The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-12-10
OUR OHIO GOVERNORS.


The dispatches from Chicago failed
to give an adequate account of the
banquet there of the Ohio Society, in
honor of Gov. Campbell. The Chicago
papers, however, do full justice to the
occasion. We quote some choice ex-
tracts from Gov. Campbelrs address:
His toast was "the Governors of Ohio"
The first governor of Ohio, to use an
Irish expression, was not governor at
ell but governor of the Northwest
Territory. Arthur st. Clair of Penn
sylvanfa was governor of the North
west Territory, of which Ohio was a
part, from July 13 1888, when the first
civil government was established in the
Territory, until about the close of the
year 1902, when he was removed by the
president. st. Clair is well know as the
man who lost the battle of Fort Re-
covery, also known as st. Clair's defeat.
He was tyrant, holding very peculiar
ideas in regard to Government. Out of
the 30 laws enacted by the Ohio pro-
visiOnal legislature before the State
constitution was formed st. Clair We.
toed 10. As q result the constitution
of Ohio now contains no veto clause
distinction which no other State save
leaves the governors very little to do
but to draw their salary, which the
present incumbent, at least, does with
commendable promptitude.
Governor Campbell was very happy
in .ir Chicago speech, and referring to
the first overnOr of the State, said.
Edward l'lin. an Englishmen, be-
came governor IA 1903, and held Office
until March 3, 1907, wien he resigned to
accept the office of United S'ates Sena.
tor. He was elected governor without
opposition. | might add this H. 70
longer the case. He also refused d
third term-a custom which, in the
language of great statesman, has
since fallen into state of innocuous
desuetude. However know governors
Of Ohionow in Office who have no idea of
running third time. Tiflln was also a
piOus man, setting precedent since
universally followed by all Ohio GOV
erDOrs.
Ofthat Governor of odd name, Re-
turn Jonathan Meigs, elected in 1910,
who four years later became post mas
ter general, Governor Campbell relates
this incident:
His peculiar name is due to To-
nance connected with his fathers
courtship. When Jonathan Meigs
was courting the mother Of the future
Governor they had little tilt Meigs
left in anger. The lady afterward
| thought better of it, and wrote on slip
of paper which she sent her despairing
suitor, "Return Jonathan" Jona-
than returned, and when the Governor
later appeared on the scene of action
he bore the name Of Return Jona-
than."
Only a month or two ago Return
Jonathan Meigs died in Washington;
| adescendent of the above named. He
had passed nearly his whole life in the
postoflice department. Among other
jokes on Ohio Governors, Governor
Campbelllreeled off these:
In 1910 Thomas Corwin, the famous
wit, was elected Governor, and found
the duties so light that he at once said
tkat all that Ohio Governors had to do
was to make notaries public out of
whig lawyers and pardon Democrats
from the State penitentiary.
Governor Tod was a wit and spelled
his name with one I'd" because, as he
said, "the Almighty had always got
along with one, and he thought he had
better try to do the same"