Evening journal., 1912-07-17
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The GubernatOriaI Candidate
Who Paidf for His Defeat
By Holland

John l. Blam of New Jersey. who
died in 1888, was one of the countrys
most famous philanthropists of his
day In his time, too, he was among
the country's leading railroad build
ers and capitalists; all told he was
| connected, either as a builder or di-
rector with twenty different rail-
roads. The railroads now known as
the Delaware, Lackawanna g. West
crn he constructed as an outlet to
| the products Of the iron furnaces
which were the first to attempt to
manufacture iron with anthracite
coal That attempt Mr.. Blair under
/ took In association with the Scranton
/ brothers of Scranton, Pennsylvania,
in 1886.
One Of Mr.. Blair's intimate friends
and business associates was the late
Judge Ashbel Green for many years
the leading lawyer of his State, and
! famous in the late seventies of the
! last century as the man who brought
about the nomination of General Nc
] Cellan for Governor by the Democrats
of New Jersey.
John Blair" Mr.. Green said to
me shortly after his friends death,
was, despite his great wealth-he
was the richest man of New Jersey
for many years. and one of the rich
est in the United States-as consist
ent a demoncrat as I ever knew in
his personal habits and associations.
He was such an ideal democratic cit
izen in everv other respect that I
often thought he should have been a
Democrat politically. But he was a
staunch Republican from the day of
the partys formation until the day of
his death
In 1868. the Republican leaders Of
New Jersey went to Mr. Blair and
asked him if he would consent 10 be
the party's candidate for Governor.
Why should 10 he replied 7 am
crawling along towards seventy
wears of age. I have matters enough
to keep me busy and yet I can live
I'm as comfortable retirement as
please.
"The party leaders told him, how
ever. that he owed a duty to his
party and his State. If that Is your
argument, said he then, If am
nominated for Governor, | shall ac-
cept the nomination.
so he was nominated. And
know that there was no person in
New Jersey who took less interest IN
the election personally than John l..
Blair himself He told his friends
that he cared little whether he was
voted in or voted out, and all his ac-
tions bore out his words. There was
one feature of the campaign, however
that was very gratifying. to Mr..
Blair's friends and to himself, and
that was the fact that he was not ac-
cused Of being a candidate who de-
pended upon his fortune of millions
for his prominence.
The Republican party could not get
much money for the campaign; I
have always thought that Mr. Blair
felt that he would not be justified in
contributing funds to secure his own
election. He did say, however, to the
campaign committee that in case he
was defeated he would like to sec
and chat with some of the members
of the committee.
"He was defeated. A few days
after election he sent word to the
committee that he wanted a state
ment made of all Of the expenses Of
the campaign. He wanted the state
ment made out i'm detail so that he
could decide whether the money had
been honorably expended or not.
pretty soon the statement was
laid before him. II showed as 7 recol-
lect. expenses amounting to about a
hundred and one thousand dollars.
There was no expenditures which
was not honorable Thereupon, John
I. Blair put his hand into his pocket
and paid every dollar of this expense.
He was as cheerful about it, appar-
emily. as he would have been had he
been elected. But you will observe
and everybody in New Jersey who
knew the facts did not fail to observe
that he did not pay the money until
the election was over and that he paid
II as a defeated candidate.
at is my impression that not IN
the entire history of American poll
tics can there be found case which
parallels this Candidates in plenty
have put up money before nomina,
ton or election, but I never knew ol
defeated candidate except John l.
Blair. who paid the entire cost Of a
campaign himself"
(Copyright. 1912. by e. ] Edawrds
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards VIII tell ol
a Famous Lawyer Who Changed