{{short description|American politician (1852–1941)}} {{infobox officeholder | name = Thomas J. Cunningham | image = Thomas J. Cunningham.jpg | order = 14th | office = Secretary of State of Wisconsin | governor = George Wilbur Peck | term_start = January 5, 1891 | term_end = January 7, 1895 | predecessor = Ernst Timme | successor = Henry Casson | order1 = 15th and 28th | title1 = Mayor of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin | term_start1 = April 1899 | term_end1 = April 1901 | predecessor1 = J. A. Anderson | successor1 = L. A. Fletcher | term_start2 = April 1885 | term_end2 = April 1886 | predecessor2 = Jacob Leinenkugel | successor2 = Hector McRae | state3 = Wisconsin | state_assembly3 = Wisconsin | district3 = Chippewa | term_start3 = January 3, 1887 | term_end3 = January 7, 1889 | predecessor3 = Henry J. Goddard | successor3 = Benjamin Franklin Millard | party = Democratic | birth_date = {{birth date|1852|3|17}} | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1941|4|28|1852|3|17}} | death_place = Rochester, Minnesota, U.S. | resting_place = Forest Hill Cemetery, {{nobreak|Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin}} | spouse = | children = {{unbulleted list | Mrs. John Parks | Mrs. A. J. Lobb | Carl J. Cunningham | {{sup|born 1888; died 1920}} }} }} '''Thomas Jefferson Cunningham''' (March 17, 1852{{spaced ndash}}April 28, 1941) was an American newspaper publisher, historian, and politician. He was the 14th Secretary of State of Wisconsin, and served three years as mayor of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. He was a prominent member of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and was a delegate to every Democratic National Convention from 1880 and 1940. In his role as Secretary of State, he was the namesake for a set of Wisconsin Supreme Court decisions, known as the "Cunningham cases", which set legal standards in the state for redistricting.
==Biography== Born in Brooklyn, New York, as a child he moved with his parents to New Haven, Connecticut, where he was educated in the common schools.<ref name="wihist">{{cite web|url= https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS6809 |title= Cunningham, Thomas Jefferson 1852 - 1941 |website= Wisconsin Historical Society |date= 8 August 2017 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 }}</ref> He was orphaned at a young age;<ref name="noms">{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80229854/1890-dem-nominees/ |title= Yesterday's Nominees |newspaper= Portage Daily Democrat |date= August 29, 1890 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}</ref> he came to Wisconsin in 1869 and settled at Stoughton, in Dane County. Shortly after arriving, he worked at the Black Earth ''Advertiser'', and then moved to Madison to work for the ''Wisconsin Democrat''. Through his association with the paper, he became acquainted with many of the prominent Democratic leaders in the state.<ref name="cap-obit">{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80195580/cunningham-obit-captimes/ |title= Thomas J. Cunningham Dies Today at Age 89 |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= April 28, 1941 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 24, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}</ref>
From 1873 to 1875, he was employed as a clerk in the office of the Secretary of State of Wisconsin. But in 1875, he moved north to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where he returned to journalism. He started a Democratic partisan paper in the county, which was—at that time—a Republican stronghold. Cunningham was the co-owner and editor of the ''Chippewa Times'' and its successor, the daily ''Independent'', through at least 1919—except for the years he served as Secretary of State.<ref name="chip">{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/chippewacountywi11unse/ |title= Chippewa County, Wisconsin, Past and Present |volume= I |year= 1913 |publisher= S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. |pages= 226, 246 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 }}</ref>{{rp|226}} It was remarked that his paper was the first Democratic paper to endure in this county.<ref name="noms"/>
Cunningham was elected to three terms as Mayor of Chippewa Falls, in 1885, 1899, and 1900.<ref name="chip"/>{{rp|246}} And in 1886 was elected to represent all of Chippewa County in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Cunningham became an influential member of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin representing the Democrats of the "up north" counties, and was elected as a state delegate to every Democratic National Convention from 1880 through 1940.<ref name="noms"/><ref name="cap-obit-p2">{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80228869/obituary-for-pres-cunningham-aged-88/ |title= Thomas J. Cunningham Dies Today at Age 89 - continued |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= April 28, 1941 |page= 4 |accessdate= June 24, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}</ref>
In 1890, Cunningham was chosen by the State Democratic Convention as the party's nominee for Secretary of State in the fall election. Cunningham was chosen on the second ballot, as the convention crowd chanted his name.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80229442/dem-state-convention/ |title= Winners Named |newspaper= Portage Daily Democrat |date= August 29, 1890 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}</ref> In the general election, Cunningham defeated Republican candidate Edwin D. Coe with 53% of the vote.<ref name="bb1891">{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1891 |title =The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1891 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Cunningham |editor-first= Thomas J. |editor-link= Thomas Cunningham (Wisconsin politician) |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1891/reference/wi.wibluebk1891.i0017.pdf |chapter= Biographical |page= 575 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 }}</ref> Cunningham was subsequently re-elected in 1892, but defeated seeking a third term in 1894. He was succeeded by Republican Henry Casson.
