William Peters Hepburn
Encyclopedia
William Peters Hepburn was an American Civil War
officer and an eleven-term Republican
congressman from Iowa's now-obsolete 8th congressional district, serving from 1881 to 1887, and from 1893 to 1909. According to historian Edmund Morris, "Hepburn was the House's best debater, admired for his strength of character and legal acumen." As chair of one of the most powerful committees in Congress, he guided or sponsored many statutes regulating businesses, including most notably the Hepburn Act
of 1906. The Hepburn Act authorized the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission
to require railroads to charge "just and reasonable" rates.
, Columbiana County, Ohio
and raised from the age of seven in Iowa City, Iowa
. His schooling was confined to a few months in an Iowa City academy. The grandson of Revolutionary War
officer, printer, and congressman Matthew Lyon
, he was first engaged as an apprentice printer, before studying law. He became prosecuting attorney of Marshall County
in 1856 as well as serving as district attorney for the eleventh judicial district from 1856 to 1861. He was also the clerk to the Iowa House of Representatives
.
In May 1860, Hepburn was one of two delegates representing counties in the eleventh judicial district at the 1860 Republican National Convention
, where Abraham Lincoln
was nominated. The following March, when serving a brief term as a lobbyist for those counties in Washington D.C., Hepburn attended Lincoln's presidential inauguration.
, he served as an officer in the 2nd Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry
. He was promoted from Captain of Company B to Major of the First Battalion on September 13, 1861, then to Lieutenant Colonel in 1862. He participated in the final stage of the Battle of Island Number Ten
near New Madrid, Missouri
, and saw combat during the Siege of Corinth
, the Battle of Iuka
in northeastern Mississippi, and the Battle of Collierville, Tennessee
. From time to time he was also assigned as an inspector of cavalry for the Army of the Cumberland
and, due to his legal experience, served as an acting inspector general and court martial president or judge advocate for troops in the lower Mississippi River theatre.
He was mustered out on October 3, 1864, upon the expiration of his term of service. He moved his family to Memphis, Tennessee
before returning to Iowa in 1867, to a home in Clarinda
.
he again became active in Republican politics. In 1880, Hepburn was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives
from Iowa's 8th congressional district, after defeating incumbent William F. Sapp in the district convention on the 346th ballot. He was re-elected in 1882 and 1884, but was defeated in the 1886 general election by Independent Republican Albert R. Anderson
. Anderson, a former state railroad commissioner, had run on an anti-monopolist, anti-corporate platform, and "specialized in the unfairness and excesses of the prevailing railroad rates." Historians have viewed Hepburn's defeat as a catalyist for authorization of a federal Interstate Commerce Commission, which became a higher priority for other congressman who hoped to avoid Hepburn's fate.
In 1888, two years after his defeat, he was the principal opponent to James F. Wilson for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. However, when it became apparent that he lacked the votes among the Iowa General Assembly to defeat Wilson, his supporters withdrew his name from consideration.
After the election of President Benjamin Harrison
returned the White House to Republican hands in 1889, Hepburn served as Solicitor of the Treasury.
, declined to run for a third term. Hepburn won his party's nomination and the general election, and was re-elected seven more times. During this period he served as Chairman of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
.
In 1894, Hepburn finished a distant second in the Republican caucus to nominate a successor to retiring U.S. Senator Wilson.
In 1899, Hepburn briefly became a candidate for election as Speaker of the House, but soon deferred to the successful candidacy of fellow Iowan and Civil War veteran David B. Henderson
. Hepburn became notorious for his disdainful treatment on the House floor of newer members, prompting the New York Times to refer to him as the "House Terror." However, Hepburn was also an enduring but outspoken advocate to reform House rules that vested autocratic powers in Speakers of the House.
Even before the publication of Upton Sinclair
's expose The Jungle
, Hepburn led efforts to adopt federal laws regulating food quality. In 1902 the Hepburn Pure Food Act passed the House (but not the Senate). When such a bill finally passed both houses as the Pure Food and Drug Act
of 1906 (following the publication of Sinclair's book), Hepburn was the bill's floor manager.
Hepburn was also instrumental in appropriating funds for a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Hepburn initially preferred a route through Nicaragua over a route through Panama, but ultimately became a key House sponsor of appropriations measures necessary for completion of the canal through Panama.
, a major priority in the second term of President Theodore Roosevelt
. The Act gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) the power to set maximum railroad rates and led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. Scholars consider the Hepburn Act the most important piece of legislation regarding railroads in the first half of the 20th century, while economists debate whether it went too far, and if its passage contributed to the Panic of 1907
.
), Jamieson won majorities in eight of the district's eleven counties. Hepburn's loss was attributed to "purely local conditions and local strife," such as anger over bank failures and Hepburn's choices for local postmasters.
