|
Prof: Ohio leaders lack quality |
|
Monday, 25 February 2008 |
By B.J. BETHEL
Staff Writer
MOULTON — While Ohio has contributed to the presidency in terms of quantity, the issue of quality is a different matter, according to a Toledo professor.
Ohio’s contributions to the office were the subject of a speech by Dr. Gerald Bazer, a former dean of the Arts and Sciences at Owens Community College and an adjunct professor at Boston College, Lourdes College and the University of Toledo.
Bazer’s speech was the opening event of 2008 for the Auglaize County Historical Society, which hosted the lecture at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moulton.
“We are continually writing about the presidents,” Bazer said. “What a time to be covering this topic.”
Ohio can make at least partial claim to eight presidents — William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren Harding.
The eight either ran from Ohio or were born in the state or had some other connection. With the exception of William Henry Harrison, who ran as a Whig, all of Ohio’s presidents were Republicans. Of the eight, only four lived to see the end of their terms. Two were assassinated while in office and two others died. Only two were elected to more than one term. From 1869 to 1921, seven of the 11 presidents were from Ohio.
There were also questions of how well Ohio presidents performed in office.
“Someone said that Virginia is the cradle of the pesidents while Ohio is the dumpster,” Bazer said.
What led to them failing in office was due to different matters.
“They were generally dignified,” Bazer said. “Six of the eight were in the civil war, they were highly intelligent, they did good deeds, they were loyal to a fault, they had good intentions. It’s just the toughest job in the world. The only measure is by accomplishments not goals.”
What may have affected their performance was the general attitude toward the presidency in that era, he said. Many viewed the office as that of an executive, or someone taking the lead from Congress. This led to them being less accomplished than some of their non-Ohioan compatriots.
Different issues also had effects, Bazer said. State’s rights was an important issue at the time, with many in the federal government leaving much of the decision making up to the states. There was a battle in the Republican party between two divisions, the stalwarts and the reformers. Many of the presidents were selected due to their nature not to antagonize people.
“They felt the president was expected to be the executive,” Bazer said. “They let Congress set the agenda. Two of them said they would only serve one term so that essentially made them a lame duck.”
William Henry Harrison, who is the second oldest president, was only in office a month before dying. His winning candidacy took place during the first true modern election, in 1840. He had an illustrious military career and wasn’t in office long enough to leave a true mark.
Ulysses S. Grant almost replaced Abraham Lincoln in 1864. His first term is considered to be better than his second, when scandals brought about by his underlings caused him trouble. His memoirs, which he wrote to support his family as he was living his last days and were published by Mark Twin, are considered the greatest written by a president.
Rutherford B. Hayes was a Civil War general who came to office due to a controversial election. James Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin. Benjamin Harrison was the last president to have a beard while William McKinley is generally the highest rated Ohio president in surveys due to his foreign policy work. William Howard Taft started the tradition of a president throwing at the first pitch of the baseball season while Warren Harding was dogged by the Teapot Dome scandal and of an affair. |
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 26 February 2008 )
|
