Miles Benjamin McSweeney (April 18, 1855September 29, 1909) was the 87th
governor of South Carolina
The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the ''ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...
from June 2, 1899, to January 20, 1903.
Early life and education
Born in
Charleston, McSweeney's father died when he was four years old.
He started working at a young age to help support his family, as a
paperboy
A paperboy is someoneoften an older child or adolescentwho distributes printed newspapers to homes or offices on a regular route, usually by bicycle or automobile. In Western nations during the heyday of print newspapers during the early 20th cen ...
and a clerk in a bookstore.
He became corresponding secretary of the Columbia Typographical Union.
He studied at evening school and earned the Typographical Union of Charleston Scholarship to attend
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...
in
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...
, but later had to withdraw due to lack of funds.
Career
McSweeney served in the state militia with the rank of major, and was later promoted to lieutenant colonel.
In 1877, he started publishing the ''Ninety-Six Guardian'' at the age of 22, and moved to
Hampton two years later to start the ''Hampton County Guardian.''
In 1894, McSweeney was elected to the
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections.
Unlike many legislatures, seatin ...
and additionally served as the chairman of the
Hampton County Democratic Party.
He successfully ran for
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 ...
in 1896 and was elevated to the
governorship following the death of Governor
William Haselden Ellerbe on June 2, 1899.
A proponent of the
state Dispensary and backed by Senator
Ben Tillman, McSweeney won a term on his own in the
gubernatorial election of 1900. However, many in Hampton were in favor of
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
and the ''Hampton County Guardian'' lost advertising revenue and subscriptions because of McSweeney's support of the Dispensary.
Later life
Upon the completion of his term as governor in 1903, McSweeney returned to Hampton and continued as editor of the ''Hampton County Guardian''.
He died in
Charleston on September 29, 1909, and was buried at Hampton Cemetery in Hampton.
References
External links
SCIway Biography of Miles Benjamin McSweeneyNGA Biography of Miles Benjamin McSweeneyHistory of the ''Hampton County Guardian''
{{DEFAULTSORT:McSweeney, Miles Benjamin
1855 births
1909 deaths
19th-century American newspaper publishers (people)
20th-century South Carolina politicians
Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina
Washington and Lee University alumni
Democratic Party governors of South Carolina
University of South Carolina trustees
American newspaper founders
Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
Lieutenant governors of South Carolina
19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly