NationMaster - Encyclopedia: James Eli Watson

James Eli Watson (November 2, 1864? – July 29, 1948) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana. He was the Senate's second official majority leader. While an article published by the Senate (see external links) gives his year of birth as 1862, this is most probably incorrect. James Eli Watson Source: http://www. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... 1948 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... State nickname: The Hoosier State Other U.S. States Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Governor Mitch Daniels Official languages English Area 94,321 kmÂ² (38th) - Land 92,897 kmÂ² - Water 1,424 kmÂ² (1. ... The Senate Majority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesman for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

He was born in Winchester, Indiana, one of six children. His father was a lawyer, a Republican state legislator, and owner-editor of the local newspaper, the Winchester Herald. At the age of twelve, Watson accompanied his father to the 1876 Republican National Convention. Watson attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and graduated in 1886. He then studied law, was admited to the bar in 1886 and joined his father's law firm. Watson campaigned for Republican candidates throughout the 1880s and moved to Rushville, Indiana in 1893. He was elected as U.S. Representative in 1894 to the 54th Congress (1895-1897), defeating the Democratic incumbent, in part by speaking German, the language of many of his constituents. Winchester is a city located in Randolph County, Indiana. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... 1876 is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Republican Party, is held every four years to determine the partys candidate for the coming Presidential election and the partys platform. ... Founded in 1837, DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, is a selective private liberal arts college with a 2002 enrollment of 2,339. ... Greencastle is a city located in Putnam County, Indiana. ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... A bar association is a body of lawyers who, in some jurisdictions, are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession. ... Rushville is a city located in Rush County, Indiana. ... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ...

He was defeated for reelection in 1896, but was elected in 1898 to the 56th Congress and reelected to the 57th, 58th, 59th and 60th Congresses (1899-1909). 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... // Dates of Sessions March 4, 1899, to March 3, 1901 Major Political Events Vice President Garret A. Hobart had died right before the convening of the first session so William P. Frye served as acting President Pro Tempore Officers Senate President Pro Tempore William P. Frye Senate Republican Conference Chairman... // Dates of Sessions March 4, 1901, to March 3, 1903 Major Political Events Officers Senate President Pro Tempore William P. Frye Senate Republican Conference Chairman William B. Allison House of Representatives Speaker of the House David B. Henderson House Democratic Floor Leader James D. Richardson House Republican Floor Leader Sereno... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Shortly after his arrival in Washington, Watson became the "right-hand man" and protege of Speaker Joe Cannon. Cannon ensured his selection as the Republican whip, trusted him with party strategy in the House of Representatives, and placed him on the powerful Ways and Means Committee. While Cannon had his share of adversaries in the House, Watson enjoyed the attention of a wide circle of friends. An enthusiastic storyteller and poker player, he attracted members from both parties. Colleagues would come to the House chamber just to hear him speak—not to be swayed by his conservative views, but to see him put on a good show. As one writer observed, Watson "would work himself up to an astonishing pitch, tear off his collar and necktie, then throw aside his coat and vest, until, clad in trousers, shirt, and suspenders, he could really let himself go." Dennis Hastert of Illinois, the current Speaker of the House (since January 6, 1999) The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. ... U.S. Congresman Joseph Gurney Cannon, smoking a cigar, 1920. ... In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... The Committee on Ways and Means is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. ...

He did not run for reelection in 1908, instead running unsuccessfully for governor of Indiana. He resumed a private law practice in Rushville, 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Watson left the House to run for governor of Indiana in 1908. Opposed by organized labor, he lost the election to Thomas R. Marshall, the future vice president under Woodrow Wilson. He resumed a private law practice in Rushville, though he continued to participate in Washington politics, supporting Cannon after House Democrats and Republican "insurgents" attempted to oust the speaker in 1909. The following year, Watson wrote Cannon's famous speech defending the leadership's authority, party government, and the rights of the majority. A pivotal moment in House history, the speech enabled Cannon to keep his position, but at a great reduction in power. The House adopted a resolution that prevented Cannon and subsequent speakers from serving on or appointing members to the all-important Rules Committee. 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Thomas Riley Marshall ( March 14, 1854 – June 1, 1925) was an American politician who served as the twenty-eighth Vice President of the United States of America under Woodrow Wilson from 1913 to 1921. ... Dr. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was the 45th state Governor of New Jersey (1911-1913) and later the 28th President of the United States (1913-1921). ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Committee on Rules, or (more commonly) Rules Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. ...

In the years after the House rebellion, Watson remained a prominent figure on Capitol Hill. Among other pursuits, he was a lobbyist for the American Manufacturers Association. While detractors, including members of the House, questioned the propriety of his new occupation, the criticism did not hurt his political standing in Indiana. In fact, he became known as an Indiana boss, and state politicians sought his endorsement as a necessary precursor to winning elections or appointments to higher office. Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body, in order to ensure that an individuals or organizations point of view is represented in the government. ...

