Anthony Caminetti

Anthony Caminetti (July 30, 1854 – November 17, 1923) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a United States representative from California from 1891 to 1895.

Anthony Caminetti
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 2nd district
In office March 4, 1891 – March 4, 1895
Preceded by	Marion Biggs
Succeeded by	Grove L. Johnson
Personal details
Born	(1854-07-30)July 30, 1854 Jackson, California, U.S.
Died	November 17, 1923(1923-11-17) (aged 69) Jackson, California, U.S.
Resting place	Protestant Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Ellen Martin
Children	2

Early life and career

Born in Jackson, California, Caminetti was the son of Italian emigrants.^[1] He attended the public schools of his native county, the grammar schools in San Francisco, and the University of California, Berkeley. He also studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1877 and commenced practice in Jackson. He was the district attorney of Amador County from 1878 until 1882.^[2]

Personal life

Ellen Martin

He married Ellen Martin, a native of California. She descended from the distinguished Madison family. Her great-grandmother was President Madison's own cousin. Her great-grandfather, George Holland, was a First Lieutenant in the Continental army, and was with Washington at Valley Forge. His oath of allegiance is on file at the Department of State, being one of the few documents preserved from the destructive hands of the English in the war of 1812.

When her husband was unable to be present at the Democratic Convention in Sacramento, Ellen Martin went before the Convention and made his speech of acceptance for him. In commenting on this one of the newspapers of California said: "People who think that women have no influence in politics ought to have attended the Democratic Convention in Sacramento yesterday. Mrs. Caminetti presided and dictated the course of the proceedings with grace and precision of purpose unexpected from the gentler sex." Her work in Washington during a session of the Fifty-third Congress, against a bill that she opposed, elicited a complimentary editorial from a San Francisco paper. Ellen Martin was prominently connected with educational work in California, and was a member of the Board of Education of her county.^[3]

Political career

Caminetti served in the California State Assembly in 1883–1885.^[2] In 1886 his son was born, Farley Drew Caminetti. He was also a member of the State Senate from 1885 to 1887.

Congress

He was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-second and Fifty-third United States Congresses (March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895). While in Congress, he proposed a bill in 1892 that would have eliminated Yosemite National Park, prompting a campaign by the Sierra Club President John Muir to kill the bill.^[4]

He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1894 for reelection to the Fifty-fourth Congress.

Later career and death

He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1896 and again a member of the State Assembly from 1897 until 1901. In April 1897, he was appointed code commissioner (meaning he was supposed to analyze uncodified California statutory law in the California Statutes and attempt to codify general provisions in the California Codes) and served in that capacity until July 31, 1899.^[2]

He was a member of the State Senate from 1907 to 1913. In 1907, during his second time in the State Senate, Caminetti brought about the enactment of the Upward Extension Act, the first state law in the United States to formally authorize the creation of junior colleges.^[5] This eventually resulted in the creation of the California Community Colleges.^[5]

He served as United States Commissioner General of Immigration from 1913 to 1921.^[6]

In 1913, his son, Farley Drew Caminetti, was arrested under the Mann Act when he took his mistress to Reno, Nevada across the state line.^[7]

As immigration chief he argued that the U.S. Congress should end all immigration of Chinese, Japanese, and Malays because they represented the "Asiatic menace." In 1915 he was assigned to the National Employment Bureau. In 1917, he was appointed a member of the War Industries Board and after the war was sent to Europe to investigate conditions there.^[2]

He engaged in the practice of law in Jackson, California until his death in 1923.^[6] He was buried in the Protestant Cemetery.^[2]

Electoral history

1890 United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2nd district^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Anthony Caminetti	18,644	49.0
	Republican	George G. Blanchard	18,485	48.6
	Prohibition	J. S. Witherell	912	2.4
Total votes			38,041	100.0
Turnout
	Democratic hold

1892 United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2nd district^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Anthony Caminetti (incumbent)	20,741	53.3
	Republican	John F. Davis	16,781	43.1
	Prohibition	Chauncey H. Dunn	1,307	3.4
	Independent	J. H. White	122	0.3
Total votes			38,951	100.0
Turnout
	Democratic hold

1894 United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2nd district^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Grove L. Johnson	19,302	43.0
	Democratic	Anthony Caminetti (incumbent)	15,732	35.1
	Populist	Burdell Cornell	8,946	20.0
	Prohibition	Elam Briggs	866	1.9
Total votes			44,846	100.0
Turnout
	Republican gain from Democratic

References

1. The Italian American Experience: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc. 2000. p. 480. ISBN 0-8153-0713-6.
2. "Anthony Caminetti". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
3. Hinman, Ida (1895). The Washington Sketch Book. pp. 93, 95. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. "A 1893 petition written by John Muir asking the House of Representatives to preserve Yosemite National Park". Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
5. Boggs, George R. (2021). "Chapter 1: Beginnings". In Boggs, George R.; Galizio, Larry (eds.). A College for All Californians: A History of the California Community Colleges. New York: Teachers College Press. pp. 1–15. ISBN 9780807779873. (At p. 3.)
6. "Anthony Caminetti Dies. Former Immigration Commissioner Was Prominent Figure In California Politics". Los Angeles Times. November 8, 1923. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved 2010-08-22. Anthony Caminetti, well known in California politics for many years and former Federal Commissioner of Immigration, died at his home here tonight shortly after 6 o'clock. At his bedside at the time were his two sons, Farley Drew and Anthony B. Caminetti, Jr., and four grandchildren.
7. "Caminetti Guilty On Only One Count. Two Jurors Hold Out for Acquittal for Three Hours, but Finally Compromise". The New York Times. September 6, 1913. Retrieved 2010-08-20. Farley Drew Caminetti, son of the Commissioner General of Immigration, was found guilty late to-day on one count of the indictment charging him with violation of the Mann White Slave act.
8. 1890 election results
9. 1892 election results
10. 1894 election results

Further reading

• Acherman, Kenneth D., Young J. Edgar: Hoover, The Red Scare, and The Assault on Civil Liberties. New York: Carroll & Graf. 2007. ISBN 978-0-7867-1775-0. ("Asiatic menace" on page 54).
• Giovinco, Joseph P., The California Career of Anthony Caminetti, Italian-American Politician. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California at Berkeley, 1973.

External links

• Join California Anthony Caminetti

California Assembly
Preceded by Charles B. Swift, Chapman Warkins	California State Assemblyman, 16th District (Amador County seat) 1883-1885 (with Robert Stewart)	Succeeded by George H. Colby
Preceded by James H. Tibbits	California State Assemblyman, 15th District 1897-1901	Succeeded by Frederick L. Stewart
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Marion Biggs	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 2nd congressional district 1891–1895	Succeeded by Grove L. Johnson
Government offices
Preceded by Daniel Keefe	Commissioner General of Immigration 1909 – 1913	Succeeded by William W. Husband