William Sulzer (March 18, 1863 – November 6, 1941), nicknamed Plain Bill, was an American lawyer and politician. He was the 39th

governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ...

serving for 10 months in 1913, and a long-serving U.S. representative from the same state. Sulzer was the first, and to date only, New York governor to be

impeached Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eu ...

and the only governor to be convicted on

articles of impeachment An article of impeachment is a documented statement which specifies the charges to be tried in an impeachment trial as a basis for removing an officeholder. Articles of impeachment are an aspect of impeachment processes of many governments that ut ...

. He broke with his sponsors at

Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was an American political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789, as the Tammany Society. It became the main local ...

, and they produced convincing evidence that Sulzer had falsified his sworn statement of campaign expenditures.

Personal

William Sulzer was born in

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Charles August Sulzer, who pursued a successful political career in

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. He was reared on his family farm and attended the public schools of Elizabeth. At age 12 he left home and sailed as a

cabin boy A cabin boy or ship's boy is a boy or young man who waits on the officers and passengers of a ship, especially running errands for the captain. The modern merchant navy successor to the cabin boy is the steward's assistant. Duties Cabin boys ...

aboard a

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

, the ''William H. Thompson.'' He returned to the family home a year later and became a clerk in a grocery store. Sulzer took night classes at

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-s ...

before attending lectures at

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...

and studying law with the New York City firm of Parish & Pendleton. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1884, and commenced practice in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Even before beginning his law practice, he was a member of the

political machine In the politics of representative democracies, a political machine is a party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives (such as money or political jobs) and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership c ...

serving as a popular stump speaker."William Sulzer, Ex-Governor, 78," ''The New York Times,'' November 7, 1941
/ref> He married Clara Rodelheim in 1908.

Career

Sulzer's career in politics began in 1884 when he worked for the Tammany Hall political machine on New York's East Side as a stump speaker for various Democratic campaigns including the presidential campaign of then-Governor

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

. Sulzer was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

1890 Events January * January 1 – The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony in the Horn of Africa. * January 2 – Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer in the White House. * January 11 – 1890 British Ultimatum: The Uni ...

, 1891,

1892 In Samoa, this was the only leap year spanned to 367 days as July 4 repeated. This means that the International Date Line was drawn from the east of the country to go west. Events January * January 1 – Ellis Island begins processing imm ...

(all three New York Co., 14th D.), 1893 and 1894 (both New York Co., 10th D.). His participation in the machine helped assure that he was appointed to the Committee on General Laws in his first term. During his time in the Assembly he introduced bills seeking to abolish debtors' prisons, and to limit hours for workers. His popularity and loyalty to Tammany machine were such that in 1893, Tammany Boss Richard Croker selected Sulzer to be elected as

Speaker of the New York State Assembly The speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party. As in most countries with a British heritage, the speaker presides over the lower hous ...

. The term was noted as being highly corrupt and highly partisan, as the Democratic machine dominated all committees, and with them the state budget. Sulzer himself declared during the term " l legislation came from Tammany Hall and was dictated by that great statesmen, Richard Croker." During his time in the Assembly, Sulzer was a delegate to the 1892 Democratic National Convention, and returned as such to every national convention until 1912.

United States Congressman

Sulzer was elected to the

54th United States Congress The 54th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1895 ...

in 1894, and served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

in the eight succeeding Congresses, from March 4, 1895, to December 31, 1912, representing the 10th Congressional District. In Congress he was known for his oratory. Declaring himself to be a "friend to all humanity and a champion of liberty", he supported the Cuban rebels during their

War of Independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

, and during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

introduced a resolution supporting the Boer Republics and banning the sale of military supplies and munitions to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Repeatedly he called for resolutions condemning Czarist Russia over the issue of

pogroms A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century attacks on Jews i ...

. In the Sixty-second United States Congress he chaired the Committee on Foreign Affairs, from which he proposed a resolution praising the Revolution of 1911. He also opposed United States intervention in the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...

