Josiah Bailey

Who was Josiah Bailey?

Josiah William Bailey was a Democratic U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1931 and 1946. Born in Warrenton, NC, he grew up in Raleigh and graduated from Wake Forest College. Before turning to a career in law, Bailey was editor of the Biblical Recorder, a newspaper for North Carolina Baptists.

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1930 by defeating longtime Democratic Senator Furnifold McLendel Simmons, Bailey earned a reputation as a conservative while in office. In 1937, he co-authored the bi-partisan Conservative Manifesto, a document criticizing President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and proposing more conservative alternatives. Among other things, the Manifesto called for lower taxes and less spending. During his time in office, he served as chairman of two different committees: the Committee on Claims and later the Committee on Commerce.

Bailey died in office in 1946.

Well known for his quotes, two of the most famous of which are most likely:

"They who forgive most, shall be most forgiven."

"Since we humans have the better brain, isn't it our responsibility to protect our fellow creatures from, oddly enough, ourselves?".