108th Virginia General Assembly

{{Short description|Virginia state legislature 1914-1916}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox legislative session

| name = 108th Virginia General Assembly

| image = Virginia Capitol 1916.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Virginia State Capitol (1912)

| body = Virginia General Assembly

| country = United States

| state = Virginia

| meeting_place =

| term_start = {{Start date|1914|1|14}}

| term_end = {{End date|1916|1|12}}

| before = 107th

| after = 109th

| website =

| chamber1 = Senate of Virginia

| membership1 = 40 senators

| control1 = Democratic Party

| chamber1_leader1_type = President

| chamber1_leader1 = J. Taylor Ellyson (D)

| chamber1_leader2_type = President pro tempore

| chamber1_leader2 = Edward Echols (D)
until December 19, 1914
C. Harding Walker (D)
from January 13, 1915

| chamber2 = Virginia House of Delegates

| membership2 = 100 delegates

| control2 = Democratic Party

| chamber2_leader1_type = Speaker

| chamber2_leader1 = Edwin P. Cox (D)

| session1_start = {{Start date|1914|1|14}}

| session1_end = {{End date|1914|3|20}}

| session2_start = {{Start date|1915|1|13}}

| session2_end = {{End date|1915|3|19}}

}}

The 108th Virginia General Assembly was the meeting of the legislative branch of the Virginia state government from 1914 to 1916, after the 1913 state elections. It convened in Richmond for two sessions.{{cite book |title=Journal of the House of Delegates of Virginia: Session 1914|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kAtNAAAAMAAJ|access-date=April 12, 2014|year=1914|publisher=Virginia State Library|location=Richmond}}{{cite book |title=Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Virginia: Session 1914|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IaRMAAAAMAAJ|access-date=April 12, 2014|year=1914|publisher=Virginia State Library|location=Richmond}}{{cite book |title=Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Virginia: Session 1915|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXQ2AQAAMAAJ|access-date=April 12, 2014|year=1915|publisher=Virginia State Library|location=Richmond}}

Background

{{Empty section|date=December 2015}}

Party summary

:Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Changes in membership" section, below.

=Senate=

class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
style="vertical-align:bottom;"

! rowspan=3 |

! colspan=3 | Party

(Shading indicates majority caucus)

! rowspan=3 | Total

! rowspan=3 | Vacant

style="height:5px"

| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| style="background-color:{{party color|Independent Party (United States)}}" |

| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |

Democratic

! Independent

! Republican

nowrap style="font-size:80%" | End of previous session

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 33

| 0

| 5

! 39

| 1

colspan=6 |
style="font-size:80%" | Begin

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 35

| rowspan=7| 0

| rowspan=7| 5

! 40

| 0

style="font-size:80%" | April 8, 1914

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 34

! 39

| 1

style="font-size:80%" | April 13, 1914

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 33

! 38

| 2

style="font-size:80%" | June 25, 1914

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 32

! 37

| 3

style="font-size:80%" | December 19, 1914

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 31

! 36

| 4

style="font-size:80%" | January 13, 1915

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 34

! 39

| 1

style="font-size:80%" | January 23, 1915

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 35

! 40

| 0

Latest voting share

! {{party shading/Democratic}} | {{percentage|35|40|0}}

! colspan=2 |{{percentage|5|40|0}}

! colspan=2 |

colspan=6 |
style="white-space:nowrap; font-size:80%;"| Beginning of next session

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | 35

| 1

| 4

! 40

| 0

Senate

=Leadership=

File:Virginia senate districts 1912.png

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! width="35%"|Office

!colspan=2 width="65%"|Officer

President of the Senate

| 75px

| J. Taylor Ellyson (D)

rowspan=2 |President pro tempore

| 75px

| Edward Echols (D)
until December 19, 1914

75px

| C. Harding Walker (D)
from January 13, 1915

Majority Floor Leader

| 75px

| Saxon W. Holt (D)

Minority Floor Leader

| 75px

| Edmund Parr (R)

{{Clear}}

=Members=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! width="10px"|

! width="60px"|District

!colspan=2 width="225px"|Senator

! width="100px"|Party

! width="475px"|Constituency

! width="100px"|Began serving

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 1st

| 50px

| Benjamin F. Buchanan

| Democratic

| Washington, Smyth, and city of Bristol

| 1914
(previously served 1893-1897)

style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |

| 2nd

| 50px

| John H. Catron

| Republican

| Scott, Lee, and Wise

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |

| 3rd

| 50px

| J. Powell Royall

| Republican

| Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, and Tazewell

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 4th

| 50px

| John M. Hart

| Democratic

| Roanoke, Montgomery, and cities of Roanoke and Radford

| 1908

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 5th

| 50px

| Alexander G. Crockett

| Democratic

| Giles, Bland, Pulaski, and Wythe

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |

| 6th

| 50px

| Edmund Parr

| Republican

| Carroll, Grayson, and Patrick

| 1912
(previously served 1895-1899)

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 7th

| 50px

| William A. Rinehart

| Democratic

| Craig, Botetourt, Allegheny, Bath, and city of Clifton Forge

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |

| 8th

| 50px

| John Paul, Jr.

