 |
| Miriam Amanda Wallace |
Miriam Amanda Wallace "Ma" Ferguson was the first femaleGovernor of Texas in 1925. She held office until 1927, later winning another term in 1932 and serving until 1935.
Ferguson's second term as governor was less controversial than the first.
According to rumor, state highway contracts only went to companies that advertised in the Fergusons' newspaper, Ferguson Forum. A House committee investigated the charge but nothing ever came of it.
Political strife and controversy characterized her first administration. Although she did fulfill a campaign promise to secure an antimask law against the Ku Klux Klan, the courts overturned it. State expenditures were slightly increased, despite a campaign pledge to cut the budget by $15 million. The focal point of discontent centered upon irregularities both in the granting of pardons and paroles and in the letting of road contracts by the state highway department. Ma Ferguson pardoned an average of 100 convicts a month, and she and "Pa" were accused by critics of accepting bribes of land and cash payments. Critics also charged that the Ferguson-appointed state highway commission granted road contracts to Ferguson friends and political supporters in return for lucrative kickbacks. Though a threat to impeach Miriam Ferguson failed, these controversies helped Attorney General Daniel James Moody defeat Mrs. Ferguson for renomination in 1926 and win the governorship.
SOURCES :
SOURCES :
- "Portraits of Texas Governors: The Politics of Personality. Texas State Library. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
- Coppedge, Clay (25 February 2007). "A city grows up: Temple matures into a regional medical and agricultural hub . Temple Daily Telegram. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
Post a Comment