Ma Ferguson and Know-Nothingism

Miriam Amanda 'Ma' Ferguson became the first female governor of the state of Texas, and the second in the nation, when she assumed office in January 1925. Her husband, 'Pa,' had been banned from public office after his own term as governor was interrupted by impeachment and conviction. She was the most efficient chief executive in state history, if efficiency is best reflected in the pardon rate. Ma Ferguson averaged over five pardons per day for her entire four years as governor.

During her first term, she vehemently opposed her state's single progressive innovation, Spanish-language kindergarten. Though the quote is widely attributed to her, there is no evidence that she asserted, 'If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's good enough for the children of Texas!' A variation on this know-nothingness dates to the late 19th century. The New York Times, on 23 May 1881, referred to a Rev. Dr. Pentecost, who was raising money for a new Bible translation. A farmer told the curiously-named parson, 'What's the matter with the good old King James version? That was good enough for St. Paul, and it's good enough for me.'