Public papers of Roswell P. Flower, governor, 1892-1894
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Remarks Of Hon. Roswell P. Flower, In The House Of Representatives, Forty-seventh Congress
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Roswell Pettibone Flower was an American politician, who served as the 30th Governor of New York from 1892 to 1894.
Background
Roswell P. Flower was born on August 7, 1835, in Theresa, New York. His parents, Nathan Monroe Flower and Mary Ann Boyle, were well-to-do Americans of English and Scotch-Irish stock, whose ancestors had been in the country since before 1700. Nathan was a wool carder, cloth manufacturer, and farmer, and died while the son was yet a boy.
Education
Roswell Flower passed his youth on a large farm, graduated from high school in 1851.
Career
In early manhood, Flower entered business as a jeweller in Watertown, the seat of Jefferson County. During 1854 - 1860 he was assistant postmaster of the town.
Then Flower became administrator of the large estate of one of his wife’s relatives, Henry Keep, the president of the New York Central Railroad, who died in 1869. This brought about his removal to New York City, although he always maintained a close connection with Watertown and built a Presbyterian church for his birthplace.
In 1873 Flower was admitted to the New York stock exchange, and later in the year, he formed a brokerage partnership with F. C. Benedict. Under varying firm names this business continued for the rest of his life, and in his last years, he was regarded as a power on the Street, being connected most prominently with Brooklyn Rapid Transit and Federal Steel.
Having firm Democratic principles and access to considerable means, Flower was a person of importance in the counsels of the Democrats in New York City. The papers of the opposition made much of his wealth.
Flower received his first political preferment when in 1881 President Garfield sent Levi P. Morton abroad as minister to France, leaving thereby a vacancy in the eleventh New York congressional district.
The Republicans nominated William Waldorf Astor for the vacancy. Flower was put up by the Democrats and was elected. Before this term was out the Tribune suspected that there was a "bee in Mr. Flower’s bonnet" (May 6, 1882). The elaborate dinners which he was described as serving in Washington were interpreted as symptomatic of larger ambitions.
In the New York Democratic convention of 1883, he is stated to have financed John Kelly of Tammany Hall in a vain fight against Daniel Manning, who managed to remain in control of the party. The next year Tammany quite frankly urged him as a presidential candidate in the hope of heading off the Cleveland movement. He was suggested for the nomination as governor in September 1885, but the convention offered him only the post of lieutenant-governor, which he declined to accept.
In 1888 Flower was returned to Congress from what was by that time the twelfth New York district. He was reelected in 1890, during which campaign he was for a while chairman of the Democratic congressional committee. Tammany was again in control in 1891, after a long period of partial eclipse, and Flower was brought forward and nominated for governor.
In the ensuing campaign Flower was elected over Jacob Sloat Fassett, the choice of Platt and the Republicans, and held office from 1892 to 1895. Before his term ended, there was a Republican uprising in both state and city, and the Democratic leaders discarded Flower as a candidate. He accordingly withdrew his name before the Democratic convention met, and, for the most part, devoted the rest of his life to his private affairs.
In 1896, however, Flower was aroused by the nomination of Bryan and took a lead among the New York gold Democrats, whose delegation he headed to Indianapolis. He died unexpectedly on May 12, 1899, in Eastport, New York, at the Long Island Country Clubhouse.
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Politics
Roswell P. Flower was elected as a Democrat to the 47th United States Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Levi P. Morton upon his appointment as Minister to France, and served from November 8, 1881, to March 3, 1883. He was also elected to the 51st and 52nd United States Congresses, and served from March 4, 1889, to September 16, 1891, when he resigned upon his nomination for Governor.
Flower was Governor of New York from 1892 to 1894, elected in 1891, the last one to serve a three-year term. During his term he signed into law the creation of the City of Niagara Falls.
Personality
Roswell P. Flower was always a sportsman, and in his youth he was a crack shot.
Connections
In 1859, Roswell P. Flower married Sarah M. Woodruff, by whom he had several children.