The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-05-22
INFLUENCE OF gx-pResrpEnTs.

The case OF the late Benjamin Har-
rison shows that enacement Is not al
WAYS the lot Of outgoing Presidents.
In the wraugle during the term OF
John Adams between him and some
Of the leading members Of his party
Gouyerneur Norris wrote to Washing
ton asking him to accept a third term.
but before the letter reached him he
was dead jefferson was a mentor
10 his two immediate successors. Both
jefferson and Madison were always
consulted by Monroe on great ques-
tons Of domestic or foreign policy.
Some OF the Wings used TO say that
Van Buren's presidency was like a
parenthesis. standing between the
tempestuous days of Jackson's regime
and the Mexican war convulsion in
Folks. 1t might Ne read in a low
tone OF voice or omitted altogether
without disturpIng the sense or Sc
AaEAAAt VI EhtAAN- II ~ % bEAAtfNu-
or. at any rate. it was eharged-by the
political enemies of those two states
men that though. from 1887 to 1871.
the voice might be Van Burens voice.
the hand was the hand of Jackson.
After Jackson no ex-President had
any influence in politics until Grant.
unless Van Buren's candidacy for
President on the Free Soil ticket in
1S4S. seven years after he left the
White House, be taken into the account.
In the canvass of 1s4S Van Buren,, at
the head of a minor party, defeated
the party which had formerly elected
him. and gave the victory to the
Wings. whose candidate was Zachary
Taylor Grant remained an object of
great interest to his countrymen from
the time of his retirement till his
death. eight years later. He was the
foremost living American during all
those years. as he had been while
President He. and not the President
OF the day, from the moment he went
into retirement until he was carried
TO the tomb. was the first citizen of
the republic. He was in particular
demand in his own party in all poll
teal campaigns. He was the Roder-
lex Of his day. Half dozen words
from Grant were worth a thousand
from any ordinary spellbinder of the
time.
In the case of the second Adams,
OF course. the most brilliant part OF
his political career was the part which
came after his retirement from the
presidency. Although his political ca
reer began more than quarter of a
century before he went to the White
House in 1925. he rendered more valu-
able service in the period between
1881. when he entered the House OF
Representatives and lS4S. when he
died while a member OF that body,
than he had done in all his previous
public life, and he was one OF the
great Presidents, too. His service as
President gave him an influence in
the tumultuous days in which he was
in the House of Representatives which
told powerfully for the causes which
he advocated. although these were
commonly the unpopular causes dur
ing that day. No other man could
have fought so effectively as he did
in his ten years battle against the
gag-rule on anti-slayery petitions.
which. for q time, he waged almost
single-handed. and in which he was
ultimately victorious. No other man
than Adams could have brought order
cut OF the chaos precipitated by the
deadlock over the seating of the New
Jersey delegation in 1889. and the re
fusal OF the obstinate clerk to put any
question TO the House. How shall
the question be putt asked members
from all parts of the chamber when
Adams took the chair. = intend to
put the question myself. said Adams
quietly. response which aroused
great applause from his political enc
mics and friends ankle. Bedlam was
bsnished. the disturbance soon ended.
and the wheels OF legislation began TO
turn. Prestige and moral courage
never gained a more magnificent tri-
umPh. Said Henry A, Wise, an enc
my of Adams. II I were asked to
select the proudest epitaph which
could think Of for the tomb of Adams.
] would choose this. I intend to put
the question myself