Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/316

 COCKRAN

COCKRELL

cation in the best schools of that country. In 1871 he immigrated to the United States, where lie engaged for a few weeks as a clerk in the store of A. T. Stewart, and subsequently in teaching. While residing in Westchester, N.Y., he was ad- mitted to the bar in 1876 and opened an office in Mount Vernon, N.Y. His success in defending a murderer brought him into public notice and he

transferred his office to New York city. In 1881 he was a dele- gate to the Syracuse Democratic state convention, where he made his repu- tation as a political orator. He was in- troduced to the na- tional democracy at Chicago in 1884 as the spokesman of Tammany Hall, op- posed to the nomina- tion of Mr. Cleveland the unit I'ule. He

and determined to break spoke in the face of defeat and his eloquence quelled for a time a strong opposition, but his purpose failed although he gained national rep- utation as an orator. In 1886 he was elected a representative from New York city in the 50th congress. He declined re-election, but in 1890 he was nominated for the 52d congress, against his wishes, and was elected by an overwhelming majority. During the session of the 52d congress he introduced the " act to encourage American shipping" and secured its passage through the house. The measure subsequently passed the senate without amend- ment and w^as approved by President Harrison. Under its provisions the steamers City of Neto York and City of Paris were admitted to Ameri- can registry on condition that the owners agreed to build two ships of equal tonnage in American shipyards. This led to the building of the steam- ers St. Paul and ^S*^. Louis, w^hich, with the City of Paris and City of New York, under their new nanaes Harvard and Yale, bore conspicuous parts in the naval operations of the war with Spain in 1898. In 1892 he again took up the cause of Tam- many Hall at the Democratic national conven- tion and his speech, while as powerful as that of 1884, was more polished and diplomatic, although it failed to carry the convention in spite of his prediction that Mr. Cleveland's nomination would result in the loss to the party of the Em- pire State. In the autumn of that year he was elected to the 53d congress, his majority exceed- ing the total vote cast for his opponent. Gen. Daniel Butterfield. His best remembered speeches

in the house were those in favor of the repeal of the purchasing clause of the Sherman silver law of 1890; in support of the original Wilson tariff bill opposing the income tax amendment to that measure, and against Mr. Carlisle's currency bill. His more prominent law cases were his defence of Jacob Sharp which he carried to the court of appeals in the face of popular clamor and the prejudice of the courts, and the Kemmler case where he opposed the enforcement of the law providing for the execution by electricity of criminals condemned to death, on the ground that it violated the constitutional provision pro- hibiting the infliction of cruel and unusual i^un- ishments. In 1896 he championed the cause of the single gold standard, opposed Tammany Hall with which he had been formerly identified ; sup ■ ported the candidacy of William McKinley, and declined to follow President Cleveland and other Democrats opposed to the platform of the Demo- cratic party adopted at Chicago, July 9, 1896, in the movement for the nomination of independent Democratic candidates.

COCKRELL, Francis Marion, senator, was born in Johnson county. Mo., Oct. 1, 1834; son of Joseph and Nancy Cockrell, and grandson of the Rev. Simon Cockrell. He was graduated from Chapel Hill college, Lafayette county. Mo., in 1853, was admitted to the bar in 1855, and settled to practice in Warrensburg. He served in the Confederate army, rising from the rank of captain to that of brigade commander. Cockrell's brigade w^as known through- out the southwest and its commander won a high reputation as a soldier. At the close of the war he re- turned to his law practice and in 1874 was a candidate be- fore the Democratic state convention for the nomination for gov- ernor and was defeated by Charles H. Hardin by one sixth of one vote. In 1875 he was elected as U.S. senator to succeed Carl Schurz, taking his seat at the opening of the special session of the sen- ate on March 4, 1875. He Avas re-elected four times, his fifth senatorial term expiring March 3, 1905. He served on the committees on appropria- tions, Indian depredations, military affairs, and as chairman of the committees on aiJpropriations, claims and engrossed bills.

COCKRELL, Jeremiah Vardaman, represen- tative, was born in Johnson county, Mo. , May 7,

'I