Lucius Robinson (November 4, 1810March 23, 1891) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the
26th Governor of New York from 1877 to 1879.
Life
He graduated from
Delaware Academy in
Delhi, New York
Delhi ( ) is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 4,795 at the 2020 census.US Census Bureau, 2020 Census, Delhi town, Delaware County, New York https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP ...
. Afterwards he studied law in the offices of
Erastus Root and
Amasa J. Parker, was admitted to the bar in 1832, and began practice in
Catskill, New York
Catskill is a town in the southeastern section of Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 11,298 at the 2020 census, the largest town in the county. The western part of the town is in the Catskill Park. The town contains a v ...
He was district attorney of Greene County from 1837 to 1840. Then he removed to New York City and became a member of
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
. He joined the
Republican Party when it was founded, and was a member of the
New York State Assembly (Chemung Co.) in
1860
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France.
* January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...
and
1861
Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry.
Events
January–March
* January 1
** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City.
** The first stea ...
.
He was
New York State Comptroller
The New York State Comptroller is an elected constitutional officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the New York state government's Department of Audit and Control. The New York State Comptroller is the highest-paid state auditor or ...
from 1862 to 1865. In 1861, he was elected on the Union ticket nominated by
Republicans and
War Democrats
War Democrats in American politics of the 1860s were members of the Democratic Party who supported the Union and rejected the policies of the Copperheads (or Peace Democrats). The War Democrats demanded a more aggressive policy toward the C ...
. In 1863 he was defeated for re-nomination at the Union state convention, but the nominated candidate refused to run, and the Republican State Committee put Robinson back on the ticket, and he was re-elected. After the war he joined the
Democratic Party again, and was re-nominated for comptroller on the Democratic ticket, but this time was defeated by the Republican candidate
Thomas Hillhouse. After his defeat he resumed the practice of law. In 1871–72 he was a member of the
New York State Constitutional Commission.
He was a director of the
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake Er ...
, and was acting president of the company while the president,
Peter H. Watson, was travelling about Europe. In 1875, he was again elected state comptroller, defeating the Republican candidate, former
United States Treasurer Francis E. Spinner. While serving as comptroller, he was elected governor, and was in office from 1877 to 1879, the first governor to serve a three-year term after the amendment to the
state constitution in 1874. As governor, he opposed
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
vigorously, which led the Tammany leader
John Kelly to have himself nominated for governor by Tammany Hall at
the next election in 1879, with the intention to split the Democratic vote, and so defeat Robinson. This happened, and the Republican candidate
Alonzo B. Cornell
Alonzo Barton Cornell (January 22, 1832 – October 15, 1904) was a New York (state), New York politician and businessman who was the List of Governors of New York, 27th Governor of New York from 1880 to 1882.
Early years
Cornell was born i ...
was elected governor with fewer votes than Robinson and Kelly together. Robinson was a delegate to the
1876 Democratic National Convention
The 1876 Democratic National Convention assembled in St. Louis just nine days after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati.
This was the first political convention held west of the Mississippi River. St. Louis was not ...
and supported
Samuel J. Tilden for president.
Death
He died from
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
, and was buried at the
Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira.
References
*
*
* ''Note: this website lists the incorrect death year''
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Lucius
1810 births
1891 deaths
Governors of New York (state)
New York State Comptrollers
Members of the New York State Assembly
People from the Catskills
People from Greene County, New York
19th-century American railroad executives
Deaths from pneumonia in New York (state)
New York (state) Republicans
New York (state) Democrats
Erie Railroad
Democratic Party governors of New York (state)
Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Elmira, New York)
19th-century American politicians