John T. Watkins

John Thomas Watkins (January 15, 1854—April 25, 1925) was a Democratic U.S. representative from northwestern Louisiana who served from 1905-1921. A lawyer in his hometown of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, Watkins was a state district courtjudge prior to entering Congress.

Watkins attended the public schools of Minden and graduated from the Minden Male Academy, a forerunner of Minden High School. He then studied for three years at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. As was then customary, Watkins studied law privately, was admitted to the bar in 1878, and opened his practice in Minden. He was elected judge in 1900 and served in that capacity until 1904.^[1]

He briefly resumed his law practice prior to his election to Congress. He defeated incumbent Democrat Phanor Breazeale of Natchitoches for renomination in 1904 and was seated with the incoming 59th Congress on March 4, 1905. In his fourth term, he became the chairman of the House Committee on Revision of the Laws.

Watkins rarely faced serious opposition in his reelection bids until he was defeated for a ninth term in 1920 by John N. Sandlin, another state district court judge from Minden. In 1908, for instance, Watkins defeated two opponents in the general election by a lopsided margin. He polled 88.2 percent of the ballots compared to 5.5 percent for Republican John F. Slattery. The Socialist Party of America candidate, W. S. Emmons, outpolled Slattery, having finished with 6.3 percent of the vote.

After Watkins surrendered his congressional seat to Sandlin, he practiced law in Washington, D.C., until his death. Like Watkins, Sandlin would also hold the Fourth District House seat for eight terms.

Watkins, like Sandlin, is interred in the original section of Minden Cemetery along side his wife, the former Elizabeth Murrell (January 23, 1858–February 26, 1921).

References

• WATKINS, John Thomas at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Watkins to Watrous at politicalgraveyard.com
• Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections, U.S. House of Representatives, 1904–1920