John C. Walton
Encyclopedia
John Calloway “Jack” Walton (March 6, 1881 – November 25, 1949) was an American politician and the fifth Governor of Oklahoma
. Walton would serve the shortest term of any Governor of Oklahoma, being the first Governor in the state’s history to be removed from office.
, Indiana. He spent six years in Indianapolis before his family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska
. At the age of sixteen, Walton joined the United States Army
in 1897 where he spent the next six years. Despite his enlistment, Walton did not see active duty during the Spanish-American War
; however he did serve at a post in Mexico
for some time.
Following his discharge from the military in 1903, Walton traveled to Oklahoma Territory
to make his life as a contractor
in the field of civil engineering
. Walton set up his practice in the thriving metropolis of Oklahoma City
. Walton lived in Oklahoma City when Oklahoma
was officially admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907, and saw the capital moved from Guthrie, Oklahoma
to Oklahoma City in 1910.
Walton joined the Democratic Party and became an active participant in the state’s political matters. In 1917, under the Robert L. Williams
administration, Walton was elected to his first political office. Due to his engineering experience, Walton easily won election to the office of Commissioner of Public Works of Oklahoma City. Due to his success in that office, two years later Walton was elected as the mayor of Oklahoma City, a post he served in until 1923.
Before his term as mayor ended, Walton entered his name in the Democratic primary as a candidate for Governor of Oklahoma
to succeed James B. A. Robertson
. After winning the Democratic nomination Walton travelled around the state giving the most colorful and liveliest speeches and campaign platforms in Oklahoma’s history until that point. In the general election, Walton was successful in his bid, and his inauguration and inaugural ball were just as lively as his campaign.
on January 9, 1923. Walton represented the radical wing of the Democratic Party and his policies reflected this. Despite this, many of the programs in his domestic policy (the Reconstruction League) were accepted by the Oklahoma Legislature
and 1923 proved to be one of the most progressive legislative sessions in the state’s history. Among Walton’s reforms was an expanded farm cooperative program to aid troubled farms, a revision of the Workman's Compensation Law for improved benefits to employees, and stronger warehouse inspection laws to satisfy Oklahoma’s cotton and wheat farmers.
Walton looked to his predecessor Robertson for many ideas of his administration. Just as education had been a large part of Robertson’s programs, so it became with Walton. Walton passed through the Legislature Oklahoma’s first program to allow free text books to all students in Oklahoma’s schools and a grant of over $1,000,000 in state funds to aid weak schools. In true progressive manner, Walton instituted harsher penalties for breaking state laws and regulations, increased spending on welfare programs, and instituted a farm stabilization program under the supervision of the State Board of Agriculture.
Walton's troubles first began when he began to flip-flop between those progressives who supported his programs and those conservatives who did not. Walton began to lose control of the Legislature and by trying to appeal to both sides, lost all support. Hoping to regain his lost support, Walton attempted to gain factional support by making appointments of the faction leaders to the higher level government and educational positions. Though he would see minor success in this venture, in the long term this proved to be ineffective.
Due to the Tulsa Race Riot
of 1921, the Ku Klux Klan
had grown to dangerous levels of power, a pattern which continued during Walton’s administration. In order to crack down on the racist group, Walton declared martial law
in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
and Tulsa County, Oklahoma
, with the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in Tulsa County. However, the Oklahoma Constitution
strictly forbids any member of the government of Oklahoma
from suspending this writ.
was established in Oklahoma City with the charge of investigating the Governor’s office. Following the announcement of the creation of the grand jury, on September 15, 1923, Walton declared “absolute martial law” for the entire State of Oklahoma. Impeachment
demands filled the Oklahoma State Capitol
and the leaders of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
and Oklahoma Senate
acted by calling a special session on October 2.
Hoping to prevent the impeachment charges from being carried out, Walton called the Legislature into a special session of his own on October 11 with the topic being the KKK. The Legislature refused and recessed until October 17 when impeachment charges could be organized. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Speaker of the House
W. D. McBee, the Oklahoma House laid twenty-two charges against Walton, and voted for impeachment. Soon after, on October 23, Walton was suspended in his office as Governor and the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
Martin E. Trapp
became acting Governor.
Wesley E. Disney, a House Representative representining Tulsa, acted as the prosecutor
in the Oklahoma Senate
in its function as the Court of Impeachment, which was presided over by the Chief Justice of Oklahoma
. Of the House’s twenty-two charges, eleven were sustained, including "illegal collection of campaign funds, padding the public payroll, suspension of habeas corpus, excessive use of the pardon power, and general incompetence." On November 19, 1923, Walton was convicted and removed from office. Lt Governor Trapp succeeded Walton and became the sixth Governor of Oklahoma on the same day.
