GODKIN, E(DWIN) L(AWRENCE)

born Oct. 2, 1831, Moyne, County Wicklow, Ire. died May 21, 1902, Greenway, Devonshire, Eng. Anglo-U.S. editor and founder of The Nation. After graduating in 1851 from Queen's College, Belfast, studying law, and working for newspapers in London and Belfast, Godkin went to America late in 1856. He continued a connection with the London Daily News while studying law in New York City; he was admitted to the bar in 1858. In the early 1860s Godkin was offered a partnership in The New York Times by its editor, Henry Jarvis Raymond. Although attracted by the offer, he declined and in 1865 founded The Nation. This quickly became the foremost review in the country. In 1881 Godkin sold The Nation to Henry Villard, owner of the New York Evening Post. The Nation then became a weekly edition of the Post. Godkin became associate editor of the Post, succeeding Carl Schurz as editor in chief in 1883. He shaped the policy of the Post until his retirement in 1899. Under his leadership the Post broke with the Republican Party in the presidential campaign of 1884. Godkin's opposition to J.G. Blaine (Republican candidate for president in 1884) did much to create the so-called Mugwump faction, and the Post became independent. He consistently advocated currency reform, the gold standard, a tariff for revenue only, and, especially, civil service reform. His attacks on Tammany Hall were so frequent that he was several times sued for libel because of biographical sketches of Tammany leaders, but the cases were dismissed. He also voiced strong and often effective opposition to jingoism and to imperialism.