Francis Henry Shoemaker (April 25, 1889 – July 24, 1958) was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota.
Francis Shoemaker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 | |
| Preceded by | General ticket adopted |
| Succeeded by | General ticket abolished |
| Constituency | General Ticket Seat Nine |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francis Henry Shoemaker April 25, 1889 Flora Township, Minnesota |
| Died | July 24, 1958 (aged 69) Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Political party | Farmer–Labor Party |
| Other political affiliations | Nonpartisan League Progressive[1] |
| Spouse | Lydgia Schneider (1912-1934) |
| Parents |
|
Early life
editShoemaker was born on a farm in Flora Township, Renville County, Minnesota, and was self-educated with his mother’s assistance. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and worked for many farm and labor organizations. He was a charter member and organizer of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party.
In 1920, while Shoemaker was an organizer for the Nonpartisan League, he was criticized by Harry Milford, the pastor of his church. Shoemaker had claimed that he was drafted despite not being physically fit to enter the army and having a dependent wife, being the only married man in the area to be so. Shoemaker said that he would not appeal the decision, but would gain retribution after returning. Milford stated that other married men were drafted, Shoemaker was deemed physically fit, and had filed an appeal to the draft board.[2]
Career
editIn 1924 he assisted in organizing the Federated Farmer-Labor Party at Chicago in 1924. Shoemaker was nominated for Vice President of the United States, but declined to run. He served as editor and publisher of the People’s Voice, Green Bay Farmer, and Progressive Farmer newspapers in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from 1921 to 1927, and of the Organized Farmer newspaper in Red Wing, Minnesota in 1928.[3] In 1931 he served nine months at Leavenworth penitentiary after being convicted for a federal charge of sending defamatory material through the mail and for violation of his probation.[4][5]
Shoemaker was elected as a Farmer-Laborite to the 73rd congress. A House vote was held to determine whether or not to seat him and he was permitted retain his seat with 230 votes in his favor against 75 votes.[6] During his tenure Shoemaker filed an impeachment resolution against United States District Judge Joseph W. Molyneaux which amounted to little.[7][8] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1934 to the 74th congress, but was an unsuccessful candidate for nomination for Minnesota's Senate seat, but lost in the primary to incumbent Henrik Shipstead.
While a sitting member of Congress, he was arrested outside of his House office by two detectives, serving a warrant for assaulting a taxi driver.[9]
Later life
editAfter twenty two years of marriage Shoemaker's wife, Lydgia Schneider, filed for divorce in 1934, due to him openly committing adultery and threatening her.[10] In 1940 Shoemaker was sent to jail for 90 days after assaulting a neighbor and being accused of throwing hot water into his former wife's face.[11] Later he filed to run in the Farmer-Labor primary for Minnesota's seventh congressional district, but came in last place with 11% of the vote.[12]
He then became an unsuccessful Independent candidate for reelection to the 74th congress. After an unsuccessful election campaign in 1942 to the 78th congress, he resumed agricultural pursuits near North Redwood, Minnesota. He died at University of Minnesota Hospitals in Minneapolis on July 24, 1958, and was buried in Zion Cemetery in Flora Township, Renville County, Minnesota.[13]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Edward E. Browne (incumbent) | 16,129 | 51.05% | ||
| Republican | Michael G. Eberlein | 10,836 | 34.30% | ||
| Republican | Francis Shoemaker | 4,620 | 14.62% | ||
| Republican | Write-ins | 11 | 0.04% | ||
| Total votes | '31,596' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | August H. Andresen (incumbent) | 35,704 | 48.05% | −10.79% | |
| Farmer–Labor | Francis Shoemaker | 21,118 | 28.42% | +10.78% | |
| Democratic | Joseph J. Moriarity | 17,485 | 23.53% | +1.30% | |
| Total votes | '74,307' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmer–Labor | Magnus Johnson | 93,832 | 8.37% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Ernest Lundeen | 77,412 | 6.90% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Paul John Kvale (incumbent) | 72,366 | 6.45% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Henry M. Arens | 69,777 | 6.22% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Arthur C. Townley | 50,583 | 4.51% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | C. F. Gaarenstroom | 45,252 | 4.04% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | J. L. Peterson | 39,475 | 3.52% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Francis Shoemaker | 37,658 | 3.36% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Henry Teigan | 37,451 | 3.34% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Victor E. Lawson | 34,437 | 3.07% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Erling Swenson | 33,764 | 3.01% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Ralph O. Van Lear | 32,935 | 2.94% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | James Bede | 32,613 | 2.91% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Lynn Thompson | 30,672 | 2.74% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | John Knutsen | 29,436 | 2.63% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Howard Y. Williams | 29,130 | 2.60% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Susie W. Stageberg | 27,989 | 2.50% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Andrew Olaf Devold | 27,949 | 2.49% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Julius J. Reiter | 26,984 | 2.41% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Mathias Wagner | 26,175 | 2.33% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Albert G. Bastis | 24,397 | 2.18% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Rich T. Buckler | 23,506 | 2.10% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | A. H. Hendrickson | 22,738 | 2.03% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | John S. Crosby | 22,320 | 1.99% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Laura E. Naplin | 22,240 | 1.98% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Emil L. Regnier | 22,115 | 1.97% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Russell C. Riley | 19,002 | 1.69% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | John G. Alexander | 18,353 | 1.64% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | J. V. Free | 13,594 | 1.21% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | C. J. Oiseth | 11,461 | 1.02% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Albert C. Bosel | 11,145 | 0.99% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Edward Trombley | 10,651 | 0.95% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | J. S. Konkel | 10,237 | 0.91% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Curtis H. Windsor | 9,837 | 0.88% | ||
| Total votes | '1,121,505' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmer–Labor | Henrik Shipstead (incumbent) | 198,151 | 73.57% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Francis Shoemaker | 71,172 | 26.43% | ||
| Total votes | '269,323' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William Alvin Pittenger | 39,513 | 35.7% | ||
| Independent | Francis Shoemaker (incumbent) | 25,386 | 23.0% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | A. L. Winterquist | 25,024 | 22.6% | ||
| Democratic | Jerry A. Harri | 18,707 | 16.9% | ||
| Independent | Thomas Foley | 1,969 | 1.8% | ||
| Total votes | '110,599' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmer–Labor | John Bernard | 17,772 | 53.08% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Francis Shoemaker | 15,713 | 46.93% | ||
| Total votes | '33,485' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmer–Labor | Harold L. Peterson | 5,211 | 49.59% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Paul John Kvale | 4,051 | 38.55% | ||
| Farmer–Labor | Francis Shoemaker | 1,246 | 11.86% | ||
| Total votes | '10,508' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Herman Carl Andersen (incumbent) | 46,570 | 54.79% | +4.10% | |
| Democratic | Theodor S. Slen | 21,192 | 24.93% | +8.18% | |
| Farmer–Labor | Francis Shoemaker | 17,241 | 20.28% | −12.27% | |
| Total votes | '85,003' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Herman Carl Andersen (incumbent) | 31,849 | 79.20% | ||
| Republican | Francis Shoemaker | 8,367 | 20.81% | ||
| Total votes | '40,216' | '100.00%' | |||
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ "Shoemaker Candidate". Stevens Point Journal. 7 July 1928. p. 5. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Francis Shoemaker Scored By Pastor Of Seymour Church". The Post-Crescent. 8 January 1920. p. 5. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Publisher, Past New Londoner Dies". The Oshkosh Northwestern. 8 August 1958. p. 11. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "F. H. Shoemaker, Farmer-Labor Figure, Dies". Star Tribune. 25 July 1958. p. 18. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "F. Shoemaker Dies in Hospital". The Austin Daily Herald. 24 July 1958. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Shoemaker, Fiery FL Figure, 69, Dies". The Minneapolis Star. 24 July 1958. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Shoemaker Impeaches Molyneaux". Star Tribune. 21 April 1934. p. 5. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Shoemaker Impeaches Molyneaux". The Minneapolis Star. 20 April 1934. p. 1. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ ghostsofdc (2012-10-12). "Minnesota Congressman Arrested for Assaulting Taxi Driver". Ghosts of DC. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ^ "Wife of Congressman Gets Divorce Decree". The Post-Crescent. 27 August 1934. p. 4. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Francis Shoemaker Serves Jail Term". St. Cloud Times. 27 June 1940. p. 11. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Filing Boom as Deadline Nears". The Minneapolis Star. 30 July 1940. p. 4. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Former State Congressman Dies". The Winona Daily News. July 24, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
Sources
edit- United States Congress. "Francis Shoemaker (id: S000374)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.