USA > Ohio > History of Ohio, covering the periods of Indian, French and British dominion, the territory Northwest, and the hundred years of statehood > Part 46
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MeKinley suffered defeat for Congress in the fall of 1900, though his party earried the State by a plurality of eleven thousand for sec- retary of state, and this defeat was mainly due to another re-district-
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ing of the State by the legislature, which threw him into a strongly Democratie district. This repeated rearrangement of districts, one of the great political evils of that period, was indulged in by both parties.
The census of 1890 showed a population of 3,672,316 in Ohio, an increase of 474,000. It was a creditable gain, and Ohio showed in no respect a real retrogression, but the phenomenal growth of the city of Chicago put Illinois in the place among the states long held by Ohio, which now became fourth in the array of figures, though yet third in importance. Chicago owed its growth to the marvelous development of the lake commerce, in which Ohio shared. Cuya- hoga county had increased in population in ten years from less than 200,000 to more than 300,000, while Hamilton county, with its metropolis on the Ohio river, had to be content with an increase from 313,000 to 374,000. Columbus and Toledo, in twenty years, had almost tripled their population, while that of Dayton was doubled. Thanks to gas and oil, Findlay had grown from 3,000 to 18,000, and Lima from 4,500 to 16,000.
The growth of manufacturing since 1880 was shown by an increase in total value of products of nearly three hundred million dollars, by far the greatest of any period in the history of the State. Cincinnati retained its supremacy as a manufacturing city, with a total value of produets estimated at $196,000,000 annually, while the value of the Cleveland manufactures was put at $108,000,000. The great diver- sification of industries at Cincinnati is remarkable. It is one of the foremost cities of the Union in the production of boots and shoes, clothing and furnishing goods, saddlery and harness, printing and publishing, tobacco and cigars, slaughtering and meat packing, soap. and candles, furniture, malt liquors, and jewelry. The great indus- tries of Cleveland are shipbuilding, oil refining and steel and iron work. The foundry and machine shop products of Cleveland in 1890 were valned at $11,000,000, and of Cincinnati, $10,000,000; the lumber produets of Cincinnati were $3,000,000 in value, and of Cleveland $2,250,000.
In smaller cities there were other remarkable developments of manufacturing. Next to Minneapolis, New York and St. Louis, the greatest investment of capital in flouring and grain foods was at Akron, a city of 27,000 people. The value of the product at that city was estimated at $3,000,000 annually. The investment of $23,000,000 in the manufacture of agricultural implements was reported at Springfield, Akron, Canton, Columbus and Dayton, and the annual product of these cities was estimated at over $10,000,000.
The coal product of the State was estimated at ten million tons annually, figures that are practically incomprehensible. There were 2,640 oil wells in the State, viekling 12,500,000 barrels of crude oil annually, a product second only to the combined product of New
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York and Pennsylvania. The capital invested in this industry was estimated at $15,000,000. Besides the great investments of capital in eoal and oil, $13,000,000 was invested in gas wells, which yielded an annual product valued at $1,120,000.
The wonderful growth of Cleveland, based mainly upon lake com- merce and iron and steel manufacturing, suggests the fact that while Ohio is one of the foremost states in iron and steel products, her iron ore resources are inconsiderable. The Hoeking valley region was the scene of mmeh exeitement in 1877-78 on account of the apparent abundance of valuable iron ore, coal and flux, in nearly horizontal layers, but investigation proved that the iron ore did not hold out its promise. So it is rather the accessibility of northeast Ohio to the iron mines of upper Michigan and the coke of Connellsville and West Virginia, that have contributed to the sneeess of Ohio in this field. In 1856 Ohio made as much pig iron as the entire product of the United States in 1859.
In the production of salt from salt wells Ohio had lost the second place among the states, held in 1860. The Hoeking valley fields, that had prodneed 50,000 barrels a year, were abandoned, and the continuance of the industry at Pomeroy and Canal Dover was largely due to the manufacture of bromine. This misfortune was on account of the opening of the abundant salt deposits of Michigan.
