Bronson Murray Cutting was a a United States Senator from New Mexico.
Background
He was born at Oakdale, Long Island, N. Y. on June 23, 1888 to William Bayard Cutting, a New York City lawyer and reformer, and Olivia Peyton (Murray) Cutting. He was the second son and third child in a family of four. His great-great-grandfather was the Rev. Leonard Cutting, who emigrated from England to America about 1750. He was a descendant, also, of Robert Livingston and Nicholas Bayard [qq. v. ] , and a nephew of Robert Fulton Cutting
Education
After graduating at Groton School, Groton, Massachussets, in 1906, Bronson entered Harvard, a member of the class of 1910, and was later elected to the Phi Beta Kappa society. Leaving before graduation because of tuberculosis, he spent the winter of 1909-10 in Southern California, and in July of the latter year went to Santa Fe. , N. Mex. , henceforth his home. Identifying himself with the commercial, cultural, and political interests of the new state, he soon ranked as one of its leading residents.
Career
In 1912 he acquired a controlling interest in the New Mexico Printing Company, of which he became president and the publisher of its periodicals, Santa Fe New Mexican (daily), New Mexican Review (weekly), and El Nuevo Mexicano (Spanish weekly). As a member of the city planning board he was active in a movement to retain the Spanish architectural style of buildings.
In 1913 he became chairman of the publicity committee of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce; and two years later, a governor of the Southwestern Anthropological Association and a director of the New Mexico Taxpayers' League. In September 1911 he attended as a delegate the first Republican state convention, held at Las Vegas, and about the same time he helped to found the New Mexico Progressive Republican League.
In 1912 he joined the Progressive party and served as treasurer, 1912-14, and as chairman, 1914-16, of its New Mexico central committee. He was chairman of his state's delegation to the Progressive National Convention at Chicago in 1916.
On August 5, 1917, he was commissioned captain of infantry in the National Army, and, after a brief period in the military intelligence section, Washington, D. C. , he went to London as assistant military attache at the American Embassy, where he remained until 1919. The British awarded him the military cross. Returning to Santa Fe, he became, in 1919, acting state commander and a member of the national executive committee of the American Legion. He was appointed chairman of the board of commissioners of the New Mexico State Penitentiary in 1925. Cutting's early attempts to enter politics were not favored by the old-line Republicans, who smiled at his scholarly reserve, cultured manners, and progressive views. In time, by means of his newspapers and political shrewdness, he acquired a large following, particularly among the voters of Mexican descent and members of the American Legion. In 1927 his claims for preferment were recognized by the Republican governor, who appointed him to a vacancy in the United States Senate. The following year he was clected over his Democratic opponent by a plurality of 18, 153 votes, for the term beginning March 4, 1929.
In 1932 he introduced a bill providing for the raising of five billion dollars to be used for this purpose. Holding loosely party ties, he supported Franklin D. Roosevelt in the presidential campaign of 1932 and in 1934 introduced a New Deal bill to create a federal monetary authority in the Treasury Department to take over all federal banks. Of Roosevelt's measures, 1933-34, he voted for the bill creating the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, government operation of Muscle Shoals, the gold act, the St. Lawrence waterway, and the stock exchange control bill.
Always in favor of the soldiers' bonus, he voted to override the President's veto of a measure increasing veterans' compensation, 1934. In his campaign for reelection to the Senate in 1934, he hoped to receive the support of the administration but was disappointed, and after his election it was active in promoting a contest by his Democratic opponent. One of his last official acts was the introduction in March 1935 of an amendment making an emergency appropriation for the maintenance of poverty-stricken public schools throughout the nation.
A few weeks later, returning from Santa Fe to Washington, he was killed at Atlanta, Mo. , in an airplane accident caused by fog. His Democratic opponent, Dennis Chavez, who was contesting his seat, was soon after appointed his successor. His funeral was held in New York City, and the final interment was at Santa Fe. In 1928 Harvard conferred on him an honorary degree of A. M.
In 1936 his mother, to whom he was devoted, established the Bronson M. Cutting Memorial Lectures, to be delivered at the national capital.
Politics
An ardent liberal, he identified himself with the progressive senators and became known as a strong contender for popular rights. The chief standing committees to which he was assigned were military affairs, of which he was at one time ranking minority member, public lands and surveys, and territories and insular affairs. He was a vigorous critic of President Hoover's administration, especially in respect to what he regarded as a failure to combat the depression with an adequate public-works program.
Personality
His habits were abstemious; his diversions, walking and reading. He was a convincing speaker, though not an orator. In the millionaire class, he left a considerable share of his fortune to his friends and associates.