warren harding's campaign manager, who later became attorney gerneral

by Rosalia Abernathy 3 min read

Daugherty remained an influential figure behind the election of several US representatives and senators. In 1920, he was Harding's campaign manager at the Republican National Convention. Following Harding's successful election, Daugherty was named Attorney General.

Who is Warren Harding?

Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th President of the United States from 1921 until his death in 1923.

What did Warren Harding do for the Republican Party?

Warren Harding’s Rise in the Republican Party. Warren Harding, a Republican, began his political career in 1898 by winning election to the Ohio senate, where he served until 1903. He was Ohio’s lieutenant governor from 1904 to 1906 but lost his bid for the governorship in 1910.

How long did Warren Harding serve as president?

The 29th U.S. president, Warren Harding (1865-1923) served in office from 1921 to 1923 before dying of an apparent heart attack.

Who was Warren G Harding's Secretary of State?

Harding chose pro-League Charles Evans Hughes as his Secretary of State, ignoring advice from Senator Lodge and others. After Charles G. Dawes declined the Treasury position, Harding asked Pittsburgh banker Andrew W. Mellon, one of the richest people in the country; he agreed.

Why did Hanna and Daugherty fight?

Why was Daugherty indicted?

What party was Daugherty in?

Why did Daugherty become persona non grata?

What newspaper did Daugherty work for?

When did Daugherty abandon Foraker?

What did Daugherty's mother want him to do?

See 4 more

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Harry Micajah Daugherty (1860 - 1941) - Genealogy - geni family tree

Genealogy profile for Harry M. Daugherty, U.S. Attorney General. Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love. Build your family tree online ; Share photos and videos

Harry M. Daugherty - Ohio History Central

Harry Micajah Daugherty served as United States Attorney General during President Warren G. Harding's administration. Daugherty was born on January 26, 1860.

Ohio Gang - Wikipedia

The Ohio Gang was a gang of politicians and industry leaders closely surrounding Warren G. Harding, the 29th President of the United States.Many of these individuals came into Harding's personal orbit during his tenure as a state-level politician in Ohio, hence the name.. During the Harding administration, several members of the Ohio Gang became involved in financial scandals.

Who was Warren Harding's close friend?

No one, that is, except his close friend and political manager, Harry Daugherty, the wealthy corporate lawyer and lobbyist from Ohio.

How many votes did Harding get?

The Socialist Party candidate won 3 percent of the electorate, amassing ninety thousand votes. In the Electoral College, Harding won thirty-seven states and 404 votes; Cox won only eleven southern states, with 127 Electoral College votes, the traditional "Solid South" base of the Democratic Party.

What did Harding and Coolidge advocate for?

On trade and immigration, Harding and Coolidge (who would succeed Harding in office) advocated a higher protective tariff and supported new immigration requirements.

Who was the governor of Ohio during the Wilson years?

The Democrats, who met in San Francisco, also turned to an Ohio newspaperman, James M. Cox, a liberal Democrat who had served as the progressive governor of the state during the Wilson years. But they were hardly united, and it took forty-four ballots to put him over the top.

Did Harding play poker?

Harding was known to all of them, had played poker with most of them, and was "right" on every important issue. He represented a critically important state in the election, had not opposed prohibition or suffrage, and had no political enemies.

Who was Warren Harding?

Occupation. Politician. journalist. Signature. Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular U.S. presidents to that point.

When did Harding start his campaign?

Harding begins his front porch campaign by accepting the Republican nomination, July 22, 1920.

How many prisoners did Harding release?

Harding released 23 other war opponents at the same time as Debs, and continued to review cases and release political prisoners throughout his presidency. Harding defended his prisoner releases as necessary to return the nation to normalcy.

What were the two issues that Harding fought for?

On two issues, women's suffrage, and the prohibition of alcohol, where picking the wrong side would have damaged his presidential prospects in 1920, he prospered by taking nuanced positions. As senator-elect, he indicated that he could not support votes for women until Ohio did. Increased support for suffrage there and among Senate Republicans meant that by the time Congress voted on the issue, Harding was a firm supporter. Harding, who drank, initially voted against banning alcohol. He voted for the Eighteenth Amendment, which imposed prohibition, after successfully moving to modify it by placing a time limit on ratification, which was expected to kill it. Once it was ratified anyway, Harding voted to override Wilson's veto of the Volstead Bill, which implemented the amendment, assuring the support of the Anti-Saloon League.

What did Harding do to help the blind?

