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Harry Micajah Daugherty (; January 26, 1860 – October 12, 1941) was an American politician. A key Republican political insider from
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, he is best remembered for his service as
Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...
under presidents
Warren G. Harding 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 (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
and
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...
, as well as for his involvement in the
Teapot Dome scandal The Teapot Dome scandal was a political corruption scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Warren G. Harding. It centered on Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall, who had leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot Do ...
during Harding's presidency. Despite his status as a key political leader of the Ohio Republican Party from the 1880s to the first decade of the 20th century, Daugherty was only briefly a statewide elected politician by serving just two terms in the
Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Colu ...
, working closely during the last two years with state governor
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
. Although he sought national office several times, Daugherty was thwarted in his effort to obtain the nomination of his party and was never elected to office again. Daugherty remained an influential figure behind the election of several U.S. representatives and senators. He was Harding's campaign manager at the 1920 Republican National Convention. Following Harding's successful election, Daugherty was named attorney general. In that capacity, he was instrumental in winning presidential pardons for jailed anti-war dissidents such as Eugene V. Debs. Twice the subject of federal corruption investigations, Daugherty was forced in 1924 to resign his post as attorney general by Coolidge.


Biography


Early years

Harry M. Daugherty was born on January 26, 1860, in the small town of Washington Court House,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. Daugherty's father, John H. Daugherty, was the
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
-born son of Irish immigrants and worked as a farmer and
tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
.James N. Giglio, ''H.M. Daughterty and the Politics of Expediency.'' Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1978; pg. 2. His mother, Jane Draper Daugherty, was from a prominent Ohio family with
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
roots dating back to the time of the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
. Daugherty was a first cousin of actress Majel Coleman. Daugherty's father died of
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...
when Harry was just four years old, as did one of his brothers, leaving his mother as the sole provider for the household.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 3. Harry and his older brother, Mally, were forced by economic necessity to take a variety of jobs from a relatively early age to help with the family's living expenses. Daugherty's mother later recalled that he was so young when he worked in a local grocery store that he had to stand on a wooden crate to reach the cash register. Daugherty's mother wanted him to become a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
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 ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, altho ...
.'' In 1878 Daugherty entered the
University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (branded as Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparati ...
, accepted there despite not having first obtained an undergraduate education. He supplemented his insufficient income by
gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...
, winning a significant sum betting on the election of
James Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until Assassination of James A. Garfield, his death in September that year after being shot two months ea ...
in the 1880 presidential election.
Sports betting Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome. Sports bettors place their wagers either legally, through a sportsbook or bookmaker (colloquially known as "bookies"), or illegally through priva ...
was also an area of some interest to Daugherty and his brother, who went so far as to tap
telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
wires so that they could obtain game information in advance.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pp. 3-4. Initially successful, this ethically shady activity was ultimately discovered and exposed by local gamblers puzzled by the brothers' uncanny success. Daugherty graduated from law school in 1881 and returned home to Ohio, where he accepted a job in the office of a Washington Court House attorney, spending his spare time preparing to take the Ohio state
bar examination A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...
.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 4.


