Arsène Paulin Pujo (December 16, 1861 – December 31, 1939) was a member of the United States House of Representatives best known for chairing the "Pujo Committee", which sought to expose an anticompetitive conspiracy among some of the nation's most powerful financial interests (trusts).
Pujo was born in Calcasieu Parish near Lake Charles, Louisiana to a French-born father.[1] He practiced law in Lake Charles and was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1898 before he was elected as a Democrat in 1902.[2] In 1908, he became a member of the National Monetary Commission, a body which sought to study foreign banking systems in search of ways to better the domestic banking system. In 1911, he was appointed to chair the House Committee on Banking and Currency. In 1912, he left the National Monetary Commission and obtained congressional authorization to form a separate committee, which came to be called the Pujo Committee, to investigate the "money trust".
The Pujo Committee found that a cabal of financial leaders were abusing their public trust to consolidate control over many industries. Although Pujo left Congress in 1913, the findings of the committee inspired public support for ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913, passage of the Federal Reserve Act that same year, and passage of the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914. They were also widely publicized in the Louis Brandeis book, Other People's Money and How the Bankers Use It.
While still a Congressman, Pujo worked as a lumber company lawyer and helped suppress an Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) timber workers strike in 1912, which culminated in the Grabow riot. Although the coroner charged the Galloway Lumber Company of Grabow, Louisiana with murder for shooting and killing three union strikers on July 7, 1912, the grand jury refused to indict and instead charged 58 union members with first-degree murder. Pujo helped prosecute 9 but the jury returned a dismissal after 1 hour of deliberation and the remaining defendants were released. (Perlman and Taft, p. 246) [3]: 111
Referencesedit
^ "United States Census, 1880", FamilySearch, retrieved March 29, 2018
^"S. Doc. 58-1 - Fifty-eighth Congress. (Extraordinary session -- beginning November 9, 1903.) Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress. Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing by A.J. Halford. Special edition. Corrections made to November 5, 1903". GovInfo.gov. U.S. Government Printing Office. 9 November 1903. p. 42. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
^LeJeune, Keagan (2010). Always for the underdog : Leather Britches Smith and the Grabow War (1st ed.). Denton, Tex.: University of North Texas Press. ISBN978-1-57441-346-5. OCLC 726747555.
arsène, pujo, arsène, paulin, pujo, december, 1861, december, 1939, member, united, states, house, representatives, best, known, chairing, pujo, committee, which, sought, expose, anticompetitive, conspiracy, among, some, nation, most, powerful, financial, inte. Arsene Paulin Pujo December 16 1861 December 31 1939 was a member of the United States House of Representatives best known for chairing the Pujo Committee which sought to expose an anticompetitive conspiracy among some of the nation s most powerful financial interests trusts Arsene PujoMember of the U S House of Representatives from Louisiana s 7th districtIn office March 4 1903 March 3 1913Preceded byDistrict createdSucceeded byLadislas LazaroPersonal detailsBornArsene Paulin Pujo 1861 12 16 December 16 1861Lake Charles Louisiana U S DiedDecember 31 1939 1939 12 31 aged 78 New Orleans Louisiana U S Political partyDemocraticBiography editPujo was born in Calcasieu Parish near Lake Charles Louisiana to a French born father 1 He practiced law in Lake Charles and was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1898 before he was elected as a Democrat in 1902 2 In 1908 he became a member of the National Monetary Commission a body which sought to study foreign banking systems in search of ways to better the domestic banking system In 1911 he was appointed to chair the House Committee on Banking and Currency In 1912 he left the National Monetary Commission and obtained congressional authorization to form a separate committee which came to be called the Pujo Committee to investigate the money trust The Pujo Committee found that a cabal of financial leaders were abusing their public trust to consolidate control over many industries Although Pujo left Congress in 1913 the findings of the committee inspired public support for ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913 passage of the Federal Reserve Act that same year and passage of the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914 They were also widely publicized in the Louis Brandeis book Other People s Money and How the Bankers Use It While still a Congressman Pujo worked as a lumber company lawyer and helped suppress an Industrial Workers of the World IWW timber workers strike in 1912 which culminated in the Grabow riot Although the coroner charged the Galloway Lumber Company of Grabow Louisiana with murder for shooting and killing three union strikers on July 7 1912 the grand jury refused to indict and instead charged 58 union members with first degree murder Pujo helped prosecute 9 but the jury returned a dismissal after 1 hour of deliberation and the remaining defendants were released Perlman and Taft p 246 3 111 References edit United States Census 1880 FamilySearch retrieved March 29 2018 S Doc 58 1 Fifty eighth Congress Extraordinary session beginning November 9 1903 Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing by A J Halford Special edition Corrections made to November 5 1903 GovInfo gov U S Government Printing Office 9 November 1903 p 42 Retrieved 2 July 2023 LeJeune Keagan 2010 Always for the underdog Leather Britches Smith and the Grabow War 1st ed Denton Tex University of North Texas Press ISBN 978 1 57441 346 5 OCLC 726747555 United States Congress Arsene Pujo id P000567 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Sources editPerlman Selig and Philip Taft History of Labor in the United States 1896 1932 Volume IV Labor Movements MacMillan NY 1935 683 pp The American Pageant 11th Edition by Thomas A Bailey David M Kennedy and Lizabeth Cohen copyright 1998U S House of RepresentativesPreceded byDistrict created Member of the U S House of Representatives from Louisiana s 7th congressional district1903 1913 Succeeded byLadislas Lazaro Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arsene Pujo amp oldid 1183802841, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
