Wesley L. Jones | |
|---|---|
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| Senate Majority Whip | |
| In office November 9, 1924 – March 4, 1929 Acting: November 9, 1924 – March 3, 1925 | |
| Leader | Charles Curtis |
| Preceded by | Charles Curtis |
| Succeeded by | Simeon D. Fess |
| United States Senator fromWashington | |
| In office March 4, 1909 – November 19, 1932 | |
| Preceded by | Levi Ankeny |
| Succeeded by | Elijah S. Grammer |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWashington'sat-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1909 | |
| Preceded by | William C. Jones |
| Succeeded by | James W. Bryan (1913) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wesley Livsey Jones (1863-10-09)October 9, 1863 |
| Died | November 19, 1932(1932-11-19) (aged 69) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Southern Illinois College, Enfield (BA) |
Wesley Livsey Jones (October 9, 1863 – November 19, 1932) was anAmerican politician who served in theUnited States House of Representatives and theUnited States Senate representing the state ofWashington.
Born nearBethany, Illinois, days after the death of his father, who was serving in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War, Jones grew up working on farms. He taught school before graduating from Southern Illinois College inEnfield, Illinois. He studied law inChicago, passed the bar, and became active in politics as aRepublican. In 1889, he moved to NorthYakima, in easternWashington, where he worked in real estate and practiced law. In 1898, he was elected as a Republican to theUnited States House of Representatives, where he served five terms. He won a seat in theUnited States Senate in 1908; he served from 1909 until his death, and served in both leadership positions and as chairman of several Senate committees.
Jones lost his 1932 bid for reelection. He died soon after the November election, but before his term expired in March 1933. He died in Seattle, and was interred at Seattle's Bonney-Watson Mortuary.
Jones was born nearBethany, Illinois, the son of Wesley and Phoebe Jones;[1] he was born three days after the death of his father, who was serving as a private in Company B,41st Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment during theAmerican Civil War.[2] He graduated from Southern Illinois College inEnfield, Illinois, and studied law inChicago while teaching school at night.[3]
He passed the bar in 1886, and started a law practice inDecatur, Illinois.[3] He also began to get active in politics, having joined theRepublican Party. While living in Illinois, Jones campaigned forJames G. Blaine for presidentin 1884, and forBenjamin Harrisonin 1888.[4]
In 1886 Jones also married Minda Nelson, starting a family.[1] They had two children together, daughter Hazel E. and son Harry B. Jones.[5][1]Hazel Jones later married Arthur Coffin.[5]
In 1889, Jones moved to NorthYakima, in easternWashington. It was a developing area near the Yakima River. He worked in the real estate business and continued to practice law.[3]
The town developed near theYakama Indian Reservation, where several related peoples had been settled since the mid-nineteenth century, when they signed a treaty ceding millions of acres of land to the United States.
After moving to Washington state, Jones became active in theSons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. His leadership roles in the organization gave him name recognition that enabled him to begin a political career.[1] Beginning in 1890, Jones was a sought-after campaign speaker in Washington, and took part in Republican rallies throughout the state.[4]
In 1898, Jones was elected to representWashington's at-large congressional district.[3] He was reelected four times, and served in the U.S. House from March 4, 1899, to March 3, 1909.[3]
In 1908, Jones ran successfully for a seat representing Washington in theUnited States Senate. He was first elected by the state legislature, but, after passage of the 17th amendment to the US Constitution in 1913, he was later elected by popular vote.[3] Jones was reelected by popular vote in 1914, 1920, and 1926; he served from March 3, 1909, until his death.[6] In 1917, Jones moved from Yakima toSeattle, the state's major city and port, located onPuget Sound on the west side of theCascade Mountains.[7]
In the Senate, Jones advanced to a leadership position asMajority Whip, a post he held from 1924 to 1929.[8] He also served as chairman of several committees, including: Industrial Expositions (61st Congress); Fisheries (62nd Congress); Disposition of Useless Executive Papers (64th and65th Congresses); Investigate Trespassers Upon Indian Land (65th Congress);Commerce (66th through71st Congresses); andAppropriations (71st and72nd Congresses).[8]
Jones was a successful advocate for federal investment in the Pacific Northwest. He secured funding for several irrigation projects, which particularly aided farmers in the more arid eastern part of the state. In 1906 he proposed a bill requiring theYakama Nation to give up three-quarters of their land in order to gain any irrigation rights.[9] This was opposed not only by the confederated tribes but by their allied European-American advocates, such asLucullus Virgil McWhorter, a prominent rancher in Yakima who worked to support Native American rights and culture. In 1914 Jones's bill finally died in committee.[10]
Jones also gained construction of a large naval facility, thePuget Sound Navy Yard inBremerton, on the west side of Puget Sound. It was important to the area economy and continues to provide many jobs in the area.[11] In 1920 he sponsored and secured passage of theJones Merchant Marine Act, which stipulated that only American ships could carry cargo between American ports, thereby makingAlaska dependent on Seattle-based shipping.[12]
Jones was a vocal proponent ofprohibition throughout his political career. Initially this aided his popularity, but it likely contributed to hiselectoral defeat in 1932.[5] The 28-point loss was the second-largest of any major-party nominee in history.[13] More importantly, theGreat Depression had set in, and many Republicans lost to Democrats in this election, as voters sought other solutions to growing unemployment. Jones was defeated by DemocratHomer Bone, who swept in with PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt.
Jones died inSeattle on November 19, 1932, shortly after losing reelection to his Senate seat, but before his final term had expired.[8] A replacement was appointed to serve until the winner of the election took office in 1933. His ashes were interred at Bonney-Watson Mortuary in Seattle.[8]
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Media related toWesley Livsey Jones at Wikimedia Commons| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWashington's at-large congressional district 1899–1909 | Vacant Title next held by James W. Bryan |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Washington 1909–1932 Served alongside:Samuel H. Piles,Miles Poindexter,Clarence Dill | Succeeded by |
| New office | Chair of theSenate Industrial Expositions Committee 1909–1911 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of the Senate Fisheries Committee 1911–1913 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of the Senate Executive Papers Disposition Committee 1915–1918 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of the Senate Indian Land Trespassers Committee 1918–1919 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Commerce Committee 1919–1930 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Senate Majority Whip 1924–1929 Acting: 1924–1925 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Appropriations Committee 1930–1932 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| New title | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromWashington (Class 3) 1914,1920,1926,1932 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Senate Republican Whip 1924–1929 Acting: 1924–1925 | Succeeded by |
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| Commerce, Science, and Transportation (1977–present) | ||
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