After his defeat but before his final term ended, he became the chairman of a 25-member group seeking once again to reform House rules that allowed Speaker Joe Cannon
to amass even greater powers. This time, Hepburn's reform efforts succeeded; Speaker Cannon was forced to surrender the power to block bills he did not like from coming to the floor once they received committee support.
, then in Clarinda. He died on February 7, 1916.
, a few miles north of Clarinda, was named in his honor.
His home in Clarinda, known as the William P. Hepburn House
, is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
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...
officer and an eleven-term Republican
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...
congressman from Iowa's now-obsolete 8th congressional district, serving from 1881 to 1887, and from 1893 to 1909. According to historian Edmund Morris, "Hepburn was the House's best debater, admired for his strength of character and legal acumen." As chair of one of the most powerful committees in Congress, he guided or sponsored many statutes regulating businesses, including most notably the Hepburn Act
Hepburn Act
The Hepburn Act is a 1906 United States federal law that gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to set maximum railroad rates. This led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. In addition, the ICC could view the railroads' financial records, a task simplified by...
of 1906. The Hepburn Act authorized the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
to require railroads to charge "just and reasonable" rates.
Background
Hepburn was born in WellsvilleWellsville, Ohio
Wellsville is a village in Columbiana County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 4,133 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Columbiana County, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and raised from the age of seven in Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
. His schooling was confined to a few months in an Iowa City academy. The grandson of Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
officer, printer, and congressman Matthew Lyon
Matthew Lyon
Matthew Lyon , father of Chittenden Lyon and great-grandfather of William Peters Hepburn, was a printer, farmer, soldier and politician, serving as a United States Representative from both Vermont and Kentucky....
, he was first engaged as an apprentice printer, before studying law. He became prosecuting attorney of Marshall County
Marshall County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 40,648 in the county, with a population density of . There were 16,831 housing units, of which 15,538 were occupied.-2000 census:...
in 1856 as well as serving as district attorney for the eleventh judicial district from 1856 to 1861. He was also the clerk to the Iowa House of Representatives
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency...
.
In May 1860, Hepburn was one of two delegates representing counties in the eleventh judicial district at the 1860 Republican National Convention
1860 Republican National Convention
The 1860 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States, held in Chicago, Illinois at the Wigwam, nominated former U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln of Illinois for President and U.S. Senator Hannibal Hamlin of Maine for Vice President...
, where Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was nominated. The following March, when serving a brief term as a lobbyist for those counties in Washington D.C., Hepburn attended Lincoln's presidential inauguration.
Civil War service
During the Civil WarAmerican 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 as an officer in the 2nd Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry
2nd Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry
The 2nd Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 2nd Iowa Cavalry was organized at Davenport, Iowa and mustered in at Camp Joe Holt for three years of Federal service between August 30 and September 28,...
. He was promoted from Captain of Company B to Major of the First Battalion on September 13, 1861, then to Lieutenant Colonel in 1862. He participated in the final stage of the Battle of Island Number Ten
Battle of Island Number Ten
The Battle of Island Number Ten was an engagement at the New Madrid or Kentucky Bend on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War, lasting from February 28 to April 8, 1862. The position, an island at the base of a tight double turn in the course of the river, was held by the Confederates...
near New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...
, and saw combat during the Siege of Corinth
Siege of Corinth
The Siege of Corinth was an American Civil War battle fought from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi.-Background:...
, the Battle of Iuka
Battle of Iuka
The Battle of Iuka was fought on September 19, 1862, in Iuka, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. In the opening battle of the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans stopped the advance of the army of Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price.Maj. Gen. Ulysses S...
in northeastern Mississippi, and the Battle of Collierville, Tennessee
Collierville, Tennessee
Collierville is a town in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and a suburb located in the Memphis metropolitan area. The town had a population of 43,965 at the 2010 census....
. From time to time he was also assigned as an inspector of cavalry for the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
and, due to his legal experience, served as an acting inspector general and court martial president or judge advocate for troops in the lower Mississippi River theatre.
He was mustered out on October 3, 1864, upon the expiration of his term of service. He moved his family to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
before returning to Iowa in 1867, to a home in Clarinda
Clarinda, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,572 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,180 housing units, of which 1,928 were occupied....
.
First service in Congress
Soon after Helpburn established his legal practice in Clarinda, IowaClarinda, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,572 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,180 housing units, of which 1,928 were occupied....
he again became active in Republican politics. In 1880, Hepburn was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives
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 Iowa's 8th congressional district, after defeating incumbent William F. Sapp in the district convention on the 346th ballot. He was re-elected in 1882 and 1884, but was defeated in the 1886 general election by Independent Republican Albert R. Anderson
Albert R. Anderson
Albert Raney Anderson was a one-term U.S. Representative from Iowa's 8th congressional district in southwestern Iowa...
. Anderson, a former state railroad commissioner, had run on an anti-monopolist, anti-corporate platform, and "specialized in the unfairness and excesses of the prevailing railroad rates." Historians have viewed Hepburn's defeat as a catalyist for authorization of a federal Interstate Commerce Commission, which became a higher priority for other congressman who hoped to avoid Hepburn's fate.
