The Weekly Tallahasseean. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 18??-1905, 1901-01-10
The Retiring Governor.

Inc keIIrIn& OOVernOr.
VIM. D. BlOxham was born in
Leon county, Fla, July 9, 1885.
His father was one of the pioneer
settlers of this county, having moved
from Virginia in 1926. Young
BlOxham was placed at school in his
native county, but at the age of thir-
teen was sent to a preparatory school
in Virginia, and afterwards to VIII
liam and Mary College, where he
graduated in June, 1855. He grad
uated in the law course at that insti-
tuition, but his health failing him he
never practiced. His profession was
given up for the more active life of a
planter. His fondnesS for politics
led him early into political life, and,
Notwithstanding his youth, he took
an active part in his county'S politics
in the election of Buchanan. In
1861 he was elected to the Legisla-
ture of Florida without opposition.
He opposed the reconstruction meas
ures Of Congress after tie war, and
was a = Residential ElectOr in 1868.
In 1870 he was unanimously nomi-
mated by the Democratic Convention
to tilt vacancy then existing in the
position of Lieutenant-Gove of
the State. His election to that
position, after a spirited canvas,
was the first Democratic triumph in
Florida after the war. In 1872 he
was nominated for Governor with
out Opposition-General Robert Bull
lock of Marion county being the
candidate for Lieutenant-Governo
and Hon. G. w. Jones, L. S. Senator,
and Hon. S i. Niblack, being Con
gressiOnal nominees. Owing to a
severe storm that swept the PENN
sular part of the State on the day
of election, a small vote was polled,
and the ticket was defeated. In 1876
Mr.. BlOxham served as a member of
the State Democratic Executive Com
mittee, and took an active part in
that campaign, which resulted in the
election of Hon. Geo. F. Drew, as
Governor. Mr.. Bloxham was ap-
pointed Secretary of State under the
new administration, which position
he held until the Summer of 1880.
when he was again nominated for
Governor. Resigning the position of
Secretary Of State, he made a most
active canvass of the State, and was
elected by over five thousand major
ity. He was inaugurated in the
presence of both houses of the
Legislature on January 4, 1881.
and served as Governor until Janu-
airy &, 1885, when his successor, Gov
ernor Z. A. Perry, was indicted into
office His administration was
great success, and under it Florida
developed more rapidly and satisfac-
torily than in any period of her his
tory. The convention that nomina
ted his successor pronounced it the
"Most brilliant in the history of the
Commonwealth"
In. May, 1885, President Cleve.
land appointed Governor Bloxham
Minister to Bolivia, but he declined
the position, and in November, the
same year. accepted the appointment
of United States Surveyor-G General
for the District of Florida, which Of
fee he held for four years. ..s
Subsequently Comptroller Barnes
resigned to accept the Circuit Judge
ship in the First District, and ex.
Governor Bloxham was appointed by
Governor Fleming to succeed him.
He was elected to a full term of four
years at the following election, and
then subsequently chosen in 1896 for
a second term as Governor, from
which he retired last Tuesday at
noon.