Kentucky. Governor (1883-1887 : Knott)

James Proctor Knott was born August 29, 1830 in Marion County, Kentucky. He moved to Scotland County, Missouri in 1850 and began the practice of law the following year. In Missouri he served in the state legislature and as attorney general. A "moderate secessionist," he refused to take the federal loyalty oath after Missouri voted not to secede. He was forced to resign, disbarred from practicing law in that state, and imprisoned for a short time. He returned to Kentucky and to the practice of law in 1863.

Knott served six terms in the United States Congress (1867-1871, 1875-1883) where he became known for his oratory. His most famous speech, which became known as his "Duluth Speech," was delivered to Congress on January 27, 1871, in which he opposed federal funding of a railroad that would end at Duluth, Minnesota.

A good deal of controversy surrounded his nomination for the governorship during the Democratic state convention in 1883, but he easily defeated his Republican opponent in the general election.

Like his predecessor, Knott was determined to reduce the state's budget deficit of nearly half a million dollars. He recognized that the main cause of the deficit was the "grossly defective system of assessment." In its 1884-1885 session, the General Assembly created a state Board of Equalization to try to make tax assessment "more uniform," but it was not until the next session, 1885-1886, that any kind of effective legislation was passed. The comprehensive tax reforms more than doubled the state's revenues by 1888, leaving Knott's successor with a $200,000 surplus in the treasury, but his own administration was chronically short of funds.

In 1884 the General Assembly passed the Common School Law, the most progressive school legislation in the state's history. Among other things, the law provided for a state Board of Education, determined the length of the school year, established a standard course of study, and provided for the election of school superintendents from each county. A major shortcoming of the law was that most of the funds for the new school improvements were to come from the counties themselves, the governor and the legislature having determined that the state had reached "the limit of its ability to support the common schools from state revenues." Better schools evolved only in those few counties that were willing to tax themselves for the benefit of education.

During Knott's administration, the legislature finally appropriated $100,000 for the construction of the Branch Penitentiary at Eddyville, and introduced legislation, though it did not pass, that would prevent the penitentiary from hiring out its convicts as cheap and expendable labor.

Knott maintained an active interest in politics after his term, and served as a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1890. He was later a professor of civics and economics at Centre College in Danville, and became the first dean and professor of its new law school in 1894. He spent his last years in Lebanon, Kentucky, and died there June 18, 1911 at the age of 81.

From the description of Subunit history. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145416442