The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-19

fact that no other man with Me pre-
fix 20 bis name has ever even been voted for
for president in tho. electoral college, with
the single exception Of General Mcclellan.
who was an unsuccessful candidate for the
presidency I'm 1864. Nor has a Nc" ever
been voted for for vice president In the cleo
| toral college.
Mckinley will be the first private soldier
| in tho White House--that is 20 say, the
first man Of military career 20 reach the
White House after starting out In the
ranks.
The Mother OF Presidents.
With tho accession of Mckinley to the
| chief nagistracy Ohio crowds Virginia un-
comfortably close for the honor of being
"the mother of PRESIDENT. " Virginia still
holds the record, with seven Of her sons in
1 the White House. Washington, jefferson,
Madison, Monroe, tho first Harrison, Tyler
and Taylor were born I'm Virginia Ohio
is next in number, with Grant, Hayes, Gar
| field, the second Harrison and Mckinley.
| North Carolina is next in order with three
--Jaclson, Polk and johnson. New York
| Is credited with two--Nan Buren and Fill
more Massachusetts has had the honor
| twice--the two Adamses. New Hampshire
was the birthplace of Pierce, Pennsylvania
Of Buchanan, Kentucky of Lincoln, Yer
mont of Arthur and New Jersey OF Cleye-
! land.
Will Mckinley be the twenty. fourth or
the twenty fifth president of tho United
States? IL is all a matter Of opinion. The
J term for which he has been elected Is the
twenty eighth residential term The first
term began in 1889, and between 1889 and
| 1897 is Hs years, which gives 27 completed
terms March 4, 1897. But Mckinley Is the
twenty-fourth man tonhold the office Of
| president, Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
| Monroe, jackson, Lincoln, Grant and
| Cleveland having been elected 30 two terms
each and William Henry Harrison, Taylor,
| Lincoln and Garfield having died in Office
and been succeeded by vice presidents. Nc
| Kinley Is the twenty first man to be elected
| president, in the twonty eighth term. But
| Grover Cleveland was elected Co the twen-
| ty-ffth term and again to the twenty-sey-
! enth term. Shall he count but once, as
| the twenty - president, leaving Nc
| kinley to be the twenty third, or shall he
| be called both the twenty second and twen-
| ty-fourth-which he was in actual line of
| accession--lcayiny Mckinley to be the
twenty y-lfth?
| As to Nationality.
Mckinley adds another president to the
| credit of the Scotch-Irish The English
| still load, however, with IA presidents de-
scended from English stock on their fa-
| thers side. Five-Jackson, Polk, Buchan-
an, Arthur and Mckinley-were Scotch
Irish. Three-Monroe, Grant and Hayes
were Scotch. One = Jefferson was
Welsh One-Van Buren - was Dutch.
All the others were English
Mckinley makes the ninth president to
bear the same Christian name as his IA
ther-the two Adamses, Madison, Jack
son, Tyler, Buchanan, Hayes, Garfield and
Mckinley.
James appears TO be the favorite presi-
dental name il having bean borne by five
presidents. John is second, three presi-
dents; Andrew third two presidents. 1t Is
rather remarkable that there has been but
one George In tho White House, only one
Thomas and so far only one William. Nc
kinley will make the second of this last
patronymic.
Only two families have sent two men
each to the presidential chair-the Adamses
and the Harrsons.
Tho fathers of II of the presideS Is were
farmers or planters. Those whose fathers
had other yocations were: Buchanan and
I1uyCS, JDHu quincy AudIns,
lawyer; the first Harrison, statesman;
Tyler iurist; Johnson, sexton and con-
stable; Grant, tanner; Arthur and Cleve-
land, clergymen, and Mckinley, iron work
or.
A remarkable fact IN the history Of our
presidents is that nearly all of them were
born in tho winter or spring The record
by months is as follows: January, L. Feb
A. A,Ari M.x, taI
June, 0; July l; August, 1; September,
O; October, 3 November, A. December, q
Locality and Profession.
It Is n remarkable fact that four presi-
dents Of tbo United States were born in
two counties of Westmoreland
and Charles City counties. In fact, seven
presidents first saw the light Of day In
little section of country through the center
of Virginia. Westmoreland county, In
which were born Washington and Monroe,
is adjolncd on the north by King George,
where Madison was born Twenty miles
10 the westward is Orange, which was the
birthplace Of Taylor, and Orange is ad-
Joined on the west by Albomarle, where
Jefferson was born. Only 30 miles south
of Wcstmorcland Is Charles City county,
in which were born Harrison and Tyler.
Mckinley adds another 10 the long list of
lawyer presidents. Wo have seen that most
Of the fathers OF our presidents were farm
ors or planters. Not so with their distin-
Fuishod sons. They were ambitious. In
early lifo more than half Of the presidents,
or i3 including Mckinley. were lawyers.
OF the remaining IL, Adams, Gar.
Gold, Arthur and Clevcland--were teach
ers who nftCrward became lawyers. Wash.
ington was surveyor, aftorward bccom-
ing planter. The lrst Harrison was "a sol
dier, but he had retired 60 farm when elect
od Taylcr aud Grant were always soldiers
Fillmore and johnson were tailors, but be-
oamo lawyers Lincoln was farmland,
but hecame a lawyer. All hut four OF the
presidents were educated os lawyers.
Nine presidents had no college educn-
ten Washington, Jackson, Van Buren,
Taylor Fillmore, Lincoln, johnson, Glove.
land aud Mckinley. Fifteen were college
graduates. 1hroo--JefIerson, Monroe and
Taylor-wcre from William and Mary uni
vcrslty. Two--the Adamses-were from
Harvard Madison was rom Princeton.
ff ~.