John G. Carlisle | |
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 Carlislec. 1870–80 | |
| 41stUnited States Secretary of the Treasury | |
| In office March 7, 1893 – March 5, 1897 | |
| President | Grover Cleveland |
| Preceded by | Charles Foster |
| Succeeded by | Lyman J. Gage |
| United States Senator fromKentucky | |
| In office May 26, 1890 – February 4, 1893 | |
| Preceded by | James B. Beck |
| Succeeded by | William Lindsay |
| 31stSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office December 3, 1883 – March 3, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | J. Warren Keifer |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Reed |
| Leader of theHouse Democratic Caucus | |
| In office December 3, 1883 – March 3, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel J. Randall |
| Succeeded by | Charles Frederick Crisp |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKentucky's6th district | |
| In office March 4, 1877 – May 26, 1890 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Jones |
| Succeeded by | William Dickerson |
| 20thLieutenant Governor of Kentucky | |
| In office September 5, 1871 – August 31, 1875 | |
| Governor | Preston Leslie |
| Preceded by | John W. Stevenson |
| Succeeded by | John C. Underwood |
| Member of theKentucky Senate from the24th district | |
| In office August 1866 – September 5, 1871 | |
| Preceded by | M. M. Benton |
| Succeeded by | James B. Casey |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives fromKenton County | |
| In office August 1, 1859 – August 5, 1861 Serving with John Ellis | |
| Preceded by | John Ellis Robert Richardson |
| Succeeded by | John W. Finnell Green C. Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Griffin Carlisle (1834-09-05)September 5, 1834 Campbell County, Kentucky, U.S.(nowKenton County) |
| Died | July 31, 1910(1910-07-31) (aged 75) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Linden Grove Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Goodson |
| Children | 5 |
| Signature |  |
John Griffin Carlisle (September 5, 1834 – July 31, 1910) was an American attorney andDemocratic Party politician fromKentucky. He represented Kentucky in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1890, serving as the 31stSpeaker of the House from 1883 to 1889, and served in theUnited States Senate from 1890 to 1893. He served as the 41stSecretary of the Treasury, in the second administration ofPresidentGrover Cleveland, from 1893 to 1897—a period that included thePanic of 1893. As aBourbon Democrat he was a leader of the conservative, pro-business wing of the party, along with Cleveland.
Carlisle was born in what is nowKenton County, Kentucky. He was well educated and took a post as a teacher inCovington, Kentucky. His father died in 1853 and he was left to support his family. He studied law underJohn W. Stevenson, and joined the law firm of William Kinkeard in Covington at the age of 23. Carlisle marriedMary Jane Goodson on January 15, 1857, and they had five children, all of whom predeceased them.[1]
Despite the political difficulties that taking a neutral position during theAmerican Civil War caused him, Carlisle spent most of the 1860s in theKentucky General Assembly, serving in theKentucky House of Representatives and two terms in theKentucky Senate, and was electedLieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1871, succeeding his former law mentor Stevenson.
After Carlisle's term asLieutenant governor ended in 1875, he ran for and won a seat in theUnited States House of Representatives forKentucky's 6th district. On the main issues of the day, Carlisle wasin favor of coining silver, but not for free coinage, and favored lowertariffs. He became a leader of thelow-tariff wing of the Democratic Party, and was chosen by House Democrats to becomeSpeaker in 1883 overSamuel J. Randall, a leader of the party's protectionist wing.
As Speaker, Carlisle was both admired for and handicapped by his fairness and congeniality:
His name belongs in the short list of great Speakers. His opinions read like the decisions of an eminent judge. His impartiality and the sweetness of his manner prompted the minority members to present him a loving-cup as an evidence of their affection. But dilatory motions, thedisappearing quorum, and his refusal to ascertain the presence of a quorum by counting the House made him the slave offilibusters.[2]
"[H]e is the ablest man they have on that side of the House," said his Republican rival and successorThomas Brackett Reed, "[b]ut no Speaker could do any better with his hands tied by the rules we are working under."[3]
Carlisle became a leader of the conservativeBourbon Democrats and was mentioned as a presidential candidate but the Democrats passed him over at their conventions forWinfield S. Hancock in 1880 andGrover Cleveland in 1884. Discomfort with nominating a southerner after the Civil War played a role in Carlisle's failure to win either nomination. In 1892 Carlisle was again proposed as a candidate for president at the Democratic convention, but this time Carlisle asked that he not be considered. It was reported at the time that Carlisle dropped out with the understanding that Cleveland, once re-elected, would appoint him to his Cabinet.
In May 1890, the Kentucky legislature elected Carlisle to theUnited States Senate to fill the nearly four years remaining in the unexpired term of the late Sen.James B. Beck. He served until February 1893, when he resigned to becomeSecretary of the Treasury under Cleveland, who had been elected president in November 1892.
Carlisle's tenure as Secretary was marred by thePanic of 1893, a financial and economic disaster so severe that it ended Carlisle's political career. In response to a run on the American gold supply, Carlisle felt forced to end silver coinage. He also felt compelled to oppose the 1894Wilson–Gorman Tariff bill. These two stands were widely unpopular among agrarian Democrats. In 1896 Carlisle strenuously opposed Democratic presidential nomineeWilliam Jennings Bryan, supporting a splinterGold Democrat candidate, once-Illinois GovernorPalmer, instead.[4]
By 1896, the once remarkably popular Carlisle was so disliked due to his stewardship of the currency that he was forced to leave the stage in the middle of a speech in his home town of Covington due to a barrage of abuse. Feeling rejected, he retired from public life and sold his house in Covington.[1]
By May 1899, theNorth American Trust Company had directors such as John G. Carlisle,Adlai E. Stevenson, andWager Swayne.[5]
He moved to New York City, where he practiced law, and died on July 31, 1910, at age 75, and is buried inLinden Grove Cemetery inCovington, Kentucky.[6]
Carlisle County, Kentucky was established in 1886.[7]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky 1871–1875 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the United States House of Representatives 1883–1889 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of the Treasury 1893–1897 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKentucky's 6th congressional district 1877–1890 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Rules Committee 1883–1889 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Kentucky 1890–1893 Served alongside:Joseph Blackburn | Succeeded by |
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