Some politicians make many enemies because they are a visionary, a reformer ahead of their time, Louis Cameron Hughes was one of those politicians and it resulted in his administration being cut short. He was especially despised for his stances on prohibition, women's suffrage, fair wages, and a clean elections process. He was a union man since he was a boy and very pro-labor. He was one of the few governors who helped clean up Arizona and prepare it for statehood.

    He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 15, 1842 to Samuel and Elizabeth Edwards Hughes. His parents were natives from Wales and had just immigrated to the United States. In 1844, his parents either died or were unable to take care of him and it resulted in Hughes going to an orphanage. He grew up on a farm as an "indentured servant" to a Calvinist Farmer. His service ended at 16 and he was given $15 and sent out into the world. He was allowed to attend public school in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He was a strong abolitionist and enlisted as a Private in Company A of the 101st Pennsylvania at the break of the Civil War, serving two years. He also served in Knapp's Pittsburgh Battery which defended the Capitol. He worked as a machinist after the war and saved money so that he could attend college at Meadeville Theological School and later attend Edinburgh State Normal School.

    Always a union man he was a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and was a speaker at the International Convention of Machinists and Blacksmiths Union of America held in Cleveland Ohio in 1868, a prestigious duty. In July of that year, he married E. Josephine Brawley (Governor Hunt would always speak of her as the "Mother of Arizona")who was a member of the Women's Suffrage Movement, a friend of Frances Williard and Susan B. Anthony. She was also a prime mover in the establishment of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Arizona.

    Louis Hughes came to Arizona for health reasons in 1871. He was admitted to practice law before the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court on January 17, 1873. He was a city councilman for Tucson in June of 1872 and later a county attorney on April 15, 1873. He was appointed as Attorney General of the Arizona territory, but resigned after only a year. In March of 1877 he started the Daily Bulletin, which later became the Triweekly Arizona Star, and finally the Arizona Star on June 26, 1879. He would sell his interests in the newspaper in 1907. In the 1880s he was a United States Court Commissioner and served on the board of managers for the World's Fair in Chicago in 1891. He could also be seen preaching on street corners in the 1890s since he also served in the Salvation Army in Tucson, always promoting the liberal causes of temperance, women's suffrage, Arizona Statehood, and other causes.

    He was appointed to the governorship on April 14, 1893. He could not address the Arizona legislature for almost two years because his appointment fell on the tail end of the last session of the year. He wanted to clean up the elections process because voters were being bought with alcohol. He endorsed women's suffrage, the secret ballots, and felt most of the laws in Arizona were being ignored. Most laws on houses of prostitution, furnishing liquor to minors, punishing adultery, and the following of the Sabbath law were all being ignored, much to his dismay. He wanted the establishment of a board of control for government agencies like the Territorial Prison and the Insane Asylum. He wanted the establishment of a Board of Immigration to encourage business to come to Arizona. Irrigation and the booming lumber industry in Flagstaff was a priority. In a strange occurrence Papago Indians had captured 9 wild camels in Arizona and had domesticated them, and bred them to over 100. They were found to be from the original 1850's stock. However,' this turn of events was not acted upon.

    In 1896, Hughes was removed from office due to numerous enemies he created with his liberal views. During is tenure in office, he reduced the territorial debt and created a non-partisan board of control. He was on the Board of Regent in 1897 and eventually returned to running his newspaper, the Arizona Star. He favored joint statehood with New Mexico in 1904 and 1905. He left the Arizona Star in 1907 after a libel suit was filed against him. He was always a fried of the Hunt family and was personally invited by Theodore Roosevelt to the Christening of the ship the USS Arizona, but refused because champagne was used in the ceremony. He died on November 24, 1915 in Tucson and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery there.

Information from two sources:

Wagoner, Jay J. Arizona Territory, 1863-1912; a political history. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1970

Goff, John S.  Arizona Territorial Officials Volume 2.   Arizona Black Mountain Press, Cave Creek, 1975
Chapter 11

Websites

USGenNet- Louis H. Hughes (digitized from Pages 5-12 in VOL III OF THE BOOK ARIZONA - THE YOUNGEST STATE By: James H McClintock in 1916)
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/az/state/honlouis.htm

Political Graveyard
http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hughes.html#RMP0Q6KW7

Books/Manuscripts

L.C. Hughes' law practice; what the Bar of this judicial district and Governor Safford think of it--exit Hughes from two offices.
KF368.H8 L12x