, and proposed a unanimously supported bill to annul the Treaty of 1832 with Russia due to a Russian refusal to recognize the passports of

Jewish-Americans American Jews (; ) or Jewish Americans are Americans, American citizens who are Jews, Jewish, whether by Jewish culture, culture, ethnicity, or Judaism, religion. According to a 2020 poll conducted by Pew Research, approximately two thirds of Am ...

. Sulzer during his time in Congress supported numerous

Progressive Era The Progressive Era (1890s–1920s) was a period in the United States characterized by multiple social and political reform efforts. Reformers during this era, known as progressivism in the United States, Progressives, sought to address iss ...

goals in terms of popular democracy and efficiency. He was a supporter of the creation of the

United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemp ...

, the direct election of senators --- for which he proposed a resolution in support of --- and the

eight-hour day The eight-hour day movement (also known as the 40-hour week movement or the short-time movement) was a social movement to regulate the length of a working day, preventing excesses and abuses of working time. The modern movement originated i ...

. In the Election of 1896 he supported the nomination of and campaigned for

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...

. In

1896 Events January * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports Wilhelm Röntgen's dis ...

, for the first time he announced his candidacy for the governorship but was rejected by Tammany and the Democratic Party at large. In

1898 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queen ...

Richard Croker openly opposed his attempt for the Democratic nomination. For the next six elections Sulzer was continually rejected for the Democratic nomination for governor, losing to Tammany supported politicians such as

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His extravagant methods of yellow jou ...

and

John Alden Dix John Alden Dix (December 25, 1860 – April 9, 1928) was an American businessman and politician who served as 38th governor of New York from January 1911 to January 1913. A native of Glens Falls, New York, Dix attended Cornell University befor ...

. In 1912, however, the split between the Republicans and the Progressives meant that the Democratic nominee was likely to win. This in turn prompted a fight in the Democrats, as reformers disappointed in Governor Dix's support for Tammany moved to oust him from contention. The Empire State Democracy Party was even founded by reformers such as State Senator

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

to run against Dix or any other clear Tammany candidate. In this crisis Sulzer found himself selected as a compromise candidate, acceptable to reform-minded and Tammany Democrats. With the party united, Sulzer went on to defeat Republican Job E. Hedges and Progressive Oscar S. Straus. He resigned from Congress effective December 31, 1912, having been elected Governor of New York in November 1912 for the term beginning on January 1, 1913.

Governor of New York

Sulzer was elected with the support of William Jennings Bryan, William Randolph Hearst and Woodrow Wilson, as well as the reform and Tammany factions of the state Democratic Party. Upon taking office, a rift developed between Sulzer and Croker's successor "Silent Charlie" Murphy, as Sulzer claimed control of the state Democratic Party, rather than staying loyal to Tammany.

Attempts at reform

On taking office as governor, Sulzer in an initial move announced the renaming of the Executive Mansion "The People's House". The populist rhetoric of this move was followed by a campaign to "let the people rule", through a series of reforms, including a move to promote open primaries for party nominations, and investigations into corruption in the legislature and executive branches of state government. At the same time Sulzer refused to heed Tammany decisions for state appointments. These moves would damage the power of Tammany and other machines, Democratic and Republican throughout the state, and empower Sulzer. The campaign for direct primaries would win him the support of

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

and his Progressives, but also moved Tammany to stand firmly against him. Critics claimed that Sulzer was using the direct primary issue to build his own machine or to co-opt Tammany and assume control of it from Murphy, based on his populist appeal. Meanwhile, Sulzer and his supporters countered that the effort was necessary to promote fair government. By the end of April, investigations against previously appointed Tammany officials had furthered the intraparty split. And then on the 26th as the Open Primaries Bill moved to a vote Sulzer declared "If any Democrat in this State is against the Democratic State platform, that man is no true Democrat, and as the Democratic Governor of the State I shall do everything in my power to drive that recreant Democrat out of the Democratic Party." In spite of the threat, both Machine and Independent Democrats voted against the bill overwhelmingly. The Machine delegates, led by Speaker

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was the 42nd governor of New York, serving from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the 1 ...

followed the orders of Murphy, while the Independent Democrats, mostly from rural

Upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...

