Silas Alexander Holcomb (August 25, 1858 – April 25, 1920) was a

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

lawyer and politician elected as the ninth Governor of Nebraska and serving from 1895 to 1899. He ran under a

fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

ticket between the

Populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...

and the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. Holcomb was born in

Gibson County, Indiana Gibson County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 33,503. The county seat is Princeton. History In 1787, the fledgling United States defined the Northwest T ...

, helped on the family farm and went to the local schools in winter. At age seventeen, he began to teach school. After his father's death in 1878, he moved with mother and siblings to

Hamilton County, Nebraska Hamilton County is a county in the U.S. state Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 9,429. Its county seat is Aurora. The county was named for Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury in the new United ...

in 1879. He worked in Thummel & Platt law office in Grand Island and was admitted to the Nebraska bar in 1882. On April 13, 1882, he married Martha Alice Brinson in

Mills County, Iowa Mills County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,484. The county seat is Glenwood. The county was formed in 1851 and named for Major Frederick Mills of Burlington, Iowa who was killed at ...

. They moved to Broken Bow where he farmed and practiced law.

Career

From 1891 to 1894, Holcomb served as a 12th District judge. In 1894, with the support of

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President ...

, he was elected Governor of Nebraska. He was re-elected in 1896. During his tenure, sounder financial policies were initiated and corruption and mismanagement in the state treasurer's office was addressed; reforms in state government programs were initiated. Following his years as governor, Holcomb was appointed a judge of the

Nebraska Supreme Court The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. Each justice is initially appointed by the governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each jus ...

in 1899. From 1904 to 1906, he served as

chief judge A chief judge (also known as presiding judge, president judge or principal judge) is the highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. According to the Federal judiciary of the United States, th ...

. He left the Court in 1906, but then he served on the Nebraska Board of Commissioners of State Institutions from 1913 until his failing health made it necessary for him to resign. In 1896, Holcomb was accused of tampering with ballots regarding constitutional amendments. In 1899, ''The Norfolk Weekly News'' accused Holcomb of ballot fraud in an attempt to "steal two seats on the supreme bench" in a party meeting. During balloting, it was alleged that votes were changed, and that when a recount was asked for, "Holcomb paid no attention to their suggestions." He was ultimately appointed to serve on the court in 1899.

Death

Holcomb moved to

Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the most populous city in, and county seat of Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It lies south of the U.S.–Canada border in between two major cities of the Pacific Northwest: Vancouver, British Columbia (loc ...

, where he lived with his daughter until his death on April 25, 1920. Holcomb's body was returned to Nebraska and he is interred at Broken Bow Cemetery, Broken Bow, Custer County, Nebraska.

References

External links

* at the

Nebraska State Historical Society History Nebraska, formerly the Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history." I ...

. Retrieved on 2009-07-06.
The Political Graveyard
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holcomb, Silas Alexander 1858 births 1920 deaths People from Gibson County, Indiana Democratic Party governors of Nebraska Nebraska state court judges People from Broken Bow, Nebraska People from Hamilton County, Nebraska People's Party state governors of the United States Chief Justices of the Nebraska Supreme Court Nebraska Populists