Oltio's Davey

"I am a candidate," announced a certain politician last week, "for Governor of Ohio, and the Democratic Ticket. . . . I am conscious of the fact that my personal political success is of no consequence to the public. Whether I win or lose makes no difference in the forward march of Ohio, unless I can make a definite and substantial contribution to her progress. . . .

The singular negative twist of this statement made people read it again. What upright-downright politician was this, so lacking in illusions, so intellectually honest, that he would publicly admit that the voters might conceivably get along without him?

The candidate's name was Martin L. Davey, U. S. Representative from Kent, Ohio.

Readers of national advertising quickly recognized the accent of his statement as the same accent that appears in advertisements for the Davey Tree Expert Co., such as: "Davey Tree Surgeons will not treat any tree for you that in their judgment is too far gone. The reason for this is obvious to them, but you with your untrained eyes must depend on their professional honor. . . . Davey Tree Surgeons will give nothing but first aid treatment to a tree that is starving. . . . Many clients urge them to break this rule by treatment of a hopeless case. . . . They answer: 'Yes, but our reputation is at stake.' "

Treeman Davey and Congressman Davey are the same. A brother, James A. G. Davey, helps with the tree business, as eastern representative and vice-president. But Martin L. Davey it is who cultivated to many-branched, nationwide spread the company planted in 1908 at Kent, Ohio, by the late John Davey, their father and "the father of tree surgery." In addition, Martin L. Davey has found time to be Mayor of Kent, Ohio (1914-1918) and a member of every Congress since the 65th except the 67th, when few Ohio Democrats survived the Harding gusher.

Further excerpts from Treeman Congressman-Candidate Davey's gubernatorial prospectus:

"I would like to make a serious effort to cut down the cost of government. . . .

". . . I know the taste of adversity. It is my earnest desire to keep a wholesome contact with the plain people. . . ."