Albert S. Burleson

Albert Sidney Burleson ( born June 7, 1863 in San Marcos, Texas, † November 24, 1937 ibid ) was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He was as Postmaster General in the Cabinet of President Woodrow Wilson.

Life

Burleson came from a wealthy Southern family. His grandfather Edward Burleson had been Vice President of the Republic of Texas; his father had fought in the American Civil War in the Confederate Army.

After schooling Burleson took a law degree. He graduated in 1881 at Baylor University in Waco and 1884 at the University of Texas at Austin. In the same year he was admitted to the Bar Association; from 1885 he practiced in Austin. He worked there from 1885 to 1890 as deputy prosecutor of the city; 1891 to 1898 he was district attorney.

Policy

His political career began in 1899, when he moved to Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. There he strengthened himself, particularly for agricultural interests. He was reelected seven times and was eliminated only from 1913, when he was appointed by Woodrow Wilson as Postmaster General in the Cabinet. He was the first native Texan, who headed a federal ministry.

Burlesons tenure is one of the most controversial in this ministry. He gained merit by calling the package and airmail to life; Moreover, the delivery of mail has been significantly improved in rural areas. In his personal political views Albert Burleson was, however, as reactionary. His contempt for African Americans in the postal service quickly became apparent by this degraded in large numbers or dismissed; at work they were separated from their white counterparts.

Criticism, he has lost also because of other measures. So it was part of the industry complaints about lack of efficiency and the amalgamation of private interests with his office. He retired to the ire of the unions, by pronouncing a ban on strikes for the postal workers. In addition, he continued to anger a liberal politician with full force the Espionage Act of 1917. For example, he ordered that the local postmaster had to forward any illegal appearing mailings to him. Scriptures, who spoke out against the war, were delivered with great delay, or not at all.

After the war, he tried to promote the nationalization of the telephone, telegraph and Seekabelverkehrs. However, since he was aware that the Congress would oppose this project, he left the communications infrastructure in the hands of different companies owner. 1919 Burleson became chairman of the U.S. Agency for telegraph and telephone traffic; In 1920 he headed the U.S. delegation at the international conference for cable communication. With the end of the term of office Woodrow Wilson, he also retired from the U.S. government.