Factional soldier

In 1882 Daugherty was elected by the Fayette County Republican Central Committee as the recording secretary of the organization. He ran for political office in the election of 1882, winning election as the clerk of nearby Union Township. In this capacity Daugherty served a single two-year term, earning a salary of $1500 per year. The following year Daugherty was elected secretary of the Fayette County Executive Committee, where he earned a reputation as an intense and astute young political activist. He was selected as one of five delegates from the Fayette Country Republican Party as a delegate to the Ohio State Republican Convention in 1883, held in Columbus. There Daugherty helped select an aggressive young
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
judge named
Joseph B. Foraker Joseph Benson Foraker (July 5, 1846 – May 10, 1917) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the 37th governor of Ohio from 1886 to 1890 and as a United States senator from Ohio from 1897 until 1909. Foraker was ...
as the party's 1883 gubernatorial nominee.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 5. A close political relationship developed between Foraker and Daugherty, with Daugherty exerting himself in support of Foraker's unsuccessful 1883 campaign. When Foraker was elected as
Governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
in 1885, he was able to return the favor, boosting his protégé Daugherty's career. The connection between the two was tightened further in September 1884, when Daugherty married Lucille Walker of
Wellston, Ohio Wellston is a city in Jackson County, Ohio, United States, in the southeastern part of the state. The population was 5,412 at the 2020 census. History Wellston was laid out and founded in 1873 on land owned by Harvey Wells. Wells constructed ...
– a cousin of Foraker's wife. Daugherty was elected to a two-year term on the city council in the election of 1885, serving from 1886 to 1887.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 6. He was elected as chairman of the Fayette County Republican Central Committee in 1886 but spent most of his time helping to establish a law practice. After practicing alone for three years, Daugherty formed a partnership with Horatio B. Maynard, a prominent local lawyer, and the new practice soon emerged as a leading law firm in the county. In 1889 Republican David Worthington decided not to seek reelection to the
Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Colu ...
and Daugherty threw his hat into the ring. After eking out a narrow victory in the Republican
primary election Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...
, Daugherty emerged victorious in November, winning election to the Ohio House of Representatives by slightly more than 800 votes out of 5,100 ballots cast. Although Daugherty won his race, his close political ally Joseph Foraker lost his bid for a third term as Governor and the Democratic Party won control of the Assembly as well, forcing Daugherty to participate as a member of the minority party. Daugherty won reelection to the
Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...
in the fall of 1891, beating his Democratic opponent by more than 750 votes out of about 4,900 cast.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 10. This time Ohio Republicans recaptured not only the Governor's mansion – electing
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
to the state's chief executive office – but also the majority of the state assembly. Since in this era United States Senators were elected by state legislatures rather than by direct vote of the people, this meant that a Republican would be sent to
Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
to fill the expiring term of Senator John Sherman when the assembly reconvened in January 1892.


Change of alliances

The Ohio Republican Party had for several years been deeply split along factional lines, with Senator Sherman and former Governor Foraker leading rival groups of party activists and political functionaries. Foraker was determined to challenge Sherman for his Senate seat and sought assurances from Daugherty that he would continue to support him when the matter came before the legislature. This placed Daugherty in a difficult position, since his native Fayette County was solidly behind the Sherman faction, which included Governor McKinley and the significant financial clout of
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
businessman Mark Hanna. 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.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 11. In the aftermath of the caucus that would determine Ohio's U.S. Senator, editorials of the Democratic '' Columbus Post'' charged that Daugherty and fourteen other Ohio legislators had changed their support from Foraker to Sherman based upon "intimidation, threats, promises, and actual purchase" and accused Daugherty by name of having accepted cash payments. A formal investigation of this charge by a bi-partisan four member committee of the Ohio State Senate followed, with Daugherty being unanimously cleared of all charges in a report issued in April 1892.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 12. 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.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 13. 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."Harry M. Daugherty," in Joseph Patterson Smith (ed.), ''History of the Republican Party of Ohio: Volume 2.'' Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1898; pp. 411-412. Governor McKinley also named Daugherty as his floor leader in the House of Representatives, keeping party members in line behind the governor's legislative agenda. Over the next two years McKinley and Daugherty forged a close political friendship, working together closely and frequently sharing meals at breakfast and in the evening. With the Foraker faction, however, Daugherty became ''
persona non grata In diplomacy, a ' (PNG) is a foreign diplomat that is asked by the host country to be recalled to their home country. If the person is not recalled as requested, the host state may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the diplo ...
'' due to what was perceived as his duplicitous political disloyalty. Daugherty attempted to gain nomination as a Republican candidate for
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
in 1892, but the 7th District Republican Convention which put forward the party's nominee was irreconcilably split between Daugherty and his former law partner, A.R. Creamer, and wound up backing a
dark horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is exp ...
candidate as a compromise, George W. Wilson. Wilson won his race in the November 1892 general election and wound up serving four years in Congress on behalf of the 7th District. In the aftermath of his failure to win a seat in Congress, Sherman offered Daugherty a political appointment as Assistant District Attorney in Columbus.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 15. Daugherty ultimately decided to decline this position, instead opening a new law office in that city, while still remaining a resident and practicing attorney in his hometown of Washington Court House.


