Joseph Little Bristow

Republican Senator of Kansas

  • Senator

    Kansas

    March 15, 1909 - March 3, 1915

3

Congresses Served

1

Senate Terms

January 1, 1861 (83 years old)

Birthday

January 1, 1944

Death

  • Served a single term in the United States Senate, elected in 1908
  • Recognized for his support of Progressive era political causes
  • Became a farmer in retirement
  • Known for a Senate speech that led to a famous quip by Vice President Thomas R. Marshall about the country needing a good five-cent cigar
  • Born in Kentucky and moved to Kansas in 1876
  • Initially pursued a career as a Methodist minister before turning to politics
  • Graduated from Baker University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and later received an honorary LL.D.
  • Served as clerk of the district court of Douglas County, Kansas, and edited or published several Kansas newspapers
  • Played a significant role in the Republican Party, supporting Benjamin Harrison for president and serving as secretary of the Kansas Republican Committee
  • Appointed as Fourth Assistant United States Postmaster General by President William McKinley, where he was responsible for various divisions including Rural Free Delivery
  • Investigated post office corruption and recommended improvements for the Panama Railroad’s operation
  • Advocated for the direct election of Senators, contributing to the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment
  • Opposed the original version of the Mann–Elkins Act and the Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act, advocating for consumer interests
  • Recommended Dwight D. Eisenhower for an appointment to West Point
  • Did not join Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Party in 1912, aiming for long-term Republican success
  • Served as chairman of the Kansas Public Utilities Commission after his Senate term
  • Married Margaret H. Hendrix and had five children, taking responsibility for his deceased son’s seven children later in life
  • Died in Annandale, Virginia, and was buried in Salina, Kansas