At the 1916 Republican National Convention, he openly squabbled with ex-Governor Ben W. Hooper (a Sanders ally) over the state's delegate to the national committee. The persistent enmity of Houk, Sanders and Hooper finally took its toll in the March 1918 Republican primary, when Austin was defeated for the nomination by state party chairman J. Will Taylor. During his five terms in Congress, Austin, a Taft ally, generally supported protectionist measures, such as tariffs on foreign imports. In February 1911, Austin delivered a memorial address on the House floor for Brownlow, who had died the previous year. In 1915, he supported a national exchange system that would help match job seekers with employers looking for help. During the House debate on the 19th Amendment in January 1918, Austin, referring to Congressman Jeannette Rankin of Montana, argued, "The highest, best, and strongest evidence that women's suffrage is a success has been established in this House by the enviable record made by our colleague from Montana, who has won the respect, confidence, and admiration of the members and officials of this House." Death Austin died in Washington, D.C., on April 20, 1919, just over a month after the end of his final congressional term. He is interred at Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee. References External links 1857 births 1919 deaths Politicians from Decatur, Alabama Politicians from Knoxville, Tennessee University of Tennessee alumni Tennessee lawyers Clerks United States Marshals American consuls Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee Alabama Republicans 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers