Background
Bradley was born in Derry, Ireland where he attended a parochial school, later emigrating to the United States in 1849.
politician member of the New York State Senate
Bradley was born in Derry, Ireland where he attended a parochial school, later emigrating to the United States in 1849.
He settled in Brooklyn, and became a tobacconist, and later a dealer in stoves and tinware. During the American Civil War, he was a captain in the 14th Regiment of the New York National Guard. After the war he also engaged in the real estate and insurance business.
Bradley was elected to the New York State Assembly on a combined Democratic and Independent ticket in 1874.
Bradley was a ‘Soft Shell,’ against slavery and in the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party. At the time, The Brooklyn Eagle commented that “The contrast between the two men could hardly have been more manifest.”
Bradley was twice re-elected, and became known as a fighter against graft and corruption.
He earned the nickname “Honest Dan” for his personal incorruptibility. In 1893, he was elected to the New York State Senate as a “Reform” Democrat, in another contentious election.
Bradley used “Who is Van Slooten?” as his campaign slogan.
He was sworn into the Senate in 1894 as that body’s youngest man, although he was then about sixty. One of Bradley’s first bills in the Senate was a proposal to establish fixed salaries for Senators. Prior to this, State Senators had been forced to take graft from contractors and other special interest groups.
Bradley’s bill was designed to stop this.
In 1894, Daniel Bradley was active in the investigations of the Lexow Committee, which heard some 57,666 pages of testimony and served over 3,000 subpoenas.
Member of the New York State Assembly (Kings Company, 1st District) in 1875, 1876 and 1877, elected for the sessions of 1875 and 1877 as an Independent Democrat, and for 1876 as a Democrat.
Member of the New York State Senate (5th District) in 1894 and 1895.
