Gov., Sen. Jefferson "Jeff" Cullen Davis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Davis_(Arkansas_governor)

Jefferson Davis (May 6, 1862 – January 3, 1913), commonly known as Jeff Davis, was a Democratic United States Senator from Arkansas and also served as the 20th Governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas.

Early life

Jeff Davis was born near Richmond, Arkansas in Little River County. His parents named him after Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America.

Davis attended school in Russellville, Arkansas and graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1884. He studied law and after he was admitted to the bar in Pope County, Arkansas he commenced private practice of law in Russellville.

Political career

Davis served as prosecuting attorney of the Fifth Judicial District of Arkansas from 1892 to 1896. He was elected as Attorney General of Arkansas and served from 1898 to 1901. He served as Governor of Arkansas from 1901 to 1907.

Davis was elected to the United States Senate and served from 4 March 1907 until his death in Little Rock, Arkansas on 3 January 1913. He was chairman of the Committee on the Mississippi and its Tributaries.

Jeff Davis was well known for his outrageous rhetoric and oratorial skills. He made a career of skewering the business interests, newspapers, and urban dwellers in order to appeal to the poor rural citizens of the state. He portrayed himself as just another poor country boy against the moneyed interests that held back the common man. Davis was equally able to wield humor, the "bloody shirt", and racial differences. It was also said that many of his supporters incorrectly believed he was of familial relation to the Jefferson Davis who was the President of the Confederacy, a belief that Davis did nothing to discourage, and which he may have covertly encouraged.

Davis was an avowed racist and segregationist. In 1905, when President Theodore Roosevelt visited Arkansas, Davis greeted him with a speech in defense of the practice of lynching. Roosevelt responded with a calmer speech in defense of the rule of law.

Jeff Davis is buried at historic Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Selected Quote:

"The Helena World says that I'm a carrot haired, red-faced, load-mouthed, strong limbed, ox-driving mountaineer lawyer. That I'm a friend to the fellow that brews 40 rod bug juice back in the mountains. Now, I have a little boy, God bless him, and if I find that boy is a smart boy I will go and make a preacher out of him. If I find that he's not so smart, I'm going to make a lawyer out of him but if I find he has not a bit of sense on this earth, I'm going to make an editor out of him and send him to Little Rock to edit the Arkansas Democrat."