Outline I.Governor Pat Neff II.The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s III.Governor Miriam Ferguson IV.Governor Dan Moody

Pat Neff (I) Governor from Worked for creation of State Parks System & Texas Tech Univ. Supported state highway building Proposed reforms in ed., prisons, etc., but got little from the Legislature

Pat Neff (II) A Strong “dry” Baptist; fought hard to enforce Prohibition Neff failed to criticize KKK efforts outside the law to enforce Prohibition

Ku Klux Klan (I) 2 nd Klan formed in 1915 Anti-black, anti-immigrant, & anti-“modern” (dress/sexual behavior/movies/science/etc.) Ultra-patriotic + strongly pro-Prohibition

Ku Klux Klan (II) A nat’l group, not just southern Main support from rural residents + urban residents from rural areas Dallas = Klan stronghold

Ku Klux Klan (III) Klansmen often went overboard in vigilantism Resorted to whippings or worse to “maintain order” (80 whipped in 1921 alone)

Ku Klux Klan (IV) Anti-Klan backlash in Texas began in 1922 Result of brutal beating of a white woman suspected of adultery Many Texas newspapers openly condemned the Klan for its methods

Hiram Wesley Evans Dallas dentist; became nat’l Klan leader in 1922 Organized boycotts vs. anti- Klan newspapers/advertisers Led the Klan’s move into state politics Earle Mayfield chosen to be Texas Klan candidate for the US Senate in 1922

James Ferguson Mayfield’s opponent; claimed his banning not applicable to US Senate Rallied anti-Klan & “wets”; Mayfield rallied the Klan & “drys” Mayfield won close Dem. primary & soon elected to the US Senate

Felix Robertson In 1924, the Klan supported Felix Robertson for governor, who supported: End to foreign immigration & foreign language newspapers in Texas Prohibition, white supremacy, & the USA

James Ferguson (II) Challenged Robertson; claimed his banning not legal b/c he resigned before convicted Texas Supreme Court ruled otherwise, leading to the candidacy of...

Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson 49 yr. old mother w/ no previous political experience Jim spoke for her on the campaign trail Pro-rural schools, anti- Klan, anti-Prohibition, & anti-UT

Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson Won close run-off Dem. primary & gen. election 1 st woman elected TX gov. & 1 st (tied) in US history Jim Ferguson ran her administration

Mounting Criticism of the Fergusons Generous pardon policies, esp. for Prohibition offenses Solicitation for ads in Ferguson- run journal (no ads bought = no business w/ the state gov’t) Accusations of improper awarding of highway contracts

Dan Moody (I) 33 yr. old state Attorney General Elected after prosecuting high-profile Klan cases Investigated wrongdoing w/ contracts by the Ferguson-appointed State Highway Commission

Dan Moody (II) Proved that Ferguson supporters given contracts even when outbid + poor work done Jim Ferguson accused the “Boy Wonder” of trying to embarrass his wife & take her job – he was! Moody ran an anti-Klan & anti-Ferguson campaign

Dan Moody (III) Thumped “Ma” by 2-to-1 in Dem. primary runoff Easily won gen. election to become youngest TX gov. Sought many reforms, but got little from the Legislature during 2 terms

Key Terms/Concepts Pat Neff Ku Klux Klan Hiram Wesley Evans Earle Mayfield James Ferguson Felix Robertson Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson State Highway Commission Dan Moody