Charles A. White
Encyclopedia
Charles A. White was an American
organized labor lobbyist and politician.
He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee
, to Sarah Householder and Jesse Alexander White. Married Ruth Lillian Shaw from Ohio. Died October 7, 1925, Detroit, Michigan, buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Ada, Ohio
.
Charles left Knoxville during the early 1900's and went to St. Louis, MO. 1903 he began working as a conductor on an interurban
railway in St. Clair County, Illinois
. He joined the car men's union and soon became an active member and a champion of organized labor.
White was heavily involved in the union and in 1907 was selected as one of the Representatives of organized labor to attend the Session of the 45th General Assembly of Illinois. He was a "labor lobbyist." He was only 24 years old. In 1908 he became a candidate from St. Clair County for the next Legislature. He was elected in November, 1908, by a large vote.
White found corruption in the Legislature and took it upon himself to expose it. One of the large issues was bribery. The Chicago Tribune carried stories about him. With this exposure, Charlie lost his popularity. He called it the "Jackpot Exposure." He was crucified for his findings. William Prentiss wrote a booklet about Charles White telling his stories. In 1909 the Chicago Tribune paid Charles White $3,250 to publish his findings in the newspaper. After Charles gave the Tribune his story, they printed it to make him look like the "bad guy." Charles White was, at that time, the youngest member of the Illinois Legislature.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
organized labor lobbyist and politician.
He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, to Sarah Householder and Jesse Alexander White. Married Ruth Lillian Shaw from Ohio. Died October 7, 1925, Detroit, Michigan, buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Ada, Ohio
Ada, Ohio
Ada is a village in Hardin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,582 at the 2000 census. In 2006, the village's population was estimated at 5,841, and the 2010 census counted 5,952 people....
.
Charles left Knoxville during the early 1900's and went to St. Louis, MO. 1903 he began working as a conductor on an interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
railway in St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
. He joined the car men's union and soon became an active member and a champion of organized labor.
White was heavily involved in the union and in 1907 was selected as one of the Representatives of organized labor to attend the Session of the 45th General Assembly of Illinois. He was a "labor lobbyist." He was only 24 years old. In 1908 he became a candidate from St. Clair County for the next Legislature. He was elected in November, 1908, by a large vote.
White found corruption in the Legislature and took it upon himself to expose it. One of the large issues was bribery. The Chicago Tribune carried stories about him. With this exposure, Charlie lost his popularity. He called it the "Jackpot Exposure." He was crucified for his findings. William Prentiss wrote a booklet about Charles White telling his stories. In 1909 the Chicago Tribune paid Charles White $3,250 to publish his findings in the newspaper. After Charles gave the Tribune his story, they printed it to make him look like the "bad guy." Charles White was, at that time, the youngest member of the Illinois Legislature.