The legislature of 1890 elected, as the successor of Senator Payne, Calvin Stewart Brice, the Republicans easting their vote for Charles Foster. Senator Brice was a native of Morrow county, born in 1845, son of a Presbyterian minister who had come to Ohio from Maryland. He had no financial advantages in his boyhood, worked his own way through school, and when sixteen years of age enlisted as a soldier of the I'nion. In the intervals of his service he completed his studies and was graduated at Oxford, and after winning the rank of lieuten- ant-colonel in Sherman's army at twenty-one years of age, he came home and prepared himself for the practice of law, locating at Lima. But he gave more time to railroad projects than to law, and was the leading spirit in building a trunk line railroad, familiarly known as the "Nickel Plate," paralleling for a considerable distance the Lake Shore system. This road, owners of the Lake Shore were con- strained to purchase, assuring the ambitions country lawyer of con- siderable wealth and national fame as a promoter and manager of railroad enterprises. At the same time he had risen to prominence in polities, as a manager, and after various honors bestowed in Ohio, was chairman of the national Democratie executive committee in the campaign of 18SS. Ilis eleetion as senator followed, crowning one of the most remarkable political eareers in the history of the State. ITis business interests were already mainly in New York, where he was very conspienons, as well as in railroad enterprises in Ohio, until his death in 189%.
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Governor Campbell called an extraordinary session of the legisla- ture in October, 1890, "on account of the deplorable condition of public affairs in Cincinnati, which, it is believed, can be partially remedied by enabling the people of that city to choose certain impor- tant boards at the November election." The legislature failed to act promptly, however, and finally abolished the then existing board of publie improvements, and authorized the mayor to appoint a new board of city affairs. This act the supreme court annulled in the following year as special legislation. While Cincinnati was thus hampered by conflicting legislative action, Cleveland obtained, in 1891, an admirable law, framed in that city, through the labors of the Committee of One Hundred, headed by James Barnett. The move- ment for better government in Cleveland began in 1887, and what was called the Federal plan was devised. Under this plan the legis- lation of the city is confided to a council of twenty members, and all executive duties, including the appointment of officers, are the exclu- sive business of the mayor and six department heads appointed by him, with the approval of the council. The department heads are removable by the mayor at pleasure, while good cause must be shown for change in any inferior office or employment.
While Cleveland has made this advance toward better municipal government, Cincinnati remains, according to a writer on the sub- ject,# under an "antique, cumbrons and irresponsible form" of admin- istration. The most important part of its government is in the hands of the Board of Administration, which, in accordance with a former panacea for municipal ills, is composed of members of both political parties. This board has full control of waterworks, streets and street franchises, sewers, parks, and the like. The scheme of government which now appears to be in highest favor with economists is the con- centration of responsibility in the mayor without regard to what the politieal composition of the boards may be. It seems to be the opin- ion that "one man power" in administration is safer than too much dependence upon town councils or even councils and legislatures com- bined.
Governor Campbell urged the legislature to give those cities which the State goverment had interfered with, entire home government. "When they can no longer sit supinely waiting for the general assem- bly to perform miracles for their benefit," he said, "they will reform and purify their own municipal affairs." Legislative interference, by what were popularly known as "Ripper Laws," he believed should be prohibited by constitutional amendment, and the cities should have conventions of delegates to construct their own charters.
"Ripper legislation" finds its authority in a provision of the con- stitution of 1851: "The general assembly shall provide for the
* S. P. Orth. "The Municipal Situation in Ohio." in The Forum, June, 1902.
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organization of cities and incorporated villages by general laws, and restrict their powers of taxation, assessment, borrowing money, con- tracting debts and loaning their eredit, so as to prevent the abuse of such power." The requirement that such legislation shall be "gen- eral" has been avoided, practically, by an artificial division of cities into classes. The legislature of 1852 created two classes of cities, those over 20,000 population in the first class, and those under that figure in the second. Later legislatures have made other provisions until there are now four grades of cities in Class 1 and eight grades in ('lass 2, and two classes of incorporated villages, and below them the class of hamlets-towns under two thousand population. By means of this classification the legislature is enabled to pass laws applying to two or three or even one city, and give it the form of general legisla- tion for a class. Thus, when it was desired, in 1890, to put the govern- ment of Youngstown in the hands of a board appointed by the mayor and probate judge and apparently irresponsible, a bill was passed providing for a form of goverment for cities having a population of not less than 27,690 or more than 27,720. This had the form of a general law, and the supreme court sustained it as such, though it carries the method of evasion of the constitution to the limits of absurdity. At the end of the first century of Ohio as a State, there are one and three-quarters million people living in cities of over 5,000 population. A general code under which all these people shall enjoy self government, with such restrictions against extravagance as the constitution requires, is recognized as one of the most urgent needs in the way of legislation. In 1895 the legislature authorized the preparation of such a code, and two years have been given to the sub- jeet by a commission composed of David F. Pugh, of Columbus, and Edward Kibler, of Newark. If their recommendations are adopted, all classes will be abolished but the simple ones of cities and villages; power of appointment and responsibility will be centered in the mayor, and elections will be freed as much as possible from the influ- enee of national polities.#
To return to the administration of Governor Campbell, it is due to that able and popular exceutive to note that he recommended the adoption of the "AAustralian" ballot and a law compelling political parties to make nominations by primary elections. The legislature
* In June. 1902, the supreme court of Ohio, having the question before them in an action to oust the members of the board of control of Cleveland on the ground that the Cleveland charter law was special legislation, held that the charter, though ostensibly general in form, was applicable only to Cleveland, and therefore obnoxious to the constitution, and void. A similar ruling was made in a case brought to test the constitutionality of a "ripper" law for Toledo which removed control of the police from Mayor Samuel M. Jones. As this ruling of the court applies to the entire class of special legislation ahove described. the legislature will be compelled, perhaps before the publi- cation of this work, to provide a new code of municipal government.
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of 1891 adopted the Australian system of election, including the blanket ballot and privacy in easting the vote, a law that excited much prejudice at the time, but which is now so firmly fixed in public favor that it will probably endure with little modification except in the use of voting machines. Other important acts of this memorable legis- lature were the Pennell school book law, a step toward economy in text-books for the common schools; an act forbidding the employment of children under fourteen years of age in factories ; the Holliday law to prevent the frequenting of saloons by youths ; a law for the regulation of insurance and building-and-loan companies, and the first appropriation toward the building of an asylum for epilepties at Gal- lipolis.
In the early part of 1891 there was general mourning in America over the death of Gen. William Teemseh Sherman, February 14th. His body was followed to the grave by President Harrison and ex- Presidents Haves and Cleveland, and an immense procession, and the dead general's old antagonist, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, was one of the pallbearers. General Sherman was born at Laneaster, Ohio, Febru- ary 8, 1820, graduated at West Point in 1840, served in California during the war with Mexico; from 1533 to 1861 was successively banker in San Francisco, lawyer in St. Louis with his brothers-in-law, Hugh and Thomas Ewing, and superintendent of the Louisiana mili- tary academy. At the close of the war he was next to Grant in the popular admiration, and Grant, his faithful friend, called him "the greatest soldier living." He was made lieutenant-general in 1-66, and general in 1869.
In 1891 the Republicans of Ohio nominated William MeKinley for governor. The event is of importance in the career of an Ohioan who, after the deaths of Blaine and Thurman, was the most popular man in national affairs. The Democrats of Ohio renominated Gov- ernor Campbell, and in their platform, "denounced the demonetiza- tion of silver in 1873 as an iniquitons alteration of the money standard in favor of creditors and against debtors, taxpayers and producers, and which, by shutting off one of the sources of supply of primary money, operates continually to increase the value of gold, depress prices, hamper industry and disparage enterprise." But the "MeKinley bill" was the principal issue that year. The campaign was remarkable among the campaigns of latter years, both for its vig- orous proscention by Mr. MeKinley, and for the courteous relations between him and Mr. Campbell, whom he met once in joint debate at the town of Ada. The Union Labor party having already lost, importance, the new People's party entered the field, having its for- mal beginning in a national convention at Cincinnati, May 20. 1891. The main demands of this party were for the free and unlimited coinage of silver money, the abolition of national banks, unlimited
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national paper money to he loaned at two per cent a year. What strength it might have was the puzzle of the campaign, but it polled only 24,000 votes, while 20,000 remained faithful to the Prohibi- tion cause. McKinley received a plurality over Campbell of 18,500 votes in a total vote of nearly 800,000, again demonstrating that remarkable hold upon public favor that had brought about his elec- tion to congress seven times consecutively. Of his earlier career mention has already been made. As governor of the State from Janu- ary, 1892, to January, 1596, he added to his popularity with the inen of all parties, but beyond this had little opportunity for achieve- ment.