The impeachment is said to have "frightened" the state "into a system of preferential voting as an escape from minority nominations." In his own nomination, Walton received only "an extremely small per cent of the total votes cast," yet was still selected as the Democratic Party
candidate, and this perceived injustice led to the Oklahoma Legislature
resolving to adopt a different electoral system; eventually, they created the Oklahoma primary electoral system
.
announced his retirement and that he would not be seeking reelection. Owen had represented Oklahoma in the United States Senate
since it became a state in 1907, and Walton seized the opportunity to replace the popular Senator by receiving the Democratic nomination. One reason it is believed that Walton received the nomination so soon after his removal from office is that he was the only Democratic candidate to publicly criticize the KKK http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/Subjects/klan.htm. However, Walton lost in the general election in a landslide 62% to 35%) to the Republican candidate, William B. Pine
.
Even though Walton did not win the election, he served on the Corporation Commission from 1933 to 1939. After his service as Commissioner, Walton retired from political office to practice law. However, during his tenure as Commissioner, Walton ran in the Democratic primary for Governor in 1934 to replace William H. Murray
and again in 1938 to replace Ernest W. Marland
. Both efforts ended in failure with Walton not receiving the party’s nomination. Walton spent his remaining years practicing law in Oklahoma City where he died at the age of 68 on November 25, 1949. He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Oklahoma City.
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
. Walton would serve the shortest term of any Governor of Oklahoma, being the first Governor in the state’s history to be removed from office.
Early life
John Calloway Walton was born on March 6, 1881, in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana. He spent six years in Indianapolis before his family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
. At the age of sixteen, Walton joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1897 where he spent the next six years. Despite his enlistment, Walton did not see active duty during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
; however he did serve at a post in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
for some time.
Following his discharge from the military in 1903, Walton traveled to Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
to make his life as a contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
in the field of civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. Walton set up his practice in the thriving metropolis of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. Walton lived in Oklahoma City when Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
was officially admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907, and saw the capital moved from Guthrie, Oklahoma
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Guthrie is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 9,925 at the 2000 census.Guthrie was the territorial and later the first state capital for Oklahoma...
to Oklahoma City in 1910.
Walton joined the Democratic Party and became an active participant in the state’s political matters. In 1917, under the Robert L. Williams
Robert L. Williams
Robert Lee Williams was an American lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the third Governor of Oklahoma. Williams would also play a role in the drafting of the Oklahoma Constitution...
administration, Walton was elected to his first political office. Due to his engineering experience, Walton easily won election to the office of Commissioner of Public Works of Oklahoma City. Due to his success in that office, two years later Walton was elected as the mayor of Oklahoma City, a post he served in until 1923.
Before his term as mayor ended, Walton entered his name in the Democratic primary as a candidate for Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
to succeed James B. A. Robertson
James B. A. Robertson
James Brooks Ayers Robertson , sometimes called J. B. A. Robertson, was an American lawyer who served as the fourth governor of Oklahoma.-Early life:...
. After winning the Democratic nomination Walton travelled around the state giving the most colorful and liveliest speeches and campaign platforms in Oklahoma’s history until that point. In the general election, Walton was successful in his bid, and his inauguration and inaugural ball were just as lively as his campaign.
Governor of Oklahoma
Walton was inaugurated as the fifth Governor of OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
on January 9, 1923. Walton represented the radical wing of the Democratic Party and his policies reflected this. Despite this, many of the programs in his domestic policy (the Reconstruction League) were accepted by the Oklahoma Legislature
Oklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 101...
and 1923 proved to be one of the most progressive legislative sessions in the state’s history. Among Walton’s reforms was an expanded farm cooperative program to aid troubled farms, a revision of the Workman's Compensation Law for improved benefits to employees, and stronger warehouse inspection laws to satisfy Oklahoma’s cotton and wheat farmers.
Walton looked to his predecessor Robertson for many ideas of his administration. Just as education had been a large part of Robertson’s programs, so it became with Walton. Walton passed through the Legislature Oklahoma’s first program to allow free text books to all students in Oklahoma’s schools and a grant of over $1,000,000 in state funds to aid weak schools. In true progressive manner, Walton instituted harsher penalties for breaking state laws and regulations, increased spending on welfare programs, and instituted a farm stabilization program under the supervision of the State Board of Agriculture.
Walton's troubles first began when he began to flip-flop between those progressives who supported his programs and those conservatives who did not. Walton began to lose control of the Legislature and by trying to appeal to both sides, lost all support. Hoping to regain his lost support, Walton attempted to gain factional support by making appointments of the faction leaders to the higher level government and educational positions. Though he would see minor success in this venture, in the long term this proved to be ineffective.
Due to the Tulsa Race Riot
Tulsa Race Riot
The Tulsa race riot was a large-scale racially motivated conflict, May 31 - June 1st 1921, between the white and black communities of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in which the wealthiest African-American community in the United States, the Greenwood District also known as 'The Negro Wall St' was burned to the...
of 1921, the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
had grown to dangerous levels of power, a pattern which continued during Walton’s administration. In order to crack down on the racist group, Walton declared martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
Okmulgee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 39,685. Its county seat is Okmulgee.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,819 km²...
and Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Tulsa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is 603,403. Its county seat is Tulsa.-History of Tulsa County:The history of Tulsa County greatly overlaps the history of the city of Tulsa...
, with the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in Tulsa County. However, the Oklahoma Constitution
Oklahoma Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th US State. At its ratification, the Oklahoma Constitution was the longest governing document of any...
strictly forbids any member of the government of Oklahoma
Government of Oklahoma
The government of the US State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
from suspending this writ.
Impeachment
The Legislature was outraged by Governor Walton’s blatant disregard of the Oklahoma Constitution. In response, a Grand JuryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
was established in Oklahoma City with the charge of investigating the Governor’s office. Following the announcement of the creation of the grand jury, on September 15, 1923, Walton declared “absolute martial law” for the entire State of Oklahoma. Impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
demands filled the Oklahoma State Capitol
Oklahoma State Capitol
The Oklahoma State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the building that houses the Oklahoma Legislature, and the meeting place of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. It is located along Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City. The present structure includes a dome that was...
and the leaders of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...
and Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
acted by calling a special session on October 2.
Hoping to prevent the impeachment charges from being carried out, Walton called the Legislature into a special session of his own on October 11 with the topic being the KKK. The Legislature refused and recessed until October 17 when impeachment charges could be organized. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Speaker of the House
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...
W. D. McBee, the Oklahoma House laid twenty-two charges against Walton, and voted for impeachment. Soon after, on October 23, Walton was suspended in his office as Governor and the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the new Governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor...
Martin E. Trapp
Martin E. Trapp
Martin Edwin Trapp was an American politician who served as the first Oklahoma State Auditor under Governor Charles N. Haskell. Later, Trapp served as the third Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma from 1915 to 1923. When Governor John C...
became acting Governor.
Wesley E. Disney, a House Representative representining Tulsa, acted as the prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
in the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
in its function as the Court of Impeachment, which was presided over by the Chief Justice of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and leads the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma....
. Of the House’s twenty-two charges, eleven were sustained, including "illegal collection of campaign funds, padding the public payroll, suspension of habeas corpus, excessive use of the pardon power, and general incompetence." On November 19, 1923, Walton was convicted and removed from office. Lt Governor Trapp succeeded Walton and became the sixth Governor of Oklahoma on the same day.
The impeachment is said to have "frightened" the state "into a system of preferential voting as an escape from minority nominations." In his own nomination, Walton received only "an extremely small per cent of the total votes cast," yet was still selected as the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate, and this perceived injustice led to the Oklahoma Legislature
Oklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 101...
resolving to adopt a different electoral system; eventually, they created the Oklahoma primary electoral system
Oklahoma primary electoral system
The Oklahoma primary electoral system is a voting system used to elect one winner from a pool of candidates using preferential voting. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their votes are initially allocated to their first-choice candidate. If, after this initial count, no candidate...
.
Later politics and death
The year following Walton’s removal from office, U.S. Senator Robert L. OwenRobert L. Owen
Robert Latham Owen, Jr. was one of the first two U.S. senators from Oklahoma. He served in the Senate between 1907 and 1925...
announced his retirement and that he would not be seeking reelection. Owen had represented Oklahoma in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
since it became a state in 1907, and Walton seized the opportunity to replace the popular Senator by receiving the Democratic nomination. One reason it is believed that Walton received the nomination so soon after his removal from office is that he was the only Democratic candidate to publicly criticize the KKK http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/Subjects/klan.htm. However, Walton lost in the general election in a landslide 62% to 35%) to the Republican candidate, William B. Pine
William B. Pine
William Bliss Pine was a United States Senator from Oklahoma. Born in Illinois, he moved to Kansas and finally Oklahoma, where he became a prominent busineman and oil producer. As a senator, he was economically conservative, but considered progressive in his agricultural positions...
.
Even though Walton did not win the election, he served on the Corporation Commission from 1933 to 1939. After his service as Commissioner, Walton retired from political office to practice law. However, during his tenure as Commissioner, Walton ran in the Democratic primary for Governor in 1934 to replace William H. Murray
William H. Murray
William Henry Davis "Alfalfa Bill" Murray was an American teacher, lawyer, and politician who became active in Oklahoma before statehood as legal adviser to Governor Douglas H. Johnston of the Chickasaw Nation...
and again in 1938 to replace Ernest W. Marland
E. W. Marland
Ernest Whitworth Marland was an American lawyer, oil businessman, and politician who served as the tenth Governor of Oklahoma.-Career as an Oilman:...
. Both efforts ended in failure with Walton not receiving the party’s nomination. Walton spent his remaining years practicing law in Oklahoma City where he died at the age of 68 on November 25, 1949. He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Oklahoma City.
State of the State Speech
Further reading
- Brad L. Duren, "'Klanspiracy' or Despotism? The Rise and Fall of Governor Jack Walton, Featuring W. D. McBee," Chronicles of Oklahoma 2002–03 80(4): 468–485.