The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-03
The Romance of the Presidency.

The Romance Of the Presidency.
| (Col Henry Watterson in Courier Jour-
| nall
| What stretch of fancy could have pre-
dicted four years ago that Theodore
Roosevelt, talented and rather bump
tious young gentleman, holding little 9TH
er than an upper clerkship in subordin-
ate department of the Government-as a
rule, considered a political cul de sac
would today be President of the United
States? Yet the experience of Mr.. Roose-
welt is not exceptional to that of several
of his predecessors in office. Six weeks
before his nomination for President in
1874, James X. Polk was weak candi-
date for Vice. President, resting his chief
hope upon the nomination of Martin Van
Buren, for President. In two preceding
State elections he had been successfully
beaten for Governor Of Tennessee. then
regarded as one of the pivotal States +"
In 1843 Franklin Pierce retired from pub
lie life because he could not resist the
convivialism of the National Capital. Ten
years later, having done nothing in the
interim especially to distinguish himself,
he returned to Washington as President
OF the United States.
Take the case of Chester A. Arthur. He
was regarded by the country, as far as he
was known at all, as a New York politi-
Gin merely Many there were who regard
ed him as rather tough machine politi-
clan. Two years before his nomination
for Vice President on the ticket with
Garfield he had been turned out of the
Collectorship Of the Port of New York by
his own party, under charges. Elected
Vice-President Guiteau's bullet made MIN
President, and more upright, gracious
and graceful President, or one wiser in
his order, never occupied the Chief Mag
isterial office. We take no account Of
Taylor and Grant. They were military
heroes. War, which is a mighty leveler,
is also mighty elevator; and there is no
classifying its revolutionary processes.
Andrew Johnson was species of contra
diction: but the career of Grover Cleve-
land breaks the record.
He had passed more than forty years
Of his life sturdy, rather sluggish man
about town in the city of Buffalo. He
possessed no gifts of speech, or pen or
person to draw upon him the public at
tention, to signalize him and to make
him popular. The fairy godmother who
DEGREES these things in the cradle of her
favorites comes along, she waves her
magic wand, and 10, the Sheriff, the
Mayor, the Governor-all in a trice-be-
comes President of the United States!
Three hours before Garfield was nomi-
mated it is said that SO quick sighted
and clear-headed journalist as Murat
Halstead directed his correspondents on
the scene of ction in Chicago to "send
no more Garfield rot to this Object Two
years. before Benjamin Harrison waE
nominated he had lost his seat in the
Senate and seemed politically dead. Two
years before Lincoln was nominated, he
had not had his famous debate with
Douglas and was unknown outside the
State of Illinois. Two years before Tilden,
whom history will declare elected, re-
ceived the Democratic nomination, he had
not been chosen Governor of New York
and was little known, if popularity known
at all, outside his own profession. James
Buchanan. in moment of fret and de-
preston, once exclaimed to young
friend who was for the moment playing
amateur secretary: For twenty years /
was candidate for President. Regular
ly every four years Pennsylvania sent a
delegtion to the National convention to
urge my nomination, and regularly every
four years we came back beaten and dis
appointed. At last when had given it
UP, when it had no longer any charm for
me, when all the friends / loved and
wanted to reward were dead and most of
the enemies i hated. and had marked
down for punishment, were turned my
friends, ! was nominated and elected,
and here / am. an old man, full of care
and trouble. with scarcely one joy on
earth!''
No man who has ever been near enough
the Executive Mansion to see within it
can have any illusions about the Presi-
dency, with it's awful responsibilities, its
cruel, sometimes heart breaking, limita-
lions; its labor and it's travail. One knows
not how to reconcile the eager desire of
Webster and Clay, with any reasonable
theory except that they had fixed their
hope on the White House, had brought
themselves to believe that it honestly be-
longed to them, and, failing of it at last,
felt themselves both baffled and cheated.
In view Of the checkered history of those
who have had the Presidential bee in
their bonnets. and the whimsical evolu-
tions of the wheel Of fortune. one mar
wells that any sane man would entertain
the idea as a serious proposition. To.
expect to pick up a ticket in the street
or market place. or to look for some
one to make him a present of a ticket,
calling for the capital prize in lottery
to be drawn beyond the stars, were as
rational. The next President of the
United States though the election is but
three years ahead of us, may be a man
unknown to the people at large.
John B. Wright, OF Greensboro, N. c.,