Dromo's Den

 

[Up] [Dromo's Den]

James Baird Weaver Biography

James Baird Weaver Image

WEAVER, James Baird (1833-1912). An American political leader, born at Dayton, Ohio. He graduated at the Cincinnati Law School in 1854, practiced law in Iowa, and served in the Civil War, being brevetted brigadier general of volunteers in 1865. In 1866-70 be was district attorney for the Second Judicial District of Iowa, and in 1867-73 also an assessor of the United States internal revenue, For a time he edited the Iowa Tribune at Des Moines. He was active in the organization of the National Greenback party, was elected to represent that party in Congress in 1878, and in 1880 was its candidate for the presidency, receiving a popular vote of 308,578. In 1884 and 1886 he was again elected to Congress by a fusion of Democrat and Greenback votes, but was defeated in 1888. In 1892 he was the candidate of the People's party for the presidency receiving 22 electoral votes, and a popular vote of 1,041,028. He was mayor of Colfax, Iowa, in 1904-06. He published A Call to Action (1892), and Past and Present of Jasper County, Iowa (1912).

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XXIII (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 420-421.