The Saint Paul globe., 1904-11-20

t"t thlng Tor he'S rich man s
u III son. He might, if he had
half chance, but he is
overshadowed completely by his fa-
theirs reputation. Besides, as the son Of
his father, his head has been turned
probably, and he'll never try to cut
much of figure"
Remarks like this, often heard when
the son of an eminent man is under
discussion, indicate accurately the pub
lie attitude toward the youngster whose
father has made name and place
In the world for himself. This is espe-
cially true if the father Is president
of the United States. But the facts
do not justify the attitude.
Strictly speaking, only twenty-one
presidents sons, concerning whom
there are available records, have grown
to manhood. Six Washing
tor, Madison, Jackson, Polk, Buchanan
Ga bachelor) and McKinley-left no
children. Two-Jefferson and Monroe
left daughters only. President john
son had two sons, but both died be-
fore he was president, and SO do not
count. The sons of thirteen presidents
john Adams, John Quincy Adams,
Van Buren, William Henry Harrison,
L
Hayes, Garfield, Arthur and Benjamin
Harrison-have lived to mans estate.
The sons of Cleveland and Roosevelt
are still boys.
OF the twenty-one presidents sons
who have reached manhood, nine have
bulked large in the public eye on their
own account, and all but one or two
have stood well among those who knew
fIar,o zI.r<o ;o1
citizens. The prominent nine are John
nQpincy Adams, president, diplomat
rand congressman; Charles Francis
Adams publicist and statesman; Rob-
ert Tyler, register of the Confederate
treasury; Richard Taylor, who served
with distinguished gallantry on the
Confederate side of the Civil war; John
Van Buren, prominent in state politics
and just entering national politics
when he died; Robert Todd Lincoln,
cabinet minister, diplomat and presi-
dent of a world famous corporation;
Frederick Dent Grant, diplomat and
general in the army; Henry A. Gar
field, lawyer, banker and professor Of
politics IN a great university, and
James r. Garfield, state senator, United
States civil service commissioner and
commissioner of corporations in the de-
partment of commerce and labor.
Besides the nine who have climbed
80 high there is John Scott Harrison,
who had the unique distinction of being
the son of one president and father of
another. He was a man of force and
with great influence In his own state,
though he was not q prominent figure
In national sense. Counting him In.
and he surely made good" ten, or
only one less than half the presidents
sons who have reached manhood are
entitled to be named on the roll of
honor.
The Greatest Presidents Son
Unquestionably, John Quincy Adams
was the greatest presidents son. Even
when boy he was the closest friend
and companion of his eminent father,
with whom he went to France at the
age Of IL. At 13 he taught English to
De La Luzerne, a French ambassador.
Soon afterward he went to Holland
with his father and set the Dutch agog
by the knowledge he displayed Of Ba-
varian antiquities. At 15 he was Sec
retary to his father in Russia. He was
graduated from Harvard at 81, studied
law and practiced 1t awhile, but soon
entered public life. He served as min
lister to Portugal and afterwafd to
Prussia. Recalled because Of political
changes, he entered the state legisla-
ture and later the house Of representa-
lives. He was inaugurated president
In 1895. and is the only president who
ever sat in congress after the close of
his term as chief magistrate His
whole life was one Of great usefulness
TO his country, yet as he tried to Law
out middle course between the con-
servatlsm of the old regime and the
radicalism OF the new, he was at times
condemned impartially by almost
everybody. Possibly his greatest SER
: vices were rendered In the negotiation
OF treaties in the ten years from 1909
to 1919. when the United States was
new and stood in need of a great
treaty-maker
Charles Francis Adams son of John
quincy lawyer by profession, was a
member of the Massachusetts legisla-
ture and the national congress. rninis-
ter to England, member of the Geneva
tribunal in 1871-72 and ran for presi
dent on the Free Soil ticket In 1913
HIS son. Charles Francis. was q soldier
In the Civil war, coming out a b,.iea
dier general and later was president
OF the Union Pacific railroad
Sons of Van Buren, and w. n. Harrison
There are some who would object
TO the admission Of John Van Buren's
name to the list of presidents sons
who have made good, and it is not
SO many years since his career was
The subject of frequent newspaper dis
cussion. 1t is true that he was a bon
vivant and something of man about
town. Also. he was somewhat swept
on his feet by the -adulation he re-
ceived as his fathers son, long be-
Ing known derisively as prince
John" But later he entered upon q
serious political career, and. being
q highly effective speaker. soon made
himself power in New York Had
ne not been suddenly cut OF while at
sea ne would surely have made himself
felt in national affairs.
John Scott Harrison served two
terms III congress but fha ona <.3r-