The Washington Court House riot

On October 9, 1894, a black man named William Dolby was accused of assaulting a white woman named Mary C. Boyd in her home at Parrett's Station, a small settlement near Washington Court House.Howard Burba
"A Wild Night at Washington C.H.,"
''Dayton Daily News,'' June 26, 1932.
Dolby fled but was soon arrested and taken back to the jail at Washington Court House, where signs quickly pointed to an outburst of mob violence.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 16. Dolby supposedly confessed to the crime "upon being apprehended". The Fayette County sheriff called upon Governor McKinley to send out the
militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
to defend the prisoner from a prospective lynch mob following his sentencing to twenty years in prison at a hearing held on October 16. On October 17 two companies of militiamen arrived at Washington Court House to guard Dolby for his coming transport to the
Ohio Penitentiary The Ohio Penitentiary, also known as the Ohio State Penitentiary, was a prison operated from 1834 to 1984 in downtown Columbus, Ohio, in what is now known as the Arena District. The state had built a small prison in Columbus in 1813, but as th ...
at Columbus. That evening a mob gathered and began a siege of the jail, attempting to batter down the jailhouse doors so that the prisoner could be removed and violently killed. Commander of the National Guard forces, Colonel Alonzo Coit, ordered his troops to fire upon the enraged lynch mob, which they did, killing five rioters and wounding fifteen others. The mob still failed to disperse and fears grew that an armed assault would be launched by furious local citizens on the militiamen defending the jail. Around 2 am a second volley was fired by the defenders, this time over the heads of the rioters, with the gunfire finally having its desired effect of breaking up the unlawful gathering. In the aftermath, Governor McKinley appointed a special court of inquiry to investigate the riot and militia shooting. Following an investigation, the court of inquiry returned an
indictment An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offense is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use that concept often use that of an ind ...
against Col. Coit, charging him with
manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
in the incident. McKinley then called upon Daugherty to shoulder the politically unpopular job of defending Coit at trial, in the face of a wrathful Fayette County citizenry which sought his conviction. Daugherty accepted the Coit case, and on March 5, 1895, won his
acquittal In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal means that the criminal prosecution has failed to prove that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the charge presented. It certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an of ...
of manslaughter charges.


