The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-07-17
PEN SKETCH OF
GREAT GOVERNOR
WHO DOES THINGS
How James M. Cox Manages to Do
More Work Than Any Other
Ohio Governor.
Man of Great COurage-Attltude
Toward COnvicts Typical of
His Humane Ideas.

Back in 1908. few days after the
opening of the congress- at Washing
ton, a brand new member from Ohio
got up to make a speech. Deliberately
he dared to defy the precedent which
commanded new members to be seen
and not heard. The galleries pcered
down curiously and the other new
members trembled at the audacity of
their colleague Old timers frowned
dubiously But the new Ohio member
went right on with his speech, COM
manded the close attention of the
house and finally got a good hand"
for his effort. Speaking of the episode
later Champ Clark declared that only
once before within his remembrance
had a similar thing been successfully
done.
Four years later the same Ohio con.
gresham was elected governor of this
state. Sweeping through a whirlwind
campaign, he had defed precedent
again. He had set aside the old rule
which enjoined candidates for gov
ernor to hark back to the glorious
achievements of his party's past. In
stead he had championed a new state
constitution, had espoused the direct
nomination by the voters of all elected
officials, advocated the initiative and
referendum, home rule for cities, jury
reform, the regulation of saloons by
license, the abolition of prison con-
tract labor and many other so-called
reforms. He had tied his fortunes to
the change in the basic law of the
state. And so doing, he had burned
his bridges behind him.
Poise, aggressiveness, the courage
to do and dare-these things Gov. Cox
possesses in superlative degree.
They may have made for him bitter
enemies as they made for Theodore
Roosevelt. But whatever they have
brought about, whether personal good
or i'll, whether a disproportionate num-
Der of enemies or a super number Of
friends, they are his attributes, just as
much a part of him as his human ma
ture, and they'll always, of course, re-
main with him.
AS character study, the governor
of Ohio is strikingly unique. His pic
lures show only a part of him. Some
of them flatter him a bit for he isn't
quite so handsome as a few of them
make him out. All of them indicate
intense earnestness, but only few of
them succeed In bringing out the al
most reckless pertinacity that has
characterized Cox as a public official.
Neither do the photographs show the
Rooseveltian energy that has been one
of the biggest assets In the carrying
out of the so-called Cox program of
legislative enactment. Only face to
face does the observer catch the i'm
preston of reserve physical strength
and mental buoyancy indicated in the
flush of face, the alertness of carriage,
the facility Of movement
Tremendous physical energy permits
Gov, Cox to stand up under stupendous
strains. 1t is extremely doubtful il
any of his predecessors during the
last twenty years would have been
able physically to sustain the pace
which the present governor has set.
For no matter how harshly his specific
accomplishments may be attacked, the
effort back of the accomplishments
stands out. Witness the strenuous
campaign for election in 1912, the
regular session OF the general assem-
bly, right afterward, the great food be-
fore the session was over, then the
vast preparation for the special ses-
sion with its arduous labors. During
the regular session of the 80th gen.
eral assembly fifty-six major measures
advocated by the governor were
passed. The special session passed a
score more Of almost equal impor-
tance.
Whence comes the superlative ener-
gy that even the enemies of Cox are
compelled to envy? Partly, no doubt,
through inheritance. The governors
physique is robust, though not bulky.
But much Of the reserve strength
comes from personal habits. At in
the morning comes a bath. The