Josiah William Bailey (September 14, 1873 – December 15, 1946) was an American politician who served as a
U.S. senator from the state of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
from 1931 to 1946.
Early life and education
Born in
Warrenton, North Carolina
Warrenton is a town in, and the county seat of, Warren County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 862 at the 2010 census. Warrenton, now served by U.S. routes 158 and 401, was founded in 1779. It became one of the wealthiest towns ...
, he grew up in Raleigh and graduated from Wake Forest College (now
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...
).
Career
Before turning to a career in law, Bailey was editor of the ''
Biblical Recorder'', a newspaper for North Carolina
Baptists. He was a
presidential elector
The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...
in
1908
Events
January
* January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica.
* January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 4 ...
.
Elected to 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 ...
in 1930, defeating longtime incumbent
Furnifold McLendel Simmons
Furnifold McLendel Simmons (January 20, 1854April 30, 1940) was an American politicians who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1887 to March 4, 1889 and U.S. senator from the state of North ...
, Bailey earned a reputation as a conservative while in office. In 1937, he coauthored the bipartisan
Conservative Manifesto, a document criticizing President
Franklin Roosevelt's
New Deal and proposing more conservative alternatives. Among other things, the Manifesto called for lower taxes and less spending.
That same year, Bailey gave a rousing floor speech against President Roosevelt's
court-packing bill, which convinced at least three freshman Republicans, thought by Majority Leader
Joe Robinson to be definite supporters, to oppose the measure.
A segregationist and white supremacist, Bailey filibustered anti-lynching legislation in 1938.
[Beauchamp, Zack (October 9, 2013)]
How Racism Caused The Shutdown
''ThinkProgress''. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
During his time in office, he served as chairman of the
Committee on Claims and
Committee on Commerce
The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate. Besides having broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, a ...
.
Death
Bailey died in office in 1946.
See also
*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)
References
Sources
*Finley, Keith M. ''Delaying the Dream: Southern Senators and the Fight Against Civil Rights, 1938–1965'' (Baton Rouge, LSU Press, 2008).
Further reading
*Moore, John Robert. ''Senator Josiah William Bailey of North Carolina: A Political Biography''. Durham: Duke University Press, 1968.
External links
The "Conservative Manifesto" from the North Carolina History Project*
by Troy Kickler, December 13, 2006
*
ttp://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=bailey&GSfn=josiah&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=8091147& Josiah William Baileyat Find-A-Grave
Josiah Bailey papers 1773–1867. 2" linear. At th
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Josiah
1873 births
1946 deaths
Democratic Party United States senators from North Carolina
North Carolina Democrats
Burials at Historic Oakwood Cemetery
Wake Forest University alumni
Baptists from North Carolina
Old Right (United States)
American white supremacists
1908 United States presidential electors