From politician to political operator

Although Daugherty sought nomination by the Ohio Republican Party for Governor in 1895, Hanna decided to support another candidate instead, so Daugherty decided to launch a run for
Ohio Attorney General The Ohio attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio attorney general is Republican Dave Yost. History The office of the att ...
instead. The Ohio Republican Convention was dominated by the Foraker faction, however, and Foraker loyalist Frank S. Monnett was nominated for the Attorney General post over the deeply distrusted Daugherty.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 17. Not daunted by his loss, in 1896 Daugherty announced his desire to win election to Congress. An advisory primary election was held among Fayette County Republicans in March 1896, in which Daugherty narrowly won a bitterly fought race. The actual nomination was to be made by the 7th District Republican Convention, however, and there Daugherty fell victim to factional machinations, with the nomination going instead to Walter L. Weaver, who would ultimately serve two terms in Congress. For a second time Daugherty had been denied. The
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...
recognized Daugherty's gifts as an indefatigable partisan and effective stump speaker, however, and sent him out on the road in support of McKinley's campaign for
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
in 1896. Daugherty traveled through
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
,
North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
,
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
,
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, and Ohio, logging over 9,000 miles traveled in delivering some 47 campaign speeches in support of McKinley and the Republicans' successful effort. 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.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 21. 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.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 23. Over the next five years Daugherty skillfully built political influence in the Ohio Republican establishment by dealing with leaders of both of the party's major factions. Daugherty maintained considerable influence with Republicans in the state legislature, who had known and worked with Daugherty for years. His political rehabilitation was only partial, however, for as long as Foraker and Hanna remained the top factional leaders of Ohio Republican politics there remained a very real ceiling beyond which Daugherty could never hope to rise.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 28. Hanna's death in February 1904 and a subsequent discrediting of some of his top allies such as George B. Cox on grounds of
political boss In the politics of the United States of America, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of th ...
ism again cleared the way for Daugherty's emergence. By 1906 Daugherty stood as a leader of a new insurgent political faction which included Congressman Theodore E. Burton of Cleveland and former Governor Myron T. Herrick. Daugherty and Burton aligned themselves with supporters of
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
,
Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
under progressive Republican President
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 together the factional allies forced Foraker out of the United States Senate and into political retirement, aided by
muckraking The muckrakers were reform-minded journalists, writers, and photographers in the Progressive Era in the United States (1890s–1920s) who claimed to expose corruption and wrongdoing in established institutions, often through sensationalist publ ...
news reports that Foraker had received nearly $30,000 as a political retainer from the Standard Oil Trust. Daugherty was instrumental in helping his ally Burton win election to the Senate in 1908 but was once again relegated to a key backstage role instead of himself standing for election to high office. Daugherty's position as a political boss rather than a public politician had once again been confirmed. During the party split of 1912, Daugherty was a staunch supporter of Taft and old guard Republican
conservatism Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, Convention (norm), customs, and Value (ethics and social science ...
against the progressive Republicanism espoused by Roosevelt. Daugherty was a key figure on the ground in Ohio in behalf of the Taft campaign, issuing a major address on May 18 which was so well regarded that it was reproduced as a pamphlet by the Taft organization.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 58. Although Daugherty's machinations along with
Cuyahoga County Cuyahoga County ( or , see ) is a large urban county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. The county seat and most populous city is Cleveland. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,264,817, making it the second ...
boss Maurice Maschke carried the state Republican convention for Taft, a split of the Republican field in the November election propelled Democrat
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
to the presidency with a plurality of under 42% of the vote.


The Harding campaign

The establishment of primary elections for the U.S. Senate in 1914 greatly reduced the power of political bosses such as Daugherty. He remained fully engaged as a political operative in spite of this major change, however, attaching himself to a powerful state senator named
Warren G. Harding 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 (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
. Daugherty had known Harding since the autumn of 1899, when he had been prominent in Ohio politics and Harding was a 35-year-old upstart.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 82. It would not be too many years before these roles were reversed, however, with Harding elected to the state senate in 1901 and appointed Republican floor leader in that same session. Harding was an eloquent speaker and a skilled negotiator of political compromise and emerged as one of the top leaders of the Foraker faction. 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.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 83. Both were politically ambitious and while they enjoyed one another's company, they were not intimate personal friends. Harding managed to win election to the Senate in 1914. Daugherty ran for the Republican Senate nomination in 1916, campaigning against former Senator Charles W.F. Dick and former Governor Herrick. Herrick won the nomination, and lost the general election to
Atlee Pomerene Atlee Pomerene (December 6, 1863 – November 12, 1937) was an American Democratic Party politician and lawyer from Ohio. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio for a few months in 1911 and then represented Ohio in the United States Senate from ...
. Ever the political manipulator, in January 1918 Daugherty observed the significance of the growing
temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...
and opportunistically attempted to become a movement leader in the state.Giglio, ''H.M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency,'' pg. 84. Daugherty was himself a drinker but was not a man to let personal habits stand in the way of political possibility. As an Ohio Republican boss in 1920, Daugherty engineered Harding's ascendancy as the presidential nominee at that year's
Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...
in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. The decision to propel Harding forward, if the nomination wasn't decided on the first ballot, was made in what became known in American politics as the smoke-filled room in the Blackstone Hotel. Harding won the nomination after the vote deadlocked between
Leonard Wood Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, List of colonial governors of Cuba, Military Governor of Cuba, ...
and Frank Lowden, an event whose possibility Daugherty had suggested months before in an interview. Daugherty subsequently served as
campaign manager A campaign manager, campaign chairperson, or campaign director is an individual whose role is to coordinate a political campaign's spending, broad tactics, and hiring. They lead operations such as Campaign finance, fundraising, advertising, Opi ...
for Harding in the presidential election of 1920. He ran the campaign based on Harding's affable personality and fairly neutral political stance, advocating a return to "normalcy" after
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


