CHAPTER XXVI

BY CLAUDE MEEKER

Ex-Governor James E. Campbell-History of His Early Life-His War Experience-Elected to Congress-Nominated for Governor of Ohio-The Memorable Campaign of 1889-Campbell Against Foraker-The Ballot Box Hoax-Election of Campbell -Governor Campbell's Administration-Governor Campbell Renominated-McKinley His Opponent-Election of McKinley-Subsequent Incidents and Events.

JAMES EDWIN CAMPBELL was born at Middletown on the 7th day of July 1843; and, up to this time, is the only Governor of Ohio both of whose parents were natives of this State. He, himself, refers to this fact by saying that he is the first specimen of the "second growth of timber." His ancestors were all early pioneers, coming respectively from the States of Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont. His greatgrandfather, upon his father's side, was a revolutionary soldier with six enlistments to his credit; and, upon his mother's side, he is collaterally related to Captain John Parker, who commanded at the Battle of Lexington. Both of his grandfathers were soldiers in the war of 1812.

At the age of eight years Governor Campbell lost his father, a famous surgeon, but was carefully and conscientiously reared by his mother who lived to see all his professional and political successes. His education was that, only, of the common schools supplemented by private tutoring. While studying law he taught school but his studies were interrupted by his enlistment as a Master's Mate in the Mississippi Squadron of the United States Navy. The greater part of his service was on the gunboat, Naiad, to which Admiral Porter, in his history of the United States Navy, refers as showing how much punishment, by Confederate batteries, such a frail craft could sustain and yet remain afloat. Late in 1864 he was sent home,

having been discharged upon a medical survey as a complete wreck from break-bone fever, from which he did not recover for many years. As soon as his health permitted he resumed the study of law, was admitted to the bar at Hamilton where he practiced for many years; and, in 1875, was elected prosecuting attorney of the county, filling the office for two terms.

In 1882 he made his first race for Congress against the late Henry L. Morey and was successful after a very spirited contest. He beat Mr. Morey again in 1884, although James G. Blaine, presidential candidate, made five speeches in his district, and John A. Logan, vice-presidential candidate, made fourteen. In 1886 his district was changed again, although heavily Republican already, by the addition of Greene County with more than twenty-five hundred majority, and John Little, at that time a Congressman from the district in which Greene County had been formerly located, was nominated against him. Mr. Campbell carried the district by two majority in a vote of over thirty-five thousand. The closeness of the vote so accentuated this race that he attracted the attention of the entire state, as a sure winner, and he was nominated in the year 1889 for Governor by the Democrats. The campaign made by him is momentous in the history of Ohio politics.

Joseph B. Foraker, the Republican nominee, had twice been elected Governor and was running for a third term. The Republican Party was strongly entrenched in power. Governor Foraker who was an able lawyer and had been on the bench in Cincinnati, had been a popular Governor. He was surrounded by a devoted and militant crowd of friends who possessed the fighting qualities of their idol. He had a fine record as a young soldier and was known as "Fighting Joe" and "The Stormy Petrel of Politics," while the veteran editor, Charles A. Dana, had dubbed him "Fire Alarm Foraker." He was a fiery orator and had great personal magnetism. Taking it all in all he was a man not only to make friends but to keep them, for he had the reputation of standing by his friends.

It was such a man and such a candidate that the young Congressman from the famous Third District had to meet and overcome if he expected to become the chief helmsman of the state. "Jimmie"

Campbell, as he was familiarly known, also had a pseudonym. He was known in Ohio politics as the "Butler Mascot," just as his uncle Lewis D. Campbell, years before, had been hailed as the "Butler Pony." Up to this time Mr. Campbell's distinction seemed to be a capacity for winning votes. Of the most engaging personality, he had a genius for organization and neglected no detail. If a voter was wabbling and needed to be seen, Campbell saw him. He did not write or send word. Field Marshal Murat Halstead, then editor of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, bitterly hostile, said editorially that he would drive across three counties on a rainy night to clinch a single vote. It was to discourage his activities in this regard that a Republican Legislature had twice gerrymanded his district.

It was therefore a determined lot of Campbell followers that met in Dayton in the early summer of 1889 and, to the inspiring strains of "The Campbells Are Coming," secured his nomination by a majority vote over two strong candidates the forceful and popular Lawrence T. Neal of Chillicothe and the able and eloquent Virgil P. Kline of Cleveland. The tune that brought relief and succor to the beseiged English at Lucknow (The Campbells are Coming), brought victory to the Ohio Democracy. The pipes kept playing and the "Campbells" kept coming until the tune died away with the last strain of music at the inaugural ball. A thousand bands played it during the campaign and more than a million men, women and children played, sang and whistled it. It was the magic touchstone; it kindled enthusiasm as tinder kindles a fire.

During Governor Foraker's administration the Boards of Public Affairs in various cities were appointed by the Governor. Some of these appointments were bound to be unpopular and to create much local dissatisfaction. The Democratic state platform declared for "home rule," not only "in Ireland but in the cities of Ohio." It became the slogan; miniature carpenter's rules were circulated by the thousands inscribed with this battle-cry. Colonel James E. Neal, ExSpeaker of the Ohio House of Representatives (and Campbell's fellow-townsman) was made chairman of the Democratic State Executive Committee, with Ex-Mayor George W. Meeker, of Columbus, as Secretary. These veteran campaigners called to their aid the