Joseph Little Bristow (July 22, 1861July 14, 1944) was 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 ...

politician from the American state of

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

. Elected in 1908, Bristow served a single term in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

where he gained recognition for his support of a number of political causes of the

Progressive era The Progressive Era (late 1890s – late 1910s) was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States focused on defeating corruption, monopoly, waste and inefficiency. The main themes ended during Am ...

. Following his electoral defeat in the election of November 1914, Bristow spent the rest of his life as a farmer in the state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Bristow was a bit player in a legendary episode in American political folklore when his Senate speech on "what the country needs" is said to have moved a bored

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

Thomas R. Marshall Thomas Riley Marshall (March 14, 1854 – June 1, 1925) was an American politician who served as the 28th vice president of the United States from 1913 to 1921 under President Woodrow Wilson. A prominent lawyer in Indiana, he became an acti ...

to lean forward and

stage whisper ''Stage Whisper'' is a double album by Charlotte Gainsbourg, released on December 13, 2011. In 2012 it was awarded a double silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association The Independent Music Companies Association (I ...

: "What this country really needs is a good five-cent cigar."

Biography

Early years

Joseph Little Bristow was born in rural Wolfe County,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, just outside the hamlet of Hazel Green, on July 22, 1861. His father was the son of a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

minister who had become a school teacher who later fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

on behalf of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

.Thomas Dreier, ''Heroes of Insurgency.'' Boston: Human Life Publishing Company, 1910; p. 69. The family was devoutly religious. In November 1879, Bristow married Margaret A. Hendrix of

Fleming County, Kentucky Fleming County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,082. Its county seat is Flemingsburg. The county was formed in 1798 and named for Colonel John Fleming, an Indian fighter and early s ...

.Dreier, ''Heroes of Insurgency'', pg. 71. Soon after marriage, the couple moved west to

Elk County, Kansas Elk County (county code EK) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,483. Its county seat and most populous city is Howard. History Early history For many millennia, the Great Plai ...

to make a new life there in farming. This agrarian interlude was brief as in 1882 the Bristows moved to

Baldwin, Kansas Baldwin City is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, about south of Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,826. The city is home to Baker University, the state's oldest four-year university. History ...

so that Joseph could enroll at

Baker University Baker University is a private university in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it was the first four-year university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Ar ...

, with a view to becoming a Methodist minister. Bristow's political career began while still a student, when in conjunction with the election of 1884 he organized a Blaine and Logan club on behalf of the nominees for

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

and

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of the Republican Party. He graduated from

when he was 25. Bristow edited several newspapers in

Salina, Kansas Salina is a city in, and the county seat of, Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,889. In the early 1800s, the Kanza tribal land reached eastward from the middle of the Kansas Territory. In 1 ...

before serving as a private secretary to Governor Edmund Morrill. He was President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

's fourth assistant postmaster general.

United States Senator

Bristow was elected to the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 1908 and served from 1909 to 1915. As a Senator, Bristow fought fiercely for direct election of Senators, which, until the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1912, were elected by (or appointed by processes established by) state legislatures. Bristow is also known for giving young

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

his nomination for entrance into the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

. Bristow was defeated in his 1914 re-election bid.

"What this country needs..."

Bristow is said to have played a part in provoking a sarcastic comment from Vice President

. One day while Bristow was delivering a lengthy speech in the Senate on "what this country needs," Marshall leaned forward and whispered loudly enough for most of the chamber to hear, "What this country really needs is a good five-cent cigar." The expression was immortalized with the retelling and has become a lasting part of American political folklore.

Later years

Bristow spent the rest of his life after politics farming his Virginia estate, Ossian Hall.

Death and legacy

Joseph L. Bristow died on July 14, 1944. His body was returned to Kansas for burial next to his wife Margaret in Salina's Gypsum Hill Cemetery. Bristow is the namesake of the community of

Bristow, Missouri Bristow is an unincorporated community in Vernon County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. History A post office called Bristow was established in 1897, and remained in operation until 1901. The community has the name of Joseph L. Bristow, a postal ...

. Bristow is also the namesake of the community o
Bristow, OK
ref>History Of Bristow, Oklahoma;
Bristow Historical Society & Museum

Footnotes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bristow, Joseph L. 1861 births 1944 deaths Baker University alumni Kansas Republicans Republican Party United States senators from Kansas Virginia Republicans People from Wolfe County, Kentucky People from Baldwin City, Kansas Progressivism in the United States