The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-31
Former OhiOan. Now Ardmore Citizen,
Talks James M. Cox, The Man"
(By

Because of my long residence in
Ohio and because that term Of years
covers practically all of Gov. James
NJ. Cox's public career and on ac-
count of my familiarity with his rec
ord as congressman and governor
am asked to give the readers of The
Ardmoreite my estimate of the man
! am no partisan. In one of these
contests / voted for James k. Gar
field the Progressive candidate fol
governor As an impartial, non-par'
tisan citizen, let me set forth somC
of the achievements of this remark
able man--James NJ. Cox.
The discriminating student of his
tory and current politics will see al
once that no ordinary man could be
elected three times governor of {
great state like Ohio. But when Il
is remembered that Mr. Cox is {
Democrat and that Ohio is consistent
ly and overwhelmingly Republican the
performance is unparalleled, justify
ing Howard Egbert's saying that per
sonality and performance synchroniz'
in the career of Governor James Mid
dleton Cox, of Ohio"
Concerning his service in congress:
the August Review of Reviews" give!
the following interesting resume:
"In a surprisingly short time
after he went to congress, Cox
star,led the country by making a
speech against the Payne-A Aldrich
tariff measure. He was named to
the committee on appropriations,
and during his experiences on his
committee he gained the inspira-
ton which later on convinced him
that a budget system for the
state and nation absolutely was
necessary in the proper conduct
of great public affairs. 1t is re-
lated how, as a member of this
committee, James NJ. Cox had his
attention called one day to the
fact that an increase was asked
for the maintenance of the zoo
logical gardens in Washington,
d. C. The argument was present
ed that the price of food, etc,
for the animals had advanced
and more money was required to
meet this additional expense. Back
in Dayton, Ohio, Congressman Cox
recalled that the central branch
of the National Military Homes
was located He had the records
looked up. made personal stud
les of the menus at the Military
Home, the federal prison at Leav-
enworth the county Jail in Day
ton, and other penal institutions.
TO his ama2ement, he disclosed
the fact that the government was
paving more money for the main
tenance of monkeys and other ami
mails in the National Museum at
Washington. and state and ma
tiona governments were expend-
ing more money for the mainte-
nance Of prisoners than was be-
ling spent for the support of the
veterans of the nations war at
the central branch Of the Ma
tional Military Home. He opposed
further appropriations for the
monkeys and insisted that more
appropriations be made for the
heroes of the country. And he
won his point. Governor Cox is q,
fighter along the lines Of prin-
ciple, and this circumstance was
among the first opportunities that
the nation had TO measure the
fighting qualities of this young
Ohio congressman. The next time
he ran for congressman he car
ried the Soldiers Home-an un-
precedented occurrence for Demo-
cratic candidate, and he swept
his home district by 10000, estab-
fishing new record which never
since has been approached"
During his first term as governor
more progressive legislation was writ
ten into the law Of Ohio than in al
its previous history. As matte
of political expedency his friend
urged him to ease up on progressiv
measures but he kept right on wit
his progress. redeeming every pledg
he had made to the electorate. II
was ahead Of the procession. TIL
result was what some OF his friend
feared, defeat. Undaunted and con
fident Of yndication ne went bacl
to work on his newspaper, In wv
years the people thought 1t over an
had time to observe the value of tn
legislation he had fathered, The re
publican governor in the interim wa
strong man, scholar, statesman
and Christian gentleman, but Cox de
fcated him at the next election.
Cox has to his credit the Work
mems Compensation Law" which ha