Arthur Delaney (politician)

Arthur Delaney was born near Fort Ticonderoga, in Essex County, New York, in 1841.[1] He came to the Wisconsin Territory with his parents when he was just four years old. They first settled at Kenosha, Wisconsin, (then Southport), but quickly relocated west to Rock County, then back east to Port Washington, where Delaney received his early education.[1] His family moved to a farm in Dodge County, Wisconsin, in 1856, then into the city of Horicon, Wisconsin, where Delaney finished his education.[1]

In 1861, the family moved again, to Sparta, Wisconsin, where Delaney began to study law at the office of Montgomery & Tyler. He returned to Horicon and completed his legal studies in the office of Amos J. Rising, who later became a justice of the Colorado Supreme Court.[1] He was admitted to the bar in 1865 and served five years as clerk of Horicon, Wisconsin, during the 1860s.[1]

In 1868, he was elected on the Democratic Party ticket to the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Dodge County's 3rd Assembly district (the northeast part of the county).[2]

He moved to Mayville, Wisconsin, in 1870, and taught school there. He moved to Hustisford, Wisconsin, in 1873, and established a law practice there, and was elected superintendent of schools for the eastern half of the county, serving six years.[1] He returned to Mayville in 1877.

Delaney was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate from Dodge County's Senate district in 1880.[3] During the 1881 session of the legislature, Wisconsin's congressional apportionment grew from eight to nine seats. The Legislature in 1882 passed a new redistricting of the state.[4]

Under the new map, Delaney's Dodge County was drawn into the new, heavily-Democratic 2nd congressional district. Over the next several election cycles, Delaney would famously engage in a bitter feud with fellow Democrat Edward S. Bragg over which of them would be nominated to serve in Congress. In 1882, Bragg was the incumbent congressman in the 5th congressional district, but now resided in the 2nd district due to redistricting. With the full support of the delegate-rich Dodge County, Delaney believed he was well on his way to securing the nomination. But he was unable to find the handful of additional votes to secure a majority. At the district convention, voting deadlocked at 14-14 for over 1600 ballots. In the end, neither man won the nomination. On the 1601st ballot, two Bragg delegates from Waukesha voted for the relatively unknown Waukesha lawyer Daniel H. Sumner as the nominee, all of the Delaney delegates then followed suit, delivering the nomination to Sumner.[5]

Delaney and Bragg resumed their fight in the 1884 nominating contest.[6] After two weeks and another 150 ballots, Bragg prevailed.[7] It was later rumored that the two men had made a bargain which included a pledge from Bragg not to run again, and a pledge that Bragg would not interfere in the suggestion of nominees for political appointments in Dodge County in the event of a Democratic presidency.[8]

Bragg went on to win the general election, and Grover Cleveland was elected president the same year. Shortly thereafter, President Cleveland appointed Delaney United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.[9] This was seen as a ploy by Bragg to disqualify Delaney from pursuing the congressional office again.[10] Delaney's appointment was broadly denounced by Republicans and Democrats around the state. He was described as an inexperienced country lawyer with an offensive ego.[11][12]

The appointment did not dissuade Delaney from congressional aspirations, and he launched a campaign against Bragg in 1886 while still serving as U.S. attorney. Once again, the convention deadlocked for dozens of ballots. Finally, a delegate from Washington County switched his vote to Delaney, allowing him to secure a bare majority on the 216th ballot.[13] After securing the nomination, Delaney resigned his office as U.S. attorney.[14] At the culmination of his years-long campaign for Congress, Delaney was defeated in the general election by Republican Richard Guenther, who before that time was not even a resident of the 2nd congressional district. Guenther was assisted by a strong contingent of Democrats opposed to Delaney's election.[15] Guenther served only one term and was the only Republican to win the seat under the 1882 maps.

Juneau, Alaska District Convention, October 9, 1899; Delaney is at the far left in the front row.

Delaney's consolation after his defeat in 1886 was an appointment as collector of customs at the port of Sitka, in the District of Alaska.[16] In 1889, President Cleveland left office and Delaney's political appointment expired. He moved to Juneau, Alaska, and began a law practice there.[17]

Cleveland appointed Delaney United States District Judge for the District of Alaska on November 8, 1895. He was sworn in on December 10, 1895.[18][19] In his roles as attorney, Delaney was a participant in Marks v. Shoup, a 1901 United States Supreme Court case.[20] As judge, he presided over Malony v. Adsit, a case which would also make it to the U.S. Supreme Court, on August 10, 1897; Delaney ruled in favor of the plaintiff, O. H. Adsit, who would go on to be mayor of Juneau from 1902 to 1904. Delaney was removed from office by President William McKinley when he gave a recess appointment to Charles S. Johnson on July 28, 1897.[21][22]

In 1900, Delaney was the first elected mayor of Juneau, serving until 1901.

He left Alaska in 1904, and settled for some time at Everett, Washington, before removing to California due to painful rheumatism.[23] He died on January 21, 1905, in Paso Robles, California.[24]

Arthur Delaney was the son of Reverend James Delaney, who worked for many years as a baptist minister in various cities in Wisconsin.[25] James Delaney had emigrated from Ireland after serving in the British Army in India.

Arthur Delaney married Anna J. Walwork of Horicon on March 23, 1865.[1] They had two daughters. One daughter, Katherine Delaney Abrams, attained notoriety as an artist.[26] His younger daughter, Alma, married George C. Teal, a successful salmon cannery operator in Alaska.[27]

• Arthur Delaney at Find a Grave