Albert Ottinger
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Albert Ottinger (September 10, 1878 - January 1938) was a New York politician of the Republican Party.
[edit] Early Years
Albert Ottinger was born in New York City, the son of Moses Ottinger and Amelia (Gottlieb) Ottinger; father of future Congressman Richard L. Ottinger.
[edit] Political career
He was a candidate for U.S. Representative from New York, 1914; a member of the New York State Senate from the 18th District, 1917-18; an assistant Attorney General of the United States, New York State Attorney General, 1925-28; delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1928, 1932; and a candidate for Governor of New York, 1928. [1]
While serving as an assistant U.S. attorney general, Ottinger ruled that that the U.S. Congress could grant independence to the Philippines if it wished, since the Philippines were an "insular possession" and therefore to be distinguished from the United States' states and territorial possessions.[2]
During his time as New York State's attorney general, Ottinger was the only Republican who held state office, and was responsible for closing down the notorious “bucket shops” on Wall Street. In 1928 while the Democratic national party nominated New York Governor Al Smith for the Presidency, the first time a Catholic from a major party was running for that office, the Republican Party of New York nominated Ottinger for Governor, the first Jewish gubernatorial candidate in New York history. To counteract, the Democratic Party nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt for governor, and Herbert Lehman, also a Jew, as the candidate for lieutenant governor.
On the national ticket, Herbert Hoover won by a landslide over Al Smith, the latter's religion clearly a national issue. The gubernatorial contest, however, was one of the closest in New York history. Against the national Republican trend, Roosevelt won by only 25,000 votes—less than 1 percent of the four million ballots cast. Some of are the view that this race ended up having world-wide implications, as it is likely that, had Ottinger won the race, FDR would not have become president in 1932. [3].
At the end of his term as New York state's attorney general, Ottinger summed up his record as follows: "Hammer, hammer, hammer, at every manner and means of fraud and dishonesty, the prevention and assertion of which the Legislature has assigned to the Attorney General."[4]
[edit] References
- ^ http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/otjen-overstolz.html
- ^ "Declares Congress May Free Filipinos," New York Times (May 3, 1924), p. 7.
- ^ http://www.observer.com/20060206/20060206_Philip_Kaiser_opinions_wiseguys.asp
- ^ http://www.legalaffairs.org/printerfriendly.msp?id=560
| Preceded by Carl Sherman |
New York State Attorney General 1925–1928 |
Succeeded by Hamilton Ward, Jr. |
| Attorneys General of New York |  |
|---|---|
| Benson • Varick • Burr • Lewis • Lawrence • J. Hoffman • Spencer • Woodworth • Hildreth • Emmett • Van Vechten • M. Van Buren • Oakley • Talcott • Bronson • Beardsley • Hall • Barker • J. Van Buren • Jordan • Chatfield • Stow • O. Hoffman • Cushing • Tremain • Myers • Dickinson • Cochrane • Martindale • Barlow • Pratt • Fairchild • Schoonmaker • Ward • Russell • O'Brien • Tabor • Rosendale • Hancock • Davies • Cunneen • Mayer • Jackson • O'Malley • Carmody • Parsons • Woodbury • Lewis • Newton • Sherman • Ottinger • Ward • Bennett • Goldstein • Javits • Lefkowitz • Abrams • Koppell • Vacco • Spitzer • Cuomo |
