The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-04-16

position on the Enquirer stan. He
accepted and for three years was
railroad editor One day he startled
the Office by resigning. He had ac-
cepted the position of private secre.
tary to Congf essman Paul j. Sorg.
who had Just been elected to con.
gress from the district which Cox now
represents. Sorg was a mutimillion-
aire tobacco manufacturer and he
liked hustlers. He remembered how
"Jmmy" had revolutionized Middle.
town journalism.
After Mr.. Sefg's voluntary retire.
ment from congress, Cox cast about
for newspaper opening. He wanted
paper OF his own. The Dayton
News was in moribund condition.
1t seemed to be hopelessly anaemic.
There was neither style, influence
nor merit Of any kind to recommend
II.
"Cox will 60 up like balloon"
chuckled the wiseacres when IL be-
came known that he had borrowed
enough money to take over the poor
old News"
While the rival publishers in Day,
ton were listening for the swan song
OF the News, COX caused consterna.
tion by doubling his advertising
rates. He didn't get much business
for a while, but. finally the adver-
tisers came his way and he pros.
pered and grew fat. One day he made
the announcement that he had pur.
chased the Press Republic, a morn.
ing Republican newspaper in Spring.
field, o., 20 miles north OF Dayton.
That caused a. large guffaw. His
Dayton paper was Democratic. The
Springfield paper was ardently Re
publican. The CITY and the county
rs Republican,
Predictions were freely made that
the venture would strike a reef and
founder. The old-line Republicans OF
Clark county Cancelled their subscrip.
tlons. Circulation waned. But Cox
weathered the storm, dashed back
and forth from Dayton to Springfield
in an automobile, told critics to mind
their own business and made the
Springfield News as big a success,
proportionately as the Dayton News.
And as a result Jimmy" Cox &C.
quired much negotiable money and
began to wear Shirts with embroid.
cred monograms on the sleeves.
cox's Opportunity.
"Can't do it; haven't got the time"
he said six years ago when friends
suggested that he run for congress-
He repeated that two years later.
Robert NJ. Nevln,. Republican, had
served several terms. The district
had been safely Republican for years.
Eugene Harding, who had been there
before, wanted to 20 back to con-
grsss. He was from Middletown,
CoI's old home. The bosses Of Mont
gomery county, who controlled the
machinery Of the district. opposed his
return They pdtlup one Frizxsll, q
member of the Ohio legislature. as
the Republican candidate. Harding
got spunky and ran, Independently,
with the Republicans Of his own
home backing him.
Foxy Mr.. Cox was peeping around
the corner and watching the Repub-
lican row with an interested eye. In
cidentally he was tossing bone now
and then into the Republican kennel
for the factionists to fight over.
81 am not too busy to run for con
gress this year" he coyly suggested
to his party brethren, after he had
assured himself that the opposition
tangling was beyond unraveling. So
it came about that he was nominated
| Middetown, where he used to chase
the elusive item and dissect the die
tionary. Cox made a speech of ac'
ceptance that was timely and to the
point Then he began the liveiest
campaign that the district has ever
known
Long before the congress then in
session adjourned. he was fitting
about Washington. renewing old ac.
quaintances and making new ones
getting a line on committeeships,
studying legislation and preparing to
make good. And before the extra ses-
sion was two weeks old he was indus.
triously punching tradition in the ribs
by making a tariff speech.
Cox as Sprinter.
When he ran for reelection In 1910
he broke all Ohio records. He car
ried every county in his district
normally Republican-by unprece'
dented majorities AS is well known,
the Dayton Soldiers home. one of the
largest institutions OF the kind In the
country, is located in the Third dis
trict II had always gone Republi-
can, But during his frst term In
congress, Cox paid devoted attention
to the soldiers, He didn't ask them
for their votes-he merely made him
self their representative in fact as
well as in name. He investigated all
their complaints and all their claims
promptly and Justly. They went TO
him MS an attorney. And no man
with a Just claim or a Just grievance