Edward W. High

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edward W. High

Edward Wallis Hoch (born March 17, 1849 in Danville , Kentucky , † June 1, 1925 in Marion , Kansas ) was an American politician and from 1905 to 1909 the 17th governor of the state of Kansas.

Early years and political advancement

Edward Hoch attended local schools in his home in Kentucky. He broke off studying at Central University in Danville to begin an apprenticeship as a printer . In 1871 he moved to Marion, Kansas, where he bought the Marion County Record newspaper and published it until his death. High was a member of the Republican Party . His political career began in 1889 when he was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. In 1893 he was re-elected to this body and became President of Parliament ( Speaker ). In 1894 he was urged by his party friends to apply for the office of governor, but Hoch refused. Ten years later, he decided to run for office.

Kansas Governor

After the successful gubernatorial election in 1904, Hoch was able to take up his new office on January 5, 1905. After being re-elected in 1906, he was able to complete a four-year term. During this time, many new laws were passed in Kansas. These included the new regulation of child labor, a new food law to protect consumers, a law to determine the maximum freight charges for the railways and a law to regulate the primary system . The powers of the Railway Committee have been expanded in order to better monitor the railways. Tax law was reformed as was juvenile criminal law. In addition, some laws were passed to regulate the relationship between the emerging oil companies, most notably the Standard Oil Company , and the state of Kansas.

Kansas State law provided that the governor ordered the execution of the death penalty . Hoch changed the law that provided the death penalty for capital crimes to life imprisonment in 1907. The Death Penalty Abolition Act remained in force until 1935.

Another résumé

At the end of his second term, Hoch turned back to his Marion County newspaper . Between 1913 and 1919 he was a member of the Kansas Board of Administration . He also held lectures for the Chautauqua movement for many years .

Edward Hoch was married to Sarah Louisa Dickerson (1854-1943), with whom he had four children. He died in the summer of 1925 and was buried in Marion, Kansas. As editor of the Marion County Record, he was inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame in 1932.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Short biography of the Kansas Press Association (accessed November 21, 2014).
  2. An act to amend section 8, article 2, of chapter 31 of the general statues of 1901. Kansas Historical Foundation homepage (accessed November 21, 2014).
  3. ^ Edward W. Hoch in the Find a Grave database (accessed November 21, 2014).
  4. The Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame of the Kansas Press Association (accessed November 21, 2014).