincoln
, and references to his fight for the O&C counties. All of his attempts, as an Independent in 1950 and as a Republican
in 1952, 1954, and 1956, were unsuccessful.
.
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 state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Lafferty spent the majority of his career both as a legislator and as an attorney attempting to have millions of acres of land previously owned by the Oregon and California Railroad
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
come under Oregon state control, rather than the control of the U.S. federal government.
Early life
Lafferty grew up in the U.S. stateU.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 Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He was born near Farber
Farber, Missouri
Farber is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 411 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Farber is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
to Abraham M. and Helen Kinney Lafferty. He attended public schools in Pike County
Pike County, Missouri
As of the census of 2010, there were 18,516 people, 6,451 households, and 4,476 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 7,493 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
and went on to study law at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, graduating in 1896. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
that year and commenced practice in Montgomery City
Montgomery City, Missouri
Montgomery City is a city in Montgomery County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,442 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County.-Geography:Montgomery City is located at...
. He served as prosecuting attorney of Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Missouri
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies in East Central Missouri, approximately halfway between Columbia and St. Louis. As of 2000, the population was 12,136. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775...
from 1902 to 1904. He also served three years as a captain in the Missouri National Guard
Missouri National Guard
The Missouri National Guard consists of the:*Missouri Army National Guard*Missouri Air National Guard-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
.
Move to Oregon
In 1905, he was appointed special agent for the United States Department of the InteriorUnited States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
's General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He served in that position for a year before resigning to open a law practice in Portland.
In 1907, Lafferty took a case that would define the rest of his career: representing 18 western Oregon counties against the Oregon and California Railroad
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
to claim timber revenue from, and possession of, lands formerly granted to the railroad by the U.S. government. In 1870, the United States government had granted the railroad three million acres (12,000 km²) of land to build a line from Portland south to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The railroad was to sell land to settlers at $2.50 an acre, but widespread abuse resulted in developers, aided by politicians, acquiring large parcels through fraudulent means in what became known as the Oregon land fraud scandal
Oregon land fraud scandal
The Oregon land fraud scandal of the early 20th century involved U.S. government land grants in the U.S. state of Oregon being illegally obtained with the assistance of public officials. Most of Oregon's U.S. congressional delegation received indictments in the case: U.S. Senator John H....
. Then in 1903, the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
, which had acquired the O&C, had stopped selling the parcels altogether. Lafferty fought the case for years and in 1915, it ended when the U.S. government took back control of the land, paying the railroad $2.50 per acre for the land. Lafferty did not consider this a victory since the railroad was compensated and the state of Oregon did not get possession of the land.
Congressional career
With his fame earned from this case, in 1910, Lafferty was elected as a RepublicanRepublican 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...
to the United States House of Representatives
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...
, representing Oregon's 2nd congressional district
Oregon's 2nd congressional district
Oregon's 2nd congressional district is the largest of Oregon's five districts, and is the seventh largest district in the nation. The district covers roughly two-thirds of the state, east of the Willamette Valley...
. In 1912, after Oregon was granted another congressional district based on the 1910 census
United States Census, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau on April 15, 1910, determined the resident population of the United States to be 92,228,496, an increase of 21.0 percent over the 76,212,168 persons enumerated during the 1900 Census...
, he was elected to represent Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district covers most of Multnomah County, including Portland east of the Willamette River, Gresham, and Troutdale. It also includes the northern part of Clackamas County, including Milwaukie. Parts of northwest Portland also lie within the district...
, running as both a Republican and a Progressive
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
, allying himself with Progressive Presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. Lafferty identified himself as a Progressive Republican for the 63rd United States Congress
63rd United States Congress
- House of Representatives:*Democratic : 291 *Republican : 134*Progressive : 9*Independent : 1TOTAL members: 435-Senate:*President of the Senate: Thomas R. Marshall*President pro tempore: James P. Clarke-Senate:...
. While in Congress, Lafferty continued his fight on behalf of his constituents affected by the railroad land issue. He also supported equal suffrage for men and women.
When a "vice scandal
Portland vice scandal
The Portland vice scandal refers to the discovery in November 1912 of a gay male subculture in the U.S. city of Portland, Oregon, following the arrest and interrogation of nineteen-year-old Benjamin Trout for shoplifting...
" broke out in Portland in November 1912 surrounding the city's gay male subculture, Lafferty vowed to bring the scandal to Washington's attention, though his efforts were short-lived.
In 1914, Lafferty again ran for the Republican nomination for his seat, but was defeated in the primary
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....
by Clifton N. McArthur
Clifton N. McArthur
Clifton Nesmith McArthur was a U.S. Representative from Oregon, and grandson of Senator James Willis Nesmith. His father was a member of the Oregon Supreme Court, and Clifton twice served as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.-Early life:McArthur was born in The Dalles, Oregon on June...
. Despite the loss, Lafferty ran in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
as an Independent Progressive, but McArthur prevailed by a slim plurality
Plurality
In North American English, the term plurality, used in the context of voting, refers to the largest number of votes to be received by any candidate or referendum. It is contrasted with a majority, which is more than half of the votes...
over Lafferty, Democrat Austin F. Flegel, and Progressive Arthur Moulton. In 1916, the situation repeated itself: Lafferty sought the Republican nomination and lost to McArthur, and then ran as an Independent in the general election. As before, McArthur again defeated him, along with Democrat John J. Jeffery.
After Congress
Following his defeat in 1916, he resumed his Portland law practice until 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...
, when he served as a major at a San Francisco training camp.
Lafferty, who never married, was dogged by several scandals during his political career. During his first term in Congress, he solicited the acquaintance of two young women to whom he had not been formerly introduced, including the daughter of a federal official, in violation of social norms of the times. He was forced to apologize for his actions. Several years later, in 1919, Lafferty was indicted by a Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
grand jury for contributing to the delinquency of a 14-year-old girl. Lafferty, who was in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the time of the indictment, did not return to Oregon to face the misdemeanor charge. He opened a law practice in New York, where he lived for the next 14 years.
In 1933, he purchased the historic Riversdale Mansion in Riverdale, Maryland
Riverdale, Maryland
Riverdale is the name of two places in the State of Maryland in the United States of America:*Riverdale, Anne Arundel County, Maryland*Riverdale, Prince George's County, Maryland, now Riverdale Park, Maryland...
, living there until he sold it to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is a bi-county agency that administers parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland.-History:...
in 1949.
Return to Oregon
Lafferty returned to Portland in 1946 and resumed his court fight on behalf of the O&C land grant counties. After the federal government had assumed control of the land following Lafferty's original case, the U.S. Congress had passed legislation in 1916 and 1937 that directed the federal government to pay half of their timber revenues to the O&C counties, a number that was reduced over the years. On April 30, 1954, Lafferty won a successful appeal to return $6 million in timber revenue to the O&C counties. However, Congress passed a further act that gave control of those lands to the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Lafferty's appeal that his case had precedence. Lafferty would continue to fight the case, and for payment for his services, for the rest of his life.When not fighting in court, Lafferty continued to try to reclaim his old seat in Congress. To reintroduce himself to constituents after his lengthy absence from Oregon, Lafferty launched a series of advertisements that featured an unusual assortment of information, such as excerpts from letters, snippets of poetry, pictures of notables such as Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, and references to his fight for the O&C counties. All of his attempts, as an Independent in 1950 and as a 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...
in 1952, 1954, and 1956, were unsuccessful.
Death
Lafferty died in Portland on January 15, 1964 after several weeks of failing health. At the time of his death, he was still seeking full payment for his fees from his court cases on behalf of the O&C counties and owed several hundred thousand dollars in back taxes. He was interred in Fairmount Cemetery in Middletown, MissouriMiddletown, Missouri
Middletown is a city in Montgomery County, Missouri, United States. The population was 199 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Middletown is located at ....
.