Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-11-29
NEW NE NEWS OF YESTERDAY yEESSTEEERE.DAY
The Speech That May Have
Kept a Taft Out Of the
Presidency
By Holland.

81 have often wondered whether, il
II had not been for a speech made by
General William II. Gibson of Tihin
Ohio, at the Ohio Republican State
convention in the summer of 1875.
AlphonsO Taft, father of President
William n. Taft, would not have been
President of the United States instead
OF Rutherford B. Hayes"
] was talking with the late Charles
Finney Cox two years ago, the con-
versation turning upon prominent
Ohioans whom he knew. Mr. Coxs
brother, the late General Jacob d..
Cox. was Governor of Ohio shortly
after the Civil War, and he was a
member of General Grants first ad-
ministration, being Secretary of the
Interior Charles Finney Cos, who
was very. prominent in railway cir
cles for years as the treasurer of the
Vanderbilt system west of Buffalo.
was personally acquainted with al
most all of the leading politicians of
Ohio OF the past generation.
You may remember" Mr.. Cox,
continued that the State of Ohio in
1875 was all ahame over the green
back issue. The Democratic candi-
date for Governor, William Allen,
and his party were strongly in favor
OF the policy earlier advocated by
George II. Pendeton of Ohio. who
was candidate for Vice President on
the ticket at the head of which Cen
eral George b. McClellan's name
Stood PendletOn advocated an en-
larged and continuous issue Of the
greenbacks by the government.
Judge AlphonsO Taft had been for
many years one of the most nromi-
nent citizens of Ohio An able Re
publican leader, he was very earn
estly opposed TO a renewed and en-
larged issue of greenbacks by the
government For this reason and
also because of his recognized abil-
ity, Judge Taft was strongly urged
by the leading men of his party I'm
Ohio for the Republican nomination
for Governor i'm 1875. II looked at
one time as though his nomination
would be made practically by accla-
nation, although that feeling was
weakened somewhat shortly before
the meeting of the State convention.
Judge Taft, who had served sew
eral terms as judge of the superior
court of Ohio, had three or four years
before the campaign of 1875, handed
down a decision to the effect that the
use of the Bible in the public schools
OF Hamilton county, Of which Cincin-
natl is the seat, could not be en-
forced by the board of education.
The decision caused a great deal of
animated discussion, Judge Taft be-
ing severely criticised by those Who
NJ Far 20
the Bible in the schools His deci-
sion was afterward affirmed by the
higher court of the State.
General w. II. Gibson, who had
been a very brave soldier in the
Civil War and who, / think, served
in the brigade which Rutherford b.
Hayes commanded, was a very warm
friend of General Hayes. He was
one of the few Republicans who
thought that it might be inexpedient
to nominate Judge Taft for Governor
on account of his decision about the
Bible in the public schools. He was
able to secure the support of quite a
number Of delegates. He said that
he would himself take the floor and
make a speech of nomination OF
Hayes. for Governor. taking the
ground that in view of the desperate
! political condition in Ohio occasioned
by the strong support or the green
back policy it was necessary that q
man be nominated for Governor witt
whose record no flaws could be pick
ed.
Gibson was superb orator, anC
the speech he made in the convention
passed into tradition I'm Ohio. /
turned the scale in favor Of the nom
ipation OF Rutherford B. Hayes fo
Governor. But for that speech, il
all probability, Judge Taft would
have been nominated,
AT the election the Republican
carried the State by about five thous