Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-11
QUEER CONDOLENCES.
POINTS IN THE CAREERS OF JACK
SON, CLEVELAND AND HARRISON.
VIII Cleveland BE the Twenty-second or
Twenty fourth President of the United
States When He Is Inaugurated Next
March?-Benjamin Harrison's Prospects.
Especial correspondence. /

States When He Is Inaugurated Next
Acknowledgements Harrison's PROSPECTS.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Nov 2S. -W Will Grover
Cleveland be the twenty-second or the
neutrality-suspicious. of the United States
when he is inaugurated next March? He
was the twenty second president when in
Office before, but what number will history
give him after his second termp General
Harrison is the twenty-third President. Is
Cleveland to be the twenty fourth as well
as the twentysecond, or won't his second
term count numerically?
These puzzling questions grow out of the
fact that Mr.. Cleveland has broken all
records. He is the first man in the history
OF the United States of America to be
elected a second time to the presidency
after having been in retirement. Seven
presidents before Cleveland were reelected
Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Mon
roe, jackson, Lincoln and Grnnt-but each
OF them was elected to succeed himself
Cleveland alone serves term, is set aside,
and then reappears in the White House.
This is not Che first time, however, that
man has won the presidency after having
been defeated. No aspirant for the highest
ever met with more surprising defeat
than did Andrew Jackson in 1924, when,
after carrying the highest number of votes
in the electoral college, he was defeated by
John Quincy Adams in the house of repre-
sentatives; and it will be remembered that
jackson, undaunted by this rebuff, lived
to serve two terms in the presidential
chair and to name his successor. Jackson
made little Van Buren president, but Van
couldn't hold himself up.
1t is somewhat remarkable coincidence
that on the two occasions in the history of
the country in which the same candidates
were pitted against each other twice in
succession a Harrison was one of the
rivals. In 1886 Martin Van Buren defeated
William Henry Harrison, but four years
later William Henry Harrison triumphed
over Martin Van Buren. Half century
later the shoe is on the other foot, so far as
the Harrisons are concerned, for in 1888
Benjamin Harrison defeats Grover Cleve-
land, and in 1892 Cleveland beats Harrison.
A majority of our presidents have risen
step by step almost continuously to the
highest post in the land, Some, however,
met with serious reverses. Lincoln was
defeated for United States senator after
notable struggle with Douglas. Polk was
twice defeated for governor OF Tennessee
before he became president, and Benjamin
Harrison had been beaten in contests for
governor and senator in his state.
OF course Cleveland's recovery from the
defeat of four years ago will go down to
posterity as the most surprising chapter of
our political history, but seeming i'll for
tune has in previous instances served to
enhance the fame of its victims.
President jackson appointed Martin Van
Buren, minister to London, and Van Buren,,
shortly after his arrival in England was
chagrined to find that the senate through
the influence of his. political enemy, John
G. Calhoun, had refused to confirm his
nomination. He returned TO America, and
by virtue of the iron hand And commanding
genius of his patron, the great jackson,
had the satisfaction of displacing Calhoun
in the vice presidential chair, and after
ward Of reaching the presidency itself.
which Calhoun had sought in vain
Another case still fresh in the popular
mind is that of Chester A. Arthur. His
removal from the New York custom house
seemed at the time cruel blow, but it led
to his nomination for vice president, and,
through Garfield's death, to the presidency
The incoming president is without much
the Office. Mr.. Cleveland's property and
possessions must now be worth fully $780,
600. He was worth about 5000, 900 when he
left the presidential chair four years ago,
and since then he has made fortunate in
vestments, has earned large income as a
lawyer in New York ard Mrs. Cleveland
has come into some property.
AS rule our presidents have been COM
ufiva1v pOpr man praci6 apt Harmless,
was worth about $4,000 when he came
here four years ago. and while here he has
added about S125, 900 to his store Monroe,
Jackson, the first Harrison, Polk, Taylor.
Pierce, johnson, Lincoln, Grant and Gar
field were none of them much if any
wealthier than Benjamin Harrison when
they came into Office. Washington, JEFF
ferson, John Quincy Adams, Van Buren,
Tyler, Buchanan and Hayes were each
worth something like 100000 when they
became chief magistrate. Chester Arthur
left an estate worth $4,000.
President Harrison will retire from Office
next March still man in his prime. At
sixty, and with good health, be will want
employment for his active mind, and this
no doubt he will find in the practice of his
profession, as Mr.. Cleveland and many
other retiring presidents have done.
The precedents of history are against his
temperance in public life. OF course it is
barely possible he will follow in Cleve-
lands footsteps and run for president the
third time, but it is not probable Luck
like Cleveland's does not come to two men
in one century.
Only three presidents held office after
leaving the presidential chair. John Quin-
cy Adams spent seventeen years in con-
gress, and every day see visitors to the
Capitol gazing at the metal disc in the
floor Of the old hall of the house where he
fell and closed his career. Monroe became
a justice of the peace after leaving the
presidency, and Johnson was elected United
States senator in 1876.
The careers of our presidents after doff-
ing the robes Of state have not as a rule
been happy ones. Washington lived only
two years after his retirement. After a
quarter Of century of public service John
Adams retired to private life feeling bit
terly his defeat for reelection, and though
he lived twenty-five years his declining
days were haunted with the shadows of
what he deemed a cruel injustice to him.
self. Jefferson was harassed by financial
difficulties to the day of his DEATH Madi-
son was more fortunate. Hespent the last
nineteen years of his life on his farm
among his books and friends. Monroe,
like Jefferson, was in financial difficulties.
Polk died soon after leaving the White
House, and johnson survived only six
years, Pierce failed of denomination at
the hands of his party, lost his wife and all
Of his sons, sought solace in travel, and ere
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