| Republican

| Rockingham

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 9th

| 50px

| Edward Echols

| Democratic

| Augusta, Highland, and city of Staunton

| 1906
(previously served 1889-1897)

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 10th

| 50px

| Frank S. Tavenner

| Democratic

| Shenandoah, Frederick, and city of Winchester

| 1912
(previously served 1904-1908)

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 11th

| 50px

| G. Latham Fletcher

| Democratic

| Fauquier and Loudoun

| 1908

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 12th

| 50px

| R. S. Blackburn Smith

| Democratic

| Clarke, Page, and Warren

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 13th

| 50px

| Richard C. L. Moncure

| Democratic

| Spotsylvania, Stafford, Louisa, and city of Fredericksburg

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 14th

| 50px

| R. Ewell Thornton

| Democratic

| Alexandria county, Prince William, Fairfax, and city of Alexandria

| 1908

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 15th

| 50px

| Clyde T. Bowers

| Democratic

| Culpeper, Madison, Rappahannock, and Orange

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 16th

| 50px

| John B. Watkins

| Democratic

| Goochland, Powhatan, and Chesterfield

| 1908

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 17th

| 50px

| Nathaniel B. Early

| Democratic

| Albemarle, Greene, and city of Charlottesville

| 1908

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 18th

| 50px

| Sands Gayle

| Democratic

| Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, and Charlotte

| 1910

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 19th

| 50px

| Bland Massie

| Democratic

| Amherst and Nelson

| 1912
(previously served 1897-1906)

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 20th

| 50px

| Howell C. Featherston

| Democratic

| Campbell and city of Lynchburg

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 21st

| 50px

| Henry A. Edmondson

| Democratic

| Halifax

| 1908

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 22nd

|

| William T. Paxton

| Democratic

| Bedford, Rockbridge, and city of Buena Vista

| 1914

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 23rd

| 50px

| William A. Garrett

| Democratic

| Pittsylvania, Henry, and city of Danville

| 1901

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 24th

| 50px

| George T. Rison

| Democratic

| Pittsylvania and city of Danville

| 1904

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 25th

| 50px

| William D. Blanks

| Democratic

| Mecklenburg and Brunswick

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |

| 26th

| 50px

| Valentine M. Sowder

| Republican

| Franklin and Floyd

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 27th

| 50px

| Alexander R. Hobbs

| Democratic

| Greensville, Sussex, Surry, and Prince George

| 1901

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 28th

| 50px

| Robert K. Brock

| Democratic

| Nottoway, Amelia, Lunenburg, Prince Edward, and Cumberland

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 29th

| 50px

| Patrick H. Drewry

| Democratic

| Dinwiddie and city of Petersburg

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 30th

| 50px

| Junius E. West

| Democratic

| Isle of Wight, Southampton, and Nansemond

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 31st

| 50px

| John A. Lesner

| Democratic

| Norfolk city

| 1908

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 32nd

| 50px

| Charles U. Gravatt

| Democratic

| Caroline, Hanover, and King William

| 1908

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 33rd

| 50px

| Samuel T. Montague

| Democratic

| Norfolk county and city of Portsmouth

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 34th

| 50px

| C. Harding Walker

| Democratic

| King George, Richmond, Westmoreland, Lancaster, and Northumberland

| 1899

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 35th

| 50px

| Louis O. Wendenburg

| Democratic

| Henrico, New Kent, Charles City, James City, and city of Williamsburg

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 36th

| 50px

| Saxon W. Holt

| Democratic

| Elizabeth City, York, Warwick, and city of Newport News

| 1904

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 37th

| 50px

| G. Walter Mapp

| Democratic

| Accomac, Northampton, and Princess Anne

| 1912

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| rowspan="2" | 38th

| 50px

| James E. Cannon

| Democratic

| rowspan="2" | Richmond city

| 1914

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 50px

| Arthur C. Harman

| Democratic

| 1904

style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |

| 39th

| 50px

| John R. Saunders

| Democratic

| King and Queen, Middlesex, Essex, Gloucester, and Mathews

| 1908

{{Clear}}

Changes in membership

=Senate=

  • April 8, 1914, John M. Hart (D-4th district) resigns to accept appointment as Collector of Internal Revenue for the Western District of Virginia. Replaced by William L. Andrews at start of extra session.
  • April 13, 1914, Richard C. L. Moncure (D-13th district) resigns to accept appointment as Collector of Internal Revenue for the Eastern District of Virginia. Replaced by C. O'Conor Goolrick at start of extra session.
  • June 25, 1914, Samuel T. Montague (D-33rd district) resigned to become postmaster of Portsmouth. Replaced by William C. Corbitt at start of extra session.
  • December 19, 1914, Edward Echols (D-9th district) dies. Replaced by William H. Landes at start of extra session.

House of Delegates

=Leadership=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! width="35%" |Office

!colspan=2 width="65%"|Officer

Speaker of the House

|

| Edwin P. Cox (D)

Majority Floor Leader

|

| Martin Williams (D)

Minority Floor Leader

|

| (R)

{{Clear}}

See also

References