Horace Francis Page (October 20, 1833 – August 23, 1890) was a 19th Century American lawyer and politician who represented California in the United States House of Representatives for five terms between 1873 and 1883.
He is perhaps best known for the Page Act of 1875 which began the racial prohibitions against Asian, primarily Chinese, immigration.
Biography
Page was born near Medina, Orleans County, New York. He attended public schools and Millville Academy and then taught school in La Porte County, Indiana until 1854. Then, he moved to California and engaged in the sawmill business near Colfax. He moved to Placerville and engaged in the livery-stable business. He became engaged in mining, as a mail contractor, and as a stage proprietor.
Horace Page studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in California.
Early career
He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for state senate in 1869.
He served as a major in the California Militia.
Congress
Page was elected as a Republican to the 43rd United States Congress and the four succeeding Congresses. He served from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1883. During the 47th United States Congress, he was the chairman of the Committee on Commerce. In 1882.
Page introduced the Chinese Exclusion Act to the House.[1] When arguing for a ban on the immigration of Chinese laborers, he sought to win support from those who believed in white racial superiority, telling his fellow members that "there is not a member upon this floor... who believes that the coming of the African race... was a blessing to us or to the African himself."[2]
He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the 48th United States Congress.
Later career and death
In 1884, Horace Page was a delegate to the Republican National Convention. He resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C. He died in San Francisco, California and was interred in Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, California.
Election results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Horace F. Page | 13,803 | 51.9 | |
Democratic | Pasz Coggins | 12,816 | 48.1 | |
Total votes | 26,619 | 100.0 | ||
Turnout | ||||
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Horace F. Page (incumbent) | 13,624 | 43.4 | |
Democratic | Hy Larkin | 12,154 | 38.8 | |
Independent | Charles R. Tuttle | 5,589 | 17.8 | |
Total votes | 31,367 | 100.0 | ||
Turnout | ||||
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Horace F. Page (incumbent) | 20,815 | 56.7 | |
Democratic | G. J. Carpenter | 15,916 | 43.3 | |
Total votes | 36,731 | 100.0 | ||
Turnout | ||||
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Horace F. Page (incumbent) | 19,386 | 51.9 | |
Democratic | Thomas J. Clunie | 12,847 | 34.4 | |
Workingman's | H. B. Williams[7] | 5,139 | 13.8 | |
Total votes | 37,372 | 100.0 | ||
Turnout | ||||
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Horace F. Page (incumbent) | 22,038 | 53.6 | |
Democratic | John R. Glasscock | 18,859 | 45.9 | |
Greenback | Benjamin Todd [9] | 296 | 0.4 | |
Prohibition | B. K. Lowe | 41 | 0.1 | |
Total votes | 41,118 | 100.0 | ||
Turnout | ||||
Republican hold |
1882
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | James Budd | 20,229 | 50.5 | |||
Republican | Horace F. Page (incumbent) | 19,246 | 48.1 | |||
Prohibition | J. L. Coles | 478 | 1.2 | |||
Greenback | F. J. Woodward [11] | 78 | 0.2 | |||
Total votes | 40,031 | 100.0 | ||||
Turnout | ||||||
Democratic gain from Republican |
References
- ^ "Key Actors · The Chinese Exclusion Act · The Making of the Modern U.S." projects.leadr.msu.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
- ^ 13 Cong Rec 1932 (1882)
- ^ 1872 election results
- ^ 1875 election results
- ^ 1876 election results
- ^ 1879 election results
- ^ Join California
- ^ 1880 election results
- ^ Join California
- ^ 1882 election results
- ^ Join California
- United States Congress. "Horace F. Page (id: P000017)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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