The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-06-04
RX-PREsIDENTS.
Never Mora Than Five Were Alive q,
One Time.

quibble be admitted that Mr. Cleve-
land himself is at one and the same
time both president and expires
Ident.
Living ex-presidents in this coun-
try have usually been scarcer than
living ey-kings in Europe. There
were never more than five ex-presi-
dents living at one time, and it is
more than 81 years since there were
so many.
After the death of George Wash
ington, December II, 1899, there
was no living ex-president until the
retirement of John Adams, in 1901.
He was the sole living ex-president
until jefferson joined him in 1909.
There were these two during the two
terms OF Madison, from 1899 to 1917,
and Madison, with them, made three
during the two terms of Monroe,
from 1917 to 1925. There were four
living ex-presidents during the first
JIG months of the term of John
Quincy Adams, but beth Jonn Adams
and Thomas Jefferson died July 4,
1926, the first deaths among ex-
presidents since the death of Wash
ington, quarter of century be-
fore. There have been since then no
such gaps between the deaths of ex-
presidents. For the rest Of John
Quincy Adams term there were
only two living eZ-presideatS. After
his retirement in 1929 and up to July
4, 1881, when Monroe died, the third
ex-president to die on the national
holiday, there were three living.
Madison and John Quincy Adams
were the living ex-presidents until
June %, 1886, when Madison died,
hnd John Quincy Adams was the sole
one until Jackson's retirement in
1887. These two were joined by Van
Buren in 1871, and there were three
living ex-presidents until March 4,
l845, when Tyler retired, making
four. Jackson's death, June 8, of
that year, reduced the number again
to three, and it so continued until
February %, 1913, when the death of
John Quincy Adams reduced the
number of living ex-presidents to
two. He had lived 10 years after re-
firing from the presidency, and his
father had lived "a years after retir-
ing, though much less active in
political life than the son. Van
Buren and Tyler were the only living
ex-presidents from the death of the
second Adams until the retirement
of Polk, March q, 1S49, and again;
from Polk's death, June 15, 1849, un-
It'll the retirement of Fillmore, March,
a, 1853. They, with Fillmore, were
the only living cx-presidents until
Pierce joined the group, March 4,
1857, and the four became five by
the retirement OF Buchanan, March
A, 1861.
This is the first and only time that
there have been five living ex-presi-
dents Their number was reduced
to four by the death of Tyler, Janu
ary 19, 1862, and to three by the
death of Van Buren, July "a, 1862.
Buchanan's death, June l, 1868, re-
duced the number again to two, but
1t became three by the retirement of
johnson, March 4, 1869. There were
but two after the death of Pierce,
October 8, 1869, and until March 2,
1874, when Eillmore's death left
Johnson the sole surviving ex-presi
dent. It had been 81 years since
there was only a single cx-president
living.
Johnson's death, on July 81 of the
following year, left the country for
the first time in "A years without a
living ex-president, and it SO con-
tinued until March 5, 1877, when
Grant retired. During the presi-
dency of Hayes Grant was the sole
living ex-president. After the re-
tirement of Hayes, March 4, 1881, he
and Grant were the only living ex
presidents till Arthur joined them,
March 4, 1885, making three. Grants
death, July %, 1885, reduced the
number to two. 1t so continued un-
til the death of Arthur, November
1S, 1886, when Hayes was again the
sole living ex-president. Cleveland's
retirement March q, 1889, made two,
and the death of Hayes, January II,
1893, left only one. Since that time
MIR. Cleveland or Gen. Harrison has
been the sole surviving ex-president.
Gen. Harrison is not the first ex-
president to marry. Fillmore came
out of the presidency e widower, his
wife, married to him about 20 years
before, dying in the last month of
the term. He afterward remarked,
end his second wife survived him. 1t
VS. T,-,'-c''c .i:ortly before EXPIRES
ident Alu.urs death that he was
about to take a second wife, but he
died widower. John Adams was
left a widower at 50, II years after
he left the presidency, and he re-
manned so for the remaining eight
years of his life. Martha Washing
ton outlived the first president.
Dollie Madison survived her husband
I13 years, and his retirement from
the white house 80 years. She died
at the age of SO, by which it may be
seen that as mistress of the white
house, though a charming woman,
she was not a young one. The wife
Of John Quincy Adams survived him
four years. Monroe, who died in
New York city, survived his wife
only about a year. &C. N. Vallandig-
ham, in Illustrated American.
.r-1- $1,000