# James G. Maguire

James George Maguire (February 22, 1853 – June 20, 1920) was an American politician, judge, and Georgist, who served in the California State Assembly from 1875 to 1877, the San Francisco County Superior Court from 1882 to 1888, and the United States House of Representatives 1893 to 1899.

## Early life and education

James George Maguire was born on February 22, 1853, in Boston, Massachusetts. Maguire moved with his parents to California in February 1854. He attended the public schools of Watsonville in Santa Cruz County and the private academy of Joseph K. Fallon. For four years he apprenticed as a blacksmith. He served as a Lieutenant in the California National Guard in 1877, during which he was called upon to help suppress the San Francisco Riots.

## Political career

Maguire served as a member of the California State Assembly from 1875 to 1877, one of 20 members from the five San Francisco districts. At just 22 years old, he was the youngest member of the Legislature. He studied law and was admitted to the Bar by the Supreme Court of California in January 1878, commencing practice in San Francisco. In 1881, Maguire sought the Democratic and Workingmen's nominations for City Attorney of San Francisco, but did not gain either. The next year, he was elected a judge of the Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco, serving from 1882 to 1888.

### U.S. Congress

He was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 4th congressional district, serving in the 53rd, 54th, and 55th Congresses from March 4, 1893, to March 3, 1899. He authored the Maguire Act, which abolished the practice of imprisoning sailors who deserted from coastwise vessels.
In the 1898 state elections, Maguire unsuccessfully ran as the Democratic candidate for Governor of California, losing to Republican Henry Gage. He did not seek re-election to the House until 1908, when he lost to incumbent Julius Kahn.

## Later career and death

Maguire resumed his law practice in San Francisco. He ran for public office one last time, running for District Attorney of San Francisco in 1911 but losing in the primary to incumbent Charles Fickert. He died in San Francisco on June 20, 1920. He is interred at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.

## Gallery

* "My Whys"
* "Too Heavily Handicapped"
* "In Union There Is Sometimes Family Trouble"
* "Candidate Maguire and Single Tax"
* "The Lullaby of Nurse Maguire"
* "The Anvil Chorus"
* "Sandlot Vegetation"
* "A Case of the Jim-Jams"

## Electoral history

1892 United States House of Representatives elections :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James G. Maguire | 14,997 | 49.2 |
| | Republican | Charles O. Alexander | 13,226 | 43.4 |
| | Populist | Edgar P. Burman | 1,980 | 6.5 |
| | Prohibition | Henry Collins | 296 | 1.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 30,499 | 100.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |
1894 United States House of Representatives elections :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James G. Maguire (Incumbent) | 14,748 | 48.3 |
| | Republican | Thomas B. Shannon | 9,785 | 32.0 |
| | Populist | B. K. Collier | 5,627 | 18.4 |
| | Prohibition | Joseph Rowell | 388 | 1.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 30,548 | 100.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
1896 United States House of Representatives elections :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James G. Maguire (Incumbent) | 19,074 | 61.0 |
| | Republican | Thomas B. O'Brien | 10,940 | 35.0 |
| | Socialist Labor | E. T. Kingsley | 968 | 3.0 |
| | Prohibition | Joseph Rowell | 299 | 1.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 31,281 | 100.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
1898 California gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Henry Gage | 148,354 | 51.68% | +12.76% |
| | Democratic | James G. Maguire | 129,261 | 45.03% | +5.69% |
| | Socialist Labor | Job Harriman | 5,143 | 1.79 | +1.79% |
| | Prohibition | Joseph E. McComas | 4,297 | 1.50 | −2.21% |
| | | Scattering | 9 | 0.00% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,093 | 6.65% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 287,064 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | +7.07% | |
1908 United States House of Representatives elections :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Julius Kahn (incumbent) | 9,202 | 52.7 |
| | Democratic | James G. Maguire | 7,497 | 42.9 |
| | Socialist | K. J. Doyle | 699 | 4.0 |
| | Prohibition | William N. Meserve | 60 | 0.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,458 | 100.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |