educational, historical and economic subjects; president for ten years of Antioch College, founded by Horace Mann; vice president of the Ohio Constitutional Convention of 1912, and member of the Lower House of Congress, where he was recognized as a leader. His election by a substantial majority over a very able competitor added to his prestige, on this, the first test before the voters of the entire state.

It is fitting that reference should here be made to the views of Governor Davis on the death penalty. While he considered it his duty to enforce the penalty imposed by law, he was opposed to capital punishment and contributed to The Outlook of July 26, 1922, a monograph on "Death by Law," which is a candid, comprehensive and eminently fair presentation of the subject. Mr. James K. Mercer, legislative historian, did well to reproduce this contribution in his "Ohio Legislative History," (1921-1922). Those interested should read this able survey of the subject.

ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR VIC DONAHEY

EIGHTY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Regular Session, January 1 to April 28, 1923

The General Assembly convened on the 1st day of the new year with Clarence J. Brown presiding in the Senate. He was succeeded. on January 8th by Earl D. Bloom, who had been elected lieutenantgovernor at the previous November election. H. H. Griswold was chosen speaker of the House of Representatives. In the Senate there were 31 republicans and 4 democrats; in the House of Representatives 103 republicans and 27 democrats.

The election returns for the constitutional state officers were canvassed and the result officially declared. As recorded by the secretary of state, votes were cast for candidates as follows:

Judges of the Supreme Court (long term-two to elect):

The small vote cast for the short term is due to the fact that no names were printed on the ballot. Those voting had to write in the name of the candidate for the short term.

Day and Clark were republicans; Florence Allen ran as an independent.

Some one has said, "All governors are much alike." Vic Donahey, however, must be put in a class by himself. He has not been standardized. Born in Cadwalader, Tuscarawas County, July 7, 1873, he was not, at the outset of his career, hampered with the conventionalities of city life. Cadwalader or West Chester, the hamlet in which he was born, has not yet risen to the dignity of an incorporated village. His education was acquired in the common schools and the printing office. In politics he began modestly as clerk of Goshen Township in his native county. He served four years as county auditor; was a member of the Ohio Constitutional Convention of 1912; was twice elected state auditor by substantial majorities. As candidate for governor in 1920, he led his most popular associate on the democratic ticket by almost 100,000 votes and ran ahead of the average vote of the remaining candidates on that ticket by about 150,000. That he should now defeat so able and popular a candidate as Carmi A. Thompson marked him as a man with a strong appeal to the electorate. His services as auditor of state left the impression, especially with the farmers of the state, that he was independent, courageous and honest-an impression that is held with faith undiminished to this day. As auditor he had saved the state large sums of money, and the fact that he was at times out of harmony with his own party organization strengthened the confidence. of the people in his independence and integrity.

The fact that without wealth or special educational advantages he has risen to the highest position within the gift of the electors of Ohio is an inspiration to others striving under like conditions to find the way

to success.

In his message to the General Assembly Governor Donahey expressed himself as follows on a familiar theme:

"Past folly in the creation of public debt and unscientific tinkering with our tax laws leave the Ohio taxation system in a deplorable condition. For years tax payers have been at the mercy of public officials whose caprices might suggest bond issues or increased tax levies for this or that purpose, until today approximately 50 per cent of all direct taxes received are required to pay annual interest and retire bonds coming due. Taxation and public debt have been limited and re-limited, but all to no avail because in eleven years direct taxation has increased 200 per cent.

"Non-partisan joint committees on taxation of the Ohio Legislature have biennially for years hired experts and tinkered with our taxation laws until today we have nothing but a hodge-podge system that is violated with impunity by many taxing districts to stave off bankruptcy."

He declared that the state is over-organized; that the prevention and punishment of crime are costing too much-$20,000,000; that the uniform rule of taxation must be enforced; that the holding of elections is costing $2,200,000 a year-twice what it should cost; that the department of public welfare should be decentralized by the re-establishment of the board of administration, the board of state charities, the state board of clemency and the state commission for the blind. He opposed the creation of municipal courts by separate acts for each municipality, but favored instead a uniform municipal court code.

