Joseph D. Sayers

Joseph Draper Sayers (September 23, 1841 – May 15, 1929) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 22nd governor of Texas from 1899 to 1903. A conservative Democrat, he served as the 12th lieutenant governor of Texas from 1879 to 1881 and in the Texas Senate from 1873 to 1874.

Early years Joseph Sayers was born September 23, 1841, in Grenada, Mississippi, to David Sayers and his wife Mary Thomas (née Peete). His mother died in Charleston, Mississippi, in 1847, and soon after he moved to Texas with his father and younger brother, William Branch Sayers. The family settled in Bastrop, where Sayers and his brother attended the Bastrop Military Institute.

Civil War When the Civil War broke out, Sayers joined the Confederate States Army's 5th Texas Regiment, a cavalry unit led by General Tom Green. He participated in the Battle of Valverde in New Mexico in February 1862, and was recommended for promotion for his bravery in capturing an artillery battery. Later that year he returned to Texas with his regiment before being sent to Louisiana, where he was wounded in the Battle of Fort Bisland in April 1863. His actions during that conflict led to his promotion to major, and he became Green's chief–of–staff. Sayers was wounded again in April 1864 at the Battle of Mansfield. After Green died at the Battle of Blair's Landing, Sayers became the assistant adjutant to General Richard Taylor.

During her childhood, her father moved with his family to Bastrop, Texas. She was married to Joseph D. Sayers when he was Lieutenant Governor, and the first years of her married life were spent in Austin. She was a member of the Methodist church and interested in its educational work. He served in Congress until 1898, when he ran for governor.

Campaign for governor Lafayette L. Foster was the Chairman of the Sayers Central Campaign Committee. In the summer of 1898, Foster was appointed as the President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas by the Board of Directors of the college. He was succeeded as chairman by Edward M. House. Sayers was supported by House in his campaign against Martin McNulty Crane in the Democratic party primary. Sayers won the gubernatorial election against Barnett Gibbs, the Populist party candidate, and took office in early 1899.

Governor During his term in office, labor unions were exempted from antitrust laws, and blacklists were outlawed. His term saw increased spending on education, prisons, and social service institutions and outlawed railroad rebates.

Sayers's term was notable for the number of disasters that the state faced. The Brazos River flooded in 1899, and the following year the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 caused great devastation. Other parts of the state suffered from a severe drought, and boll weevils caused widespread cotton destruction. Millions of dollars in assistance came to the state, and Sayers administered the distribution of the funds "honestly and fairly."

Later years After leaving office in 1903, Sayers focused mainly on his law practice. He also took the time, however, to serve on the Board of Regents for the University of Texas System as well as on the Industrial Accident Board, the State Board of Legal Advisors, and the pardon board.