Evening journal., 1912-04-03
NEW NEWS Or YESTERDAY
An OlitlOniSt Who Ran
for President
By Holland


During the two decades between
1880 and 1850 there was no man in the
United States more widely known,
more cordially hated or more thor
oughly respected and admired than
James G. Birney. Though of kentucky
birth, and though for many years a
citizen Of Alabama, at one time serv-
ing as prosecuting attorney for Hunts
Vile, Mr.. Birney became conspicuous
by reason of his earnest advocacy Of
the manumission of slaves, he having
set the example by freeing his own
slaves and then employing them as
farmhands, paying them regular
wages.
q Think said the late Judge Noah
Davis, who was for many years a Su-
preme Court justice in New York
State, and who was beaten by Roscoe
Conkling for the United States Sem
ate in the final caucus by only three
votes in 1866, that not even Wendell
Phillips or William Lloyd Garrison
so completely captivated that portion
of the American public which was op-
posed to slavery as did James G. Bir-
ney How he continued to edit his
anti-slavery paper, which he estab-
lished at Cincinnati in the late thir-
ties, in spite of the fact that several
times his press was destroyed by
mobs and he was repeatedly threaten
ed with personal violence, is a mat
ter of history.
1T was largely through the influ-
ence that his paper exerted that MIR
Birney was nominated for President
i'm 1910 by the Liberty party, the first
regular organization that attempt i
to oppose slavery by political means.
Four years later Mr.. Birney was
again the Presidential candidate of
that party, the little grain of mus
tard out of which ultimately grew the
Republican party.
During the campaign of that year
Mr.. Birney made a trip to Central
New York, where he had a consider
able following among the Wings. II
so happened that when he was in Uti-
ca. ! was also in that town. Though
did not agree with him personally,
could not but admire him for the
campaign he carried on, and knowing
that he was to be found in the edi-
torial office OF his warm personal
friend. Wesley Bailey. l went there to
see him
81 should say that / had pictured
Mr. Birney to myself as man of large
frame, commanding physical appear
ance and winning. fascinating man
ners. Therefore, when / entered Mr.
Baileyis office looked over the little
group gathered there for one who
would meet my ideal of James G..
Birney However, l saw no one that
would fit it.
But there was seated by Mr. Bail
ey's desk little man of modest, al
most shy demeanor To my astonish-
/ ment, one of those present went up to
him and addressed him as Mr.. Birney
Then that little man arose; his stat
ure was scarcely more than that of q
boy OF sixteen years of age. He had
a noble head, a great forehead anC
large deep-set eyes. and his manner
was very gracious But my ideal wal
shattered Can IL be-? I said to my
self, that this little man is actual,
q candidate for President of the Unit
ed States %
"a few moments later, as / wa
leaving another caller said to me
ihtii , DAtHtNs - IT, wen ne neNt
can be President His coat tails conn
too near the ground The American
people won't elect a little man to tn
Presidency
Sixteen years later when Stephei
A. Douglas was a candidate for tn
Presidency, it was said of him by
Utica man: Douglas can never b.
President, for his coat tails come tol
near the ground Douglas was onl.
a little over five feet tall I have oftei
wondered whether that remark as ap
piled to Douglas was made by tn
same man who told me that Brine
coul6 not be elected President be
cause his coat tails came too near tn
ground In the case of Douglas, how
ever, the remark got into the cam
paign and was very widely circulat
cd"
/ Copyright. 1912, by Il j. Edwards
All rights reservedl
/ Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell O
"Tho Famous Abolitionist Who RAJ
for Two Offices az the Same Time