The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-07-13
CAREER OF cox
Confined from First Page

Cox beat Loves definitely and
over a contract sought by
Loves to supply the city of Dayton
With arc lights at S100 each. Cox
earned that the city could purchase
hem for S68.50. Through the News |
se told Dayton all about it. He said |
Kings about "Doc" Loves which /
.aused that gentleman to sue for
ibef. But short time later the city
purchased its are lights. paying
S68 so. .Doc" Loves offerd to settle /
he libel suit for 81. Cox declined |
and the suit was forgotten, but not
Cox.
A Philadelphia syndicate was try
ing to get its trolley lines into Day
ton, with grade crossings. Cox
launched into a fight on them. This
grew excessively hot, and the law
yers for the syndicate dug up some
ancient Ohio libel laws and filed suit.
Under this forgotten statute the pub
Usher sued had to post a bond equal
to twice the amount sued for. The
syndicate was suing for half a mill
lOn QOildTs. 1Hc1c was dASO q p1ONlS-
ion under this old statute that the
publication sued should be closed by
the sheriff. Accordingly, the sheriff
appeared and put paddock on the
front door of the News. Jimmie
promptly removed it.
Won the Suit
The rival paper issued an extra
announcing that the News had been
closed up by the authorities. Fifteen
minutes after this news had been
spread broadcast there appeared an
extra edition of the News telling how
the syndicate had attempted to tam
per with the freedom of the press.
After that Jimmie had no trouble
raising the 81 100000 bond. He won
out in the libel suit and not long aft
|erward exposed the fact that the syn
dictate was taking control of small
banks in Ohio and using their capital
ito promote its schemes. The trolley
lines and grade crossing were kept
cut of Dayton.
The News and Cox were always in
a battle to improve civic conditions
and in the end they always came out
on top. The newspaper was well
established in Dayton when in 1905
Cox acquired Springfield. Ohio,
newspaper.
In 1908 there was split in the re-
publican party in the district and two
republicans ran for the place as rep-
resentative formerly filled by the
democrat, Sorg. Cox obtained the
democratic nomination and. thanks
| to the republican fight, was voted
into Office. He got Dayton a new
postofice and he secured better appro.
priations for the soldiers home, and
lthen he got a second term.
In 1912, when the republican party
lsplit, Jimmie Cox was given the DEM
ocratic nomination for governor and
was elected. Soon after he assumed
Office came the floods Of 1913. bring
ing disaster to many sections of Ohio,
aid worst of all to Dayton, his home.
The new governor took charge, cut
all red tape and had relief work under
way in marvelously quick time.
In 1914 Cox was defeated for gov
ernor by Frank Willis, he who re-
Gently nominated Warren G. Hard
ing, that ether Ohio editor, to be the
Republican pafty's standard bearer III
the presidential contest. In 1916 Cox
beat Willis by a narrow margin. In
1918. running on his record as a war
governor, he again defeated Willis,
but by a narrow margin.
/ In 1911, while he was a represen-
tatiye and year before he became
governor Cox was sued for divorce.
The papers charged cruelty. Friends
and foes alike seem pretty well agreed
that there was nothing discreditable
to the governor in this affair. He
had three children. There is Helen,
now Mrs. Daniel J. Mahoney. whose
husband is vice president of the News
Publishing company, the holding COM
/ any of the two Cox newspapers;
then there is Little JIM" who is sew
lenteen, and John Cox. thirteen, who
lives, with his mother, who has mar
lried again.
All during the years in Dayton a
iteEderly cared for member of the
Cox household was the governors
mother, that Mrs. Cox who was di-
ivorced by "Gibn Cox when Jimmie
was baby. She died about six years
ago. It was to her grave in Wood
lawn cemetery. Dayton, that Cover
nor Cox went a few mornings ago
when the first news of his nomination
was clicked out of telegraph wire
| in the News Office
| In 1917 Governor Cox married Miss
| Margaretta Parker Blair, of Chicago,
daughter of the wealthy Thomas ?.
Blair. They have one child, the tiny
Anna Baker Cox, whose picture
adorns the parlor of old "Gib. Cox.
The governor and Mrs. Cox live at
Trails End. magnificent home he
| has built on 70-acre plot about four
miles from the heart of Dayton. Not
very long ago he purchased that old
/ farm at Jacksonburg where he lived
las boy. He acquired some of the
Iadjoining land. so that the place now
L