William Sulzer

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William Sulzer (March 18, 1863 – November 6, 1941) was a Governor of New York.

Sulzer was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1863. He was a U.S. Representative from New York between 1895 and 1912. He became the Governor of New York on January 1, 1913. He was impeached and removed from office on October 13, 1913. He was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 4, 1913. He died in New York City in 1941.

[edit] Impeachment

Governor Sulzer had Tammany Hall support as the Democratic candidate for Governor in 1912, but he soon annoyed the leader of the powerful and corrupt New York City organization, Charles F. Murphy, by refusing to accept guidance on appointments, by seeking primary elections rather than nomination by convention, by ordering investigations of corruption in state agencies, and other actions. So Tammany politicians brought charges against him for diverting some campaign contributions to his own use and, with a legislative majority, they made the charges stick. He failed to bend to the will of the Tammany bosses, so they buried him. He attempted to say he only had to answer to the electorate.

According to the hagiographic 1914 book, The Boss or the Governor, by Samuel Bell Thomas, a crowd of 10,000 gathered outside the Executive Mansion on the night Governor Sulzer left Albany, leading to an exchange as follows:

Mr. Sulzer: "My friends, this is a stormy night. It is certainly very good of you to come here to bid Mrs. Sulzer and me good-bye."

A voice from the crowd: "You will come back, Bill, next year."

Mr. Sulzer: "You know why we are going away."

A voice: "Because you were too honest."

Mr. Sulzer: "I impeach the criminal conspirators, these looters and grafters, for stealing the taxpayers' money. That is what I never did."

From the crowd: Cheers.

Mr. Sulzer: "Yes my friends, I know that the court of public opinion before long will reverse the judgement of Murphy's 'court of infamy.'"

From the crowd: Cheers.

Mr. Sulzer: "Posterity will do me justice. Time sets all things right. I shall be patient."

From the crowd: Cheers.

He was able to recover somewhat politically. He got elected to the NYS Assembly a few weeks later, was an independent candidate for Governor in 1914, and even declined the American Party's nomination for President of the United States.

There have been several pieces of legislation introduced in the NYS Assembly and Senate to have his political record repaired, however these all came more then 40 years after his death, and none of this legislation has been successful or complete.

William Sulzer's official portrait is the only one of a Governor that does not hang in the "Hall of Governors," the main hallway leading to the Executive Chamber, located within the New York State Capitol in Albany, where a tribute is paid to the leaders of the Empire State.