James Cox (Dixieland)

James Cox (March 31, 1870 - July 15, 1957) was a politician who served as the 30th President of the United States. He previously served as a member of the House of Representatives from Ohio.

Early Life
President Cox was born and raised in Ohio. He took up journalism as he matured into adulthood and soon became a prominent journalist. He worked for several prominent publications in Ohio during his career. In 1900 he acquired the Dayton Evening News, a newspaper, which he renamed to the Dayton Daily News. He built it up into a highly successful newspaper. He used his paper as a platform to campaign against (largely Republican) corruption. In 1905 he acquired the Springfield-Press Republic and renamed it the Springfield Daily News.

Early Political Career
As a democrat he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1908. He was a prominent anti-corruption politician and stood for workers rights. He sponsored and vote in favor for several anti-big business laws and regulations.

Vice Presidency
In 1912 when Champ Clark became the Democratic Nominee James Cox became his running mate. The men won in November of 1912. Cox seemed to disagree with Clark in several ways, once WW1 broke out Cox was in favor of the United States entering the war just as soon at it could while Clark stood against US involvement, Cox was also more critical of Industries that hurt the working man.

Some saw quarrels between Clark and Cox as the cause of Clark possibly dropping Cox as his Vice-President in 1916. However Clark dropped a bombshell when he announced he would not run for reelection due to his health. This allowed the young Cox to focus on his own White House Run. When Clark's health took a turn for the worst in January 1916 he stepped down as president allowing Cox to gain control of the white house.

Presidency
Between January and November President Cox focused on the upcoming election as well as his duties. He began to beef up the military for possible intervention in WW1. However Cox didn't do much in those first eleven months until after he had won the election allowing him to operate without alienating any possible voters he would have otherwise had. One notable thing he did during this time was the creation of the concept of what would become known as the highway system.

Shortly after winning the election Cox asked for the a bill allowing for Selective Service (the draft). The south was outraged. They did not want to send their kids to fight and die in a war for "The Yankees". His popularity dipped after this and it would never come back to its old heights. Several governors threaten to leave the union if this bill was to pass.

In December Cox broke off all diplomatic relations with Germany and began to push ahead with a buildup to a war with Germany. As the new year rolled around he was sending weapons to the British and French Governments. However Cox would never see this war come to fruition. In January news of the Zimmerman Telegram, a telegram emerging the south to fight the north in a new war came out. The Telegram said that if such a war was to happen after a victory of the central powers the South would regain its autonomy. Several Southern Political Leaders saw this as the time to seceded from the union. This new controversy would envelop the career of Cox.

When rioting broke out Cox was angered by the southern governors unwillingness to put down the riots. The riots soon turned to rebellion when a referendum passed in Alabama to declare independence. Cox sent Federal Troops to the south to quell the riots and rebellions. When news arrived that twenty seven rioters were killed in one night in Richmond on March 16, 1917 the people were outraged. Atlanta fell into the hands of the rebels and a new Confederacy Formed consisting of Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Cox declared this an illegitimate government and went into full war mode sending tanks into major cities under rebel control. In August of 1917 the Governor of Georgia surrendered to the US (he was executed ten months later), Mississippi and Alabama soon followed suit and by early 1918 all remnants of the rebellion were crushed.

Cox was now despised with his popularity near just 25% as he attempted to rebuild. He was quick to punish the south by having his Attorney General Execute the unloyal politicians of the south who fought against the US. Perhaps in an attempt to try to reconciliation with the south he canceled all plans to enter WW1 (which lasted until 1920) and had his Attorney General Investigate the first killings in Richmond that helped spark the War between the North and South. In a show trial several US Military Soldiers, all lowly privates, were sentenced to hang. Their conviction was commuted once the interest in the case had died down.

In 1920 Cox lost the Democratic Nomination. The South turned on him and Democrats in general and for the first time in US History since the colonial days all the states (even the southern ones) voted Republican electing Harding as president. They also had near total control of the house and senate.

Post Presidency
He retired as an unpopular politician from Politics after leaving the White House in 1921. He returned to his work in journalism as his empire grew to what is now known as Cox Enterprises. He passed away in 1951. A Military Funeral was held for him in Washington D.C.