Attorney General of the United States

Following the resounding Republican victory in the fall of 1920, Daugherty was named
Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...
by President-elect Harding. Daugherty was confirmed by the Senate and assumed office on March 4, 1921.Mark Grossman, "Harry Micajah Daugherty (1860-1941)," in ''Political Corruption in America: An Encyclopedia of Scandals, Power, and Greed.'' Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2003; pp. 91-93.


The "Ohio Gang"

Having achieved power, Harding gathered around him a group of political cronies, including factional friends from the Ohio Republican establishment like Daugherty and others of like mind from other states, a group known colloquially as the "Ohio Gang." Critics such as Harding's
Secretary of Commerce The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...
viewed the clique with thinly disguised disgust:
ardinghad another side which was not good. His political associates had been men of the type of
Albert B. Fall Albert Bacon Fall (November 26, 1861November 30, 1944) was a United States senator from New Mexico and United States Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of the Interior under President of the United States, President Warren G. Harding who becam ...
, whom he appointed Secretary of the Interior; Daugherty, whom he appointed Attorney General;
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
, whom he appointed Director of the Veterans' Bureau; Thomas W. Miller, whom he appointed Alien Property Custodian, and Jesse Smith who had office room in the Department of Justice.
He enjoyed the company of these men and his old Ohio associates in and out of the government. Weekly White House
poker Poker is a family of Card game#Comparing games, comparing card games in which Card player, players betting (poker), wager over which poker hand, hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, with varying rules i ...
parties were his greatest relaxation. The stakes were not large, but the play lasted most of the night.... I had lived too long on the frontiers of the world to have strong emotions against people playing poker for money if they liked it, but it irked me to see it in the White House.Herbert Hoover, ''The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover: The Cabinet and the Presidency, 1920-1933.'' New York: Macmillan, 1952; pg. 48
Several of Harding's Ohio Gang associates lost no time enriching themselves at the public expense. Soon rumblings began to be heard over possible malfeasance in various government departments, including Daugherty's Department of Justice. Then on April 14, 1922, ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' broke a sensational story about a secret bribery scheme involving oil company kickbacks to government officials in exchange for the granting of extraordinarily favorable oil extraction leases via single-bid contracts."Senate Investigates the 'Teapot Dome' Scandal,"
United States Senate Historical Minutes, www.senate.gov/
The next day Democratic Senator John B. Kendrick of
Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
introduced a resolution which set in motion the Senate investigation that would ultimately expose this so-called
Teapot Dome scandal The Teapot Dome scandal was a political corruption scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Warren G. Harding. It centered on Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall, who had leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot Do ...
, involving an illegal financial relationship between Fall, Harding's Secretary of the Interior, and a subsidiary of the Sinclair Consolidated Oil Corporation. In May 1922, Arkansas Senator Thaddeus H. Caraway called for Daugherty's resignation because of the role Daugherty had played ten years earlier in procuring a presidential pardon for Charles W. Morse. Morse, a multi-millionaire who had just begun a fifteen-year prison sentence, pretended to be dying in order to plead for a pardon on humanitarian grounds from President
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
