The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-29
SENATOR JAMESIS
DEAD IN. BALTIMORE
Kentucky Democratic Leader
Had Been Ill Since Last
February.
DEFENDER OF PRESIDENT
Chairman of Two National
Party Conventions-Famed
for His Eloquence.

mug. Eo.-tHlttu ctdNct
Senator Ollie NJ. James of Kentucky died
here early this morning In the Johns
Hopkins Hospital. His death was due &c
Bright's disease. from which he had
suffered for more than a year and which
last February compelled him to give ur
all work
Senator James's last appearance in the
Senate was on February II. when he
delivered fiery speech in answer tc
Senator Chamberlaln's criticisms Of the
War Department and aircraft produc'
ton. Two days later he became Ill at q
dinner. and although he returned to the
Senate after three weeks OF illness hi
was unable to take part in It's activitie,
and went soon to the hospital In Balti
more.
Senator James was bern In Crittender
county, Ky, July %. 1871. and It has
been said OF him that he early mani
tested gift of oratory, one of the
levers that was to lift him to high
place In the councils OF his party; but
whether developed In school or after
in his public and political career and
may have been the invisible bond that
bound him to the great spelibinder
William Jennings Bryan. and later to
Champ Clark
Loyal to Party.
More likely. however. II was loyalty
to party-Democratic first last and all
the time-that accounted for Mr.
James's cleavage to the Commoner after
many had fallen away. a party loyalty
that frequently laid him open to charges
of marrow partisanship. Certainly Mr..
James had been as stanch for Presi.
dent Wilson and as actively aggressive
In his defense as ever he was for Mr.
Bryan or Mr.. Clark.
For long time he was looked upon
as the semi-official spokesman for the
Administration. He capped the climax
OF his labors In that direction February
u last with lengthy reply to Senator
Chamberlain's charge that the war ma
chinery Of the Administration had fallen
down. In that speech two hours long.
he used the figure OF President Wilson
walking a tight rope that reached
across the sea-" and charged that Mr..
Chamberlain had shaken the rope and
given comfort to the enemy.
Mr. James was elected to the United
States Senate from Kentucky January
10, 1912, to serve from 1913 to 1919.
He served in Congress- from 1903 to
1918 as Representative from the First
district, Kentucky. Prior to these pc.
RODS, and during them his political &C.
tivity was great. He first figured in
Democratic National Convention OF 1895
n ftav hta q mi Tn 10 he
Kentucky bar.
In 1908. attending the national con-
ventlon as delegate at large from
Kentucky and chairman OF the Ken
lucky delegation. he seconded the NOM
ination OF William j. Bryan as Demo-
tic candidate for the Presidency. He
had attended In a similar capacity at
the convention of 1904. and in 1900 had
presided as chairman of the Kentucky
State Democratic Convention.
Baltimore Convention Chairman.
He was permanent chairman OF the
convention at Baltimore in 1912, which
gave the nomination TO President Wilson
after flirting with Underwood and Clark.
and served In similar capacity at the
st. louis convention OF 1916 At the
Baltimore convention Mr.. James ardently
supported Mr.. Clark. the candidate he
had picked and had done his best to
advertise, but was as strongly pro-wil-
sor in 1915.
Mr.. James was not college man.
After completing an academic course in
the Kentucky schools he served for a
year (lsS7) as page in the Kentucky
Legislature and then took up the study
Of law in the Office OF his father, l.. II.
James His first big law case came TO
him when he was selected as one OF
counsel to prosecute the Goehel-T TIA ylor
rubernatorial contest. Many amusing
stories are told of his early political
adventures just as much fun was later
poked at his enormous size.
He was feet inches tall and
weighed $50. pounds. This laid him
open, editorially and otherwise. to such
references as the Marion Colossus -
the tall and awful form and the
Samson OF Gravel Switch" A story is
told of Kentuckian OF hair trigger
temper and fighting reputation who once
furiously demanded. Where is this
Ollie?" The Ollie in question had
thrashed his younger brother and had
made a good job of It.
When Mr.. James had introduced him
self, so the story goes, the furious one
gave him one look, Gained suddenly
and demanded Mr.. Ollie. why don't
you change that name? It's mighty
misleadir handle"
Mr.. James was married December .,
1908. the year he entered Congress, to
Miss Ruth Thomas of Marion, KY
"
WV rnx, xxyyo-1 xx~1 -.,x--