Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-04-21
TWO MOTHERS OF PRESIDENTS.
Ohio May Now Share In Nirginia's
Distinction.

Ohio May Now Share In Virginia's
Distinction
/ With the Inauguration of William
Mckinley as President of the United
/ States Ohio may claim TO take rank
with Virginia as a mother OF Presl-
| dents" Virginia may still justly claim
| precedence, as the total time occupied
in the presidency by her sons during
the 10S years from 1879 to 1897
! amounts to thirty-five years and eleven
months, or almost exactly third of
the national existence of the republic
a record in point of time surprising
/ that of any other State. The four Pres
idents duly elected from Virginia were
each reelected. The fifth, Tyler, was a
| Vice Presidential accident, as were Mil
| lard Fillmore and Chester A. Arthur,
OF New York, and Andrew Johnson, of
Tennessee As regards Ohlo's Presi-
dents, the first, William Henry Harri-
son, was born in Virginia, and served
but one month; President Hayes served
/ but one term; Garfield served only a
few months; and William Mckinney,
the last of the four, is but entering upon
his first term.
The parallel between Virginia and
Ohio Is still further extended in the
fact that six Presidents were born In
each of the States, William Henry Har-
rlson claiming Virginia as his birth
| place, and Ohio being the native State
Of Grant and Benjamin Harrison,
though Grant as a President is to be
credited to Illinois and Harrison to In
| diana. In point Of eminence and en-
during fame, indeed, Illinois is the only
State that rivals Virginia as regards
Presidents. Lincoln, the emancipation,
and Grant, the commander, take a sta
ton second only to Washington in
American history and IN the affection
and admiration of the American peo-
pie, while Ohio's Presidents cannot be
said to have left marked impress
upon the nation. What the fourth Pres
ident from Ohio may add to the luster
of the State as President 1t is yet too
early to predict.
In another respect the Inauguration
of William Mckinley is remarkable
In that he is the second President the
| famous Western reserve of Ohio has
furnished the nation. William McKin-
ley was born at Niles, Trumbull Coun-
ty, Ohio, whose chief town, Warren, is
popularity called the capital of the
Western reserve. James A. Garfield
was also born in another county (Cuya-
hoga) of the Western reserve. A still
more interesting coincidence Is that the
eighty-two veterans of the Twenty
third Ohio Volunteers who followed the
carriage of the new President as he
rode from the Capitol to the White
House for the second time had the hap
piness of seeing a President chosen
from their regiment, Hayes and Nc
Kinley both having belonged to this
famous organization.
If it were asked why Virginia and
Ohio have furnished nearly half the
Presidents of the United States the an
swer would not be difficult. Virginia
occupied a central position among the
original thirteen States, just as Ohio
for years has occupied a similar posi-
ton In regard to the greater nation.
There are many other reasons that may
he adduced for the preference shown
these two great commemorative in the
matter Of the Presidency, but rank in
population and central location were
great general factors, especially as re-
CARDS Ohio, and these elements are like
ly to be more and more prominent in
the election of Presidents in the future.
The question Of availability" Is al
ways n prominent one in President
making, and availability takes into con-
sideration the prominence and location
of the State, as well as the character
and fitness of the man.