Edwin Yates Webb (May 23, 1872 – February 7, 1955) was a Democratic

United States Representative 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

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 ...

and a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

of the

United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina The United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina (in case citations, W.D.N.C.) is a federal district court which covers the western third of North Carolina. Appeals from the Western District of North Carolina are take ...

Education and career

Born on May 23, 1872, in Shelby,

Cleveland County Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

, Webb attended the Shelby Military Institute and received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1893 from

Wake Forest College 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 u ...

, then attended the

University of North Carolina School of Law The University of North Carolina School of Law is the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the United States and is the oldest law school in North Caro ...

in 1893 and 1894. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Shelby starting in 1894. He attended the University of Virginia School of Law in 1896 and completed a postgraduate course. He was a member of the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

in 1901. Webb was appointed a trustee of Wake Forest College in 1898. He was appointed trustee of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

(now North Carolina State University) by the legislature in 1899 and served two years. He was Chairman of the Democratic senatorial district in 1896. He was Chairman of the Democratic county executive committee from 1898 to 1902. He was temporary Chairman of the Democratic State convention in 1900.

Congressional service

Webb was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

of the

58th United States Congress The 58th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC, from March 4, 1903, to ...

and to the eight succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1903, to November 10, 1919, when he resigned to accept a federal judgeship. He was Chairman of the

United States House Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administra ...

for the 63rd through 65th United States Congresses. He was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1912 to conduct impeachment proceedings against Robert W. Archbald, judge of the

United States Commerce Court The Commerce Court of the United States was a short-lived federal trial court. It was created by the Mann-Elkins Act in 1910 and abolished three years later.Urgent Deficiency Act, 63rd Congress, 1st session, ch. 32, , October 22, 1913. Effective ...

. On April 17, 1918, Congressman Webb, as the sole sponsor, introduced the

Sedition Act of 1918 The Sedition Act of 1918 () was an Act of the United States Congress that extended the Espionage Act of 1917 to cover a broader range of offenses, notably speech and the expression of opinion that cast the government or the war effort in a ne ...

legislation in the

U.S. House 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

(H.R. 8753), that criminalized speech or the expression of opinion criticizing the U.S. government war effort, military or flag. It amended the

Espionage Act of 1917 The Espionage Act of 1917 is a United States federal law enacted on June 15, 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I. It has been amended numerous times over the years. It was originally found in Title 50 of the U.S. Code (War ...

. It was signed into law on May 16, 1918, by president Woodrow Wilson. The law was repealed on December 13, 1920.

Federal judicial service

Webb 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 ...

on October 30, 1919, to the

, to a new seat authorized by 40 Stat. 1156. He was confirmed by 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 November 5, 1919, and received his commission the same day. He assumed

senior status Senior status is a form of semi- retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of service as a federal judge must be at leas ...

on March 1, 1948. His service terminated on February 7, 1955, due to his death while visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. He was interred in Sunset Cemetery in Shelby.

Family and views on suffrage

Webb was the brother of politician James L. Webb and the uncle of

Fay Webb-Gardner Fay Lamar Webb-Gardner (September 7, 1885 – January 16, 1969) was an American political hostess, businesswoman, and philanthropist. As the wife of Oliver Max Gardner, she served as the Second Lady of North Carolina from 1917 to 1923 and as Fi ...

, the wife of O. Max Gardner. In debates within the North Carolina Democratic Party over

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

in the late 1910s and early 1920s, Congressman Webb was opposed, while Gardner led those who supported the idea of granting the right to vote to women.Christensen, Rob. ''The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics''. 2008: UNC Press.

References

Sources

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Edwin Yates 1872 births 1955 deaths Democratic Party North Carolina state senators Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina United States district court judges appointed by Woodrow Wilson 20th-century American judges Wake Forest University alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni People from Shelby, North Carolina Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina Webb family