The Irish standard., 1896-11-28
The HAS BEES
Some of Those Who Met With the
Same Fate as Bryan,

The name Of Bryan has been added to
ths.list of defeated presidential candi-
dates, a; list; which proves~in acstriking
nanners how short Lived is political re-
pute5 Many of the names thereon have
already, faded + from popou1ars memory,
and those that still hold a place in peo-
pies minds could be counted on the Tin
gers OF. ones hand. To this class be-
long Aaron Burr, who in 1900 was de-
feated for che presidency by hairs
breadth. Indeed, Burr came nearer the
presidentcy without reaching it, than any
other man save 'Tilden, but he is best re-
membered as the politician who slew
Hamilton, and later plotted unsuccessfully
to create great empire in the southwest,
: of which he should be monarch. There
after he was for several years an exile in
Europe AND during his last days prac-
ticed law in New York, dying at such an
extreme Old age that men are now living
who knew and conversed with him.
For more than generation Burr was
an Ishmaelite among his fellows and he
carried his hatreds with him beyond the
grave His doubtful triumphs with WO-
men; are well knDWl.. Among the papers
which he placed at; the disposal Of his
literary executor, Mathew L. Davis, were
a great number OF letters, almost every
one of them rom women whose standing
in society was good, and some OF them
+, member Of families of great social promi-
.nence Many Of these women were dead.
Some of them had left happy families A
few were still! living Most Of the letters,
while beginning the series in terms OF
endearment and affection, ended with pit
4 iful charges Of betrayal and deserllon.
Nav
I. sessed these letters, publishers in New
York and other Cries offered him large
sums of money for them, but he was more
= merciful than was Burr himself. He re-
turned as many of the letters as possible,
and the rest he burned. Years before,
Burr on the eve OF his duel with Hamilton
had committed these letters to his own
daughter, Theodosia, bidding her, in case
he fell, to 90 with them what she chose.
Thuriow Weed used to say that there
were descendants of Burr living in Ne"
York city who had no idea that Burr was
their ancestor for he had two daughters
by a woman with whom ne boarded, 2nd
for whom in his old age he seems to have
had some pity, for be undertook law
suit for her by which she secured prop
erty encugh 10 live at least in comfort
Burr died IL 1886, and was buried by the
George Clinton did not permit his de-
feat foA the presidency to END his public
career. He continued Eer many years a
powersin state and national politics, and
was governor OF New York after he had
served as vice president.
De Witt Clinton also took his defeat
by Madison with the cal1nness OF sage.
In after years ne carried 10 successful
!, ISSUE the construction of the Erie canal,
and became governor. dying suddenly. as
so many men hava done. The public Ca
reer of Rufus King may be said to have
ended with his defeat by Monroe in 1916,
and the same was true of William h.
Crawford, who lost the presidency by a
fuke in 1924 Crawford, who had been i.
national figure for nearly quarter OF a
century, resigned his seat in the senate
soon after the election. went back to his
home in Georgia, and in order to support
himself, secured an election as judge Of
probate, dying in that Office few years
later.
On the other, hand the after career OF
Henry Clay. who was also an unsuccess-
full candidate for the presidency in 1924
is still household word. tIe served for
many years in the cabinet and Senate and
remained until his death the idol of his
party. Defeated by Jackson in 1923, he was
cheated out of the Whig nomination in
1870, and it was his own fault that ne was
not elected when he was unanimously made
the standard-bearer of his party four years
later. Clay's last appearance in public life
was III 1850, when at the age of "a he can
celed his vow Of retirement and returned
to the senate to carry through the famous
eompromise measure, which ne Valnly
hoped would settle the slavery question
once and for ALL. When this bill was under
discussion in the senate, although Old and
feeble he persisted in speaking two days
( In advocacy of his plan Of settlement.
Crowds of people came to washington
from a distance to hear the winsome and
fascinating orator make this last and
greatest effort of mis- life. When his speech
was sdone admirers rushed upon him to
thank him, and a multitude of women
kissed him with, effusive tears. Clay died
during the following year.
5: Calhoun, who, dllriag the debate just re-
ferred to, also addressed the senate for the
last time, although never like Clay for
NAL candidate for. the presidency, was still
for many years an eager asplraHt for the
snff1ce. and it was the understanding when
jackson was elected in 1923 that, be should
q serve one term and then Vice President
calhoun should he promoted as his Sue
scessor But William H.. Crawford. VINO
held Calhoun chiefly responsible for his
defeat, in 1924 from his retirement OF the
Georgia bench, wrote a letter in which ne
b stated that iii Monroe's cabinet Calhoun
& had proposed that.:-JacksoE S conduct in
S the Seminole war be made the subject OF
inquiry, and III the, charges against him
/ were found srdue he should be punished
4 with severity This. letter was. used so
adroitly by Van Buren tlat the fsisndsalp
Of the president for Calhoun was changed
TO yindictive and inapla,aah.e enniitM, From
/ that day Calhoun was doomed as the sue
4 cessor Of Jackson, and Van B'iren became
The fayorite Save for Cra.ford's .setter,
$sit is safe to say ti3at Calhoun and nat Van
q Buren, would have been caosen president In
Il 1896. ). ~ !.
A. Wirt. !. who was one Of jackson oppo-
/ nsnts, in 1882, died within year, and
II 9Ifngh I. White and Willie p Malgu1n
\ AID not long survive taeir defeat by Van
IF Rnren in 1885, Van BuIen, after his
II SSscr,Isning overthrow by Harrison in lS4o,
retired Ito his home on the Hudson "a e I'd
ii fa6aNoted, the ensuing four years t6 active
1 ssssliafaneuvering for the Democratic homina-
ssstinnt5in 1874. There is little doubt that
ESsa,eair he would nave been the candidate
l,is party in the year Just naIned .s 9ad fE