opposed the bill fearing that Open primaries would silence their influence and power against the weight of the urban vote. Sulzer's refusal to work with Tammany on appointments was a major threat to the organization, which had since its foundation been dependent on Civil Service work to develop its power. One of the appointments that Sulzer refused to make was that of James E. Gaffney, owner of the 1914 "Miracle" Braves, to State Commissioner of Highways. Even after the defeat of the vote, Sulzer vowed to continue his fight with Murphy and the other bosses, and that there would be no compromise. In response, the Tammany-allied State Comptroller

William Sohmer William Sohmer (May 26, 1852 in Dunningen, Kingdom of Württemberg – February 2, 1929 in Brooklyn, New York City) was an American politician. Life He came with his parents in 1858 to New York City where his elder brother Hugo founded Soh ...

moved to freeze payrolls for state highway and prison projects, and the

State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

under the leadership of another Tammany officer Robert F. Wagner refused to approve the Governor's appointments to the New York Public Service Commission.

Impeachment

As the conflict between Sulzer and Tammany moved on, accusations of perjury arose against the governor, stemming from an 1890 lawsuit accusing him of involvement in fraudulent companies in Cuba while a Congressman. It was also rumored that he was sued by a

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

woman for breaking a 1903 promise to marry her. He rejected all these claims and characterized the breach of promise lawsuit as a "frame-up." In May 1913, the state legislature established a Joint Committee to investigate the financial conduct of state institutions, chaired by Senator James J. Frawley, a loyal Tammany Hall Democrat. In the summer of 1913 this committee, using Tammany-provided information, accused Sulzer of diverting campaign contributions to purchase stocks for himself and perjuring himself under oath. Sulzer and his supporters averred that the charges were made under instructions from Murphy in order to remove Sulzer as an obstacle to Tammany Hall. Some historians have corroborated Sulzer's version of events. Sulzer also questioned the constitutionality of the committee itself. But as evidence emerged regarding his use of campaign funds, he began to lose the support of the national Democratic Party. On August 11, 1913, the Frawley committee announced its findings to the state legislature, and moves began towards

impeachment Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eur ...

, managed by Tammany Hall's legislative leaders,

and

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor. He is known for starring in the television shows ''It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series), It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch (American TV series), Switch'' (1975–1978), ...

. Sulzer's only support came from Progressive legislators, who were too few to slow the process down. Over the next two days, Sulzer attempted to obstruct the impeachment at every turn but was powerless to stop it, as Smith and Wagner maintained control of their respective houses. In a last-minute attempt to prevent impeachment, the Governor's wife admitted to having been responsible for the theft of campaign funds. The Governor's allies attempted to postpone proceedings based on the new evidence, but were unsuccessful and the decision came to a vote. Sulzer LCCN2014693938 Trim

On August 13, the New York Assembly voted to impeach Governor Sulzer by a vote of 79 to 45. Sulzer was served with a summons to appear before the

New York Court for the Trial of Impeachments New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

, and

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Martin H. Glynn was empowered to act in his place pending the outcome of the trial. However, Sulzer maintained that the proceedings against him were unconstitutional and refused to hand over power to Glynn. Beginning August 21, Glynn began signing documents as "Acting Governor" despite Sulzer's refusal. On September 18, Sulzer's

impeachment trial An impeachment trial is a trial that functions as a component of an impeachment. Several governments utilize impeachment trials as a part of their processes for impeachment. Differences exist between governments as to what stage trials take place ...

