The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-04
OUR ID
Peculiarities of u. s. History That
Strike Foreign Observers.
A1labah0d IudiaN Pioneer

The coming election in the United States
IS interesting in itself and induces the stu
spect. We In India are perhaps more in
clined to such because the United States
and British India are the only large civil
lied States in which during the last hun
dred years the head of the administration
has been periodically selected from among
subjects. and always on the alleged grounds
or personal merit. ability and experience.
Since 17f4 there have been thirty-four Gov
ernors-general including those who We're
officiating. Since 1889 there have been only
twenty-five Presidents of the United tates
but then there have been several instances
curious features about the American sys-
tenn is that only two professions or occu-
pations have supplied the Presidents: law
furnished seventeen, arms five. Curious to
relate, no merchant or newspaper editor or
even landed proprietor has ever presided at
Washington. AS a rule. all the Presidents
have been drawn from the rank of practice
Ing lawyers. except after a war. General
Washington was elected after the war of
Independence. Andrew Jackson and Harri-
son after the war of 1872. Zachary Taylor
after the Mexican war. and Ulysses Grant
after the war of secession. This curious
narrowness of the field of selection has not.
we think. been noticed even by Bryce. 1t is
supposed that the dollar is almighty in
America. that the press is very powerful.
vet no silver king or Wall-street magnate
or Erie Dotentate has ever been a candi-
date. and the most brilliant of editors has
had no chance in any election. Here. then.
is Il curious contrast between Calcutta and
Washington: no practicing lawyer has eyer
become the chief of the state Of India
while except after great wars no one ex-
cept a lawyer has ever been selected in
the United States. Three Viceroys died
during their term of office: Lord Cornwall
lis. Lord Elgin and Lord Mayo; four Presi-
dents. Taylor, Harrison. Lincoln and Gar
field. died in office. Ore Viceroy. Elgin.
and one President. Adams. has been sue
ceeded after many years by a son. If We
inquire which system. selection or election
has given the ablest men. without douht
India must take precedence. From Wash
ington down to the latest occupant of the
White House 1t cannot be said that there
was a single man of pre-eminent talent
Hamilton, Henry Clay Daniel Webster
Blair. Everett were all great men. but they
never became Presidents. Unquestionab ly
ers the verdict capax imperii might have
been given with greater assurance than for
any President. 1t is. however. very much
TO the credit of the democratic institutions
that the characters of the Presidents have
stood so high and the breath of scandaI
has rarely sullied their reputation. Only
three soldiers. CORVALLIS, Hastings ana
Hardinge, have become Viceroys. and sorae
men of Sagacity have deplored this feature
u certainly may be urged that the military
presidents were by no means of bellicose
tendencies: in fact. not one of them was re-
all. in fact. may be said to have been
worthy of admiration and respect for mr.
fty OF private life as we'll as for the q N
orgy and capacity which had raised then,
10 the White House. OF the seventeen la ~
Yer Presidents. the majority rose IRON, ~
ranks of labor, and this fact is nor only >
credit TO themselves and their col1ntrv ~.
e partial assurance of contentmenf amor.
me WORKING classes. When the son of J
IIrnler or a rail-spli.ter is seen at tho
" hlle HOUSE. demagogues may be noisy.
hut their defamation cannot be very IF.
fPctiye. c-