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William Henderson Cate
Congressman William H. Cate
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 1st district
In office March 4, 1889 – March 5, 1890
Preceded by	Poindexter Dunn
Succeeded by	Lewis P. Featherstone
In office March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893
Preceded by	Lewis P. Featherstone
Succeeded by	Philip McCulloch
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 1st district
In office January 2, 1871 – May 11, 1874
Personal details
Born	November 11, 1839 (1839-11-11) Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Died	August 23, 1899 (1899-08-24) (aged 59) Toledo, Ohio
Resting place	City Cemetery in Jonesboro, Arkansas
Citizenship	United States
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Virginia E. Warner Cate
Alma mater	University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Profession	Teacher lawyer politician judge
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	Civil War

William Henderson Cate (November 11, 1839 – August 23, 1899) was an American politician, lawyer and judge. In 1889 and 1890, he served part of one term as a U.S. Representative from Arkansas. He was removed from his seat following an investigation of election fraud before regaining the seat in the subsequent election, serving an additional term from 1891 to 1893.

Early life and education

Cate was born near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the son of Noah Cate, who was a Baptist minister, and his wife Margaret M. (Henderson) Cate. He attended the common schools, as well as an academy at Abingdon, Virginia. He ultimately graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1857.

In 1868, he married Virginia E. Warner of Craighead County, and the couple had one son.

Early career

Cate taught school while studying law.

Civil War

During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate States Army, eventually rising to the rank of captain.

Legal career

After a move to Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1865, Cate studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Arkansas. In 1866, he commenced the practice of law, counting among his clients the Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad and the St. Louis, Arkansas, and Texas Railroad.

Political career

In 1870, he was elected as a Democrat to the Arkansas House of Representatives to represent the first district, which included Craighead, Cross, Jackson, Mississippi and Poinsett counties. Cate was seated in the 18th Arkansas General Assembly on January 2, 1871 and represented the 1st district alongside Charles Minor, L. D. Rozell and J. A. Meek. Cate was re-elected for the 19th Arkansas General Assembly, representing the 1st alongside Roderick Joiner, Hiram McVeigh, and F.W. Lynn. During his time in the Arkansas House, Cate served on the Agriculture and the Cities and Corporations committees.

He was elected prosecuting attorney for Second Judicial Circuit on October 14, 1878, Following the death of circuit judge James Frierson, Cate was appointed circuit judge by Governor of Arkansas James H. Berry on March 17, 1884 to fill the remainer of the term. Judge Cate won election to a full term on the bench September 1, 1884. He organized the Bank of Jonesboro in 1887. He also served as a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Congress

In 1888, Cate ran as a Democrat for a seat in the U.S. Congress against Lewis Featherstone, a candidate of the Union Labor party. Cate won the election by slightly less than 1,000 votes.

Cate subsequently presented credentials as a Democratic member-elect to the Fifty-first Congress where he served from March 4, 1889 until March 5, 1890.

Election challenge

Cate was removed from his seat following a House investigation. Featherstone had contested the election after having been put up as a candidate to oppose Cate by The Agricultural Wheel. In an agreement between The Wheel and the Republican Party, the Republicans in control of Congress agreed to support Featherstone against Cate. In return "The Wheel" agreed to support John M. Clayton against Clifton R. Breckinridge. The House Committee on Elections decided in favor of Featherstone, ruling that he won by 86 votes.

Cate was appointed to return as 2nd Circuit judge following the resignation of J. E. Riddick on October 30, 1890, filling the remainder of the term.

Return to Congress

Cate again challenged Featherstone in the 1890 election, winning by a vote of 15,437 to 14,834. Featherstone did not contest the results. With his victory, Cate was elected to the Fifty-second Congress which ran from March 4, 1891 until March 3, 1893.

Cate served on the Railways and Canals Committee, introducing bills to build a railroad bridge across the Black River, and to construct a levee on the nearby Mississippi River.

He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1892 to the Fifty-third Congress.

Later career

He later resumed the practice of law in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Death

While on a visit in Toledo, Ohio, Cate died of cancer on August 23, 1899 (age 59 years, 285 days). He is interred at the City Cemetery in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

References

1. Priest, Sharon (1998). Runnells, Jonathan (ed.). Historical Report of the Arkansas Secretary of State. Office of the Arkansas Secretary of State. p. 234. ISBN 9780313302121. OCLC 40157815.
2. "William H. Cate". The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
3. ^ Melanie Welch. "Biography of William Henderson Cate".
4. "SOS" (1998), pp. 235–236.
5. "SOS" (1998), pp. 236–237.
6. "SOS" (1998), p. 381.
7. "SOS" (1998), p. 379.
8. "The way is now clear for the House Committee on Elections to begin the work of purging the roll of the House of the names...". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. 1890-02-15. p. 9. ProQuest 174425625.
9. "SOS" (1998), p. 379.
10. "William H. Cate". Govtrack US Congress. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
11. "William H. Cate". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 19 June 2013.

External links

• United States Congress. "William H. Cate (id: C000249)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• William H. Cate at Find a Grave

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas
Territory Bates Conway Sevier At-large Yell Cross Yell Newton Johnson Hynes Breckinridge
1st district Greenwood Hindman Roots Hanks Hodges Gause Dunn Cate Featherstone Cate McCulloch Macon Caraway Driver Gathings Alexander Lincoln Berry Crawford 2nd district Warren Rust Warren Rust Hinds Elliott A. A. C. Rogers O. P. Snyder Slemons Jones Breckinridge Little Brundidge W. Oldfield P. Oldfield Miller Mills Tucker Bethune T. Robinson Thornton V. Snyder Griffin Hill 3rd district Boles Edwards Boles Wilshire Gunter Wilshire J. Cravens J. H. Rogers McRae Dinsmore Floyd Tillman Fuller Ellis Fulbright Trimble Hammerschmidt T. Hutchinson A. Hutchinson Boozman Womack 4th district Gunter Peel J. H. Rogers W. Terry Reid Little W. B. Cravens O. Wingo E. Wingo W. B. Cravens W. F. Cravens Tackett Harris Pryor Thornton Anthony Dickey Ross Cotton Westerman 5th district Peel Dinsmore Reid Jacoway Ragon D. Terry Hays Alford 6th district Neill Brundidge J. Robinson S. Taylor C. Taylor Sawyer Reed Glover McClellan W. Norrell C. Norrell 7th district Wallace Goodwin Parks Kitchens Harris

• 1839 births
• 1899 deaths
• Politicians from Abingdon, Virginia
• Confederate States Army officers
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
• 19th-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly