Samuel W. McCall
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Samuel Walker McCall (February 28, 1851 – November 4, 1923) was a Republican lawyer, politician, and writer from
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. He was for twenty years (1893–1913) a member of the
United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, and the 47th
Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachusetts ...
, serving three one-year terms (1916–19). He was a moderately progressive Republican who sought to counteract the influence of money in politics. Born in
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and educated at
Dartmouth Dartmouth may refer to: Places * Dartmouth, Devon, England ** Dartmouth Harbour * Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States * Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada * Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia Institutions * Dartmouth College, Ivy League university i ...
, he settled in Massachusetts, where he entered local politics on a progressive reform agenda. Elected to Congress, he continued his reform activities, and opposed annexation of the
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. He did not join the Progressive Party, but was insufficiently conservative for state party leaders, who denied him election 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 ...
on two occasions. As governor, he directed the state's actions during
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, and orchestrated early aid to Halifax,
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following a devastating munitions ship explosion there in 1917.


Early years and education

Samuel Walker McCall was born in
East Providence Township, Pennsylvania East Providence Township is a township in Bedford County, Pennsylvania in the United States of America. The population was 1,751 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Breezewood is in the township, which holds the Township's munici ...
on February 28, 1851, to Henry and Mary Ann (Elliott) McCall, the sixth of eleven children. At a young age, the family moved to an undeveloped frontier area of northern
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, where McCall spent much of his childhood. McCall's father speculated in real estate and owned a stove factory, which was closed by financial reverses of the
Panic of 1857 The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Because of the invention of the telegraph by Samuel F. Morse in 1844, the Panic of 1857 was ...
.Gentile, p. 835 His education began at the
Mount Carroll Seminary The Mount Carroll Seminary was the name of Shimer College from 1853 to 1896. The Seminary was located in Mount Carroll, Illinois, in the United States. A pioneering institution in its time and place, the Mount Carroll Seminary served as a center ...
(now Shimer College) in
Mount Carroll Mount Carroll is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. It is the Carroll County seat. The population was 1479 at the 2020 census. Due to its elevation and northwesterly location, Mount Carroll is subject to unusually cold winter wea ...
from 1864 to 1866,Evans, p. 7 when that school closed to male students. McCall's parents then sent him east to the
New Hampton Academy New Hampton School is an independent college preparatory high school in New Hampton, New Hampshire, United States. It has 305 students from over 30 states and 22 countries. The average class size is eleven, and the student-faculty ratio is five t ...
in
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, on the recommendation of a neighbor. McCall graduated from New Hampton Academy in 1870 and subsequently attended
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...
, where he was a member of the Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity and graduated
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
near the top of his class. While at Dartmouth, he published a newspaper (self-financed by himself and the other editors) called the ''Anvil'', and was tapped by the Dartmouth president to stand in for a sick teacher of
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and Greek at an academy in
Meriden, New Hampshire Meriden is an unincorporated community in the eastern part of the town of Plainfield in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. Meriden is home to Kimball Union Academy, a private boarding school. New Hampshire Route 120 passes through the ...
. The ''Anvil'' was one of the first student-run newspapers to comment on national and state politics. After graduating, McCall moved to
Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...
, where he studied law and gained admission to the Massachusetts Bar. He then opened a law practice in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
with a Dartmouth classmate, which he maintained for most of his life. In 1888, he and two partners purchased the '' Boston Daily Advertiser'', for which he served as editor-in-chief for two years.Gentile, p. 836 In 1881 he married Ella Esther Thompson, whom he met while attending New Hampton Academy; they settled in Winchester, Massachusetts, where they raised five children.Toomey & Quinn, p. 109


Legislative career

McCall was elected a member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
in 1887, serving three terms in 1888, 1889, and 1892. Politically a reform-minded
Mugwump The Mugwumps were Republican political activists in the United States who were intensely opposed to political corruption. They were never formally organized. Typically they switched parties from the Republican Party by supporting Democratic ...
(he had supported Democrat
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
in
1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...
), he introduced legislation to govern so-called "corrupt practices" of elected officials, intended to reduce the influence of money and favors in politics. The legislation failed to pass the legislature until 1892. He also supported legislation abolishing
imprisonment for debt A debtors' prison is a prison for people who are unable to pay debt. Until the mid-19th century, debtors' prisons (usually similar in form to locked workhouses) were a common way to deal with unpaid debt in Western Europe.Cory, Lucinda"A Historic ...
. He was a delegate to the
Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
in 1888, and served as the state's ballot commissioner in 1890 and 1891. In 1892, McCall was elected to the
United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, a seat he would occupy for twenty years, generally winning reelection by large margins. As he had in the state legislature, he introduced a corrupt practices act into Congress. In April 1898, McCall was among the six representatives who voted against declaring war on Spain. In foreign policy, he was anti-imperialist, arguing for the independence of the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
after the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...
, and opposed the
Dingley Tariff The Dingley Act of 1897 (ch. 11, , July 24, 1897), introduced by U.S. Representative Nelson Dingley Jr., of Maine, raised tariffs in United States to counteract the Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act of 1894, which had lowered rates. The bill came into ...
, arguing its rates were too high. He was one of the few representatives opposed to the
Hepburn Act The Hepburn Act is a 1906 United States federal law that expanded the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and gave it the power to set maximum railroad rates. This led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. ...
, which enabled the
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to regulate railroad rates. He had a reputation as a bit of a maverick, because he often strayed from the Republican party line, but he maintained a generally conservative voting record, and introduced little new legislation. In 1912, McCall refused to stand for reelection, and was instead considered by the state legislature for election 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 early 1913, to succeed the outgoing Senator
Winthrop Murray Crane Winthrop Murray Crane (commonly referred to as W. Murray Crane or simply Murray Crane; April 23, 1853October 2, 1920) was an American political figure and businessman. In 1879, he secured his family company, paper manufacturer Crane & Co., an ...
. His opponent,
John W. Weeks John Wingate Weeks (April 11, 1860July 12, 1926) was an American banker and politician from Massachusetts. A Republican, he served as Mayor of Newton from 1902 to 1903, a United States representative from 1905 to 1913, United States Senator fr ...
, was more conservative Republican who had the support of most of the Crane-dominated state party apparatus. The contest was bitterly divisive, an echo of the Progressive Party split that damaged the party at the national level, and was narrowly won by Weeks, even though McCall led in the party caucus balloting for the first three ballots.


Governor of Massachusetts

McCall was chosen by the party in 1914 as its nominee for
Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachusetts ...
, as a unifying force between the more progressive and conservative wings of the party. Running against the popular Democratic incumbent
David I. Walsh David Ignatius Walsh (November 11, 1872June 11, 1947) was an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 46th Governor of Massachusetts before serving several terms in the Unite ...
on a progressive platform, McCall was narrowly defeated, with the Republican votes split due to the presence of a Progressive Party candidate on the ballot. McCall was nominated again in 1915, with the Republicans deliberately courting the Progressive vote by calling for a state constitutional convention. In a rematch with Walsh, he was this time victorious. He served three consecutive terms, with future President
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
as his lieutenant governor. In each election, Coolidge won more votes than McCall did, and the ''Boston Transcript'' credited at least one of his victories to Coolidge's drawing power. The Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1917–1918 was the major political event of McCall's tenure. The convention proposed a number of reforms, most of which were adopted by the voters. State commissions and agencies were streamlined, and
initiative and referendum Direct democracy or pure democracy is a form of democracy in which the electorate decides on policy initiatives without elected representatives as proxies. This differs from the majority of currently established democracies, which are represen ...
measures were added to the state constitution. Elections for statewide offices were changed from annual to biennial, beginning in 1920. Legislative reforms proposed by McCall to the state legislature were only partially adopted; proposals reforming state insurance and the public pension program were left in the legislature, and his proposal to abolish capital punishment also failed. Anticipating American entry into World War I in early 1917, McCall formed the Massachusetts Public Safety Commission, an emergency response and relief organization that was the first of its type in the nation.MacDonald, p. 105 Coordinating a wide array of public and charitable organizations and major businesses, the commission played a significant role in providing relief and other services until it was disbanded in 1918. One of its most important actions was coordinating the state's response to the
Halifax Explosion On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the waters of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond ...
of December 6, 1917. With only fragmentary reports received early after a blast devastated the
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
city of Halifax, McCall called the committee into action, and offered unlimited assistance to the stricken city. The state organized a major relief train (even before the full extent of the disaster was known) that was among the first to reach Halifax, and the committee's representatives assisted in organizing relief activities on the ground. Temporary housing built in Halifax was named in McCall's honor, and the state's relief efforts continue to be recognized today by Nova Scotia's annual gift of a Christmas tree to the city of Boston. In 1918, McCall decided not to run for reelection, and again stood for the United States Senate. In a party nomination rematch with Weeks, he abandoned the campaign after it became clear the conservative Crane wing of the party was standing with Weeks. The seat ended up being won by ex-Governor Walsh in a Democratic upset. In the general election, McCall refused to campaign on Weeks' behalf, a move that contributed to the end of his political career. In 1920, he was nominated by President
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
for a seat on the
United States Tariff Commission The United States International Trade Commission (USITC or I.T.C.) is an agency of the United States federal government that advises the legislative and executive branches on matters of trade. It is an independent, bipartisan entity that analyze ...
; the nomination was rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate.Gentile, p. 837


Later years

McCall was engaged in literary pursuits for much of his public career, writing in various newspapers and magazines. Following his exit from politics he continued to do so, writing for the ''
Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' magazine, and working on political biographies. His published writings include biographies of his mentor
Thomas Brackett Reed Thomas Brackett Reed (October 18, 1839 – December 7, 1902) was an American politician from the state of Maine. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives 12 times, first in 1876, and serve ...
, and of Pennsylvania congressman Thaddeus Stevens. Additionally, he was working in a biography of Daniel Webster at the time of his death. McCall died in Winchester on November 4, 1923. His interment was in Wildwood Cemetery. Winchester's McCall Middle School is named in his honor. McCall's grandson,
Tom McCall Thomas Lawson McCall (March 22, 1913 January 8, 1983) was an American statesman, politician and journalist in the state of Oregon. A Republican, he was the state's thirtieth governor from 1967 to 1975. A native of Massachusetts, McCall grew up th ...
, was a two-term Republican Governor of Oregon, serving from 1967 to 1975.


See also

* 139th Massachusetts General Court


Biographical works

*


Legacy and honors

*Elected a member of the
American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...
in 1901.American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
/ref> *McCall Middle School in Winchester, Mass., McCall's longtime home, is named in his honor.


References


Sources

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McCall, Samuel W. Republican Party governors of Massachusetts 1851 births 1923 deaths Boston Daily Advertiser people Dartmouth College alumni Candidates in the 1916 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians Shimer College alumni People from Winchester, Massachusetts Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts People from Worcester, Massachusetts Members of the American Antiquarian Society