Peter Francis Tague

Peter Francis Tague
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th district
In office March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1919 October 23, 1919 – March 3, 1925
Preceded by	William Francis Murray John F. Fitzgerald
Succeeded by	John F. Fitzgerald John J. Douglass
Massachusetts House of Representatives[1]
In office 1913–1914
Massachusetts State Senate[1] Second Suffolk District[2]
In office 1899–1900
Preceded by	David B. Shaw[3]
Succeeded by	David B. Shaw[4]
Massachusetts House of Representatives[1]
In office 1897–1898
Boston Common Council[1]
In office 1894–1896
Personal details
Born	June 4, 1871 Charlestown, Massachusetts[5]
Died	September 17, 1941 (aged 70)
Resting place	Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden, Massachusetts.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Josephine T. Fitzgerald[5]
Alma mater	English High School[1]
Occupation	Manufacturing Chemist[1]
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

Peter Francis Tague (June 4, 1871 – September 17, 1941) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Boston, Massachusetts.

Biography

Tague was a son of Peter and Mary (Shaw) Tague, immigrants from Ireland.^[6] His father was a cooper.

Tague attended Frothingham Grammar school and English High School in Boston.^[1] Tague then entered business, supplying blacksmiths and building contractors.

Marriage and family

Tague married Josephine T. Fitzgerald^[5] on January 31, 1900, they had two sons.^[5]

Business career

Tague was a Book keeper and NE representative of Never slip Manufacturing Company.^[2]

Tague later became a Manufacturing Chemist,^[1] and a supplier of chemicals.

Political career

Tague became a member of the Boston Common Council in 1894, at the age of just 23. He served for two years, and then was elected a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, serving in 1897-1898. The following year he was elected a State senator, serving for two years. He gave up politics for a time to concentrate on his business. He ran again in 1913, winning election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Tague next entered national politics, serving as a Democrat in the Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1919).

1918 Election

In 1918 Tague was faced with a major challenge from ex Boston Mayor John F. Fitzgerald. Tague lost the 1918 primary election to John F. Fitzgerald, by 50 votes.^[7] Tague contested his loss in the primary and appealed that loss to the election commissioners, but he lost that appeal and Fitzgerald was declared the nominee of the Democratic party.^[8] Tague contested the election as a sticker and write in candidate and initially Tague narrowly lost the general election to Fitzgerald^[8][9] by 238 votes^[10]

Tague contested the election. On October 2, 1919, by a vote of 5 to 2, the House of Representatives elections committee voted to unseat Fitzgerald and to seat Teague.^[11]

After the House committee canvassed over 1,300 votes Fitzgerald's plurality went down to 10 votes. After determining that one third of the votes in three precincts of Boston's Ward 5 were fraudulent the House of Representatives committee threw out the votes of those precincts. The committee determined that the election had been tainted by illegal registrations and fraud.^[10] The committee determined that Tague won the election by 525 votes.^[10]

On October 23, 1919 the full House of Representatives unseated Fitzgerald and seated Teague.^[12]

1917 Boston Mayoral election

Tague was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Boston in 1917, but was reelected to the Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth Congresses, serving from October 23, 1919, to March 3, 1925. He was defeated for reelection in 1924.

Tague is noted for having introduced a bill in Congress in 1921 to investigate the KKK, which then was becoming a powerful force nationwide.

Later years

Following his defeat for Congress in 1924, Tague resumed his business career. He was appointed assessor of Boston in 1930 and chairman of the election commission of Boston the same year. In 1936, he was appointed postmaster and served until his death.

Tague died in Boston on September 17, 1941, at the age of 70. He was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden, Massachusetts.

References

1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Who's who in State Politics, 1916, Boston, MA: Practical Politics, 1916, p. 30. 
2. 1 2 Bridgman, Arthur Milnor (1900), A Souvenir of Massachusetts legislators, Vol. IX, Stoughton, MA: A. M. Bridgman, p. 140. 
3. ↑ Bridgman, Arthur Milnor (1898), A Souvenir of Massachusetts legislators, Vol. VII, Stoughton, MA: A. M. Bridgman, p. 118. 
4. ↑ Bridgman, Arthur Milnor (1901), A Souvenir of Massachusetts legislators, Vol. X, Stoughton, MA: A. M. Bridgman, p. 140. 
5. 1 2 3 4 Hess, Elmer C. (December 1922), Official Congressional Directory, First ed, Washington, DC: Joint Committee on Printing, p. 47. 
6. ↑ US Census, 1880, Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass., page 465B
7. ↑ "Tague Charges Frauds in Ward 5 Election Board, After Stormy Day, Orders New Hearing This Morning HOW FITZGERALD'S LEAD WAS CUT TO 50", Boston Daily Globe (Boston, MA: The Boston Globe), Oct 1, 1918, p. 9. 
8. 1 2 Walsh Won by 18,908. Election of Senator only Democratic Gain in Massachusetts, New York, NY: New York Times, Nov 7, 1918, p. 5. 
9. ↑ "Walsh Won by 18,908. Election of Senator only Democratic Gain in Massachusetts", Boston Daily Globe (Boston, MA: The Boston Globe), Nov 1, 1918, p. 5. 
10. 1 2 3 WANTS FITZGERALD OUSTED; House Committee Charges Fraud-- Finds Tague Was Elected, New York, NY: New York Times, October 14, 1919, p. 10. 
11. ↑ WOULD UNSEAT FITZGERALD; House Elections Committee Upholds Tague of Boston by 5 to 2, New York, NY: New York Times, October 3, 1919, p. 6. 
12. ↑ "FITZGERALD IS UNSEATED IN HOUSE House Refuses to Order New Election--Tague Gets Place", Boston Daily Globe (Hartford, CT: The Hartford Courant), Oct 24, 1919, p. 10. 

External links

• Peter Francis Tague at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Find-A-Grave biography

