William Bourke Cockran

William Bourke Cockran

William Bourke Cockran (born February 28, 1854 in County Sligo , Ireland , † March 1, 1923 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician . He represented New York State in the US House of Representatives between 1887 and 1889, between 1891 and 1895, between 1904 and 1909 and between 1921 and 1923 .

Career

William Bourke Cockran was born and raised in County Sligo during the Victorian Age . He went to school both in his home country and in France . He immigrated to the United States at the age of 17. There he taught as a teacher at a private academy and was a principal at a public school in Westchester County . He studied law . He was admitted to the bar in 1876 and then began practicing at Mount Vernon . Two years later he moved to New York City , where he continued his practice as a lawyer. Politically, he belonged to the Democratic Party . He attended the Democratic National Conventions as a delegate in 1884, 1892, 1904, and 1920 .

In the congressional elections of 1886 for the 50th Congress , he was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the twelfth constituency of New York , where he succeeded Abraham Dowdney on March 4, 1887 . Since he on a run again in 1888 renounced, he left the after March 3, 1889 Congress of.

In 1890 he sat on the commission that amended the judiciary article in the New York State Constitution.

On November 3, 1891, he was elected to the US House of Representatives in a by-election in the tenth electoral district of New York to fill the vacancy created by the death of Francis B. Spinola . In 1894 , he ran for the 53rd Congress in the twelfth constituency of New York . After a successful election, he succeeded Joseph J. Little on March 4, 1893 . In 1894 he refused to run again and resigned from Congress after March 3, 1895.

Cockran broke with his party in 1896 because of the presidential election campaign by William Jennings Bryan against the introduction of the gold standard , it should stay with bimetallism (gold and silver). Instead, he promoted the Republican candidate William McKinley , who went out of the race as the winner in the end. He finally reconciled with the Democratic Party in 1900 and from that point on supported Bryan's second presidential candidacy. However, Bryan suffered another defeat to McKinley.

On February 23, 1904, Cockran was elected to the US House of Representatives in a by-election in the twelfth constituency of New York to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of George B. McClellan . He was re-elected twice in a row. Since he refused to run again in 1908 , he left the Congress after March 3, 1909.

After his time in Congress, he resumed his practice as a lawyer in New York City.

He ran unsuccessfully for the 63rd Congress in 1912 . In 1920 he was elected to the 67th Congress in the 16th electoral district of New York , where he succeeded Thomas Francis Smith on March 4, 1921 . He was re-elected, but died on March 1, 1923 in Washington DC. His body was then interred in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne .

Web links

• William Bourke Cockran in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• William Bourke Cockran in the database of Find a Grave (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Modern Miracles: Money video documentary by THE HISTORY CHANNEL (NBC)