The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-05-06
TWO MOTHERS OF PRESIDENTS.
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 n mother OF l'resi-
dents" Virginia may still justly claim
precedence. as the total time occupied
In the presidency by her sons during
the los years from 1IS9 TO 1881
amounts to thirty-fve years and eleven
months. or almost exactly a third OF
the national existence of the republic
a record in point Of time surprising
that Of any other State. The four Pres
ldents duly elected from Virginia were
each reelected The fifth, Tyler, was a
Vice Presidential accident, ms 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 n
few months: and William Mckinley,
the last of tn, 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 uar-
rison claiming Virginia as his birth
place. and Ohio being the native State
of Grant and Benjamin Harrison,
though Grant rs 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 sta
ton second only to Washington in
American history and IN the affection
and admiration of the American peo-
pie, while Ohlo's Presidents cannot be
said to have left a 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 MclIin-
ley was born at Niles, Trumbull Coun-
ty, Ohio, whose chief town, Warren, is
popularity called the capital of the
western reserve. James 4. Garfield
was also born in another county (Cuya-
hoga) of the Western reserve. A still
more interesting coincidence is that the
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 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
'Wer would not be difficult. Virginia
occupied a central position among the
original thirteen States, Just as Ohio
or years has occupied similar Dosi-
Ion Ia regard to the greater nation.
Ihere are many other reasons that may
'e adduced for the preference shown
hese two great commonwealth in the
natter of the Presidency, but rank in
equation and central location were /
reat general factors, especially as re-
ards OHIO, and these elements are like
to be more and more prominent in
ne election of Presidents In the future.
ne question of availability" is al
Ways prominent one in President
aaKing, and availability takes into con-
Iteration the prominence and location
I the state, as we'll as the character
nd fitness of the man.