Graham was Vermont's Auditor from 1902 to 1916, and a member of the state Education Commission in 1913.[9][10]
Election as Governor
In 1916 Graham was the successful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor. In a state where only Republicans won statewide office from the 1850s to the 1960s, he easily won the
general election. He served from 1917 to 1919, the one term then available to Vermont Republicans under the
"Mountain Rule."[11][12][13]
Graham's governorship was notable for his advocacy of women's suffrage in local elections, and for his efforts to mobilize the
Vermont National Guard and other state resources for
World War I.[14][15]
Charges of embezzlement
While Graham was governor, an investigation revealed that a large sum of state money (nearly $25 thousand, or $450 thousand in 2019) was unaccounted for during his term as Auditor. Graham repaid the missing funds, but was charged with embezzlement and convicted at trial.[16] He was then pardoned by the new Governor,
Percival Clement, who lauded Graham's integrity (his nickname was "Honest Horace")[17] and efforts as Governor during
World War I. Graham always maintained his innocence, but stated that since the loss took place while he was Auditor, he felt personally obligated to reimburse the state for the missing money.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
Post gubernatorial career
His reputation for integrity was largely undamaged, and he served in the Vermont House again from 1923 to 1925, and also took part in revising Vermont's Statutes in 1933.[26][27][28][29][30]
Death and burial
Graham died in Craftsbury on November 23, 1941.[31] He was buried at Craftsbury Common Cemetery.[32]
Personal
Graham was a lifelong bachelor and lived with his sister Isabel.[33][34][35]
^History of Woman Suffrage: 1900-1920, edited by Ida Husted Harper, published by National American Woman Suffrage Association, Volume 6, 1922, page 663
^Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, edited by Robert Sobel and John Raimo, Volume 4, 1978, page 1603