After leaving office, Cunningham returned to his newspaper, working until at least 1919. In his later years, he served on several appointed state commissions, including the Civil Service Commission, the State Forestry Commission, and the State Oil Commission.<ref name="wihist"/> He also became active in works of history; he was a co-author of ''West Central Wisconsin: A History'', and became a curator at the Wisconsin Historical Society.<ref name="cap-obit-p2"/>
He attended his last Democratic Convention in 1940, voting for the renomination of Franklin D. Roosevelt for a third term as President.<ref name="cap-obit-p2"/> He died less than a year later.
==Cunningham redistricting cases==
Cunningham was part of a Democratic sweep of all the statewide elected offices in the 1890 elections, which also saw Democrats gain full control of the state legislature. This was the first time the Democrats held such power in the state since before the American Civil War, and it occurred in a redistricting year. What followed was one of Wisconsin's first major redistricting controversies, to which Cunningham's name is closely associated.<ref name="wiredist">{{cite report|url= https://www.wisdc.org/images/files/pdf_imported/redistricting/redistricting_april2016_leg_ref_bureau.pdf |title= Redistricting in Wisconsin |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |date= April 1, 2016 |first= Michael |last= Keane |page= 7 |via= Wisconsin Democracy Campaign |accessdate= June 25, 2021 }}</ref>
In May 1891, Governor Peck signed the Democratic redistricting plans, [https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/1891/related/acts/482.pdf 1891 Wisc. Act 482] and [https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/1891/related/acts/483.pdf 1891 Wisc. Act 483]. Throughout the legislative process of developing the maps, Republicans expressed outrage at what they saw as a partisan gerrymander.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80231176/redistricting-controversy/ |title= The Democratic Gerrymander |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= April 9, 1891 |page= 2 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com }}</ref> As Secretary of State, Cunningham was legally responsible for implementing the new maps, but, in February 1892, a suit was related to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to bar Cunningham from acting on the maps and to strike down the legislation.<ref name="81wis440">{{cite court |url= https://cite.case.law/wis/81/440/ |litigants= State ex rel. Attorney General v. Cunningam |court= Wisconsin Supreme Court |date= March 22, 1892 |vol=81 |reporter= Wis. |opinion= 440 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 |via= Case Law Project }}</ref> The Court published its opinion on March 22, 1892, agreeing with the Republican position and striking down the redistricting act. Justice Harlow S. Orton wrote for the majority that: (1) the maps did not properly account for the population of non-taxed Native Americans and members of the Army and Navy who were not currently located in the state; (2) the districts did not closely adhere to county lines; and that districts were not properly (3) contiguous, (4) compact, and (5) convenient. The court also found that the districts varied too widely in population, with the most populous Senate district being nearly twice the population of the smallest.<ref name="wiredist"/><ref name="81wis440"/>
The Legislature subsequently made another attempt at redistricting, which was also struck down by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.<ref>{{cite court| url= https://cite.case.law/wis/83/90/ |litigants= State ex rel. Lamb v. Cunningham |court= Wisconsin Supreme Court |date= September 27, 1892 |vol=83 |reporter= Wis. |opinion= 90 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 |via= Case Law Project }}</ref> A third and final version was passed only 12 days before the 1892 election.<ref name="wiredist"/>
The principles articulated by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in these cases—adherence to county lines; contiguity; compactness; convenience; striving for population uniformity—collectively became known in the state as the "Cunningham Principles" for redistricting, and were closely considered for decades of subsequent redistricting measures.<ref name="wiredist"/>
==Personal life and family== Cunningham was popular and well-liked among the public and the political class in Wisconsin. He was a personal friend of U.S. Senator Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette, leader of the Progressive Republicans.<ref name="cap-obit-p2"/><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80234802/cunningham-wsj-obit/ |title= "Tom" Cunningham |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= April 30, 1941 |page= 4 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com }}</ref>
