Background
He was born on May 25, 1855 in Perquimans County, North Carolina, United States, and came of a family prominent in state affairs through several generations. His parents were Elmyra (Ward) and James C. Skinner, a prosperous planter.
He was born on May 25, 1855 in Perquimans County, North Carolina, United States, and came of a family prominent in state affairs through several generations. His parents were Elmyra (Ward) and James C. Skinner, a prosperous planter.
He received his preparatory education at the Hertford academy, and in 1875 he received the LL. B. degree from Kentucky University.
He returned to North Carolina and, having been admitted to the bar in 1876, began practice in Greenville. Devoting himself to his profession for some years, he was very successful.
He was also interested in politics as a rather uncompromising Democrat, and in 1891 he was a member of the lower house of the legislature. Already well and favorably known, he was prominent in spite of inexperience, was chairman of the committee on internal improvements and of the house branch of the committee on redistricting the state. His mind had for some years been much occupied with the problem of improving the condition of the farmer and laborer, and he had become convinced that the evils which oppressed them were due chiefly to a faulty financial system.
He joined the Farmers' Alliance and was prominent in its political councils. In Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, for November 30, 1889, he published "The Hope of the South, " an exposition of a plan for the federal government to fix the price of cotton at thirteen cents a pound by providing warehouses and issuing negotiable warehouse certificates to the cotton growers.
His name was proposed to the Democratic state convention for lieutenant-governor, but he refused to let it be considered because he thought his financial views made his selection unwise and nothing must be done to endanger party success, since he was strongly opposed to the plan of separate party organization. When the Populists elected him a delegate to the Omaha Convention in 1892, he repudiated their action. He also declined the Populist nomination by acclamation for governor and for Congress.
However, in 1894 he was elected by the Populist party to the Fifty-fourth Congress and reelected two years later. In that year he was permanent president of the Populist state convention and, as a "middle-of-the-road" Populist, opposed further fusion with the Republicans. He split with the leaders of his party who wanted to break the agreement made in 1895 to reelect Jeter C. Pritchard to the federal Senate, and he helped obtain the election.
He was defeated in 1898 and returned to the practice of law. In 1902 he became federal district attorney and served ably for eight years. He was president of the North Carolina Bar Association in 1915 and for several years vice-president for North Carolina of the American Bar Association.
He died in Greenville.
As a a member of the State house of representatives, Harry Skinner advocated the appointment of a committee to codify the corporation laws, and worked enthusiastically for the establishment of a state college for women and for other educational improvements. Later he introduced a bill in Congress providing for the establishment of the system and a somewhat similar plan to care for the cotton crop of the S. He also was active in his support of a system of inland waterways.
In 1900 he was still a Populist and a supporter of Bryan, and he favored the ratification of the constitutional amendment disfranchising the bulk of the negroes; but shortly thereafter he became a Republican.
He was an eloquent speaker, able debater, and an impressive figure, he gave a good account of himself.
On June 5, 1878, he was married to Lottie Monteiro of Richmond, Virginia, who died ten years later leaving four children. He had three children. His second wife was Ella (Monteiro) Skinner, they married on October 26, 1895.