.Pringle, pp.628-634. Daugherty, hired because of his closeness to Taft, and promised a fee of $100,000 if a pardon were obtained, advanced the scheme by repeatedly telling Taft's secretary that Morse was near death, even stating at one point that Morse would not likely survive another 24 hours. In fact, after receiving the pardon, Morse lived another 21 years. Daugherty was also accused by opponents of the administration of having been complicit in the Teapot Dome affair by failing to intervene after he had learned of the malfeasance. A pair of special prosecutors – Republican Assistant Attorney General Owen J. Roberts and former Democratic Senator Atlee Pomerene – were appointed to conduct a more thorough investigation of the matter. After taking testimony on the matter the pair cleared Daugherty of wrongdoing, their final report indicating that the Attorney General had neither been aware of the fraudulent oil contracts nor had he taken any bribes related to the affair. This very specific absolution did not mean that all was on the level at the Justice Department, however. In July 1923, just as Harding was preparing to leave on a working cruise to
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 ...
, Daugherty's personal assistant, Jess Smith, suddenly committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
.Hoover, ''The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover: The Cabinet and the Presidency, 1920-1933,'' pp. 48-49. Although as a pious
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
, Hoover was never part of the President's inner circle, yet was abruptly added to the traveling party on the cruise by a "nervous and distraught" Harding, who apparently sought his counsel.Hoover, ''The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover: The Cabinet and the Presidency, 1920-1933,'' pg. 49. Hoover later recalled:
One day after lunch when we were a few days out, Harding asked me to come to his cabin. He plumped at me the question: "If you knew of a great scandal in our administration, would you for the good of the country and the party expose it publicly or would you bury it?" My natural reply was "Publish it, and at least get credit for integrity on your side." He remarked that this method might be politically dangerous. I asked for more particulars. He said that he had received some rumors of irregularities, centering around Smith, in connection with cases in the Department of Justice. He had followed the matter up and finally sent for Smith. After a painful session he told Smith that he would be arrested in the morning. Smith went home, burned all his papers, and committed suicide. Harding gave me no information about what Smith had been up to. I asked what Daugherty's relations to the affair were. He abruptly dried up and never raised the question again.
Returning from his Alaskan trip Harding suffered the first
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
in what would prove to be the beginning of his terminal last days, finally dying in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
on August 2, 1923. Harding's death did nothing to quell the tide of emerging scandals revolving around his Ohio clique, with the news dominated by the story of Teapot Dome bribery and allegations of wrongdoing in the Office of the Alien Property Custodian, the Veterans' Bureau, and the Office of the Attorney General. While new President
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...
initially resisted calls to sack Daugherty, Hoover and Secretary of State
Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American politician, academic, and jurist who served as the 11th chief justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
prevailed upon him to eliminate a man whom they considered to be a corrupt official. In his memoirs Hoover remembered:
Coolidge was loath to believe that such things were possible. He greatly delayed the removal of Daugherty from the Cabinet. From this man's long-time character, he should never have been in any government.... Coolidge had a high sense of justice and asserted that he had no definite knowledge of wrongdoings by Daugherty and could not remove him on rumors. We urged that Daugherty had lost the confidence of the whole country and himself should be willing to retire for the good of public service.
On March 28, 1924, Coolidge acquiesced, demanding and receiving a letter of resignation from Daugherty. He was quickly replaced as Attorney General by
Harlan Fiske Stone Harlan is a given name and a surname which may refer to: Surname * Abram D. Harlan (1833–1908), American politician from Pennsylvania * Bob Harlan (born 1936 Robert E. Harlan), American football executive * Bruce Harlan (1926–1959), America ...
, dean of the
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 ...
.


