Henry M. Mathews

Henry Mason Mathews ( born March 29, 1834 in Frankford, Greenbrier County, Virginia; † April 28, 1884 in Lewisburg, West Virginia ) was an American politician and from 1877 to 1881 the fifth Governor of the State of West Virginia.

Early years and political rise

Born in what is now West Virginia Henry Mathews attended until 1856, the University of Virginia. After a subsequent study of law and qualifying as a lawyer in 1857, he opened a law office in Lewisburg. He also worked as a teacher of language and literature at Allegheny College in Blue Sulphur Springs. During the Civil War, he fought in the army of the Confederacy, in which he brought it up to Major.

After the war he was working as a lawyer again. Meanwhile, his home region of Virginia had separated and established under the name of West Virginia as a new state. Mathews was elected in 1865 to the Senate of West Virginia, but this mandate was unable to start because it was forbidden at that time former supporters of the Confederacy, to hold public office. He had also denied the required oath of allegiance. After about 1870, the laws regarding the former supporters of the Southern States had been liberalized, Mathews could also participate in the political life of his country. He was a delegate in 1872 at a conference on the revision of the Constitution of West Virginia. Between 1873 and 1877 he was Minister of Justice ( Attorney General ) his state. In 1876 he was elected as a Democratic Party candidate for governor of West Virginia.

Governor of West Virginia

Henry Mathews ' four-year term began on March 4, 1877. During his tenure, he had to deal with economic and social problems to deal with. Since West Virginia was a poor country, it has been hit particularly hard by the economic crisis of the time. It came to public dissatisfaction with the social conditions and rising unemployment. As a consequence of this situation, there was unrest and riots. In July 1877, the Governor, the National Guard in Martinsburg one against striking railway workers. This protesting against pay cuts. After many members of the National Guard had refused out of sympathy for the workers who do their bidding, the Governor U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes asked for help. This sent federal troops to forcibly end the strike. In 1880, then went on strike, the mine workers of the coal mines in Fayette County. The governor responded again with military force by the National Guard ordered there to end the strike.

Regardless of these events encouraged the governor immigration to West Virginia; He campaigned for better infrastructure, in particular transport routes should be strengthened. He made himself strong for the interests of the coal and oil industries. In addition, a nationwide geological survey to explore the mineral resources was commissioned. After the expiration of his term of office on March 4, 1881, Mathews President of White Sulphur Springs Company. He died in April 1884 at the age of 50 years. Mathews was married to Lucy Clayton, with whom he had three children.