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts 1st district F Ames Dexter Goodhue Holten Sedgwick Skinner Sedgwick J Bacon Eustis Quincy Ward, Jr. Mason Gorham Webster Gorham Appleton Gorham Lawrence Fletcher Lawrence Winthrop Appleton Winthrop S Eliot Appleton Scudder T Eliot Hall T Eliot Buffinton Crapo Davis Randall Wright Lawrence Treadway Heselton Conte Olver Neal 2nd district Goodhue Foster W Lyman Sedgwick Ward Sr. W Lyman Shepard J Crowninshield Story Pickman Reed Pickering Silsbee Barstow B Crowninshield Choate Phillips Saltonstall D King Rantoul Fay Crocker Buffinton O Ames Harris Long E Morse Gillett Churchill Bowles Kaynor Granfield Clason Furcolo Boland Neal McGovern 3rd district Gerry Bourne Coffin Lyman Mattoon Cutler Nelson Livermore White Pickering Nelson Varnum Nelson Osgood Cushing Abbott Duncan Edmands Damrell C Adams Thomas Rice Twichell Whiting I Pierce Field B Dean Field Ranney L Morse J Andrew Walker JR Thayer R Hoar C Washburn JA Thayer Wilder Paige F Foss Casey Philbin Drinan Donohue Early Blute McGovern N Tsongas 4th district Sedgwick Dearborn Thatcher Wadsworth Foster Lincoln Hastings Varnum Richardson Dana Stearns Fuller E Everett Sa Hoar Parmenter Thompson Palfrey Thompson Sabine Walley Comins Rice Hooper Frost Abbott L Morse Collins J O'Neil Apsley Weymouth Tirrell Mitchell Wilder Winslow Stobbs P Holmes Donohue Drinan Frank Kennedy III 5th district Partridge Bourne Freeman L Williams T Dwight Ely Mills Lathrop Sibley Davis Lincoln Hudson C Allen Appleton Burlingame Appleton Hooper Alley Butler Gooch Banks Bowman L Morse Hayden Banks Sh Hoar Stevens Knox B Ames J Rogers E Rogers B Morse Cronin P Tsongas Shannon Atkins Meehan N Tsongas Markey Clark 6th district Thatcher Leonard Reed Sr. J Smith Taggart S Allen Locke Kendall Grennell Alvord Baker Ashmun G Davis Upham T Davis Alley Gooch Banks Butler Thompson Loring Stone Lovering Lodge Cogswell Moody Gardner Lufkin A Andrew G Bates W Bates Harrington Mavroules Torkildsen Tierney Moulton 7th district Leonard Ward Sr. Leonard Bullock Bishop Mitchell Barker Baylies Turner Baylies Hulbert Shaw H Dwight S Allen Grennell Briggs J Rockwell Goodrich Banks Gooch Boutwell Brooks Esty E Hoar Tarbox Butler Russell Stone Cogswell W Everett Barrett Roberts Phelan Maloney W Connery L Connery Lane Macdonald Markey Capuano 8th district Grout Thatcher F Ames Otis Eustis L Williams Green Gardner Green Reed Baylies Sampson Hobart Lathrop Bates Calhoun J Adams Mann Wentworth Knapp Train Baldwin G Hoar JMS Williams Warren Claflin Candler Russell CH Allen Greenhalge Stevens McCall Deitrick Dallinger H Thayer Dallinger Healey Goodwin Macdonald O'Neill Kennedy II Capuano Lynch 9th district Varnum Bishop J Dean Wheaton Reed Folger Reed H Dwight Briggs Jackson Hastings H Williams Hale Fowler Little Dewitt E Thayer Bailey A Walker W Washburn Crocker G Hoar Rice T Lyman Ely Burnett Candler G Williams O'Neil Fitzgerald Conry Keliher Murray Roberts Fuller Underhill Luce Russell Luce Eliot Gifford Nicholson Keith McCormack Hicks Moakley Lynch Keating 10th district Goodhue Sewall Read Hastings Upham J Allen Brigham Wheaton Morton F Baylies Bailey HAS Dearborn W Baylies Borden H Williams Borden Burnell Grinnell Scudder Dickinson Chaffee Delano Dawes Crocker Stevens Seelye Norcross Rice Russell J Walker McEttrick Atwood Barrows Naphen McNary O'Connell Curley Murray Tague Fitzgerald Tague Douglass Tinkham Herter Curtis Martin Heckler Studds Delahunt Keating 11th district Bradbury Bartlett Cutler Stedman A Bigelow Brigham B Adams Russell Hobart Richardson J Adams Reed Burnell Goodrich Trafton Dawes Chapin Robinson Whiting II Wallace Coolidge Draper Sprague Powers Sullivan Peters Tinkham Douglass Higgins Flaherty Curley Kennedy O'Neill Burke Donnelly 12th district Dearborn Parker Lee S Thatcher Skinner Larned Bidwell Bacon Dewey Hulbert Strong Kendall L Bigelow Baylies Hodges J Adams Robinson F Rockwell Crosby E Morse Lovering Powers Weeks Curley Gallivan McCormack Keith Studds 13th district Wadsworth Seaver Ruggles Dowse Eustis Reed Randall Simpkins Greene Weeks Mitchell Carter Luce Wigglesworth Burke 14th district G Thatcher Cutts C King J Holmes Lovering E Foss Harris Gilmore Olney Frothingham Wigglesworth Martin 15th district Wadsworth Ilsley Whitman Widgery Bradbury Whitman Greene Leach Martin Gifford 16th district S Thatcher Cook Tallman Davis Brown Orr Hill T Thacher Walsh Gifford 17th district Bruce Chandler Gannett F Carr Wood J Carr Wilson Kinsley 18th district Wilson Rice Parker 19th district Parker Conner Gage Cushman 20th district Hubbard Parris Lincoln At-large Cobb