BUSINESS LIFE
Congressman Sorg apparently was much pleased with Mr. Cox’s work in
Washington. Cox was doubtless of great benefit to Congressman Sorg, as
the Congressman’s health was very poor. It is generally agreed that
what the Congressman did accomplish in Washington was due largely to
the energy, industry and integrity of his private secretary.
One day the Congressman and young Cox were talking over the future
together. The Congressman explained that he wanted to go back to Ohio,
and Mr. Cox told of his ambitions to go back to Ohio and have a paper
of his own in which he could freely write unhampered by any interests.
This talk was during the business depression of 1897, when many
newspapers, as well as other business enterprises, were in financial
difficulties. Mr. Sorg suggested that if one were to buy a newspaper,
this was a good time to do it. Shortly after this Cox learned that the
_Dayton News_ was on the market and could be purchased cheaply.
BUYS DAYTON NEWS
The business men of Dayton tell me that the _News_ was then about as
hopeless an enterprise as could be imagined. It was operating at a
loss, its press was falling to pieces and its reputation was nil.
However, Mr. Cox insisted that he could be happier with a bankrupt
paper of his own, than with a great prosperous metropolitan daily
owned by others. Like so many other young newspaper men, he asked
himself, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul?” Thus, with the help of Mr. Sorg, Cox purchased
control of the _Dayton News_.
When one visits Dayton today and sees the beautiful and modern
printing plant which this paper now possesses, he respects James M.
Cox. It not only is a monument to his energy and industry, but shows
that success comes from printing the truth unhampered and uncolored.
This has been illustrated in many other cases. Even certain great
metropolitan dailies which today are so allied with the reactionary
interests, won their original success by independently serving the
people.
The _Dayton News_ was the life of James M. Cox. According to all
accounts he “ate, drank and slept” his newspaper. He determined its
policy, he wrote the editorials, he made up the head lines and he
read the proofs. When anybody asked him what he thought on certain
subjects, he would invariably reply, “Read the _Dayton News_. I have
said in that paper what I think and I can say no more.”
Dayton merchants speak well of Mr. Cox; but are not enthusiastic about
him. They look upon him as a successful business man, altho they don’t
especially like his paper. He apparently made many enemies by once
getting into a fight with the National Cash Register Co. which wanted
Dayton to make certain improvements. The _Dayton News_ insisted that
these improvements would be unfair to the rest of the city and fought
them. Much feeling was developed upon both sides. Who was right I
cannot prove; but those who really know Cox cannot help believing that
he was.
ACQUIRES A SPRINGFIELD PAPER
A few years later, Cox found another paper for sale in Springfield,
Ohio, and purchased it. This paper was then known as the _Springfield
Press Republic_, but the same has since been changed to the _News_.
This was in 1903. Overnight the _News_ changed its name and its
politics. The circulation of this paper is now about 18,000 daily and
Sunday. The circulation of the _Dayton News_ is about 38,000 daily
and 28,000 on Sunday. Both papers have very beautiful stone buildings,
the Dayton building having been erected in 1908 and the Springfield
building a few years ago. Both are monuments to James M. Cox’s
industry, enterprise and foresight. On the other hand, one is not
surprised at his business success after once working with him. A man
with such energy and good judgment could not help getting on.
James M. Cox is surely a conservative business man. His two papers are
profitable and all with newspaper experience know it requires much
ability to successfully run a newspaper. Moreover, this success
doubtless has been due to his ability to surround himself with able
and conscientious men. He knows men and can select them with great
skill. I was one day talking over his business career with a number of
prominent Middletown business men. I asked: “To what do you ascribe
the Governor’s great business success?”
With one breath they all answered: “To hard work.”
Unlike many business men, Mr. Cox has practically no outside
interests. He has concentrated upon his papers endeavoring to give
them the very best within him. This concentration has also had the
additional advantage of keeping him independent. Although interested
in the Ohio Cities Gas Company, he has no entangling alliances with
railroads, street railways, banks or industrials of any kind. He is
dependent upon prosperity; but he has no favorites. He wants every
industry to prosper. Hence, perhaps, his campaign motto: “Peace,
Progress and Prosperity.”
A CRUSADER
Cox always had the Crusader’s spirit. He says, however, that he
deserves no credit for it, but crusaded because he enjoyed the
struggle. Apart from his quarrel with the National Cash Register
people, he had a conflict with the Appleyard Traction Syndicate, which
owned the Dayton, Springfield & Urbana Street Railway Company, and
which later built the Central Market Street Railway in Columbus. Being
myself then interested in selling the bonds of these companies, I
personally came into contact at that time with the “crusading” of the
Cox newspapers. The properties had been financed with Boston money,
and we naturally did not like the attitude which Cox then took,
through his papers, against us. Although I felt keenly at the time and
still feel that Cox overstated the case in his fight, I am now
convinced that we were wrong. At any rate, he succeeded, while Mr.
Appleyard has now passed on and the traction business is about gone.
The people of Ohio say that it was Mr. John Q. Baker who made Mr. Cox
the true and courageous man that he is. I once spent a day with Mr.
Baker. We visited together Mr. Cox’s old home at Jacksonburg, and then
motored to his beautiful residence at the outskirts of Dayton. If I am
any judge of men, Mr. Baker is one of the finest God ever made.
Although he has only one child--who is married to Professor Howard, of
the Psychology Department of Northwestern University, Chicago--he is
very fond of boys.
He is a great believer in honesty, work, and promptness. He says that
he always urged “Jimmie” to avoid the loafers. “Don’t hang around the
loafers,” he would say, “they never do anyone any good. Aim
high--always have an aim. He who has no aim in life never amounts to
anything.”