before the Impeachment Court began in Albany. Sulzer called upon Louis Marshall to head his defense team; Marshall agreed but confided in his wife that he was not enthusiastic about the outcome. The trial did not go well; Sulzer did not even testify in his own defense. On the afternoon of October 16, the court convicted Sulzer on three of the Articles of Impeachment: filing a false report with the Secretary of State concerning his campaign contributions, committing perjury, and advising another person to commit perjury before an Assembly committee. The court voted to remove Sulzer from office. On October 17, 1913, Sulzer was removed by the same margin, a vote of 43–12, and Lt. Gov. Glynn succeeded to the governorship. According to the 1914 book ''The Boss or the Governor'' by Samuel Bell Thomas, a crowd of 10,000 gathered outside the Executive Mansion on the night Governor Sulzer left Albany, leading to an exchange as follows: :Mr. Sulzer: "My friends, this is a stormy night. It is certainly very good of you to come here to bid Mrs. Sulzer and me good-bye." :A voice from the crowd: "You will come back, Bill, next year." :Mr. Sulzer: "You know why we are going away." :A voice: "Because you were too honest." :Mr. Sulzer: "I impeach the criminal conspirators, these looters and grafters, for stealing the taxpayers' money. That is what I never did." :From the crowd: Cheers. :Mr. Sulzer: "Yes my friends, I know that the court of public opinion before long will reverse the judgement of Murphy's 'court of infamy.'" :From the crowd: Cheers. :Mr. Sulzer: "Posterity will do me justice. Time sets all things right. I shall be patient." :From the crowd: Cheers. Some in Albany maintained that he was impeached unfairly, as he had been the first person to have been impeached for acts committed before taking office. There have been several pieces of legislation introduced in the New York State Assembly and Senate to have his political record repaired. None have been successful to date.

Later life and political career

Sulzer was able to recover somewhat politically. Just a few weeks after the impeachment, he was elected on the Progressive ticket to the New York State Assembly, and was a member of the

137th New York State Legislature The 137th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to May 20, 1914, while Martin H. Glynn was Governor of New York, in Albany. Background Under the provisions of ...

(New York Co., 6th D.) in 1914. For the 1914 New York state election, he organized the American Party as a

spoiler Spoiler or Spoilers may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Spoiler (media), something that reveals significant plot elements * The Spoiler, DC Comics superheroine Stephanie Brown Film and television * ''Spoiler'' (film), 1998 American ...

, to defeat Martin H. Glynn, his former lieutenant governor who had succeeded him as governor and was running for re-election. Sulzer also attempted to gain the Progressive Party nomination for governor, but was defeated in the primary, partly due to the intervention of Theodore Roosevelt who, in a letter to all members of the party, declared "the trouble with Sulzer is that he does not tell the truth." However, Sulzer found support in the

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a Political parties in the United States, political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movemen ...

which, on the basis of a speech he gave denouncing rum, nominated him for governor in 1914. He came in third, behind Republican Charles S. Whitman, who was elected governor, and Glynn, who was unseated. Sulzer thus claimed that the result was a moral victory, as the Democrats who had impeached him were swept out of power. In the Election of 1916 Sulzer was the Presidential nominee of the American Party. Leaving politics, he engaged in the practice of law in New York City. He wrote and spoke in support of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

from the 1920s occasionally after having met

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: , ;, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás (, ), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who designated him to be his successor and head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 un ...

during his visit including the United States in 1912. Note Sulzer would share a stage with ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, and go on to write expansively of the Baha'i Faith as he understood it: * * He died in New York on November 6, 1941, aged 78. He was buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, New Jersey.

In popular culture

'' The Great McGinty'',

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He is credited as being the first screenwriter to find success as a director. Prior to Sturges, other ...

' 1940 film, was based in part on William Sulzer's story, per film historian

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

. ''Bitten by the Tiger: The True Story of Impeachment, the Governor & Tammany Hall'' a 2013 book written by Jack O'Donnell and published by Chapel Hill Press, goes into depth about William Sulzer's political rise, achievements, and his impeachment.

Sources

References

External links

Men of Mark in America
Biography & Portrait *
The Impeachment of Governor Sulzer: A Story of American Politics
' (

SUNY Press The State University of New York Press (more commonly referred to as the SUNY Press) is a university press affiliated with the State University of New York system. The press, which was founded in 1966, is located in Albany, New York and publishe ...

, 2012)
Interview with New York State historian on 100th anniversary of Governor Sulzer's impeachment

Governor Sulzer Impeached
(New York State Library)

at the

New York State Library The New York State Library is a research library in Albany, New York, United States. It was established in 1818 to serve the state government of New York and is part of the New York State Education Department. The library is one of the large ...

, accessed May 11, 2016
Bitten by the Tiger
Jack O'Donnell Book on Sulzer
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
William Sulzer scrapbook, 1913–1926William Sulzer Papers
a
New-York Historical Society
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