The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-03
OUR PRESIDENTS.


Charles B. Benjamin. in March st. Mich
olas.
If a little collection of trustworthy max
inns could be published under the title.
How to Become President" it would be
help to those rare boys who begin early
TO think of what they would like to be, and
IL might set some boys to thinking of pres
idential chances who now never give the
matter passing thought. But the winning
of the presidency is not one of those ex-
act arts for which the directions can be
set out like lessons in a schoolbook. Thus
far we have had but twenty chosen Presi-
dents; for five of the Presidents, so-called,
have been Vice Presidents, succeeding to
the powers and duties of Presidents who
died within their terms of office. Twenty
is small number from which to extract
rule for the selection of Presidents, and
six of the twenty had already been chosen
down.to the time when Jackson, an idol of
the rude and hardy settlers, who were
transferring the political supremacy from
the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi val
ley, brought in the era of the poor boy"
Yet the reasons why the twenty chosen
ones became preferred to others must
throw some light on the kinds of men and
Washington was chief of the men who
had carried the young Nation to independ-
ence through the revolutionary war, and
when the people decided to have a Presi-
dent they had no room in their minds or
hearts for anybody but him. He would
have been President for life If he had not
insisted upon retiring when he felt that
he could leave the office without injury to
the country.
Presidents John Adams, Jefferson and
Madison were all illustrious statesmen OF
the revolutionary period, and each was the
natural and proper choice of the party that
elected him in behalf of the Nation.
Presidents Monroe and John Quincy
Adams were both statesmen of distin-
guished character and service, with high
claims upon the whole people, and stronger
claims than any of their competitors upon
the party to which they belonged.
President Jackson coming up early from
the humber ranks of the people, had gained
great fame and popularity as a military
and political leader at the time of his cleo
tion. He was a man of violent passions
and prejudices, but, like the gentler Lin
coin of after years, a man of many virtues
and of rare strength of character, and a
lover of truth, honesty and the interests of
his country. Following the examples of
Washington and Jefferson, he refused to
serve for more than two terms, and gladly
went into retirement at the zenith of his
power over the government and people.
President Van Buren was man of win
ming manners, and of great popularity; he
was renowned as a manager of political af-
| valuable helper to Jackson, the latter, in
return, did all he could to make his friend 8
| succession to the presidency easy and sure.
President William Henry Harrison was
| much like Jackson In the great hold he had
| upon the masses through his military fame;
but he was well-bred man, and amiable
| to all men and parties. He was old when
| the great Office came to him at last. and
| died only a month after his inauguration.
Presidents Polk. Pierce and Hayes were
men of esteemed private character and
| creditable standing in politics. Their posi-
tions i'm public life were too moderate to
| give them hopes of the presidency, but their
| party leaders chose them as compromise
candidates when unable to agree upon
statesmen of greater fame
| President Taylor and President Grant
were military men who had become popu-
lar heroes through famous victories, for
which reason they were taken into politics
and made presidential candidates as being
| more likely to defeat the civilian candi-
| dates of the opposite parties.
| Presidents Buchanan, Garfield Benjamin
| Harrison and Mckinley were public men of
| long and prominent service, who. without
SURPRISING other men of their own parties,
perhaps were plainly in the front rank.
| They were finally preferred in the nomi-
| mating conventions because well and strong
| ly supported by their adherents, and be-
| cause their prospects of success favorably
| impressed the members of the convention.
| Presidents Lincoln and Cleveland were
public men who each made rapid rise to
| national Importance because he seemed to
| be the very man to deal with questions out
| Of the ordinary line of politics, which much
| engrossed the popular mind at the time.
| Now let us see what our twenty examples
| can teach us about how to obtain the presi-
| dency. First, we must put aside Washing
| ton. Taylor and Grant as exceptional in
| stances; for We shall hardly again have a
| creator-in-chief and founder of the nation
and only on rare occasions can some con-
| queror, by force of popular fervor super
| sede the statesman and stride like victor
| to the White House. From the seventeen
| examples that remain We learn that a COM
| ing President must be in political life
whether as an illustriOuS statesman, to
| whom the office comes like natural promo
| tion with hardly an effort, or as suddenly
| risen man of fame, to whom the popular
| feeling DEGREES lit. If he be neither OF
| these, then he must be a statesman dis
| tinguished beyond the average. or one OF
| average yet real distinction, who in either
| case must reach out for the coveted place
| with a general feeling of the propriety OF
his having ii. If such a one. i'm the course
| of events, has had an opportunity to sue.
| cessfully turn his hand to warfare, after
| the fashion of public men in this land OF
| citizen soldery, his martial popularity will
count largely in his favor. Or an average
| statesman will have a useful lead if he
| possesses those personal qualities, such as
| tact, patience and grace-the iron hand ir
the velvet glove-that enables him to man.
| age all sorts and conditions of men, anC
| so to make himself quietly predominant
1 Lastly, to be modestly but honorably In
politics, with attractive personal quaiitie.
and good claims to private esteem, is to bt
hopefully in waiting for the day when
| party, torn by the rival contentious of il.
principal men, shall look over into the mex
| rank for a substitute candidate, and thu.
| bring the honor suddenly.