Theodore Randolph

June 24, 1826 (age 56)

Mansfield, Pennsylvania, United States

At twenty he went to Vicksburg, Mississipi, but in 1850 returned to his native state to enter his father's extensive coal and iron business, which involved both mining and transportation. For the next fifteen years he resided in Jersey City, then moved to Morristown, where he had a large property which he set about developing. Meanwhile he had become increasingly wealthy. In 1867, when he was elected president of the Morris & Essex Railroad, he was already known as "Mr. Moneybags of Morristown. " Elected by a union of "Americans" and Democrats, he served as assemblyman from Hudson County in 1861; the following year he took a seat in the state Senate to fill a vacancy and in 1863 was returned for the full three-year term. By this time he had become a recognized leader of the conservative Democrats and in the legislature was chief spokesman for the reconciliation policy of Gov. Joel Parker. Like the Governor, Randolph was a Union Democrat, and, though a stanch defender of state rights, he accepted the necessity of war after the failure of the peace attempt and was influential in moderating the extreme tendencies of some of the "Copperheads" in the legislature. In 1868 Randolph was elected governor of New Jersey by a majority of nearly five thousand over his Republican opponent. As governor he secured the repeal of the so-called Camden & Amboy Railroad "monopoly tax, " which was a transit duty levied on that company for the persons and goods transported across the state, recommending in its place a uniform tax upon all rail and canal companies, a measure which was adopted much later. Other accomplishments for which he claimed credit were the adoption of laws against bribery at elections and of a policy designed to make the prison self-supporting, and the inception of a plan for establishing at Morristown one of the largest insane aslyums in the world. After the expiration of his term as governor, Randolph was elected to the United States Senate and served from 1875 to 1881. He had been a delegate to the National Democratic Conventions of 1864 and 1872, in the latter year being chairman of the executive committee. In national politics, however, he was undistinguished. Representing vested interests, he stood for conservative policies, always opposing his party's agitation for monetary inflation and supporting "hard money" and early redemption of paper issues. For two years he was chairman of the Senate committee on military affairs.

Theodore Randolph

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politician

Background

Theodore Fitz Randolph was born on June 24, 1826 at New Brunswick, New Jersey, the son of James Fitz Randolph, member of Congress from New Jersey (1827 - 33) and publisher of the New Brunswick Fredonian.

Education

He attended the Rutgers Grammar School and at sixteen began to work.

Career

At twenty he went to Vicksburg, Mississipi, but in 1850 returned to his native state to enter his father's extensive coal and iron business, which involved both mining and transportation. For the next fifteen years he resided in Jersey City, then moved to Morristown, where he had a large property which he set about developing. Meanwhile he had become increasingly wealthy.

In 1867, when he was elected president of the Morris & Essex Railroad, he was already known as "Mr. Moneybags of Morristown. " Elected by a union of "Americans" and Democrats, he served as assemblyman from Hudson County in 1861; the following year he took a seat in the state Senate to fill a vacancy and in 1863 was returned for the full three-year term.

By this time he had become a recognized leader of the conservative Democrats and in the legislature was chief spokesman for the reconciliation policy of Gov. Joel Parker. Like the Governor, Randolph was a Union Democrat, and, though a stanch defender of state rights, he accepted the necessity of war after the failure of the peace attempt and was influential in moderating the extreme tendencies of some of the "Copperheads" in the legislature.

In 1868 Randolph was elected governor of New Jersey by a majority of nearly five thousand over his Republican opponent. As governor he secured the repeal of the so-called Camden & Amboy Railroad "monopoly tax, " which was a transit duty levied on that company for the persons and goods transported across the state, recommending in its place a uniform tax upon all rail and canal companies, a measure which was adopted much later.

Other accomplishments for which he claimed credit were the adoption of laws against bribery at elections and of a policy designed to make the prison self-supporting, and the inception of a plan for establishing at Morristown one of the largest insane aslyums in the world. After the expiration of his term as governor, Randolph was elected to the United States Senate and served from 1875 to 1881. He had been a delegate to the National Democratic Conventions of 1864 and 1872, in the latter year being chairman of the executive committee. In national politics, however, he was undistinguished. Representing vested interests, he stood for conservative policies, always opposing his party's agitation for monetary inflation and supporting "hard money" and early redemption of paper issues. For two years he was chairman of the Senate committee on military affairs.

Achievements

He served as the 22nd Governor of New Jersey from 1869 to 1872, and represented the state in the United States Senate for a single term, from 1875 to 1881.

Personality

He was not brilliant, nor a persuasive speaker, but he was an agreeable man, whose sound business reputation, evident sincerity, and carefully prepared knowledge of the subject in hand won him support. He appears to have had considerable mechanical ability, and invented a ditching machine and a steam typewriter.

Connections

He married, in 1852, Fannie Coleman, daughter of Congressman Nicholas Coleman of Kentucky.

Father:: James Fitz Randolph
Spouse:: Fannie Coleman

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