Donelson Caffery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromLouisiana | |
| In office December 31, 1892 – March 3, 1901 | |
| Preceded by | Randall L. Gibson |
| Succeeded by | Murphy J. Foster |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1835-09-10)September 10, 1835 Franklin, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 30, 1906(1906-12-30) (aged 71) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relations | Patrick T. Caffery (grandson) |
Donelson Caffery (September 10, 1835 – December 30, 1906) was an Americanpolitician from the state ofLouisiana, a soldier in theAmerican Civil War, and a sugar plantation owner.[1]
Caffery was born inFranklin,Louisiana, the seat ofSt. Mary Parish. His great-grandfather, ColonelJohn Donelson, co-founder of the city ofNashville, was the father-in-law ofPresident of the United StatesAndrew Jackson. During theAmerican Civil War, Caffery served in theConfederate army as alieutenant in the13th Louisiana Infantry Regiment. After the war, he became alawyer and owned asugar plantation. He was elected to theLouisiana State Senate, he was a Democrat,[2] and in 1892, he was appointed to theUnited States Senate from Louisiana to fill the unexpired term ofRandall L. Gibson who died in office. Caffery began a full six-year term in 1894, on election by theLouisiana State Legislature, and he served in the Senate until 1901.
He was a strong anti-imperialist and anti-expansionist, a position driven by his concern that new American possessions in tropical climates(likePuerto Rico,Hawaii, and thePhilippines) would harm his fellow Louisiana sugar planters by flooding the market with cheaper (and now tariff-free) sugar.[3][4]
He was the first nominee for President of the United States of the "Democratic National Party" at itsIndianapolis Convention in 1900 but declined the nomination of this group.[citation needed] He declined to seek a second full term in 1900. Thea group of anti-imperialists, meeting inNew York on 5 September 1900, also nominated Caffery for President andBoston attorney and historianArchibald M. Howe for Vice President. Caffery, a staunchDemocrat, likewise refused this nomination, and Howe quickly withdrew as well.
Caffery served as chairman of the Senate Committee on enrolled bills from 1893 to 1894 and as chairman of the Senate Committee on corporations organized in theDistrict of Columbia from 1899 to 1901.
After he left the Senate, Caffery resumed practicing law. He died in 1906 on December 30 inNew Orleans Louisiana,[5] and is interred at Franklin Cemetery in his native Franklin.
Caffery's son,Donelson Caffery, Jr., was the gubernatorial nominee of the "Lily-White" faction of the Republican Party in the1900 Louisiana gubernatorial election. He lost badly toW. W. Heard.
Caffery's grandson,Patrick T. Caffery, served one term in the Louisiana House of Representatives and two terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1969–73.[6]
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from Louisiana 1892–1901 Served alongside:Edward D. White,Newton C. Blanchard,Samuel D. McEnery | Succeeded by |
| Class 2 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
