Charles H. Martin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 21st Governor of Oregon | |
| In office January 14, 1935 – January 9, 1939 | |
| Preceded by | Julius L. Meier |
| Succeeded by | Charles A. Sprague |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOregon's3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1935 | |
| Preceded by | Franklin F. Korell |
| Succeeded by | William A. Ekwall |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles Henry Martin (1863-10-01)October 1, 1863 Edwards County, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | September 22, 1946(1946-09-22) (aged 82) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Resting place | River View Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Louise Hughes |
| Profession | Military, politician |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1887–1927 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Service number | 0-191 |
| Unit |  Infantry Branch |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal |
Charles Henry Martin (October 1, 1863 – September 22, 1946) was an American Army officer and later politician in the state ofOregon. A native ofIllinois, he had a 40-year career in the military including serving in conflicts from theSpanish–American War toWorld War I before retiring as a major general. A Democrat, he was the U.S. representative forOregon's 3rd congressional district from 1931 to 1935 and then was the state's21st governor from 1935 to 1939. From 1923 to 1924 he was vice president, from 1924 to 1925 president of theAztec Club of 1847.
Charles Martin was born nearAlbion, Illinois, on October 1, 1863. He attended Ewing College (Ewing, Illinois) for two years until he was appointed to theU.S. Military Academy.[1] He would actively serve in theSpanish–American War,Philippine–American War, andBoxer Rebellion after graduating from West Point in 1887. In 1920, when the army's authority to maintainJim Crow regulations seemed threatened, Martin wrote that "the negro is of very little importance... the average negro is not by any means equal to the average white man."[2]
Martin was later a division commander of the famousBlackhawk Division during World War I and served as the U.S. Army Assistant Chief of Staff from 1922 to 1924.[1] He was honored with theDistinguished Service Medal and two citations for bravery in action[3] and retired from the Army as a major general on October 1, 1927, after commanding thePanama Canal Department for three years.[1][4] His DSM citation reads:
ThePresident of the United States of America, authorized byAct of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General Charles Henry Martin, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. As Commander of the 90th Division during the greater part of its service with the Army of Occupation, by his ceaseless energy he performed his duties with the utmost efficiency, giving the closest personal supervision to the training, discipline, and equipment of his Division. His brilliant professional attainments and steadfast devotion to duty were reflected in the high standards maintained throughout the organizations under his command, rendering important services to the American Expeditionary Forces.
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Martin embarked on his second career after retiring toPortland, Oregon with his wife. From March 4, 1931, to January 3, 1935, he served as a conservative Democratic Representative to the U.S. Congress fromOregon's Third Congressional District.
Martin was elected governor in 1934, during a time of intense labor turmoil and the middle of theGreat Depression, earning a reputation for restoring state finances. The major issues that Martin dealt with during his time in office were economic recovery from the Great Depression, reconstruction of theOregon State Capitol, the planning and construction of theBonneville Dam, and the development of statewide port and highway infrastructures. When the Depression eased, he opposed the full restoration of wage levels for state employees, who had suffered a 50 percent pay cut.
Martin became known as a pro-business governor in early May 1935 when timber workers began to strike, declaring, "These pestiferous peewees would go to any lengths to embarrass me and my administration."[5] In private correspondence and public appearances he railed against theNational Labor Relations Board, declared union organizers to be gangsters andBolsheviks, and consideredSecretary of LaborFrances Perkins to be the head "red" in the Roosevelt administration. Martin threatened to fire Columbia County Sheriff Oscar Weed for not responding harshly enough to striking workers, instructing the state's sheriffs to "beat hell out of 'em!" and "crack their damn heads! Those fellows are there for nothing but trouble – give it to them!"[6] On May 23, 1935, Martin ordered the state police and National Guard to protect strikebreakers at the Stimson Mill strike in the Washington County town ofGaston. The National Guard was again called out to harass, intimidate, and arrest striking longshoremen in 1937.
Martin grew in his vocal opposition to Roosevelt'sNew Deal, especially to theNational Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the President's labor policy. In 1937, the NLRB failed to settle a jurisdictional dispute between theCongress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and theAmerican Federation of Labor (AFL) that had closed all Portland sawmills. Martin stepped in and held his own elections, which led to the reopening of the mills. He made himself the enemy of what many saw as corrupt labor leaders, particularly by his appointment of Assistant Attorney General Ralph E. Moody to prosecute many union people accused of arson and assault.
In 1939, Martin welcomedHarry H. Laughlin's proposal to chloroform the feeble-minded, stating, "The theory is a fine thing in principle. Civilization must find some way to best deal with this distressing situation. It is one of the problems for the young people of today."[7] In 1936, he suggested that the state could save $300,000 in the next two years by putting 900 of the 969 developmentally-disabled patients at theFairview Training Center in Salem "out of their misery."[8] Martin also believed that military action was necessary against Jewish communists and Irish people.[9]
Martin showed sympathy for fascism. Asked about the possibility of a communist takeover, he dismissed the threat, referencingNazi Germany andFascist Italy.
"There are enough strong men left in the country to handle it properly. The Italians organized theirblack shirts. The Germans had theirbrown shirts andHitler. I don't believe Americans will submit."[10]
He was often quoted for his rephrasing of President Roosevelt's famous pronouncement on fear, saying, "We have nothing to fear from the future except our own foolishness and slothfulness." His criticism ofPresident Roosevelt, however, cost Martin a bitterly contested bid for theDemocratic Party of Oregon's gubernatorial nomination in 1938.
After losing the nomination, Martin retired from active politics to his Portland home. He died on September 22, 1946, and was interred atRiver View Cemetery in Portland.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | U.S. Representative of Oregon's 3rd Congressional District 1931–1935 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Governor of Oregon 1935–1939 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by Edward F. Bailey | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Oregon 1934 | Succeeded by |
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