Among the proclamations issued by the governor were the following: August 6, 1923, announcing the death of President Harding; October 29th, calling a conference for the enforcement of the prohibition, narcotic and other laws; November 10th, calling upon the people of Ohio to use Ohio coal to give employment to the coal miners of the state; naming the week of December 9, 1923, for making contributions to the Harding Memorial Association; March 10, 1924, calling upon

local officials to exercise increased diligence in the enforcement of prohibition laws.

In announcing the death of President Harding the governor said: "Again our state, the mother of presidents, is mourning the loss of the long line of leaders she has contributed to the United States of America. Warren G. Harding is the fifth President to be buried in Ohio soil. He was the fourth Ohioan to be stricken by death while serving in that high office."

In a proclamation announcing a grade crossing safety first conference the governor said:

"During the year 1923 there were 157 automobile accidents at grade crossings in Ohio with 235 persons killed and 729 injured. During the year there were 1,235 deaths caused by automobile accidents in general and 6,180 persons injured."

On Saturday, June 28, 1924, a cyclone swept over Northern and Northeastern Ohio, smiting with destructive violence the manufacturing city of Lorain and inflicting the greatest loss in the state since. the flood of 1913. The sudden storm "hopped about crazily, like a whirling dervish of death," striking first Attica, then leaping to Sandusky, thence to Lorain and then to West Dover, Avon, Cleveland, Alliance and into Pennsylvania. Between 450 and 500 houses were destroyed or badly wrecked in Lorain. The number of dead was finally reported as sixty-five, and the injured as many times that number. The property loss in this city exceeded $20,000,000.

The governor hastened to the scene of disaster. In his proclamation of June 30th he said:

"Ohio is visited by a disaster of magnitude. The storm of last Saturday night has taken a frightful toll of life and property loss. * * * The scene of greatest loss and suffering is at Lorain, where conditions beggar description. Churches, schools and business houses are demolished. Thousands of families have lost their homes, mostly mortgaged. Streets in the city are blockaded by buildings and wreckage so that ingress on the part of the public may not be possible for weeks. Gas connections for fuel purposes may not be restored for two months. The need of relief is great and urgent."

In conclusion the governor urged the mayors of municipalities and the newspapers of the state "to assume leadership in facilitating speedy response to the appeal in their respective communities." He asked the emergency board to appropriate $50,000 as the state's contribution to the relief fund.

On November 1, 1924, there was serious rioting at Niles, Ohio, over a parade of the Ku Klux Klan, which had been announced to take place in that city. The disturbance originated between klansmen and Knights of the Flaming Circle. The local authorities were unable to control the situation. After twelve persons had been seriously injured by "shooting and mauling," Governor Donahey by proclamation placed the city under qualified martial law. Troops were promptly ordered to Niles under the command of Gen. Benson W. Hough, and order was promptly. restored. The governor's proclamation of qualified martial law was said to be the first of its kind issued since 1865.

At the democratic presidential preference primary of April 29, 1924, 74,183 votes were cast for James M. Cox and 29,267 for William G. McAdoo. The following Ohio delegates to the Democratic National Convention were chosen-all pledged to Former Governor James M. Cox:

At large-James E. Campbell, Columbus; Judson Harmon, Cincinnati; Atlee Pomerene, Canton; J. H. Goeke, Lima; T. J. Duffy, Columbus; W. W. Durbin, Kenton; Mrs. Minnie B. Siddall, Toledo; Eleanor B. Johnson, Zanesville.

Districts: 1-W. A. Julian, Cincinnati; E. F. Peters, Cincinnati,

2-Vincent H. Beckman, Cincinnati; John R. Quane, St. Bernard. 3— J. Spriggs McMahon, Dayton; Warren Gard, Hamilton. 4 Dan H. Kirwan, Lima; James R. Marker, Columbus. 5-Newt Bronson, Defiance; Kearns Wright, Van Wert. 6-W. A. Inman, Portsmouth; George B. Nye, Waverly. 7-John L. Zimmerman, Springfield; M. R. Denver, Wilmington. 8-Charles V. Truax, Columbus; N. E. Arnold, Marion. 9-Edward J. Lynch, Toledo; John Sorenson, Port Clinton. 10-Louis Horwitz, Pomeroy; Frank R. Gross, Athens. 11-M. A. Daugherty, Lancaster; Garrett S. Claypool, Chillicothe. 12-Curtis C. Williams, Columbus; Clayton A. McCleary, Columbus. 13-Earl D. Bloom, Bowling Green; Louis J. Quinn, Vickery. 14 -Con Mulcahy, Akron; Wendell L. Willkie, Akron. 15-George White, Marietta; A. R. McCulloch, Cambridge. 16-Durbin Metz, Wooster; Elmer Cline, Canton. 17-James M. Neville, Delaware; Carroll R. Jackson, Mt. Vernon. 18-Harry Gager, Salem; John T. Flynn, Bellaire. 19Edmond H. Moore, Youngstown; D. F. Dunlavy, Ashtabula. 20Charles A. Mooney, Cleveland; Pierce D. Metzger, Cleveland. 21— Harry L. French, Cleveland; Mrs. Anna L. Mulac, Cleveland. 22Newton D. Baker, Shaker Heights; W. B. Gongwer, Cleveland Heights.

While the foregoing list presents an array of men and women eminent in the democratic party, the name of Governor Vic Donahey does not appear as a delegate. Some thought that in this omission the prestige of the governor had sustained a serious fracture; others regarded it as another instance of his usual "good luck."

The Democratic National Convention in 1924 was held at Madison Square Garden, New York, and continued in session from June 24th to July 9th. The two leading rivals for day after day were William G. McAdoo and Governor Alfred E. Smith. Finally on the One Hundred and Third ballot the nomination went to John W. Davis of West Virginia. Charles W. Bryan of Nebraska was nominated for vice president.

At the presidential preference primaries (April 29, 1924) 173,613 republicans expressed their preference for Calvin Coolidge, and 27,578 for Hiram Johnson. The following Ohio delegates-all of whom favored the nomination of Coolidge-were chosen to the Republican National Convention:

At large-Harry M. Daugherty, Columbus; Frank B. Willis, Delaware; Simeon D. Fess, Yellow Springs; Charles L. Knight, Akron; William C. Procter, Cincinnati; Mrs. John G. Battelle, Columbus; Mrs. David Tod, Youngstown.

Districts: 1-R. K. Hynecka, Cincinnati; E. W. Edwards, Cincinnati. 2-J. J. Burchenal, Cincinnati; George F. Scott, Cincinnati. 3-R. R. Nevin, Dayton; Robert Patterson, Dayton. 4-John Galvin, Lima; Albert Herzing, St. Marys. 5-Joseph Ross, Paulding; O. M. Purmort, Van Wert. 6-Henry T. Bannon, Portsmouth; Robert M. Andre, Waverly. 7-Frank H. Smith, Xenia; Charles J. Waggoner, Lebanon. 8-Hoke Donithen, Marion; Ralph Cole, Findlay. 9-Walter Brown, Toledo; Frank E. Calkins, Toledo. 10-John E. Jones, Jackson; A. R. Johnson, Ironton. 11-W. K. Martin, Lancaster; Barton Walters, Circleville. 12-James J. Thomas, Columbus; William W. Williams, Columbus. 13-Frank P. Riegle, Bowling Green; Charles L. Sherwood, Fremont. 14-Mrs. Helen A. Pardee, Akron; Arthur L. Garford, Elyria. 15-F. M. Ransbottom, Zanesville; W. W. Mills, Marietta. 16-U. D. Miller, New Philadelphia; Harvey P. Ake, Canton. 17-Webb L. Rybolt, Ashland; Ray Watkins, Radnor. 18Louis H. Brush, Salem; St. Clair Archer, Bellaire. 19-William I. Davies, Youngstown; P. E. Remick, Ashtabula. 20-Paul Howland, Cleveland; Ralph C. McBride, Cleveland. 21-Clayton C. Townes, Cleveland; Herman Finkle, Cleveland. 22-Carmi A. Thompson, Cleveland; T. E. Burton, Cleveland.