William Windom, who had been called a second time to the sec- retaryship of the treasury by President Harrison, died at New York, in 1891, at the close of a speech in which he declared that a debased or fluctuating currency must paralyze all kinds of busi- ness and bring disaster to all classes of people, as surely as poison in the blood must bring paralysis or death to the individual. These last words of Windom's were the most impressive utterances of statesmanship in that period. To succeed him President Harrison called Charles Foster, of Ohio, to the cabinet, and he ably adminis- tered the affairs of the national treasury until March 4, 1893.
In the legislature which had its first session in January, 1892, there was an exciting contest between the friends of Senator Sherman and Governor Foraker for the Republican eaneus nomination to sue- ceed Sherman for the term in the United States senate beginning in 1893. Sherman, winning this fight, was elected over James E. Neal, the Democratie nominee, his party having an overwhelming major- ity in the legislature.
In the fall of the same year Ohio came very near to giving her elec- toral vote, for the first time in forty years, to a Democratic candidate. President Harrison was opposed for re-election by ex-President Cleveland and defeated, Ohio contributing to the result one electoral vote, while the other twenty-two, by a majority of one thousand in the popular vote of 835,000, were given to Harrison. By practically the same majority Samuel M. Taylor was elected secretary of state, over his Democratie opponent, William A. Taylor. The division in the electoral vote was undoubtedly due to errors in stamping the "Australian" ballot. The issue in this campaign in Ohio, as else- where, was mainly the tariff. The national Democratic platform contained a "plank," introduced by Lawrence T. Neal, of Chilli- cothe, who had been elected to Congress in 1872 and 1874, and was recognized as one of the leading champions of low tariff, which denounced the protective tariff in the strongest terms, denied the power of Congress to impose a tariff except for the purpose of "rey- enne only," and denounced the MeKinley bill as "the culminating atrocity of class legislation." The victory of Mr. Cleveland seemed
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to set the seal of condemnation upon Mr. MeKinley's policy, but it soon appeared that other causes had contributed to the result of the eleetions, and that the Ohio governor was not losing popularity.
The candidate for vice president, defeated with General Harrison, was Whitelaw Reid, an Ohioan, born at Xenia in 1837, and graduated at Miami university, who succeeded Horace Greeley as editor of the New York Tribune in 1872, and in 1889-92 was United States min- ister to France. He is one of the most eminent sons of Ohio, with well earned distinetion as a journalist, author and diplomat.
The Ohio man was not represented in Mr. Cleveland's second cabi- net, except that toward the close of his administration Judson Har- mon, of Cinenmati, was called to the office of attorney-general of the United States. He creditably ocenpied a position that has been held by Edwin M. Stanton, Henry Stanbery and Alphonso Taft.
The World's Fair at Chicago, in 1893, was the occasion of a very creditable exhibit by Ohio, which was the only state, except Pennsyl- vania that was able to make exhibits in every department and section, and the only State with an exhibit from every one of its publie insti- tutions. In the famous "White City" on the shore of Lake Michigan, not very far from where the noted Indian scout of early days in Ohio, Captain Wells, was massacred among the lonely sand dunes in 1812, Ohio required ten thousand square feet of floor space to make a show- ing of her industrial, social and educational achievements in 1893.
Before the Columbian exposition closed the country was afflicted with a great collapse of financial credit. Many banks were forced to elose, merchants failed, and manufacturing institutions shut down or ran on short time. The I'nited States treasury itself, no longer burdened with a surplus, was in danger of losing the gold reserve necessary to maintain the parity of the national currency. In the midst of these conditions, Governor MeKinley was a candidate for governor a second time, with Lawrence T. Neal as the Democratic nominee, and was re-elected by a plurality of nearly 81,000. Deduet- ing the aggregate Prohibition and Populist vote of 38,000, his major- ity was 43,000. This decisive victory foreshadowed MeKinley's nomination for the presidency, and the popular approval of his tariff poliey.
In his message of 1594 Governor MeKinley addressed the legisla- ture thus: "Your honorable body meets at a time when the State is suffering from prolonged industrial depression, from which, unhap- pily, there appears no immediate prospect of relief. Communities throughout the State are generously responding to the wants of the unemployed who are in need. The people have resting upon them the duty to see that none of their fellow citizens are without food, shelter or clothing. . A short session and but little legis- lation would be appreciated at a time like this." He urged upon the legislature the propriety of obeving the spirit of the constitution of
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1851, which provided for biennial sessions. Every legislature since 1851, except that of 1834, had held adjourned sessions, so that the meetings were in fact annual instead of biennial. Probably on account of the financial conditions, the recommendation was adopted, and the legislature of 1894 adjourned sine die at the close of its first session, an example that has since been followed.
In the spring of 1894 occurred the great railroad strikes about Chi- cago, and the use of United States troops and writs of injunction to restore order, which, with his demand upon Congress for the repeal of the Sherman law for the purchase of 4,500,000 onnees of silver per month as a basis for silver notes, made President Cleveland very unpopular with a large part of those who had given him their suf- frages. About the same time the country was more or less agitated by news of "Coxey's Army." Various "armies of the unemployed" were organized to march to Washington and petition Congress for aid. The leader of this remarkable movement was Jacob Coxey, of Massillon, whose proposition was that the government shouldl issue half a billion dollars in greenbacks and spend it in making roads. Large parties had started from California, using the railroads with- out compensation. In their course eastward they occasioned trouble at, various places, including Ohio towns, but were generally kindly treated and eared for, as the number of men suffering for want of employment was ominously great. "General" Coxey, with a few hundred men, marched to Washington, and attempted to enter the capitol grounds May 1st, but was arrested for violating the rule to "keep off the grass," and nothing serions came of the movement.
A notable feature of Ohio legislation in 1894 was an act extending to women the right to hold office in school administration and the right to vote at elections of school officers.
In the state election of 1894, for secretary of state, the People's party east a vote of 50,000, and the Prohibition party 23,000, but the Republican candidate, Samuel M. Taylor, received the unprece- dented plurality of 137,07%.
In 1895 the State board of arbitration, established in 1893, had dealt with twenty-eight strikes and lockonts. The Hocking valley coal mines were idle throughout 1894, and collections of food and supplies were sent to the men early in 1895.
In the campaign for the election of a governor in 1595 the dan- gerous condition of the country was shown by the polling of over fifty thousand votes for Jacob S. Coxey, the visionary candidate of the People's party. Seth II. Ellis, the Prohibition candidate, received over 20,000 votes. But the main contest was between James E. Campbell, nominated a third time by the Democratic party, and the Republican candidate, Asa S. Bushnell, of Springfield. Mr. Bush- nell was elected by a plurality of 92,622. A few days after his inauguration, the legislature, which was about four to one Repub-
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lican, cleeted ex-Governor Foraker to the United States senate, to sueceed Senator Brice.
Governor Bushnell was of a pioneer family, born in 1834, at Rome, N. Y., of Connecticut parentage, was educated at a Cincinnati dis- triet school, and went into business life at Springfield in 1851, as a drygoods clerk. Fifteen years later he was the junior partner in a company for the manufacture of agricultural implements that became one of the most sneeessful in the West. In the course of his adminis- tration, which continued for four years, he found opportunity for distinction as the last war governor of Ohio, and was so active and generous in his efforts for the good of the soldiers that he deserves a place among those earlier war governors who have a secure place of honor in the history of the State.
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