In 1888, two years after his defeat, he was the principal opponent to James F. Wilson for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. However, when it became apparent that he lacked the votes among the Iowa General Assembly to defeat Wilson, his supporters withdrew his name from consideration.
After the election of President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
returned the White House to Republican hands in 1889, Hepburn served as Solicitor of the Treasury.
Return to Congress
In 1892, after three terms away from Congress, Hepburn ran again for his former seat after Anderson's successor, Republican James Patton FlickJames Patton Flick
James Patton Flick was a two-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 8th congressional district in the Gilded Age....
, declined to run for a third term. Hepburn won his party's nomination and the general election, and was re-elected seven more times. During this period he served as Chairman of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
.
In 1894, Hepburn finished a distant second in the Republican caucus to nominate a successor to retiring U.S. Senator Wilson.
In 1899, Hepburn briefly became a candidate for election as Speaker of the House, but soon deferred to the successful candidacy of fellow Iowan and Civil War veteran David B. Henderson
David B. Henderson
David Bremner Henderson , a ten-term Republican Congressman from Dubuque, Iowa, was the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1899 to 1903...
. Hepburn became notorious for his disdainful treatment on the House floor of newer members, prompting the New York Times to refer to him as the "House Terror." However, Hepburn was also an enduring but outspoken advocate to reform House rules that vested autocratic powers in Speakers of the House.
Even before the publication of Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair
Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. , was an American author who wrote close to one hundred books in many genres. He achieved popularity in the first half of the twentieth century, acquiring particular fame for his classic muckraking novel, The Jungle . It exposed conditions in the U.S...
's expose The Jungle
The Jungle
The Jungle is a 1906 novel written by journalist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair wrote the novel with the intention of portraying the life of the immigrant in the United States, but readers were more concerned with the large portion of the book pertaining to the corruption of the American meatpacking...
, Hepburn led efforts to adopt federal laws regulating food quality. In 1902 the Hepburn Pure Food Act passed the House (but not the Senate). When such a bill finally passed both houses as the Pure Food and Drug Act
Pure Food and Drug Act
The Pure Food and Drug Act of June 30, 1906, is a United States federal law that provided federal inspection of meat products and forbade the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated food products and poisonous patent medicines...
of 1906 (following the publication of Sinclair's book), Hepburn was the bill's floor manager.
Hepburn was also instrumental in appropriating funds for a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Hepburn initially preferred a route through Nicaragua over a route through Panama, but ultimately became a key House sponsor of appropriations measures necessary for completion of the canal through Panama.
Hepburn Act of 1906
He also sponsored the Hepburn Act of 1906Hepburn Act
The Hepburn Act is a 1906 United States federal law that gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to set maximum railroad rates. This led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. In addition, the ICC could view the railroads' financial records, a task simplified by...
, a major priority in the second term of President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. The Act gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) the power to set maximum railroad rates and led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. Scholars consider the Hepburn Act the most important piece of legislation regarding railroads in the first half of the 20th century, while economists debate whether it went too far, and if its passage contributed to the Panic of 1907
Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic, was a financial crisis that occurred in the United States when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from its peak the previous year. Panic occurred, as this was during a time of economic recession, and there were numerous runs on...
.
Surprise defeat, and success at House reform
When running for his twelfth term in 1908, Hepburn was upset in the general election by his Democratic opponent, William D. Jamieson. In a year of strong Republican victories in Iowa (led by Presidential candidate William Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
), Jamieson won majorities in eight of the district's eleven counties. Hepburn's loss was attributed to "purely local conditions and local strife," such as anger over bank failures and Hepburn's choices for local postmasters.
After his defeat but before his final term ended, he became the chairman of a 25-member group seeking once again to reform House rules that allowed Speaker Joe Cannon
Joseph Gurney Cannon
Joseph Gurney Cannon was a United States politician from Illinois and leader of the Republican Party. Cannon served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1903 to 1911, and historians generally consider him to be the most dominant Speaker in United States history, with such...
to amass even greater powers. This time, Hepburn's reform efforts succeeded; Speaker Cannon was forced to surrender the power to block bills he did not like from coming to the floor once they received committee support.
After Congress
Hepburn returned to the practice of law, first in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, then in Clarinda. He died on February 7, 1916.
Honors
The small town of Hepburn, IowaHepburn, Iowa
Hepburn is a city in Page County, Iowa, United States. The population was 39 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hepburn is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, a few miles north of Clarinda, was named in his honor.
His home in Clarinda, known as the William P. Hepburn House
William P. Hepburn House
Col. William Peters Hepburn House, also known as William P. Hepburn House, was a home of William P. Hepburn. Hepburn an officer during the American Civil War. Later, he was elected to U.S. Congress, and he introduced the Hepburn Act of 1906...
, is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.