So James M. Cox had an aim. Mr. Baker gave him biography to read. The
man became infatuated with Jackson, Lincoln, and Jefferson. He
determined to be like them. Hence, when Mr. Sorg offered him the
choice of entering the newspaper or the tobacco business, James Cox
took the former--according to his original purpose--at a much smaller
income.
HUMAN NATURE STUDENT
In addition to possessing great integrity and courage, Mr. Cox is a
wonderful student of human nature. He has remarkable judgment and
intuition. These very necessary and practical traits acquired during
years of business experience he has put into his public work. This has
been especially noticeable in connection with his appointments. Also
in his handling of labor troubles. Also in the work which he has done
with the state institutions, and in interviewing those seeking pardon.
One of the last made a great fight for freedom. Petitions were
circulated in his behalf and many people sought the Governor for his
release. Finally the Governor sent for the man. He also was impressed
by his appearance and was almost on the point of pardoning him when he
noticed that he could not hold the man’s eye. Thereupon the Governor
took him by the hand, looked him in the face and said:
“My friend you can lie to me, but you can never lie to society. You
can secure your freedom from jail, but never your freedom from your
own consciousness. You must always live with yourself. Better be
honest and in jail than dishonest and outside. Are you guilty or not?”
The man hung his head and replied:
“Governor--I am guilty.”
The business career of Mr. Cox has not been confined to the
publication of his newspapers. His business career has been most
intimately interwoven with his public career. That is to say, he
administered his office as Governor in a most business-like way. For
the first time in the history of Ohio, the State business was carried
on in an efficient manner. Four illustrations come to my mind.
During his first term, the state of Ohio was greatly crippled by a
most devastating flood. The water ways of the Miami Valley broke loose
and did untold damage. Several plans were suggested for preventing a
recurrence. Naturally the people preferred the least expensive plan
and the one which would require the least immediate sacrifice. Mr. Cox
took an entirely different position. He insisted that the people of
Ohio had an obligation to those who would be living fifty or a hundred
years hence. With great foresight, he insisted on the adoption of a
remedy which would be permanent. This, however, required a vast amount
of legislation. While urging this legislation, he met with much
opposition. The permanent plan, however, was finally adopted and
Dayton and the Miami Valley are now free from danger.
Governor Cox insisted that the state adopt a budget system. With
politicians, budgets are very unpopular. Altho all large business
enterprises are operated on the budget system, yet few states and
municipalities have them. One of the first things that Mr. Cox did
when governor was to get Ohio to adopt a budget system. He also
introduced more equitable methods of taxation with the purpose of
encouraging improvements and discouraging hoarding of property or
opportunities. With this budget system and readjusted taxes, the state
of Ohio was able to get thru the strain of the war and the
reconstruction period following without the additional taxation of
legitimate business. Probably no state in the union was able to meet
the strains of the war with so little difficulty as Ohio, and this was
due--so far as I can learn--to the state being operated on a business
basis and in a business-like way.
Another simple illustration: Like other states Ohio has a state farm,
upon which it has certain cattle. When Mr. Cox came into office, this
state farm was being operated at a distinct loss and the cattle were
more or less of a nondescript nature. The Governor immediately called
for blooded stock and finally he was given a small appropriation. He
got one good bull and a few good heifers, altho the people of the
state criticised him severely for such “gross extravagance.” Within a
few years, this herd became one of the best and most profitable in the
state, and for the first time the state of Ohio’s farm adventure was
on a paying basis. Today I understand that Ohio has the best state
herd in America, and, if Mr. Cox’s plans are carried out, it will
result in so improving all the live stock in the state that Ohio will
have the best cattle of any state in the union.
In another part of this book, I refer more in detail to his success in
selecting and leading men, with special reference to his handling
labor troubles during the coal and steel strikes which so threatened
industry in Ohio. In this chapter, however, I must refer to the work
which he did in connection with rising costs of living. Mr. Cox,
unlike most liberal leaders, believes in the law of supply and demand.
He does not believe in interference with the law of supply and demand
by the representatives of either labor or capital. On the other hand,
he believes that many of our economic difficulties are due to
interference with this law, especially by the big distributors. He
believes in the use of cold storage plants, but he believes in their
use for the benefit of the people rather than for the benefit of
speculators. Those who are interested in a study of cold storage
plants, in connection with the cost of living, should become
acquainted with what Mr. Cox accomplished while Governor of Ohio.
A severe winter found Ohio without seed corn, and farmers were
required to pay as high as $20 a bushel for seed. Governor Cox sent
agents into other territories where climate and soil conditions were
similar to Ohio, and secured a supply of seed corn at a cost of less
than $3.00 a bushel. The toll of the war and the lure of the city were
depleting farm labor. To meet this need, Governor Cox arranged for a
large purchase of tractors thru private agencies, called a meeting of
farmers at the state capital and conducted a tractor school under the
supervision of experts. Within two weeks’ time, more than 6,000
tractors were put into use within the state. Instead of a labor
shortage, decreasing acreage and crops, the production of the state,
both in acreage and bushels, was actually increased.
These are some simple illustrations of Mr. Cox’s vision. He has that
rare combination of the enthusiastic idealist and the hard-headed
business man. Often we find one of these qualities without the other,
but seldom find them both together. The great need in Washington today
is not for the idealist nor for the hard-headed business man, but
rather for him who can combine these two qualities. Mr. Cox has the
absolute confidence of both the business interests and the wage
workers. The business interests have absolute confidence in him and
the working people have a genuine affection for him. He possesses that
peculiar faculty of getting together those representatives of capital
who furnish employment and the great mass of the employed who are
necessary to keep the wheels of industry moving. That faculty he
combines with integrity, initiative, and courage. This is the essence
of a successful business career.