The impeachment of Governor Sulzer : a story of American politics / Matthew L. Lifflander.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lifflander, Matthew L.

Series:

Excelsior Editions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Impeachments--New York (State).

Impeachments.

Sulzer, William, 1863-1941--Impeachment.

Sulzer, William.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (374 p.)

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Winner of the 2012 Isabelle Hermalyn Award of New York Urban History presented by the Bronx County Historical SocietyIn The Impeachment of Governor Sulzer, Matthew L. Lifflander brings to life the dramatic story of a forgotten incident in New York State political history. When William Sulzer was elected to the office of governor of New York State in November 1912, it represented the culmination of a long and successful career in politics. The son of a German immigrant father and a Scotch-Irish American mother, Sulzer (1863–1941) rose through the powerful Tammany Hall machine to become the youngest man ever to serve as speaker of the New York State Assembly. In 1894, he was elected to Congress, where he served with distinction for eighteen years, rising to chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. When he became governor, it was with the support of the Tammany Hall machine, and everyone expected that he would duly perform his duties under the direction of Tammany boss Charles F. Murphy.Political reform and the corrupt influence of political machines were significant issues of the day, however, and shortly after Sulzer's election he began to project a populist "man of the people" image, announcing that he "belonged to no man." After he rejected some of Murphy's recommendations for key appointments and initiated investigations into corrupt state officials—many of them with Tammany connections—it was decided that he was a threat to the party bosses and had to be removed. Incredibly, less than a year after his election to the highest office in New York State, Sulzer had been impeached and removed.In addition to shedding light on the career of one of the most interesting and colorful figures in American political history, The Impeachment of Governor Sulzer explores legal, moral, and political issues that continue to this day, including pervasive questions about money and politics.

Contents:

""The Impeachment of Governor Sulzer: A Story of American Politics ""; ""The Impeachment of Governor Sulzer: A Story of American Politics ""; ""Contents""; ""List of Illustrations ""; ""Prologue: Meeting Governor Sulzer ""; ""Chapter 1: Inauguration Day ""; ""Chapter 2: A Rural Childhood ""; ""Chapter 3: Studying Law ""; ""Chapter 4: Sulzer�s Great Adventure ""; ""Chapter 5: Building a Law Practice ""; ""Chapter 6: Politics Rears Its Head ""; ""Chapter 7: A Connected Assemblyman ""; ""Chapter 8: Assemblyman Rising ""; ""Chapter 9: The Congressional Years ""

""Chapter 10: The Tragedy That Changed New York """"Chapter 11: Selecting Congressman Sulzer ""; ""Chapter 12: Sulzer�s Second Day as Governor ""; ""Chapter 13: Mr. Murphy ""; ""Chapter 14: The Secret of Tammany�s Power (And what was done with it) ""; ""Chapter 15: War Clouds on the Horizon ""; ""Chapter 16: The Patronage Battle ""; ""Chapter 17: Government by Investigation ""; ""Chapter 18: The Direct Primary Battle ""; ""Chapter 19: Murphy�s Revenge ""; ""Chapter 20: The Impeachment Drama ""; ""Chapter 21: Reactions ""; ""Chapter 22: The Trial of Governor Sulzer ""

""Chapter 23: What Does an Impeached Governor Do? """"Epilogue: Winners and Losers ""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Notes""; ""Bibliography""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781438443393

1438443390