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308:. He supported lynchings, stating that lynching Black men accused of rape was justified. Briefly, during his governorship, he opposed lynching, preferring the judicial process. Jelks opposed education for Blacks, believing it took them from their "labors in the field" and led to idleness, vagrancy, and crime. On at least one occasion in 1902, he pardoned members of a lynch mob convicted of murder. In a newspaper report from 1905, he defended the murder of a Black man accused of rape.
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in 1898, Jelks served as chair of the
Committee on Constitution, Constitutional Revision, and Amendment. In 1900, he was elected President of the Senate. Alabama did not have an office of lieutenant governor under the State Constitution of 1875. Thus, Jelks, by his position as President of the
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most blacks and tens of thousands of poor whites. Its framers extolled it for establishing "white supremacy by law," reducing the power of local governments in Black communities. Blacks were disfranchised for more than 60 years, until after passage in the mid-1960s of federal
277:. The new constitution reinstated the office of lieutenant governor and established the term of office of governor as four years. Developed according to the Mississippi model, it set requirements for voter registration that effectively
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When Jelks left office in 1907, he had served longer than any governor before him. He left a cash balance in the treasury of $ 1.8 million, which he recommended be spent on education. Later he organized the
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Jelks was also responsible for the passage of legislation limiting and regulating child labor, the establishment of the State
Textbook Commission, the reforms of the State Railroad Commission and the
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and played a key role in the adoption of constitutional provisions that disenfranchised Blacks and poor whites following brief political gains by the
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199:(November 7, 1855 – December 13, 1931) was an American newspaper editor, publisher, and politician who served as the
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The
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system, the renovation and expansion of the State
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from
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As editor of the paper, Jelks called for Blacks to be deported from the state and praised
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As governor, Jelks played an active role in securing the ratification of the
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Senate, served as acting governor during the temporary incapacitation of
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Struggle for
Mastery: Disenfranchisement (sic) in the South, 1888-1908,
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463:"The lynching of Robin White and the confession of George Howard"
367:"The lynching of Robin White and the confession of George Howard"
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and served as its first president. He was a delegate to the
415:"Ambushed in Eufaula: Alabama's forgotten race massacre"
227:. In 1879, Jelks acquired a substantial interest in the
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Chapel Hill: University of North
Carolina Press, 2001
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487:Alabama Business Hall of Fame – Governor Jelks
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128:December 1, 1900 – December 26, 1900
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286:legislation. Elected to his first full term
211:was out-of-state seeking medical treatment.
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231:He later bought and became the editor of
219:Jelks, an Alabama native, graduated from
61:June 11, 1901 – January 14, 1907
391:, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974
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223:in 1876, where he was a member of the
1154:Democratic Party governors of Alabama
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1159:People from Macon County, Alabama
492:Alabama Archives – Governor Jelks
461:Lyman, Brian (January 10, 2018).
365:Lyman, Brian (January 10, 2018).
349:Jelks died on December 13, 1931.
328:Protective Life Insurance Company
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130:While William J. Samford was ill
1144:American pro-lynching activists
205:Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
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342:, Maryland, that nominated
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336:1912 Democratic Convention
275:State Constitution of 1901
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1149:Mercer University alumni
1134:American segregationists
507:Party political offices
235:During his residence in
233:The Eufaula Daily Times.
215:Early life and education
201:32nd Governor of Alabama
465:. Montgomery Advertiser
450:Encyclopedia of Alabama
369:. Montgomery Advertiser
260:Barbour County, Alabama
1139:Alabama state senators
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203:from 1901 to 1907. As
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229:Union Springs Herald.
157:Warriorstand, Alabama
84:Russell M. Cunningham
613:lieutenant governors
197:William Dorsey Jelks
560:Governor of Alabama
526:Governor of Alabama
387:J. Morgan Kousser.
346:to the presidency.
332:Birmingham, Alabama
116:Governor of Alabama
49:Governor of Alabama
16:American politician
553:William J. Samford
545:Political offices
515:William J. Samford
421:. January 16, 2022
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265:William J. Samford
209:William J. Samford
96:William J. Samford
70:William J. Samford
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250:Political career
237:Eufaula, Alabama
174:Eufaula, Alabama
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139:Personal details
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524:nominee for
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467:. Retrieved
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371:. Retrieved
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284:civil rights
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169:(1931-12-13)
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103:Succeeded by
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18:
1129:1931 deaths
1124:1855 births
681:Fitzpatrick
570:B. B. Comer
538:B. B. Comer
469:January 11,
425:January 29,
373:January 11,
320: 1906
108:B. B. Comer
91:Preceded by
1118:Categories
1093:Folsom Jr.
1073:Folsom Jr.
1018:Carmichael
973:Cunningham
944:Lieutenant
901:Folsom Jr.
891:G. Wallace
881:G. Wallace
871:L. Wallace
866:G. Wallace
856:Folsom Sr.
846:Folsom Sr.
564:1901–1907
522:Democratic
353:References
185:Democratic
150:1855-11-07
76:Lieutenant
1103:Ainsworth
1088:L. Baxley
1078:Siegelman
1068:B. Baxley
963:McKinstry
953:Applegate
946:governors
911:Siegelman
861:Patterson
806:Henderson
801:E. O'Neal
624:Governors
609:Governors
340:Baltimore
244:lynchings
124:In office
57:In office
1063:McMillan
1043:Boutwell
1038:Hardwick
998:McDowell
781:Johnston
771:T. Jones
706:A. Moore
656:S. Moore
651:G. Moore
495:Archived
442:Archived
272:Jim Crow
66:Governor
1058:Beasley
1008:Merrill
921:Bentley
851:Persons
816:Brandon
786:Samford
751:Houston
741:Lindsay
721:Parsons
711:Shorter
701:Winston
696:Collier
691:Chapman
641:Pickens
636:T. Bibb
631:W. Bibb
617:Alabama
315:Jelks,
288:in 1902
225:Chi Phi
114:Acting
1083:Windom
1053:Brewer
1013:Knight
993:Miller
876:Brewer
841:Sparks
831:Graves
826:Miller
821:Graves
731:Swayne
726:Patton
686:Martin
646:Murphy
176:, U.S.
159:, U.S.
80:Vacant
1048:Allen
1033:Allen
1028:Inzer
1023:Ellis
1003:Davis
988:Kilby
968:Ligon
958:Moren
916:Riley
906:James
886:James
836:Dixon
811:Kilby
796:Comer
791:Jelks
776:Oates
746:Lewis
736:Smith
716:Watts
676:Bagby
671:McVay
661:Gayle
258:from
47:32nd
1098:Ivey
983:Seed
978:Gray
926:Ivey
896:Hunt
766:Seay
756:Cobb
666:Clay
611:and
531:1902
471:2019
427:2022
375:2019
164:Died
144:Born
615:of
338:in
330:in
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601:e
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148:(
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