Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-03-08
Men of the State Of Ohio
Strength to the Nation.

Marietta, on the fertile banks of the
Ohio These gentlemen are prophet
ors of Land there and propose to be-
come settlers in that delightful coun
try-that second land of promise
where nature smiles in all her glorj
and where most luxuriant soil and
happy climate will abundantly reward
the husbandman's labour."
No doubt these men we're the ances-
tors of some of our great political lead
ers, for are we not called the new
mother of Presidents? the title earn
ed by us in the early days. for it is d
serious fact that every President elect
ed by the Republican party since Lin
coin has been a native of Ohio. and the
prominence of Ohio men in high pos
tions he's led to the oft repeated ad-
age Every Ohioan is born poll =
tician."
Governor st. Clair assisted in the in
auguration of his old commander-in-
chief and devoted friend, WASHINGTON.
as first President of the United States
He was removed by President Jeffer-
son, father of Democracy, few
months before the formation of tho
state government in 1903. The closing
days of his life were spent in poverty
Political spirit ran high, even at that
early period, and party differences
were at that time born never to die. as
the history of the state has fully car
ried out.
The next politician of note was Gov
ernor Iiffin, a Democrat, of Ross
county. Chillicothe was the first cap.
ital in form, as it was the seat of gov
ernment, elected in 1903. He resigned
to become United States Senator The
office was filled by Thos. Kirker.
/ speaker of the Senate. He was eligi-
bic for the office, for in the early days
of our state there was no Lieutenant
! Governor. The Democrats were the
ruling power behind the throne in
those days. In 1903 Samuel Hunting
ton was Governor, from Trumbuli
| county.
Return Jonathan Meigs, also a Dem
ocrat, though not born in Ohio, filled
a most prominent part in the political
history of our state. While serving as
Judge in Louisiana, his health failed
and he returned to Marietta, to him the
garden spot of the EARTH in 1907. He
was commissioned Judge of the terri
tory of Michigan. He resigned to be-
come candidate for Governor of Ohio.
| This was one of the most exciting
campaigns in the early politics of the
state. His competitor was Nathaniel
Marsie, one of the earliest settlers OF
the Ohio valley. Gov. Meigs' admins
tration extended over a trying and diff
! ficult period. His management of af-
fairs during the opening days of the
! war of 1872 was by no means free from
criticism but the honesty of his inten-
tion and wisdom of his general policy
was recognized by the people, who for
| the third time elected him chief mag
istrate of the state by an increased ma
jority. During his second term he was
| called, in 1914, by President Madison,
to the position of Postmaster General.
portant position until 1928, when he
| rendered his resignation. 1t was not
surprising that he was accused of mis-
management of public affairs. The
| criticism of political opponents is not
| necessarily an imputation against the
character of an official. In this, history
repeats itself. After his resignation,
| which closed long period of public
service, Governor Meigs returned to
his home in Marietta. where he died in
1925. He was held in high personal re
| gard among the citizens. He was our
| first postmaster. He at one time own
| ed square of land, from Scanned to
Putnam streets. He built the house
now occupied by Judge Follett He
served as territorial and state Judge
and United States Senator.
To Governor Thos. Worthington be-
longs the unique distinction of being
the only Ohio Governor ever arrested
for debt, In 1916 Gov. Worthington
contracted with Judge Pike to grub
and chop the timber of the present
state house square. The Governor was
a nonresident of the county Some
misunderstanding arose as to the pay
ment of Judge Pike for his labor
whereupon he served a capias and had
the Governor arrested and marched to
jail He was not locked up, however,
the matter being adjusted.
Brown, Trimble, Macarthur, Lucas,
and Vance followed in regular success
sion. with uneventful and peaceful
'reigns, nothing to mark them, coming
or going.
Governor Shannon was wide reach
ing in his political sphere, serving first
| IL. - fa1o ~