In 1916, Watson entered the U.S. Senate race against Democratic Senator John W. Kern, but his bitter primary battle against Harry S. New threatened to divide the state Republican party. Watson won the majority of primary delegates, but according to one source, New had "convincing affidavits of fraud" committed by Watson. As a result, Republican leaders could not decide which candidate to support. They were saved from making the decision when Indiana's other senator, Benjamin F. Shiveley, died in March. Both Republican candidates ran for Senate seats in the general election. New defeated Kern, and Watson won the remainder of Shively's term. He was reelected 8 times, serving in the 64th, 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st, 72nd Congresses, serving from 1916 to 1933. 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... Seal of the Senate The Senate is one of the two houses of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... John Worth Kern (December 20, 1849 - August 17, 1917) was a U.S. Democratic politician from Indiana. ... Harry Stewart New (1858–1937) was a U.S. journalist and political figure. ... Dates of Sessions 1917-1919 A special session took place from 5 March 1917 to 16 March 1917. ... Dates of Sessions Major Political Events Officers Senate House of Representatives Members of the Sixty-sixth United States Congress House of Representatives Alabama Edward B. Almon, Democrat William B. Bankhead, Democrat Fred L. Blackmon, Democrat William B. Bowling, Democrat John L. Burnett, Democrat Stanley H. Dent, Jr. ... // Dates of Sessions 1921-1923 Major Political Events Officers Senate President pro tempore - Albert B. Cummins House of Representatives Speaker of the House - Frederick H. Gillett Members of the Sixty-seventh United States Congress Senate Henry F. Ashurst, Democrat, Arizona Lewis H. Ball, Republican, Delaware Thomas F. Bayard, Jr. ... Dates of Sessions 1923-1925 Major Political Events Officers Senate President pro tempore - Albert B. Cummins House of Representatives Speaker of the House - Frederick H. Gillett Members of the Sixty-seventh United States Congress Senate Alva B. Adams, Democrat, Colorado Henry F. Ashurst, Democrat, Arizona Lewis H. Ball, Republican, Delaware... Sessions of the 69th Congress, (1925-1927) The Special Session was called by President Calvin Coolidge on February 14, 1925. ... The 71st United States Congress met from 1929 to 1931. ... The 72nd Congress met from December 7, 1931 to March 3, 1933. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Watson quickly earned a reputation as a "horse trader", able to convince reluctant senators to toe the party line. Henry Cabot Lodge, the Senate Republican Conference chairman, recognized Watson's skills at persuasion, and in 1919 he had Watson organize the Senate's opposition to the League of Nations provision in the Versailles Treaty. At the time, Charles Curtis was the official Republican whip. Nevertheless, Watson quietly accepted the position's duties during the two separate occasions when the Senate voted to reject the treaty. Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 – November 9, 1924), was a Republican statesman and noted historian. ... The Senate Republican Conference is the formal organization of the (currently) 51 Republican Senators in the United States Senate. ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War at the Congress of Vienna in 1919. ... Woodrow Wilson with the American Peace Commissioners The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 is the peace treaty created as a result of six months of negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which put an official end to World War I between the Allies and Central Powers. ... Charles Curtis Charles Curtis (January 25, 1860 â€“ February 8, 1936) was a Representative and a Senator from Kansas as well as the 31st Vice President of the United States. ...

Prior to the second treaty vote in March 1920, President Woodrow Wilson, the League of Nations' chief advocate, met with Watson in the White House. "Where am I in this fight?" the president wanted to know. "Mr. President," the senator replied affably, "you are licked." Watson then predicted the vote on each of Lodge's fourteen treaty reservations. That settled, the two men, both storytellers, spent "quite an enjoyable time together for many minutes". The anecdote, recounted in Watson's memoirs, illustrates two aspects about the senator: he always knew the outcome of a vote, and even his greatest rivals enjoyed his company. 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...

Throughout the 1920s, Watson faced no serious challenges from Indiana politicians. While he spent little time on legislation, he climbed the ranks of the Republican party. According to one critic, the "burly, hearty fellow" didn't need a strong legislative record; party loyalty was his "fetish". Watson tested his party's support in 1928 when he ran against Herbert Hoover for the Republican presidential nomination. In his usual exuberant fashion, he denounced Hoover's platform in a series of pre-convention speeches. Hoover won the nomination, and Watson, as a party liner, supported his candidacy. Yet, he made no attempts to repair the poisoned relationship with Hoover. 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Order: 31st President Vice President: Charles Curtis Term of office: March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933 Preceded by: Calvin Coolidge Succeeded by: Franklin D. Roosevelt Date of birth: August 10, 1874 Place of birth: West Branch, Iowa Date of death: October 20, 1964 Place of death: New York City, New...

Much to Hoover's dismay, on March 5, 1929, the Senate Republican "regulars" selected Watson to succeed Charles Curtis as majority leader and chairman of the Republican Conference. In October, the stock market crashed, and Watson's response with high-tariff legislation did little to ward off the financial depression. He clashed with Hoover on a number of issues, including the president's rough treatment of the World War I "bonus marchers", whose Capitol protest reflected the nation's dissatisfaction with Congress and the chief executive. By the end of his term, Watson was considered the Republican leader in name only. He neglected the administrative side of his job, leaving the day-to-day management of the Senate to his floor assistants, Senators Wesley Jones and Charles McNary. March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... For the protest against the Communications Decency Act, see Black World Wide Web protest. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Shacks, put up by the Bonus Army on the Anacostia flats, Washington, D.C., burning after the battle with the military, 1932. ... Wesley Livsey Jones (1863 - 1932) was an American politician, who served as a United States Senator from Washington. ... Charles Linza McNary (June 12, 1874 - February 25, 1944) was a U.S. Republican politician from Oregon, best known for serving as Minority Leader of the United States Senate from 1933 to 1944. ...

The Democrats swept both Congress and the presidency in the election of 1932, and Watson lost his Senate seat in a landslide defeat. Following the election, however, Watson remained a fixture of the Washington scene, practicing law and trading stories with his former colleagues in the Republican cloakroom. He also retained, to a lesser degree, his power over Indiana politics. Wendell Willkie, a Republican convert and fellow Hoosier, could attest that Watson's support, or lack thereof, meant everything in the state. When Willkie ran for president in 1940, Watson would not endorse the former Democrat. Reportedly, he justified his refusal by saying, "I may welcome a repentant sinner into my church, but I wouldn't want him to lead the church choir." 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... Wendell L. Willkie Wendell Lewis Willkie (February 18, 1892 â€“ October 8, 1944) was a lawyer, born in Elwood, Indiana, the only native of Indiana to be nominated as the presidential candidate for a national party, having never held any sort of high elected office. ... Hoosiers is a name for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana; it is commonly accepted and employed at all levels of discourse by Hoosiers themselves, and is considered neither derogatory nor informal. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Watson died in 1948 Washington D.C. at the age of 83. Dr. Frederick Brown Harris, the former Senate chaplain, performed the funeral service in Washington. Until the end, Watson remained well liked, if not well respected, by House and Senate members. Perhaps only Hoover and Willkie bore a lasting grudge against him. Indeed, even his harshest critics considered Watson the man "impossible not to like". He is interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Maryland. 1948 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Suitland-Silver Hill is a census-designated place located in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ...

He is credited with originating the saying If you can't lick 'em, jine 'em [1] The Senate Majority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesman for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ...

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Categories: United States Senators | 1864 births | 1948 deaths The Senate Majority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesman for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. ... Source: [1] File links The following pages link to this file: United States Senate Seal of the United States Senate Image:Bennie johnson. ... Charles Curtis Charles Curtis (January 25, 1860 â€“ February 8, 1936) was a Representative and a Senator from Kansas as well as the 31st Vice President of the United States. ... Joseph Taylor Robinson Joseph Taylor Robinson (26 August 1872 - 14 July 1937) was a Democratic United States Senator, Senate Majority Leader, member of the United States House of Representatives, Governor of Arkansas, and U.S. Vice Presidential candidate. ... Alben W. Barkley Alben William Barkley (November 24, 1877 â€“ April 30, 1956) was a Representative and a Senator from Kentucky and the thirty-fifth Vice President of the United States. ... Wallace Humphrey White, Jr. ... Scott Lucas (1892 - 1968) was a 2-term United States senator from Illinois and Senate Majority Leader from 1948-1950. ... Ernest William McFarland (1894 - 1984), an American politician and the Father of the G.I. Bill, is the only American to serve in the highest office in all three branches of his states government. ... Robert Alphonso Taft I (September 8, 1889 - July 31, 1953), of the Taft family political dynasty of Ohio, was a United States Senator and Presidential candidate in the United States Republican Party. ... William Fife Knowland (June 26, 1908 – February 23, 1974) was a U.S. politician and newpaperman. ... Order: 36th President Vice President: Hubert H. Humphrey Term of office: November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969 Preceded by: John F. Kennedy Succeeded by: Richard M. Nixon Date of birth: August 27, 1908 Place of birth: Gillespie County, Texas Date of death: January 22, 1973 Place of death: Johnson City... Mike Mansfield Michael Joseph Mansfield (March 16, 1903–October 5, 2001) was an American politician from Montana. ... Robert C. Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd (born November 20, 1917) is a West Virginia Democrat serving in the United States Senate. ... Howard Baker, Jr. ... Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (born July 22, 1923) is best known as a former Republican United States Senate Majority Leader and Senator from Kansas. ... Robert C. Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd (born November 20, 1917) is a West Virginia Democrat serving in the United States Senate. ... George John Mitchell, GBE (born August 20, 1933 in Waterville, Maine) is Chairman of the Walt Disney Company. ... Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (born July 22, 1923) is best known as a former Republican United States Senate Majority Leader and Senator from Kansas. ... Sen. ... Thomas Andrew Daschle (born December 9, 1947), known as Tom Daschle, was a U.S. Senator from South Dakota and the Senate Minority Leader until his term ended. ... Sen. ... Thomas Andrew Daschle (born December 9, 1947), known as Tom Daschle, was a U.S. Senator from South Dakota and the Senate Minority Leader until his term ended. ... Bill Frist - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...