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Francis Shoemaker

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Francis Shoemaker
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota
In office
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
Preceded byGeneral ticket adopted
Succeeded byGeneral ticket abolished
ConstituencyGeneral Ticket Seat Nine
Personal details
Born
Francis Henry Shoemaker

(1889-04-25)April 25, 1889
Flora Township, Minnesota
DiedJuly 24, 1958(1958-07-24) (aged 69)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Political partyFarmer–Labor Party
Other political
affiliations		Nonpartisan League
Progressive[1]
SpouseLydgia Schneider (1912-1934)
Parents
  • Francis M. Shoemaker (father)
  • Regina D. Shoemaker (mother)

Francis Henry Shoemaker (April 25, 1889 – July 24, 1958) was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota.

Early life

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Shoemaker was born on a farm in Flora Township, Renville County, Minnesota, and was self-educated with his mother’s assistance. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and worked for many farm and labor organizations. He was a charter member and organizer of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party.

In 1920, while Shoemaker was an organizer for the Nonpartisan League, he was criticized by Harry Milford, the pastor of his church. Shoemaker had claimed that he was drafted despite not being physically fit to enter the army and having a dependent wife, being the only married man in the area to be so. Shoemaker said that he would not appeal the decision, but would gain retribution after returning. Milford stated that other married men were drafted, Shoemaker was deemed physically fit, and had filed an appeal to the draft board.[2]

Career

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In 1924 he assisted in organizing the Federated Farmer-Labor Party at Chicago in 1924. Shoemaker was nominated for Vice President of the United States, but declined to run. He served as editor and publisher of the People’s Voice, Green Bay Farmer, and Progressive Farmer newspapers in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from 1921 to 1927, and of the Organized Farmer newspaper in Red Wing, Minnesota in 1928.[3] In 1931 he served nine months at Leavenworth penitentiary after being convicted for a federal charge of sending defamatory material through the mail and for violation of his probation.[4][5]

Shoemaker was elected as a Farmer-Laborite to the 73rd congress. A House vote was held to determine whether or not to seat him and he was permitted retain his seat with 230 votes in his favor against 75 votes.[6] During his tenure Shoemaker filed an impeachment resolution against United States District Judge Joseph W. Molyneaux which amounted to little.[7][8] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1934 to the 74th congress, but was an unsuccessful candidate for nomination for Minnesota's Senate seat, but lost in the primary to incumbent Henrik Shipstead.

While a sitting member of Congress, he was arrested outside of his House office by two detectives, serving a warrant for assaulting a taxi driver.[9]

Later life

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After twenty two years of marriage Shoemaker's wife, Lydgia Schneider, filed for divorce in 1934, due to him openly committing adultery and threatening her.[10] In 1940 Shoemaker was sent to jail for 90 days after assaulting a neighbor and being accused of throwing hot water into his former wife's face.[11] Later he filed to run in the Farmer-Labor primary for Minnesota's seventh congressional district, but came in last place with 11% of the vote.[12]

He then became an unsuccessful Independent candidate for reelection to the 74th congress. After an unsuccessful election campaign in 1942 to the 78th congress, he resumed agricultural pursuits near North Redwood, Minnesota. He died at University of Minnesota Hospitals in Minneapolis on July 24, 1958, and was buried in Zion Cemetery in Flora Township, Renville County, Minnesota.[13]

