Austin Lane Crothers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Austin L. Crothers
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| 46th Governor of Maryland | |
| In office January 8, 1908 – January 10, 1912 |
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| Preceded by | Edwin Warfield |
| Succeeded by | Phillips L. Goldsborough |
| Member of the Maryland Senate | |
| In office 1900–1902 |
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| Preceded by | Charles C. Crothers |
| Succeeded by | Henry M. McCullough |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates | |
| In office 1897–1900 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | May 17, 1860 Conowingo, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | May 25, 1912 (aged 52) Elkton, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | West Nottingham Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relations | Charles C. Crothers (brother) Omar D. Crothers (nephew) Omar D. Crothers Jr. (grand nephew) |
Austin Lane Crothers (born May 17, 1860 – died May 25, 1912) was an American politician. He was a member of the United States Democratic Party. Crothers served as the 46th Governor of Maryland from 1908 to 1912.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Austin Crothers was born on May 17, 1860. His family lived near Conowingo in Cecil County, Maryland. He was the eighth son of Margaret and Alpheus Crothers. Austin grew up helping on his father's farm.
He went to school at West Nottingham Academy. After school, he worked as a store clerk. Later, he became a public school teacher. These jobs helped him decide to become a lawyer.
In 1890, Crothers graduated from the University of Maryland Law School. He then worked as a lawyer in Elkton. From 1891 to 1895, he was the State's Attorney for Cecil County. This job meant he was the chief prosecutor for the county.
Starting in Politics
In 1897, Austin Crothers was elected to the Maryland State Senate. He was a Democrat. He took the place of his brother, Charles C. Crothers. The Senate is a part of the state's government that makes laws.
By 1900, he became the leader of his party in the Senate. He also led the Senate Finance Committee. He tried to be re-elected in 1901 but lost to Henry M. McCullough. Crothers remained a party leader in Cecil County. However, he lost another election attempt in 1905.
In 1906, Governor Edwin Warfield chose Crothers to be a judge. He became an associate judge for the Second Judicial Circuit. This circuit included Cecil County. But Crothers decided not to stay a judge. Instead, he chose to run for governor in 1907. Even though many people did not know him well, Crothers won the election.
Governor of Maryland
Austin Crothers' time as governor was known for making many changes. These changes aimed to improve how the state worked.
Key Reforms and Improvements
- Better Roads: In 1908, he created the State Roads Commission. This group worked to make Maryland's roads much better.
- Fairer Elections: He supported a law called the Corrupt Practices Act. This law made sure that money used in election campaigns was handled fairly and openly.
- Voting for Senators: Crothers also wanted people to vote directly for U.S. Senators. Before this, state lawmakers chose senators. This change happened after his term ended.
- New State Groups: He helped create the Public Service Commission. This group helps make sure services like electricity and water work well for people. He also created the State Bank Commissioner to oversee banks.
- Public Health: Crothers supported laws to make sure food was safe and pure.
- Care for Others: He pushed for better care for people with mental illnesses.
- New Taxes: He also supported increasing taxes on certain inheritances and car licenses.
Challenges and Later Years
Governor Crothers tried to change the Baltimore Board of Police Commissioners. He believed some members were not doing their jobs correctly. He started an investigation and removed three members. He tried to replace them with new people. However, the Maryland Court of Appeals said he did not have the power to do this. They said he could not remove or replace them before their trial. Crothers still tried to bring charges against them, but nothing came of it.
Crothers also supported a change to the Maryland Constitution in 1910. This change, called the Digges Amendment, would have made it harder for African Americans to vote. It would have used property rules to limit who could vote. There was a strong public reaction against this idea. Crothers almost supported a bill that would have put these rules into law right away. But he held back due to the public outcry. The people of Maryland voted against the Amendment, so it did not pass.
Near the end of his time as governor, Crothers faced some disagreements with other politicians. This included members of his own party. Austin Crothers was sick when he left office in 1912. He passed away on May 25, 1912, at his nephew's home in Elkton. He was buried at West Nottingham Cemetery.