American Metal Company affair

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 Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, 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 In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal means that the criminal prosecution has failed to prove that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the charge presented. It certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an o ...
after a single juror remained unconvinced of his guilt in the second trial.


Midland Bank controversy

Daugherty and others in the Harding Administration were implicated by Thomas W. Miller for pressuring him to deposit funds in the Midland National Bank, which Daugherty's brother Mally "Mal" S. Daugherty served as president of, when Daughterty refused to investigate the Teapot Dome Scandal. On January 17, 1927, in the '' McGrain v. Daugherty'' ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a contempt conviction against Mally Daughterty which was related to a contempt citation which was issued against him in 1924. for his refusal to cooperate with a U.S. Senate committee investigating his brother's failures to prosecute the perpetrators in the Teapot Dome Scandal. However, the Supreme Court decision to uphold Mal's contempt conviction would also result in the Midland Bank case against Daugherty passing into history. Mal would later be convicted on March 5, 1931 of a more serious charge of bank fraud related to his Ohio Bank assets, for which he would received a sentence of 10 years in prison.


Later years, death, and legacy

Daugherty returned to practicing law until his retirement in 1932, and that year published, with
ghostwriter A ghostwriter is a person hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often h ...
Thomas Dixon, ''The Inside Story of the Harding Tragedy'' about his time in the Harding administration. In the book he claimed that Fall had become Secretary of the Interior by forging Daugherty's signature, and that Smith, his close friend, had killed himself because of
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
, not a guilty conscience. Spending many of his final years in
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
and
Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( , ; ; ; ) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac and "Mitchimakinak" in Ojibwemowin, meaning "Great Turtle". It is located in ...
,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, Daugherty planned to write more books to clear his reputation, but in October 1940, he suffered two heart attacks and was stricken with
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
. Bedridden and blind in one eye during this last year, he died peacefully in his sleep with his son and daughter at his side on October 12, 1941. Daugherty was buried at Washington Cemetery in Washington Court House, Ohio. Some of his papers, consisting primarily of correspondence between him and President Warren Harding, are housed at the
Ohio Historical Society Ohio History Connection, formerly The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society and Ohio Historical Society, is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1885. Headquartered at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio History Connect ...
in Columbus.


Popular culture

Daugherty is portrayed by Christopher McDonald on the HBO series ''
Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter for the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The series sta ...
''. 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: .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 Conspiracy to Violate War-time Laws ... '' Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1922. * ''Reply by the Attorney General of the United States, Harry M. Daugherty to charges filed with the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, December 1, 1922, by Oscar E. Keller.'' Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 1922. * ''Address by the Attorney General of the United States, Hon. Harry M. Daugherty (at Canton, Ohio, October 21, 1922).'' Washington, DC: n.p., 1922. * ''Speech of Former Attorney General Daugherty and Introductory Remarks of Judge John E. Sater: At Testimonial Dinner Tendered by Business and Professional Men at Hotel Deshler, Columbus, Ohio, April 23rd, 1924.'' Columbus, OH: n.p., 1924. * ''Report Submitted to President Coolidge by Attorney General H. M. Daugherty Concerning Prohibition Litigation throughout U.S., Covering Period Jan. 16, 1920 to June 16, 1923.'' Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1926. * ''The Inside Story of the Harding Tragedy.'' With Thomas Dixon. New York: Churchill Company, 1932.


See also

* Ohio Gang * Little Green House on K Street


Footnotes


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). * Nathan Masters
''Crooked: The Roaring 20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal''
(Hachette Books 2023) * Robert K. Murray, ''The Harding Era: Warren G. Harding and His Administration.'' Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1969. * Eugene P. Trani and David L. Wilson. ''The Presidency of Warren G. Harding.'' Lawrence: Regents Press of Kansas, 1977.
''Charges of Hon. Oscar E. Keller Against the Attorney General of the United States: Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Sixty-seventh Congress, Third and Fourth Sessions on H. Res. 425, September 16, 1922, and December 4, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 1922: Part 1 and 2 - Combined.''
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1922. * ''Investigation of Hon. Harry M. Daugherty, Formerly Attorney General of the United States: Hearings before the Select Committee on Investigation of the Attorney General, United States, Senate, Sixty-eighth Congress, First Session pursuant to S. Res. 157, Directing a Committee to Investigate the Failure of the Attorney General to Prosecute or Defend Certain Criminal and Civil Actions, Wherein the Government is Interested.'' Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1924.


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Daugherty, Harry M. 1860 births 1941 deaths American campaign managers Ohio lawyers University of Michigan Law School alumni Attorneys general of the United States Ohio city council members Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Harding administration cabinet members 20th-century American politicians Coolidge administration cabinet members People from Washington Court House, Ohio Teapot Dome scandal The Cincinnati Enquirer people American people of Scotch-Irish descent Writers from Ohio 19th-century members of the Ohio General Assembly