Evening star., 1920-07-06
Defeat. Then Success.


James Middleton Cox has been three
times governor of Ohio-an honoi
enjoyed by only one other Ohioan
Rutherford b. Hayes.
Born on farm, educated in the
public schools. a printers devil,
school teacher, newspaper re
porter. private secretary to
congressman. owner. manager ano
proprietor of two newspapers, mem
ber of congress for three years and
three times governor of his state Is
his record to date
Business success paralleled his
political. achievements and through
his own efforts Cox has amassed
fortune. Mr.. Cox became the leader
Of the democratic party in ONO IN
1911, when he was nominated Tor
Governor. AS one who had brought
radical changes in the state consul
tuition. he took the field in its behalf
His first term as governor was de-
voted chiefly to forwarding the en-
actment of laws to put the ne" st"'e
constitution into effect
Rut Ohio evidently was not pre-
nared TO aSsimilate all the new laws
for Cox was defeated for re-electlon'
But his party renomlnateo nun n,
1916 and he was reelected for thlro
term in 1918. being the ohly uehio-
crat to win in Ohio. .
LEGISLATION for which Gov. COX Is
best known includes a model Work, ,
mems compensation law and a cnlIo
labor law, which have been exten-
sively copied by other states Edu-
Gators of the country say tne Onlo
school code, enacted unoe! uoV-
Cox's direction, will live as Inoh-
ument to his achievements
Mr.. Cox was born in Butler county,
Ohio, in 1870. He attended district
school and held his first position as
a teacher of the school in whc1h ne
took his first lessons. He spent even
ings and holidays in printing once,
In a few years he received his mrs.
assignment on the reportorial staff
of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
After ten years with the ENQUIRER
he went to Washington as private
secretary to Representative Paul
Sore of Ohio. At the close Of this
service he purchased the DAYTON
Daily News. borrowing most Of the
money to pay for it. Later he pur-
chased the Springfield Daily News
Service In Congress.
rress to represent the third Ohio dis
trict. He was reelected in 1910 and
two years later was candidate for
governor Of his state. While he was
a member of the House here he made
many friends and during his second
term he served as a member OF the
important committee on appropr1a-
tions. He won out in the gubernaforial
hod I'm Sf
been amended in forty-four partfcu-
lars and it was necessary to put
through a number of laws to enforce
the new provisions of the amended
constitution. The governor took the
lead in this work. and f1fty-seven new
laws were enacted They. were in
large part humanitarian and progress
sive measures
One Of the principal laws was that
establishing workmen's compensation
for the men and
women who were injured in industry
or at whatever job they happened tc
be working. 1t was fought tooth and
nail by many business interests and
particularly by liability insurance
companies. But with the governors
influence back of it the law went
through The Ohio workmen's COM
pensation act has been model for
other states. and it is credited with
having maoe GOV. COX Souu Win
labor.
Gov Cox also was instrumental
in putting through a law remaking
the taxing system, doing away with
the old elective assessors and pro-
viding for the appointment of as
SCISSORS by the state administration
1t was thought to be more scien-
tific system, with better results
when it came to raising revenue
But it didn't please the farmers. So
when it came time to elect a gov
ernor, Frank Willis. republican
Cox's opponent. started the cry OF
boss and machine" against the
governor 1t succeeded and Wills
was elected over Cox. Ihe ne"
legislature repealed the tax law
and the old system of electing the as
SCISSORS went back into operation.
Built Live Newspaper.
Rack in 1898, Gov. Cox bought the
DAYTON Daily News and started 10
huiid up a money-making and 1--we