Work in Washington
The political life of James M. Cox really began when he reached Washington one morning in 1894. This was a real event for him, and altho disappointing in many ways, gave him an insight into political life which he had never been able to have before. Washington impressed him with the great possibilities of service thru holding a public office but he felt any such office was beyond him. Hence he returned to Dayton because he believed it gave him greater opportunities for usefulness.
The first editorials which he wrote for the Dayton News were in the interests of the people of Ohio. He apparently grasped every opportunity to fight for legislation which would make the great mass of people healthier, happier and more prosperous. He was not a part of the vested interests which were so strong in Ohio. On the other hand he did not put forth the radical propaganda of which many writers are guilty. From the time Mr. Cox first reached Washington in 1894, he was a close student of national political affairs. He however, took no public part until after returning to Ohio and fully establishing himself in the newspaper field.
Congressional Campaign
The first office which Mr. Cox sought was as Congressman from the Third District of Ohio. This was in 1908, about ten years after he came back from Washington as Secretary to Congressman Sorg. He tells me that his great difficulty was then in connection with making speeches. He seemed at first unable to make an extemporaneous speech. His early speeches were read like Sunday sermons, much to the amusement of his opponents. Finally, some of his friends used to get his written speeches away from him and hide them. He was then forced to talk directly to his audiences. After being thrown overboard, he apparently was able to swim and he never returned to the written speeches. Mr. Cox now has a delivery much like the Roosevelt delivery. It is very vigorous and determined. He grows red in the face and violently brings down his fist upon the desk or table in front of him. He is intensely earnest in all he says and convinces his hearers of his earnestness.
He was first elected to the Sixty First Congress. He was re-elected in 1910 by a majority of 12,809 votes. Under great difficulties he made himself felt. This was at the time when all important legislation was put thru by the caucus system and a lone Congressman had very little opportunity to express himself. In his first campaign, he was opposed by Frizelle and Eugene Harding; and in his second campaign by Judge Dustin. The Congressional Directory of those days shows that Mr. Cox served on the District of Columbia Committee during his first term and on the Appropriations Committee during the second term. He attracted attention by his fight against the Payne-Aldrich Bill—which was afterwards rejected by the people—and for his efforts to have the Federal Government inaugurate a Children’s Bureau. He was one of the first to urge Congress to appropriate money for aeroplanes and to investigate the conduct of the National Military Homes.
While the career of Cox in Congress deserves commendation, the merit of his work in that body is now being over-emphasized by various Democratic speakers. The fact is that Cox was not in Congress long enough to become in any sense an outstanding figure.
Gubernatorial Campaign
One of the most important events of Mr. Cox’s life came with his determination to run for Governor of Ohio. He was not satisfied with the opportunity of service which Congress offered. He felt that the Governorship did present a real opportunity especially in connection with the new Ohio constitution in which he was greatly interested. Hence in 1912 he entered the campaign for Governor.
Cox has carried his state three times. No other Democratic Governor has ever done that in Ohio. On the last occasion, in 1918, like many other Democratic candidates, he made his race against great odds. Ohio went Republican. Two-thirds of the Congressional districts went Republican. The entire state ticket, from Lieutenant-Governor down, went Republican. Mr. Cox was the single Democrat elected to state office. Cox ran 75,000 votes ahead of the Congressional ticket.