- Austin Lane Crothers
Infobox Politician
name = Austin L. Crothers
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1860|5|17|mf=y
birth_place =Conowingo, Maryland
residence =
death_date = death date and age|1912|05|25|1860|05|17
death_place =Elkton, Maryland
office = 46thGovernor of Maryland
term = 1908-1912
predecessor =Edwin Warfield
successor =Phillips Goldsborough
party = Democrat
religion =Presbyterian
spouse = None
children = None
website =
footnotes =Austin Lane Crothers (
May 17 ,1860 -May 25 ,1912 ), a member of theUnited States Democratic Party , was the 46thGovernor of Maryland in theUnited States from 1908 to 1912.Early life and career
Crothers was born near Conowingo in
Cecil County, Maryland , the eighth son of Alpheus and Margaret Crothers. He was raised on his father'sfarm , spending much of his life there. Educated atWest Nottingham Academy , he spent several years in the work force, first as a store clerk, then as apublic school teacher. He was inspired to become a lawyer, and graduated from the University of MarylandLaw School in 1890. He practicedlaw in Elkton until becoming theState's Attorney for Cecil County, a post he held from 1891 to 1895.In 1897, Austin Crothers was elected to the
Maryland State Senate as a Democrat, replacing his brotherCharles C. Crothers . During the session of 1900, he became his party's leader in the Senate after becoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He was re-nominated for the 1901 election, but was defeated by the RepublicanHenry M. McCullough . Crothers continued to act as party leader in Cecil County, but still failed another re-election attempt in 1905.In 1906, Governor
Edwin Warfield appointed Crothers to succeed the lateJudge Edwin H. Brown as an associate judge for the Second Judicial Circuit, which included Cecil County. However, he refused to run for a second term, and instead ran for governor in 1907. Despite being a relative unknown, Crothers was elected into office.Governor of Maryland
Crothers' tenure as governor was notable for its reform aspects. He created the
State Roads Commission in 1908 to improve Maryland's road system; he pushed through aCorrupt Practices Act to create more accountability for campaign funds; and he supported the direct election ofU.S. Senator s (though that actually passed into law after his term). Crothers also pushed for the creation of the Public Service Commission and theState Bank Commissioner . He supported pure food laws, better care for the mentally ill, and increased taxes for collateral inheritance and automobile licenses.He tried to reform the Baltimore Board of Police Commissioners, initiating an extensive investigation that led to charges against them. Crothers removed the three supposedly corrupt members and tried to fill their posts with chosen replacements while the originals awaited trial. However, the
Maryland Court of Appeals determined that the governor did not have such power, neither to remove them or replace them before their time in court. Crothers still tried to bring the charges against them, but nothing came of it.Crothers also supported the 1910
Digges Amendment to theMaryland Constitution , which would have used property qualifications todisenfranchise African Americans . He also barely refrained (following a public outcry) from supporting a bill which would have effectively passed the bill's requirements into law even before the people ratified it. The Amendment was rejected by the people of Maryland.Crothers's actions led to some problems with Maryland's other politicians, including members of his own party, near the end of his time as governor. However, he has been recognized since as one of Maryland's best and most influential executives. Crothers was sick when he left office in 1912, and eventually died at his home in Elkton on
May 25 of that year.Family
His great-grandson,
James Crothers unsuccessfully ran for mayor ofForked River, New Jersey .References
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/crosse-crowe.html Crothers, Austin Lane (1860-1912)ndash also known as Austin L. Crothers] at
The Political Graveyard
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.