Anselm J. McLaurin | |
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| United States Senator fromMississippi | |
| In office February 7, 1894 – March 3, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | Edward C. Walthall |
| Succeeded by | Edward C. Walthall |
| In office March 4, 1901 – December 22, 1909 | |
| Preceded by | William V. Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | James Gordon |
| 34th Governor of Mississippi | |
| In office January 20, 1896 – January 16, 1900 | |
| Lieutenant | J. H. Jones |
| Preceded by | John M. Stone |
| Succeeded by | Andrew H. Longino |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anselm Joseph McLaurin (1848-03-26)March 26, 1848 Brandon, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | December 22, 1909(1909-12-22) (aged 61) Brandon, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Laura Elvira Victoria Rauch[1][2] |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Robin Williams (great-great grandson) Zelda Williams (great-great-great granddaughter) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service | Confederate Army |
| Years of service | 1864 - 1865 |
| Rank | Private Captain (possibly) |
| Unit | 3rd (Ashcraft’s) Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry |
| Battles/wars | |
Anselm Joseph McLaurin (March 26, 1848 – December 22, 1909) was the 34thgovernor of Mississippi, serving from 1896 to 1900.
McLaurin was born on March 26, 1848, inBrandon, Mississippi, the son of Ellen Caroline (née Tullus) and Lauchlin McLaurin III. He married Laura Elvira Rauch and had a daughter, Stella May McLaurin.
He becamedistrict attorney at age 21 and was described as "one of the foremost lawyers in the State". He participated in the convention for the writing of theMississippi Constitution in 1890 and was described as afree-coinage man.[3] ADemocrat, as were most whites in the South through the mid-twentieth century, McLaurin was elected by the state legislature to theU.S. Senate, serving from 1894 to 1895.
He was the firstGovernor of Mississippi to be elected under theMississippi Constitution of 1890, whichdisenfranchised most blacks by raising barriers to voter registration. These changes essentially ended the competitiveness of the Republican Party in the state and severely weakened the Populist Party. The last Confederate veteran elected as governor, McLaurin wonthe 1895 election, defeatingPopulistFrank Burkitt. He served from 1896 to 1900.
At Hazlehurst in 1898, McLaurin explained in a speech that one of the causes of the depleted state treasury was inadequate taxation of the railroad corporations.[4]
In October 1898, McLaurin traveled by train toForest, Mississippi, after white rioting in nearbyHarperville.[5] Blacks had resisted the arrest of one of their community, killing one white man. A mob of whites quickly gathered, killing nine blacks by the next day. The county sheriff and a posse arrested some blacks, while the white lynch mob continued to kill blacks on sight. TheNew Orleans Picayune said that 11 black men were killed and one white.[6] The sheriff took several black men under armed guard toMeridian, Mississippi, to protect them from the white mobs in Forest.[6]
McLaurin returned to the U.S. Senate in 1901 after being elected by the state legislature to that seat in 1900; he was re-elected on January 19, 1904.[7][8]
He died ofheart disease at age 61 on December 22, 1909, at his home inBrandon, Mississippi. He was sitting in a rocking chair in front of his fireplace.[9]
A great-great-grandson of McLaurin was actor and comedianRobin Williams, who was given McLaurin as his middle name.[10]
... one of the foremost lawyers in the State ... District Attorney when twenty-one ... member of the Constitutional Convention of 1890 ... free-coinage man
United States Senator Anselm Joseph McLaurin died suddenly to-night of heart disease at his home in Brandon, Miss. The fatal attack seized Senator McLaurin while he was seated in a rocking chair in front of the fireplace in his library. He fell forward without speaking a word, and life was extinct when members of his family reached his side. ...
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