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Cunningham's political career soared in 1878, when he briefly became a state representative, a delegate to the 1879 state constitutional convention, and then for a single four-year term a state senator. He was elected attorney general in 1884 in the administration of [[Governor]] Samuel Douglas McEnery (1837-1910). After a four-year hiatus, he returned as attorney general under Governor [urphy James Foster, Sr. (1849-1921), the grandfather of the last 20th century anthe  first 21st century governor, Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]] In 1896, Cunningham prepared the legal brief of ''[[Plessy v. Ferguson]].'' In the specific case, Homer Adolph Plessy (1862-1925) of New Orleans, seven-eights white and one-eighth black, was criminally fined for riding in the white-only car on a train from New Orleans to Covington in St. Tammany Parish. The [[United States Supreme Court]] upheld by a seven-to-one margin the principle of "separate but equal" in public accommodations,<ref name=mjc/> a decision which stood for fifty-eight years until 1954, when ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' school struck down as unconstitutional [[Segregation|segregated]] public schools.

Cunningham's political career soared in 1878, when he briefly became a state representative, a delegate to the 1879 state constitutional convention, and then for a single four-year term a state senator. He was elected attorney general in 1884 in the administration of [[Governor]] Samuel Douglas McEnery (1837-1910). After a four-year hiatus, he returned as attorney general under Governor [urphy James Foster, Sr. (1849-1921), the grandfather of the last 20th century anthe  first 21st century governor, Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]] In 1896, Cunningham prepared the legal brief of ''[[Plessy v. Ferguson]].'' In the specific case, Homer Adolph Plessy (1862-1925) of New Orleans, seven-eights white and one-eighth black, was criminally fined for riding in the white-only car on a train from New Orleans to Covington in St. Tammany Parish. The [[United States Supreme Court]] upheld by a seven-to-one margin the principle of "separate but equal" in public accommodations,<ref name=mjc/> a decision which stood for fifty-eight years until 1954, when ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' school struck down as unconstitutional [[Segregation|segregated]] public schools.

As attorney general, Cunningham rarely employed outside counsel and handled even complicated cases himself. In the process he saved taxpayers a considerable amount of money. In the 1890s, as attorney general, he worked successfully against the [[lottery]] companies. When the state was sued regarding a contract for work on the Red River, Cunningham defended the state against nine leading lawyers from New Orleans. He proved that the contract was illegal and had not been implemented. He hence secured a legal victory which saved the state $250,000.<ref>"Soldier of Justice Loses Last Fight:: Valiant  Warrior for Public Rights Dies in This City: Milton J. Cunningham Had Held Many Offices; Showed Mettle That Wins," ''New Orleans Times-Picayune,'' October 20, 1916.</ref>​

As attorney general, Cunningham rarely employed outside counsel and handled even complicated cases himself. In the process he saved taxpayers a considerable amount of money. In the 1890s, as attorney general, he worked successfully against the lottery companies. When the state was sued regarding a contract for work on the Red River, Cunningham defended the state against nine leading lawyers from New Orleans. He proved that the contract was illegal and had not been implemented. He hence secured a legal victory which saved the state $250,000.<ref>"Soldier of Justice Loses Last Fight:: Valiant  Warrior for Public Rights Dies in This City: Milton J. Cunningham Had Held Many Offices; Showed Mettle That Wins," ''New Orleans Times-Picayune,'' October 20, 1916.</ref>​

From 1900 to 1904, Governor William Wright Heard named Cunningham the public administrator for  Orleans Parish, and he continued to practice law in New Orleans and held valuable farm lands in Natchitoches Parish. He was living on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans in 1904; on Coliseum Street, in the 1910 census]<ref name=mjc/>​

From 1900 to 1904, Governor William Wright Heard named Cunningham the public administrator for  Orleans Parish, and he continued to practice law in New Orleans and held valuable farm lands in Natchitoches Parish. He was living on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans in 1904; on Coliseum Street, in the 1910 census.<ref name=mjc/>​

==Family and death==​

==Family and death==​

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Cunningham's first two wives, Thalia Tharp (1843-1872) and Annie Peyton (1852-1878), died after short marriages. He was left to rear five young children, one of whom, a son, John Hamilton Cunningham, II, drowned at the age of nine. In 1880, at the age of thirty-eight, Cunningham married Cecile Hertzong (1860-1886), who was twenty. She had been reared at what is now Melrose Plantation in south Natchitoches Parish. From the third marriage were born four more children in addition to his previous four living children. When the fourth daughter was only a few months old, Cecile died at the age of twenty-six. At some point, an [[African-American]] former slave, Mary "Mammy" Pitcher (1847-1913), moved into the household to care for the children. Cunningham did not marry again until 1895, when he wed for his fourth and last time Emma Mai Blouin (1876-1945), a member of a prominent New Orleans family and his surviving widow.<ref name=mjc/>​

Cunningham's first two wives, Thalia Tharp (1843-1872) and Annie Peyton (1852-1878), died after short marriages. He was left to rear five young children, one of whom, a son, John Hamilton Cunningham, II, drowned at the age of nine. In 1880, at the age of thirty-eight, Cunningham married Cecile Hertzong (1860-1886), who was twenty. She had been reared at what is now Melrose Plantation in south Natchitoches Parish. From the third marriage were born four more children in addition to his previous four living children. When the fourth daughter was only a few months old, Cecile died at the age of twenty-six. At some point, an [[African-American]] former slave, Mary "Mammy" Pitcher (1847-1913), moved into the household to care for the children. Cunningham did not marry again until 1895, when he wed for his fourth and last time Emma Mai Blouin (1876-1945), a member of a prominent New Orleans family and his surviving widow.<ref name=mjc/>​

 

In the fall of 1916, Cunningham died in New Orleans at the age of seventy-four. His services were held at his home, after which the body was placed on a train and sent to Natchitoches for burial beside his first and third wives at American Cemetery.  "Mammy" is also buried in the Cunningham plot. Her grave inscription reads: "'Our Mammy', who was the most faithful human being that ever lived.'"<ref name=mjc/> ​

In the fall of 1916, Cunningham died in New Orleans at the age of seventy-four. His services were held at his home, after which the body was placed on a train and sent to Natchitoches for burial beside his first and third wives at American Cemetery.  "Mammy" is also buried in the Cunningham plot. Her grave inscription reads: "'Our Mammy', who was the most faithful human being that ever lived.'"<ref name=mjc/> ​