Like most politicians of his time, Harding accepted that patronage and graft would be used to repay political favors. He arranged for his sister Mary (who was legally blind) to be appointed as a teacher at the Ohio School for the Blind, although there were better-qualified candidates. In another trade, he offered publicity in his newspaper in exchange for free railroad passes for himself and his family. According to Sinclair, "it is doubtful that Harding ever thought there was anything dishonest in accepting the perquisites of position or office. Patronage and favors seemed the normal reward for party service in the days of Hanna."

How many votes did Harding win in Ohio?

Harding carried Ohio by only 15,000 votes over Wood, taking less than half the total vote, and won only 39 of 48 delegates. In Indiana, Harding finished fourth, with less than ten percent of the vote, and failed to win a single delegate.

Why was Harding not nominated?

Reporters deemed Harding unlikely to be nominated due to his poor showing in the primaries, and relegated him to a place among the dark horses. Harding, who like the other candidates was in Chicago supervising his campaign, had finished sixth in the final public opinion poll, behind the three main candidates as well as former Justice Hughes and Herbert Hoover, and only slightly ahead of Coolidge.

Who was the Attorney General of the United States during the Harding administration?

Harry Micajah Daugherty served as United States Attorney General during President Warren G. Harding's administration. Daugherty was born on January 26, 1860. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School when he was just twenty years old.

Why is Harding called the Ohio Gang?

These men, including Daugherty, became known as the "Ohio Gang," because they were supposedly a gang of thieves with Ohio roots. In reality, most of the men linked to the Ohio Gang were not ...

What happened to Daugherty after he resigned?

In 1940, Daugherty suffered two heart attacks and had a bout with pneumonia. Daugherty was bed-ridden for the rest of his life, and died on October 12, 1941.

What political party did Daugherty belong to?

Despite these setbacks, by the late 1910s, Daugherty had emerged as one of the most powerful members of the Republican Party in Ohio. Because of Daugherty's prominence, in 1920, he ...

What did Jess Smith do during Harding's presidency?

Unfortunately for Harding, Daugherty and his personal assistant, Jess Smith, appeared to engage in wrongdoing during Harding’s presidency, in particular bootlegging, which was a direct violation of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. It was also rumored that Smith and Daugherty were having an affair which only added to the sense of corruption surrounding Harding’s presidency.

When did Daugherty resign?

Still, on March 28, 1924, while the Senate investigation was ongoing, Daugherty resigned as attorney general. Daugherty's supposed actions, along with those of several other of Harding's cabinet officials, caused a great deal of distrust of government officials among the American people and also solidified Harding's reputation as a poor president.

Did Daugherty pursue the investigation?

Critics, especially in the United States Congress, claimed that Daugherty did not vigorously pursue the investigations. Smith also was supposedly involved in Daugherty's illegal activities. Rather than face legal charges and a possible prison sentence, Smith took his own life.

Early Life- Family, Education, Early Career

Born just after the Civil War’s conclusion in November 1865, Warren G. Harding entered the world during a difficult recovery and unrest in the United States.

Early Career

Following college, Harding taught school in rural Ohio for one year. The following year, he tried various jobs, including insurance sales, law, and even journalism.

Entering Politics

Harding began his political career by becoming a member of the Ohio state senate, for which he served two terms and was for a time the majority leader.

Run for the Presidency

Warren G. Harding was not expected to make any serious noise at the 1920 Republican convention held in Chicago. Harding’s name was missing from a group of front runners expected to run away with the election, but his affable nature and many connections still boded well.

Family Life in the White House

Warren Harding remained childless for the entirety of his life though he did act as a stepfather to Florence’s son by her previous marriage.

Presidency

The man who saw the presidential job as primarily ceremonial was now in the role himself. Starting off, President Harding made several wise choices for his cabinet appointments.

Death

Warren G. Harding died suddenly in 1923 while on a tour of the West with his wife, Florence. The trip started well with Harding especially enjoying his visit to Alaska.

Where was Warren Harding born?

Born November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio, Warren Gamaliel Harding was the first child born to George Tyron and Phoebe Elizabeth (Dickerson) Harding. 5 The Harding family originated in Scotland and had been in America since before the Revolution. Warren was able to trace his ancestry back five generations in order to apply for membership in the Ohio Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Phoebe’s family was of Dutch descent and lived close to the Harding farm.

How many votes did Warren Harding miss?

17 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/warren_harding/405073 The pundits here, using the Congressional journal records, credit Harding with missing 413 of 1121 roll call votes. That’s a .368 in baseball parlance, which tops Cobb’s .366 lifetime average.

How old was Harding when he moved to Marion?

Like most children of the period, Harding had played baseball as a child growing up in Ohio. When he moved to Marion as a 17-year old, he befriended Bob Allen, who went on to play seven seasons in the majors. After his playing days, Allen was a minor league owner for nearly 30 years.

What sports did Harding play?

Open, where he presented the championship cup to James M. Barnes. 27 Harding also attended the international military polo series and witnessed the Cuban Army team defeat Camp Humphreys, 6-3. 28 But baseball remained his favorite sporting event.

What did Harding suffer from?

He was overweight in a high-stress occupation, seldom exercised, and reportedly suffered from high blood pressure and a weak heart. His lifestyle included smoking cigars and an occasional cigarette, and chewing some tobacco. He was more likely to sponsor a late- night poker game than to go golfing. 31 Despite Prohibition, he also drank whiskey in moderation.

When did Harding attend the World Series?

Like any enthusiastic fan, Harding yearned to attend the World Series in 1922. His schedule did not allow him the chance to see the action, but he did follow the games on the radio. Unknown at the time was that 1922 would be his last chance to see a World Series.

Was Harding a Republican?

As a senator, Harding was difficult to label or categorize politically beyond saying he was a Republican. He believed in high tariffs and was opposed to many of Woodrow Wilson’s ideas, but he seldom showed any passion for the issues and seemed very middle of the road. Two of his most notable “yea” votes were for women’s suffrage and prohibition. The fact that he missed more than a third of the votes during his tenure makes a definitive analysis of his leanings problematic. 17

Why did Hanna and Daugherty fight?

In 1898 conflict emerged between Daugherty and Hanna over the slow payment of thousands of dollars of legal fees incurred by then-U.S. Senator Hanna in defending himself against a Senate investigation of electoral bribery charges. While Daugherty's insistence upon being paid had made for a tense relationship, the actual parting of their ways came in 1899, when Daugherty again sought the Republican nomination for Governor of Ohio. Neither Foraker nor Hanna supported Daugherty for the position, with Hanna lending his support to George K. Nash and Foraker clearly still seething over Daugherty's 1892 abandonment. Daugherty took his fight all the way to the Ohio Republican Convention before losing to Nash, 461 delegate votes to 205.

Why was Daugherty indicted?

In 1926, Daugherty was indicted on charges that he improperly received funds in the sale of American Metal Company assets seized during World War I. The indictment came down one year after Smith, Republican political boss John T. King of Connecticut, and former Alien Property Custodian Thomas W. Miller were charged with the same misconduct. Daugherty's case went to trial twice, with the first jury deadlocking with 7-5 in favor of conviction. He was acquitted after a single juror remained unconvinced of his guilt in the second trial.

What party was Daugherty in?

The 1892 Senatorial campaign marked the formal attachment of Daugherty to the dominant Sherman-Hanna faction of the Ohio Republican Party after the better part of a decade as a trusted adherent of the rival Foraker faction. The move broadened Daugherty's political possibilities, and he was made chairman of the powerful Corporations Committee and named a member of the Judiciary Committee. In 1893 Daugherty was chosen as chairman of the Ohio Republican State Convention which nominated McKinley as the party's candidate for Governor.

Why did Daugherty become persona non grata?

With the Foraker faction, however, Daugherty became persona non grata due to what was perceived as his duplicitous political disloyalty.

What newspaper did Daugherty work for?

During the 1912 party split, Daugherty and Harding forged a political friendship working on behalf of the Taft campaign, with Daugherty filling the role of Ohio Republican Party chairman with Harding's newspaper, the Marion Daily Star, giving Daugherty its full support.

When did Daugherty abandon Foraker?

Forced by the logic of the situation to switch alliances rather than risk being cast into political oblivion, Daugherty abandoned Foraker in the final contest of the Ohio Republican caucus on January 2, 1892, joining 52 others in voting for Sherman, against 38 for the insurgent campaign of Foraker.

What did Daugherty's mother want him to do?

Daugherty's mother wanted him to become a Methodist minister, but the prospect of life as a clergyman held no appeal for him. Instead, after graduating from high school in Washington Court House, Daugherty studied medicine for a year before taking a position as a cub reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Overview

Harry Micajah Daugherty was an American politician. A key Ohio Republican political insider, he is best remembered for his service as Attorney General of the United States under Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge, as well as for his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal during Harding's presidency.
Despite his status as a key political leader of the Ohio Republican Party from t…

Biography

Harry M. Daugherty was born on January 26, 1860, in the small town of Washington Court House, Ohio. Daugherty's father, John H. Daugherty, was the Pennsylvania-born son of Irish immigrants and worked as a farmer and tailor. His mother, Jane Draper Daugherty, was from a prominent Ohio family with Virginia roots dating back to the time of the American Revolution. Daugherty w…

Popular culture

Daugherty is portrayed by Christopher McDonald on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. Like the real life Daugherty, the character is portrayed as Warren G. Harding's 1920 campaign manager and later as his Attorney General. He also faces corruption charges and his relationship with Jess Smith and Gaston Means is also shown. Daugherty is also portrayed by Barry Sullivan in the 1979 NBC Mini-Series Backstairs at the White House.

Works

• Respect for Law: Address of Hon. Harry M. Daugherty at the Meeting of the American Bar Association at Cincinnati, Ohio, August 31, 1921. Washington, DC: [U.S. Government Printing Office?], 1921.
• Government Prosecutions under the Espionage Act: Letter from the Attorney General, Transmitting in Response to Senate Resolution of January 25, 1922, Additional Information Regarding Persons Prosecuted by the Government under the Espionage Act or for C…

See also

• Ohio Gang
• Little Green House on K Street

Footnotes

1. ^ James N. Giglio, H.M. Daughterty and the Politics of Expediency. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1978; pg. 2.
2. ^ Shadow of Blooming Grove, Francis Russell, McGraw Hill, 1968
3. ^ Giglio, H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency, pg. 3.

Further reading

• Randolph C. Downes, "President Making: The Influence of Newton Fairbanks and Harry M. Daugherty on the Nomination of Warren G. Harding for the Presidency," Northwest Ohio Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 4 (Fall 1959).
• Robert K. Murray, The Harding Era: Warren G. Harding and His Administration. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1969.

Overview

Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. After his death, a number of scandals were exposed, including Teapot Dome, as well as an extramarital affair with Nan Britton, which diminish…

Presidential election of 1920

Most Progressives had rejoined the Republican Party, and their former leader, Theodore Roosevelt, was the overwhelming favorite for the 1920 Republican presidential nomination. When Roosevelt suddenly died on January 6, 1919, a number of candidates quickly emerged. These included General Leonard Wood, Illinois Governor Frank Lowden, California Senator Hiram Johnson, and a host o…

Early life and career

Warren Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio. Nicknamed "Winnie" as a small child, he was the eldest of eight children born to George Tryon Harding (1843–1928; usually known as Tryon) and Phoebe Elizabeth (née Dickerson) Harding (1843–1910). Phoebe was a state-licensed midwife. Tryon farmed and taught school near Mount Gilead. Through apprenti…

Rising politician (1897–1919)

Harding tried again for elective office. Though he was a longtime admirer of Foraker, who by then had been elected to the U.S. Senate, he also maintained good relations with the party faction led by the state's other senator, Mark Hanna, who was McKinley's political manager, and chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). With the support of Foraker and Hanna, Harding ran for state Senate in 1899, gained the Republican nomination, and was easily elected to a two-year ter…

Presidency (1921–1923)

Harding was sworn in on March 4, 1921, in the presence of his wife and father. Harding preferred a low-key inauguration, without the customary parade, leaving only the swearing-in ceremony and a brief reception at the White House. In his inaugural address he declared, "Our most dangerous tendency is to expect too much from the government and at the same time do too little for it."

Death and funeral

Harding went to bed early the evening of July 27, 1923, a few hours after giving the speech at the University of Washington. Later that night, he called for his physician Charles E. Sawyer, complaining of pain in the upper abdomen. Sawyer thought that it was a recurrence of stomach upset, but Dr. Joel T. Boone suspected a heart problem. The press was told Harding had experienced an "a…

Scandals

Harding appointed friends and acquaintances to federal positions. Some served competently, such as Charles E. Sawyer, the Hardings' personal physician from Marion who attended to them in the White House, and alerted Harding to the Veterans' Bureau scandal. Others proved ineffective in office, such as Daniel R. Crissinger, a Marion lawyer whom Harding made Comptroller of the Currency a…

Extramarital affairs

Harding had an extramarital affair with Carrie Fulton Phillips of Marion, which lasted about 15 years before ending in 1920. The affair was revealed when Harding biographer Francis Russell, while researching his book in 1963, discovered letters from Harding to Phillips. The letters were donated to the Ohio Historical Society, and some there wanted the letters destroyed to preserve what remained of Harding's reputation. A lawsuit ensued, with Harding's heirs claiming copyrigh…