Josiah Bailey
American politician (1873–1946)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Josiah William Bailey (September 14, 1873 – December 15, 1946) was an American politician who served as a U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina from 1931 to 1946. Bailey moved back and forth. He was a leading reformer in the 1910s, promoting education and Wilsonian programs. As Senator he supported the early New Deal but by 1938 was a leader of the anti-New Deal faction of Southern Democrats. When war loomed in 1939, he moved to support Roosevelt's interventionist foreign policy. Likewise he supported Roosevelt's wartime domestic program, while opposing labor unions.[1]
September 14, 1873
Josiah Bailey | |
|---|---|
| |
| United States Senator from North Carolina | |
| In office March 4, 1931 – December 15, 1946 | |
| Preceded by | F.M. Simmons |
| Succeeded by | William B. Umstead |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Josiah William Bailey September 14, 1873 Warrenton, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | December 15, 1946 (aged 73) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Wake Forest College |
Early life and education
Born in Warrenton, North Carolina, he grew up in Raleigh and graduated from Wake Forest College (now Wake Forest University).
Career
Before turning to a career in law, Bailey was editor of the Biblical Recorder, a newspaper for North Carolina Baptists. He was a presidential elector in 1908.[2]
Elected to the United States Senate in 1930, defeating longtime incumbent Furnifold McLendel Simmons, Bailey earned a reputation as a conservative while in office. In 1937, he coauthored the bipartisan Conservative Manifesto, a document criticizing President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and proposing more conservative alternatives. Among other things, the Manifesto called for lower taxes and less spending.[3]
That same year, Bailey gave a rousing floor speech against President Roosevelt's court-packing bill, which convinced at least three freshman Republicans, thought by Senate Majority Leader Joseph T. Robinson to be definite supporters, to oppose the measure.[4]
A segregationist and white supremacist, Bailey filibustered anti-lynching legislation in 1938.[5]
During his time in office, he served as chairman of the Committee on Claims and Committee on Commerce.
Death
Bailey died in office in 1946.
