 In 1884 , McCreary was elected to the first of six consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives . As a legislator , he was an advocate of free silver and a champion of the state 's agricultural interests . After two failed bids for election to the Senate , McCreary secured the support of Governor J. C. W. Beckham , and in 1902 , the General Assembly elected him to the Senate . He served one largely undistinguished term , and Beckham successfully challenged him for his Senate seat in 1908 . The divide between McCreary and Beckham was short @-@ lived , however , and Beckham supported McCreary 's election to a second term as governor in 1911 . 
