Charles A. White (July 7, 1881 – October 7, 1925) was an American

organized labor A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and Employee ben ...

lobbyist and politician. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Sarah Householder and Jesse Alexander White. Married Ruth Lillian Shaw from Ohio. Died October 7, 1925, Detroit, Michigan, buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Ada, Ohio. Charles left Knoxville during the early 1900s and went to St. Louis, Missouri. 1903 he began working as a conductor on an interurban railway in

St. Clair County, Illinois St. Clair County is the oldest county in Illinois; its western border is formed by the Mississippi River, bordering Missouri. It is a part of the Metro East in southern Illinois. At the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 257,400 ...

. He joined the car men's union and soon became an active member and a champion of organized labor. White was heavily involved in the union and in 1907 was selected as one of the Representatives of organized labor to attend the Session of the 45th

Illinois General Assembly The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. It has two chambers, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 181 ...

. He was a "labor lobbyist." He was only 24 years old. In 1908 he became a candidate from St. Clair County for the next Legislature. He was elected in November, 1908, by a large vote. White found corruption in the Legislature and took it upon himself to expose it. One of the main issues was

bribery Bribery is the Offer and acceptance, offering, Gift, giving, Offer and acceptance, receiving, or Solicitation, soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With reg ...

. The Chicago Tribune carried stories about him. With this exposure, White lost his popularity. He called it the "Jackpot Exposure." He was crucified for his findings. William A. Prentiss wrote a booklet about Charles White telling his stories. In 1909 the Chicago Tribune paid Charles White $3,250 to publish his findings in the newspaper. After Charles gave the Tribune his story, they printed it to make him look like the "bad guy." Charles White was, at that time, the youngest member of the Illinois Legislature.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Charles A. 1881 births 1925 deaths People from St. Clair County, Illinois Politicians from Knoxville, Tennessee American workers' rights activists Members of the Illinois House of Representatives 20th-century American legislators 20th-century Illinois politicians