St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-02
WIVES OF PRESIDENTS.
Vices Of Candidates. Candidates Without
Wires

themselves very uucu 1pOut VIM us WIZ -
or what she is. or what his domestic rela-
tons are. Nothing could better illustrate
the Democratic character Of our political in
stitutions than that every now and then
Presidents wife appears who has no social
fitness whatever, for the place she is expect
ed 10 occupy. The wives Of all the recent
Presidents except one, Mrs. Hayes, never
would have been selected 20 occupy the po-
sition they were compelled to assume when
they went 20 Washington. Mrs, Lincoln
shrank from the ordeal, was never at ease
while her husband was in the White House,
and never recovered from the uad effects OF
of her sojourn there. Mrs. Andrew Johnson
was a very plain little woman who loved her
husband as she ought 20 have done, but who
never had taste for fashionable society.
Mrs. Grant is one OF the most faithful OF
wives, but her side Of two Presidential terms
viii be forgotten long time before that OF
her husband Mrs. Hayes was the first wife
Of a Republican President 10 carry any
strong characteristics into her reign NJ the
White House. She Is a most amiable, intel
| ligent lady, and Is remembered with many
more pleasurable emotions than her husband.
| Mrs. Garfield was loving wife and good
mother, but goingto Washington came near
being as fatal to her as il was TO Garfield.
| himself She was as unsuited TO the respon-
| sibilities Of the position she had 10 assume as
Mrs. Lincoln or Mrs. Andrew johnson.
President Arthur is more OF a society man
than any Of his Republican predecessors, and
| il his wife had lived with him through his
administration she would have been as high
lyesteemed by genteel people as the resi-
dent himself is. She was most lovable wo-
man and thoroughly familiar with polite
usages.
Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. johnson, Mrs. Grant
and Mrs. Garfield all married self-made men
before they were made-that il, when they
were young and poor and inconsequential.
They and their husbands were on a level
when they married; 0tey proceeded 10 raise
up families of children, as all good wives
should do, while their husbands proceeded TO
study and grow famous. After twenty years
or so the husbands were quite ready TO be
Presidents, but their wives were not ready TO
be mistresses of the White House. They had
not been eultivating themselves in that d.
rection. Mr.. Lincoln married Mary Todd In
1912, when he was poor lawyer at the little
village Of Springfield, capital Of the then
sparsely settled state Of Illinois That was
nineteen years before he became President
! Andrew johnson came from even more hum
BILE surroundings than Abraham Lincoln. He
was born in 1908, aud married in 1927, so
! that be was only nineteen when he assumed
the responsibility Of wife. She taught him
how 10 write and cipher, and was good, pa
/ tlent faithful woman. The had no desire to
appear in the glare Of Washington society
during the time her husband was President,
and her daughter, Mrs.. Patterson, took the
/ lead Of the social side Of the White House.
+ Gen Grant married Julia I. Dent, the daug-
ter OF farmer, in 1s4s, and in 1852 he, af-
ter having become q captain In the army,
went TO live with her father on his farm near
| st. Louis. Mrs. Grant at that time lived a
very humble life, her husband making part
OF his income by selling wood by the wagon
| load in the streets Of st. Louis. Afterwards
he went 10 live with his own father at Galena,
H., where he pursued the occupation Of a
tanner and leather dealer. He was there
when the war broke out. The first ten years
of his married life certainly gave no promise
of his future positions and honors, and Mrs.
Grant never dreamed OF preparing herself 10
90 into the White House. Fame never fell
upon family more suddenly nor more I'M
expectedly. President Garfield married
Lucretia Rudolph in 1856, while he was a
teacher in a school He was then thinking
more of being preacher than politician,
/
and anxieties, to say nothing of the over
whelming sorrow, that awaited her as the first
woman of the land. Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs.
johnson, Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Garfield were
devoted wives and mothers, and that was
worth more to the nation than fitness for
fashionable society. Stin they and their
husbands would many a time have been
made happier If the latter had had better op-
portunities in life
., How would it have been If the Democratic
candidates instead of the Republican candi-
dates had been elected Presidents during
this time-that is from 1860 to the present!
Lincoln and Douglas were both from Hi
nois, and there was a much greater contrast
between their wives than between the two
men. Douglas did not marry till he had
reached an eminent position and Mrs.
Douglas was distinguished for both beauty
and all the plishments that adorn an
attractive woman. at the time her husbann
was acandidate for President she was not
more than thirty years old and had all the
freshness of her youth. The failure OF her
husband TO be elected was a terrible blow to
her ambition, for she and her husbane prob
ably had the Presidency in mind at the time
of their marriage. The wife OF Gen. Nc
Clellan, who was the Democratic candidate
for President in the year 1864 was very
young woman at that time. She was the
daughter of the late Gen. Marcy, who was on
the staff Of Gen. Mcclellan while be was in
command of the army OF the Potomac. She
was raised in Washington, though believe
Gen. Marcy's home was in Connecticut.
She and Gen. Mcclellan we're married short
ly before the opening OF the war and now
have two children, daughter, Miss Nav,
and son, the latter being at school. II
Mrs. Mcclellan had gone TO the White House
she would have been as great an adOrnmeni
10 it as Mrs. Douglas, though not so bcauti-
full a woman, nor one so fond of society.
She has always been most highly esteemed
by a very large circle OF acquaintances whom
she loves to greet at the receptions she give:
during the winter. Gen. Mcclellan has an
ample private fortune, aud in summer live:
at his beautiful country place on Orange
Mountain, \. j., and during the winter sea
son takes house in New York City. II Mrs
Mcclellan had gone TO the White House she
would have been very popular woman.
While she is cultured to a high degree in
both mind and manner, and while she
numbers among her friends many who
pride themselves on their exclusiveness, she
thoroughly Democratic In her ideas and
her receptions take wide range.
Mrs Horatio Seymour, whose husband was
the Democratic candidate for President in
1865, was Miss Mary Bleecker, Of Albany,
before she married. Her father was promi-
nent and highly esteemed citizen, aud had
ample means TO educate his children. Mrs.
! Seymour has always been greatly esteemed
for her gentleness Of manner and refined
, tastes. Horatio Seymour was the heir 10 8
large fortune when he married her, and hei
. associations have always been among the
foremost naoDie II the state Her husband