James Adam Bede (January 13, 1856 – April 11, 1942) was an American politician who served as

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Early life and education

Bede and his twin brother were born on a farm in Eaton Township,

Lorain County, Ohio Lorain County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 312,964. Its county seat is Elyria. The county was physically established in 1822, becoming judicially independent in 1824. ...

. He spent his boyhood on a farm and attended the public schools of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...

, and Tabor College in

Tabor, Iowa Tabor is a city in Fremont County and extends northward into Mills County in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 928 at the time of the 2020 census. Geography Tabor is located at (40.896605, -95.672368). According to the United States ...

, and

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

while learning the printing trade.''Steam Shovel and Dredge'', Volume 12, p. 606.

Career

Bede taught school in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, and

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

. He was editor and publisher of several newspapers and periodicals, and served as a representative for several western newspapers in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

In 1886, he moved to Minnesota. He was engaged in newspaper work at

Pine City, Minnesota Pine City is a city in and the county seat of Pine County, in east central Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,130 at the 2020 census. A portion of the city is located on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. Founded as a railway town, ...

Pine County, Minnesota Pine County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 28,876. Its county seat is Pine City, Minnesota, Pine City. The county was formed in 1856 and or ...

; served as United States marshal for the district of Minnesota in 1894 during the great railway strike; spoke at the first annual dinner of the Associated Press in New York; elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the 58th, 59th, and 60th congresses, (March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1909); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1908 to the 61st congress; returned to Pine City; engaged as a publisher and lecturer; moved to

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

, in 1927 and engaged in his former pursuits; also was interested in the

St. Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roma ...

inland waterway project; Bede also served in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...

, in 1931-1932, from St. Louis County, Minnesota;Minnesota Legislators Past and Present-James Adam Bede
/ref> Bede was noted for his humor and speaking style. In an April 28, 1912 article titled "How humor Enlivens the Solemn Work of Congress" the New York Times reported:

Adam Bede was one of the most popular stump speakers and spellbinders of the present generation. His speeches were full of dry humor and his droll manner of illustrating his arguments by stories of the day never failed to win the applause of his audiences.

In his book The Homesteaders recounting life in early twentieth century rural Pine County Minnesota, O Bernard Johnson describes Bede's speaking style as follows:

J. Adam Bede of Pine City, was a congressman in the early 1900s. He was a great humorist and had a rapid fire delivery. When running for reelection he spoke in our schoolhouse and had the audience in stitches during his entire speech. If he said anything seriously about the issues of the day no one can recall, but I am sure that his humor got him many votes.

Personal

Bede was married and had seven children. He died in Duluth, Minnesota, April 11, 1942 and is buried in Birchwood Cemetery, Pine City, Minnesota.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bede, James 1856 births 1942 deaths Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Oberlin College alumni La Salle Extension University alumni United States Marshals People from Pine City, Minnesota People from Lorain County, Ohio Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law Tabor College (Iowa) alumni