Electoral history

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Francis Shoemaker electoral history
1920 Wisconsin 8th Congressional District Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Edward E. Browne (incumbent) 16,129 51.05%
Republican Michael G. Eberlein 10,836 34.30%
Republican Francis Shoemaker 4,620 14.62%
Republican Write-ins 11 0.04%
Total votes '31,596' '100.00%'
1930 Minnesota 3rd Congressional District election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican August H. Andresen (incumbent) 35,704 48.05% −10.79%
Farmer–Labor Francis Shoemaker 21,118 28.42% +10.78%
Democratic Joseph J. Moriarity 17,485 23.53% +1.30%
Total votes '74,307' '100.00%'
1932 Minnesota at-large Congressional District Farmer-Labor primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Farmer–Labor Magnus Johnson 93,832 8.37%
Farmer–Labor Ernest Lundeen 77,412 6.90%
Farmer–Labor Paul John Kvale (incumbent) 72,366 6.45%
Farmer–Labor Henry M. Arens 69,777 6.22%
Farmer–Labor Arthur C. Townley 50,583 4.51%
Farmer–Labor C. F. Gaarenstroom 45,252 4.04%
Farmer–Labor J. L. Peterson 39,475 3.52%
Farmer–Labor Francis Shoemaker 37,658 3.36%
Farmer–Labor Henry Teigan 37,451 3.34%
Farmer–Labor Victor E. Lawson 34,437 3.07%
Farmer–Labor Erling Swenson 33,764 3.01%
Farmer–Labor Ralph O. Van Lear 32,935 2.94%
Farmer–Labor James Bede 32,613 2.91%
Farmer–Labor Lynn Thompson 30,672 2.74%
Farmer–Labor John Knutsen 29,436 2.63%
Farmer–Labor Howard Y. Williams 29,130 2.60%
Farmer–Labor Susie W. Stageberg 27,989 2.50%
Farmer–Labor Andrew Olaf Devold 27,949 2.49%
Farmer–Labor Julius J. Reiter 26,984 2.41%
Farmer–Labor Mathias Wagner 26,175 2.33%
Farmer–Labor Albert G. Bastis 24,397 2.18%
Farmer–Labor Rich T. Buckler 23,506 2.10%
Farmer–Labor A. H. Hendrickson 22,738 2.03%
Farmer–Labor John S. Crosby 22,320 1.99%
Farmer–Labor Laura E. Naplin 22,240 1.98%
Farmer–Labor Emil L. Regnier 22,115 1.97%
Farmer–Labor Russell C. Riley 19,002 1.69%
Farmer–Labor John G. Alexander 18,353 1.64%
Farmer–Labor J. V. Free 13,594 1.21%
Farmer–Labor C. J. Oiseth 11,461 1.02%
Farmer–Labor Albert C. Bosel 11,145 0.99%
Farmer–Labor Edward Trombley 10,651 0.95%
Farmer–Labor J. S. Konkel 10,237 0.91%
Farmer–Labor Curtis H. Windsor 9,837 0.88%
Total votes '1,121,505' '100.00%'
1934 Minnesota Senate Farmer-Labor primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Farmer–Labor Henrik Shipstead (incumbent) 198,151 73.57%
Farmer–Labor Francis Shoemaker 71,172 26.43%
Total votes '269,323' '100.00%'
1934 Minnesota 8th Congressional District election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican William Alvin Pittenger 39,513 35.7%
Independent Francis Shoemaker (incumbent) 25,386 23.0%
Farmer–Labor A. L. Winterquist 25,024 22.6%
Democratic Jerry A. Harri 18,707 16.9%
Independent Thomas Foley 1,969 1.8%
Total votes '110,599' '100.00%'
1936 Minnesota 8th Congressional District Farmer-Labor primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Farmer–Labor John Bernard 17,772 53.08%
Farmer–Labor Francis Shoemaker 15,713 46.93%
Total votes '33,485' '100.00%'
1940 Minnesota 7th Congressional District Farmer-Labor primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Farmer–Labor Harold L. Peterson 5,211 49.59%
Farmer–Labor Paul John Kvale 4,051 38.55%
Farmer–Labor Francis Shoemaker 1,246 11.86%
Total votes '10,508' '100.00%'
1942 Minnesota 7th Congressional District election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Herman Carl Andersen (incumbent) 46,570 54.79% +4.10%
Democratic Theodor S. Slen 21,192 24.93% +8.18%
Farmer–Labor Francis Shoemaker 17,241 20.28% −12.27%
Total votes '85,003' '100.00%'
1946 Minnesota 7th Congressional District Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Herman Carl Andersen (incumbent) 31,849 79.20%
Republican Francis Shoemaker 8,367 20.81%
Total votes '40,216' '100.00%'

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Shoemaker Candidate". Stevens Point Journal. 7 July 1928. p. 5. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Francis Shoemaker Scored By Pastor Of Seymour Church". The Post-Crescent. 8 January 1920. p. 5. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Publisher, Past New Londoner Dies". The Oshkosh Northwestern. 8 August 1958. p. 11. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "F. H. Shoemaker, Farmer-Labor Figure, Dies". Star Tribune. 25 July 1958. p. 18. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "F. Shoemaker Dies in Hospital". The Austin Daily Herald. 24 July 1958. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Shoemaker, Fiery FL Figure, 69, Dies". The Minneapolis Star. 24 July 1958. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Shoemaker Impeaches Molyneaux". Star Tribune. 21 April 1934. p. 5. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Shoemaker Impeaches Molyneaux". The Minneapolis Star. 20 April 1934. p. 1. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ ghostsofdc (2012-10-12). "Minnesota Congressman Arrested for Assaulting Taxi Driver". Ghosts of DC. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  10. ^ "Wife of Congressman Gets Divorce Decree". The Post-Crescent. 27 August 1934. p. 4. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Francis Shoemaker Serves Jail Term". St. Cloud Times. 27 June 1940. p. 11. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Filing Boom as Deadline Nears". The Minneapolis Star. 30 July 1940. p. 4. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Former State Congressman Dies". The Winona Daily News. July 24, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon

Sources

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[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by U.S. Representative from Minnesota
General Ticket Seat Nine
1933 – 1935 		Succeeded by
General ticket Abolished
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