The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-08-31
Ironton Lender.
Ironton Leader.
The Democratic Candidate for
Secretary of State

Ironton Leader.
The Democratic Candidate for
Secretary of state.
We take pleasure in giving below a
brief review of Hon. Jas. w. Newman,
the standard bearer of the Ohio Dem
ocratic ticket in the present campaign. |
Many of our readers know him, by |
as Democratic Editor Of |
more than a decade, but more par
ticular reference to his life and public |
services, may not be out of place here. |
James Writ Newman is a Democrat, |
and the son of a Democratic sire, his
father, the late Hon. VIM. Newman,
an old Jeffersonian Democrat, having
been elected to the Ohio Senate i'll the
fail o. 1859. Jas. WIS. parents, VIM.
and Catherine, were natives of the val
ley of Virginia, and emigrated to Ohio
in the '30's.
The subject of this sketch was born
in Highland county, Ohio, OH the 18th
of March, 1S41 Shortly after, the
parents returned to Portsmouth, where
they had formerly resided, and it was
here that the younger Newman re-
ceived a common school education,
served as carrier boy, and was clerk
in the Recorders office, the late Judge
Crane, the Recorder, having often told
the writer with pride, Jim was the
best boy I ever knew" Later his
father sent him to the Ohio Wesleyan
University at Delaware, where he
graduated in 1901, with honor to him
self and credit to his parents and
friends, but few weeks after he had
attained his Goth year. The vote of
Delaware county in the Convention.
and the voice of Gen. Powell, one of
his classmates, in presenting his can
didacy, were eloquent compliments to
his high standing while in College.
Returning home in November 1861,
there being no Democratic paper in
the county, herevived the Portsmouth
Times, the publication of which, by
the late Hon. Walter g. Hood, had
been suspended for eighteen months.
| Conservative in his views, yet withal
thoroughly Democratic, his conduct of
the paper has been SO successful, that
it succeeded beyond the highest antic
| ipaCions of his friends, aud, with a
wide circulation, is second to no Dem
ocratic paper in the State.
The disastrous fire in March, 1871,
which swept away an entire square of
| buildings iii the heart of the city, de-
strOyed the Times office, but its in
domitable publisher never missed an
issue, and in one week, with new
presses, and new type. the Times was
making it's welcome visit as of yore.
In 1867 Mr.. Newman was nominated
by the Democracy of Scioto county for
Representative, in what was thought
to be hopeless canvass, when he was
but 26 years of age. He ran against
Col. John r. hurd, a very popular
man, but Newman led his ticket and
was elected to the Legislature. He
| served SO acceptably that K, was re-
nominated in 1863, making the race
against the late Hon. Elijah Glover,
and although the Republican State
ticket carried the county by nearly 800
ajority, Glover's alleged majority
| was but %. The chairman of the DEM
ocratic State Central Committee, hav-
ing become possessed of all the facts,
| instituted a contest, and it was clearly
shown that Newman, and not Glover
was entitled to the seat, but the party
exigency was such that Glover could
not be spared, and he was seated, and
| that determined the organization of
the House.
In the fall of 1871 Mr.. Newman was
nominated by the Democracy of the
7th Senatorial District, composed of
| the counties of Adams, Jackson, Pike
and Scioto, and was elected, running
ahead of his ticket in every county
save Jackson, the home of the late
DIR. A. B. Monahan, his opponent.
In 1873 he was re-nominated and re-
elected, leading his ticket not only in
the city of Portsmouth and Scioto
county, but in the district, although
the late Benjamin FayiOrd, popular
and honorable man, and pioneer citi-
zen, was forced on the ticket to make
the race against him. In 1880 he was
delegate the National Convention
which nominated Gen. Hancock for
President.
In the Legislature Mr.. Newman was
an active and efficient public servant,
punctual in his attendance, careful of
the rights of the citizens, and his
friends, who have watched his labors
in the General Assembly, can truth
fully say that the measures he intro
duced, and all others he sustained,
were on the side of economy in the
public service, and that every ballot
he cast was intended to promote and
advance the general interests and COM
mon welfare of his constituency and
his fellow citizens of Ohio.
In the last session of the Senate, of
which he was a member, he was the
painstdking and interchangeable chair
man of the Finance Committee, and
no one, before nor since, labored more
assiduously and earnestly to keep down
the appropriations to point consist
euJ with the pledges of his party,
which then, as now, favored an eco
nomical administration of the State
government.
Mr.. Newman has never been a can
didate for State office until now, and
the strength he developed in the State
Convention, receiving votes in "a out
OF SS counties of Ohio, evinces the fact
that his public services are fully recOg-
niZed, and his high standing in the
party is not confined to the county
nor the district where he made his
gallant and successful races in the past.
Mr.. Newman was married Oct. "a,
1871, to Miss Kate Moore, daughter of
Col. Oscar +. Moore, the well known
attorney of Portsmouth, They live in
their handsome residence on East Seq
ond street, Portsmouth, where friend
never goes away without the most
pleasing recollections of an instituted
hospitality. They have one child,
Howard, a bright little boy in his fifth
year.
At home Mr.. Newman commands
the esteem and confidence of the peo-
pie regardless of party, and deserves it,
for he has done much to advance the
industrial interests of Portsmouth, and
is largely interested i'll some of the
vigorous manufacturing industries of
his town.
The office being a non.political one,
he will poll large vote among his nu-
merous Republican friends in that
section. AS to his election we have
yet to meet a Republican or Democrat
who doubts it.