Louis A. Wiltz

Louis A. Wiltz

Louis Alfred Wiltz (born January 21, 1843 in New Orleans , Louisiana , † October 16, 1881 ibid) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) and from 1880 to 1881 governor of the state of Louisiana.

Early years and political advancement

Louis Wiltz attended the public schools in his home country. After that he was employed in a shop for a short time. In 1861 he joined the army of the Confederate States at. There he rose to the rank of Colonel . In the meantime he became a prisoner of war, but was released again as part of an exchange.

In 1868 he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives, and in 1872 he succeeded Benjamin Flanders as Mayor of New Orleans . Then he returned in 1874 to the House of Representatives of his state, whose President ( Speaker ) he became in 1875. Between 1877 and 1880, he served as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, representing Governor Francis T. Nicholls . During this time, Wiltz was closely associated with the state's corrupt lottery company. In 1879 he was chairman of a committee to review the state constitution. The new constitution made an early gubernatorial election necessary, in which Wiltz was elected as the new governor of his state.

Louisiana Governor

Wiltz took up his new office on January 13, 1880. During his short term of office, the railway expansion was promoted and a health program was launched. In addition, the ministries for agriculture and immigration came into being. Wiltz's tenure was overshadowed by corruption affairs, which had also taken his side. He himself profited from the lottery company. His Treasury Secretary Edward A. Burke embezzled a lot of money. He was later to move to Honduras with $ 1.2 million . At the same time, access to the elections was made difficult for African Americans and education was neglected. Louis Wiltz died of tuberculosis on October 16, 1881 and his lieutenant governor Samuel D. McEnery took over the office of governor. Louis Wiltz was married to Mildred Michaela Bienvenu, with whom he had seven children.

Web links

• Louis A. Wiltz in the National Governors Association (English)

• Louis A. Wiltz in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• The Governors of Louisiana (English)