Looking to rein-in state spending, Floridas governor, a man with little political experience who was elected by the skin of his teeth, looked to lower taxes and rein-in education spending, even advocating privatizing the penal system.
Are we talking about Gov.-elect Rick Scott, the 45th governor of the state of Florida? Actually, no. This description better fits George Franklin Drew, the states 12th governor, who presided from 1877 until 1881.
Born in New Hampshire, Drew and his path to power bear many similarities to Scotts. Drew built a fortune through his activities in Georgia and Florida in lumber. Building a large fortune, even earning the nickname Millionaire Drew, he eventually turned to politics, winning a seat as a commissioner of Madison County in 1870 but failing when he tried to move to the state Senate two years later. While his wife, who was from Georgia, was a staunch backer of the Confederacy, Drew generally remained sympathetic to the Union cause and basically sat out the Civil War. Though he was a Democrat, Drew supported Republican Ulysses S. Grants presidential campaigns.
During that period, Drew helped found Ellaville, a small town in Madison County where he built a mansion. While the mansion burned down in 1870, the state established a marker commemorating Drew and the now-vanished town.
Despite his lack of a record, the Democrats nominated Drew for governor in 1876 and he defeated Republican candidate Marcellus Stearns, a one-armed Northern veteran of the Civil War. It was all a part of that controversial election cycle in whichFlorida played a pivotal role in deciding the presidential contest between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden.
Drew pushed for financial reform, calling for lower taxes and smaller government. Under his administration, Drew looked to pull the state out of debt and slashed public funding of education and prisons. Looking to increase Floridas revenue, Drew authorized the states controversial convict lease program. Under it, the state government leased convicts out to companies that not only paid Florida a fee, but picked up the tab for most of the prisoners' expenses. The convict lease system, in place for decades, led to inhumane conditions as prisoners worked in mines, in lumber and on railroad projects.
But Drew had his successes as he looked to get Floridas financial house back in order. He lowered taxes and slashed spending -- setting the stage for the great modernization of Florida as the railroads and the tourists moved in.
Once his term as governor was over, Drew headed back to the private sector, settling in Jacksonville where he founded what is today the Florida Hardware Co. While he never again sought political power, Drew remained popular in the two decades after his term as governor.
There are some substantial differences, of course, between Drew and Scott. While Drew attempted to steer the middle between supporters of African-American freedom and suffrage and their opponents, he would have been appalled to see Scotts selection of Jennifer Carroll as lieutenant governor.
Still, there are some striking similarities. The contest between Scott and Democrat Alex Sink, the state CFO, was the closest gubernatorial race Florida had seen since Drew beat Stearns. Taking a page from Drews playbook, Scott has taken aim at reducing the size and scope of state government and has indicated he would be open to privatizing some aspects of the penal system. Neither Drew nor Scott had much political experience before being elected and they both were very successful in the private sector.
Drew had a receding hairline, though he was not quite as bald as Scott.
Even on the romantic front, there are similarities. While Ann Scott was the future governors high school sweetheart, Drew was very devoted to his wife despite their differences over the Civil War. Drew passed away in Jacksonville on Sept. 26, 1900, the same day as his wife -- hours after handling her funeral arrangements. Newspapers reported that he died of a broken heart.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