Cunningham and his wife had three children, though their son, Carl, died at about 32 years of age. He was survived by two daughters.<ref name="cap-obit-p2"/>
After his death, William J. O'Neil, the son of a friend—William O'Neil—composed a poem about him.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80234480/cunningham-poem/ |title= Thomas Jefferson Cunningham |newspaper= Chippewa Herald-Telegram |date= May 14, 1941 |page= 8 |accessdate= June 25, 2021 |last= O'Neil |first= William James |via=Newspapers.com }}</ref>
==Electoral history== ===Wisconsin Assembly (1884, 1886)=== {{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Chippewa District Election, 1884<ref name="bb1885">{{cite report |url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1885 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1885 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Heg |editor-first= James E. |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1885/reference/wi.wibluebk1885.i0017.pdf |chapter =Biographical Sketches |page=429 |accessdate= June 27, 2021 }}</ref>}} | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, November 4, 1884''' {{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Henry J. Goddard |votes = 2,639 |percentage = 51.46% |change = +33.36% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Thomas J. Cunningham |votes = 2,489 |percentage = 48.54% |change = +5.72% }} {{Election box plurality |votes = 150 |percentage = 2.93% |change = -0.81% }} {{Election box total |votes = 5,128 |percentage = 100.0% |change = +70.99% }} {{Election box gain with party link no swing |winner = Republican Party (United States) |loser = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Chippewa District Election, 1886<ref name="bb1887">{{cite report |url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1887 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1887 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Timme |editor-first= Ernst |editor-link= Ernst Timme |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1887/reference/wi.wibluebk1887.i0018.pdf |chapter =Biographical |pages=493–494 |accessdate= June 27, 2021 }}</ref>}} | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, November 2, 1886''' {{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Thomas J. Cunningham |votes = 2,506 |percentage = 54.31% |change = +5.78% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = W. W. Potter |votes = 1,780 |percentage = 38.58% |change = -12.88% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Prohibition Party |candidate = Perry Hopkins |votes = 328 |percentage = 7.11% |change = }} {{Election box plurality |votes = 726 |percentage = 15.73% |change = +12.81% }} {{Election box total |votes = 4,614 |percentage = 100.0% |change = -10.02% }} {{Election box gain with party link no swing |winner = Democratic Party (United States) |loser = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
===Wisconsin Secretary of State (1890, 1892, 1894)=== {{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Secretary of State Election, 1890<ref name="bb1891"/>}} | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, November 4, 1890''' {{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Thomas J. Cunningham |votes = 160,493 |percentage = 52.77% |change = +9.37% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Edwin D. Coe |votes = 124,764 |percentage = 41.02% |change = -9.02% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Prohibition Party |candidate = George McKerrow |votes = 11,635 |percentage = 3.83% |change = -0.27% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Labor Party (United States, 19th century) |candidate = William N. Lockwood |votes = 7,115 |percentage = 2.34% |change = -0.12% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = |candidate = ''Scattering'' |votes = 153 |percentage = 0.05% |change = }} {{Election box plurality |votes = 35,729 |percentage = 11.75% |change = +5.10% }} {{Election box total |votes = 304,160 |percentage = 100.0% |change = -14.24% }} {{Election box gain with party link no swing |winner = Democratic Party (United States) |loser = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Secretary of State Election, 1892<ref name="bb1893">{{cite report |url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1893 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1893 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Cunningham |editor-first= Thomas J. |editor-link= Thomas Cunningham (Wisconsin politician) |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1893/reference/wi.wibluebk1893.i0016.pdf |chapter =Biographical |page=624 |accessdate= June 27, 2021 }}</ref>}} | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, November 8, 1892''' {{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Thomas J. Cunningham (incumbent) |votes = 177,052 |percentage = 47.90% |change = -4.86% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Robert W. Jackson |votes = 169,718 |percentage = 45.92% |change = +4.90% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Prohibition Party |candidate = E. Fred Russell |votes = 13,172 |percentage = 3.56% |change = -0.26% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = People's Party (United States) |candidate = Aaron Broughton |votes = 9,670 |percentage = 2.62% |change = }} {{Election box plurality |votes = 7,334 |percentage = 1.98% |change = -9.76% }} {{Election box total |votes = 369,612 |percentage = 100.0% |change = +21.52% }} {{Election box hold with party link no swing |winner = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Secretary of State Election, 1894<ref name="bb1895">{{cite report |url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1895 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1895 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Casson |editor-first= Henry |editor-link= Henry Casson |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1895/reference/wi.wibluebk1895.i0016.pdf |chapter =Biographical |page=661 |accessdate= June 27, 2021 }}</ref>}} | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, November 6, 1894''' {{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Henry Casson |votes = 197,710 |percentage = 53.33% |change = +7.41% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Thomas J. Cunningham (incumbent) |votes = 137,585 |percentage = 37.11% |change = -10.79% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = People's Party (United States) |candidate = William N. Lockwood |votes = 24,452 |percentage = 6.60% |change = +3.98% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Prohibition Party |candidate = George McKerrow |votes = 10,969 |percentage = 2.96% |change = -0.60% }} {{Election box plurality |votes = 60,125 |percentage = 16.22% |change = +14.23% }} {{Election box total |votes = 370,716 |percentage = 100.0% |change = +0.30% }} {{Election box gain with party link no swing |winner = Republican Party (United States) |loser = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
==Works== * {{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1891 |title =The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1891 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Cunningham |editor-first= Thomas J. |editor-link= Thomas Cunningham (Wisconsin politician) }} * {{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1893 |title =The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1893 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Cunningham |editor-first= Thomas J. |editor-link= Thomas Cunningham (Wisconsin politician) }} * {{cite book| title= West Central Wisconsin: A History |year= 1933 |publisher= S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. |editor-last1= Gregory |editor-first1= John Goadby |editor-last2=Cunningham |editor-first2= Thomas Jefferson |editor-link2= Thomas Cunningham (Wisconsin politician) }}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Find a Grave|171221033| Thomas J. Cunningham }}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before = August C. Larson }} {{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Wisconsin}} |years= 1890, 1892, 1894 }} {{s-aft|after = Cyrus M. Butt }} {{s-par|us-wi-hs}} {{s-bef|before = Henry J. Goddard }} {{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nobreak|from the Chippewa district}} |years= January 3, 1887{{spaced ndash}}January 7, 1889 }} {{s-aft|after = Benjamin Franklin Millard }} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before = Jacob Leinenkugel }} {{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Mayor of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin}}|years=April 1885{{spaced ndash}}April 1886 }} {{s-aft|after = Hector McRae }} {{s-bef|before = Ernst Timme }} {{s-ttl|title = Secretary of State of Wisconsin|years=January 5, 1891{{spaced ndash}}January 7, 1895}} {{s-aft|after = Henry Casson }} {{s-bef|before = J. A. Anderson }} {{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Mayor of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin}}|years=April 1899{{spaced ndash}}April 1901 }} {{s-aft|after = L. A. Fletcher }} {{s-end}} {{WISecretariesOfState}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Thomas}} Category:1852 births Category:1941 deaths Category:Politicians from Brooklyn Category:People from New Haven, Connecticut Category:People from Stoughton, Wisconsin Category:Mayors of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Category:Secretaries of state of Wisconsin Category:19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Category:19th-century mayors of places in Wisconsin Category:19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature