William H. Cate
Encyclopedia
William Henderson Cate was a U.S. Representative
from Arkansas
.
Cate was born near Murfreesboro, Tennessee
and attended the common schools, as well as an academy at Abingdon, Virginia
. He ultimately graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1857 and then taught school in the south and west. During the Civil War
he served in the Confederate States Army
where he rose to the rank of captain.
Cate moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas
in 1865, studied law, and was admitted to the Arkansas bar in 1866 and commenced the practice of law. He served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
1871-1873 and during the extra session of 1874. He was elected prosecuting attorney in 1878, and was later appointed and subsequently elected judge of the second judicial circuit of Arkansas in 1884. He organized the Bank of Jonesboro in 1887.
Cate presented credentials as a Democratic
member-elect to the Fifty-first
Congress where he served from March 4, 1889 until March 5, 1890 when he was succeeded by Lewis P. Featherstone
. Featherstone had contested the election after having been put up as a candidate to oppose Cate by The Agricultural Wheel
. In an agreement between The Wheel and the Republican Party
, the Republicans agreed to support Featherstone against Cate. In return "The Wheel" agreed to support John M. Clayton
against Clifton R. Breckinridge
. The House Committee on Elections
decided in favor of Featherstone, ruling that he won by 86 votes.
Cate was elected to the Fifty-second
Congress which ran from March 4, 1891 until March 3, 1893. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1892 to the Fifty-third
Congress. He later resumed the practice of law in Jonesboro, Arkansas
and died while on August 23, 1899 while on a visit in Toledo, Ohio
. He was interred in the City Cemetery in Jonesboro, Arkansas
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
Cate was born near Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
and attended the common schools, as well as an academy at Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, USA, 133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark...
. He ultimately graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1857 and then taught school in the south and west. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
he served in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
where he rose to the rank of captain.
Cate moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city was 67,263. A college town, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state...
in 1865, studied law, and was admitted to the Arkansas bar in 1866 and commenced the practice of law. He served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
1871-1873 and during the extra session of 1874. He was elected prosecuting attorney in 1878, and was later appointed and subsequently elected judge of the second judicial circuit of Arkansas in 1884. He organized the Bank of Jonesboro in 1887.
Cate presented credentials as a Democratic
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...
member-elect to the Fifty-first
51st United States Congress
The Fifty-first United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
Congress where he served from March 4, 1889 until March 5, 1890 when he was succeeded by Lewis P. Featherstone
Lewis P. Featherstone
Lewis Porter Featherstone was a U.S. Representative from Arkansas.Born in Oxford, Mississippi, Featherstone attended the common schools and Cumberland School of Law at Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennessee....
. Featherstone had contested the election after having been put up as a candidate to oppose Cate by The Agricultural Wheel
Agricultural Wheel
The Agricultural Wheel was a cooperative alliance of farmers in the United States that existed from 1882 until 1889 when it merged with the National Farmers' Alliance to form the Farmers' and Laborers' Union of America. It was initially started by W. W...
. In an agreement between The Wheel and the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, the Republicans agreed to support Featherstone against Cate. In return "The Wheel" agreed to support John M. Clayton
John M. Clayton (Arkansas)
This article is about the assassinated Arkansas Republican. For the U.S. Secretary of State and Senator from Delaware with the same name, see John M. Clayton....
against Clifton R. Breckinridge
Clifton R. Breckinridge
Clifton Rodes Breckinridge was a Democratic alderman, congressman, diplomat, businessman and veteran of the Confederate Army and Navy. He was a member of the prominent Breckinridge family, the son of Vice President of the United States and Confederate General John C. Breckinridge and the...
. The House Committee on Elections
United States House Committee on Elections
The United States House Committee on Elections is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.Article 1, section 5, of the Constitution of the United States specifies: "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own Members." The...
decided in favor of Featherstone, ruling that he won by 86 votes.
Cate was elected to the Fifty-second
52nd United States Congress
The Fifty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
Congress which ran from March 4, 1891 until March 3, 1893. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1892 to the Fifty-third
53rd United States Congress
The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...
Congress. He later resumed the practice of law in Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city was 67,263. A college town, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state...
and died while on August 23, 1899 while on a visit in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. He was interred in the City Cemetery in Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 US Census, the population of the city was 67,263. A college town, Jonesboro is the largest city in northeastern Arkansas and the fifth most populous city in the state...
.