Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-26
ABOUT WHISPERS
How They Have Been Worn by 0ccu-
 pants of the White House,

Funny men and cartoonists are making good start on their anti whiskers campaign against John w. Kern, looking upon him as rank interloper and breaker of time-hon- ored custom because of his hirsute adornment. Incidentally the republi- can candidate for the vice-presidency will suffer somewhat, but in a much lesser degree, his whiskers being of less obstructive pattern, only two little tufts between the ears. As there were great men before Aga memnon so there were presidential and vice-presidential whiskers before John w. Kern.
 George Washington, first president, smoothly shaven, set the fashion for many of his successors and John Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Mon- roe were whiskerless and beardless. Then came John Qunicy Adams, with a light whisker crescent shaped from his ear to the corner of his mouth. But this man, mild in manners. though firm in his opinions, did not dare to go so far as mustache, and Andrew Jackson stout "Old Hickory" returned to the faith of the fathers and was smooth shaven.
 Martin Van Buren, eighth presi- dent of the United States, called by his admirers "The Sage of Kinder hook" and by his enemies the whigs, Martin, the Fox" wore side whis- kers, which, as they were then be- ginning to be affected by the Presby- terian clergy, were called Presbyter- ians. At a more recent date this style. which had as its most noted exemplar, George Ambrose Burnside, came to be called "Burnsides.
 MT Van Buren was early near friend of the colored man, and in 1921, when the constitution of the state of New York was revised, he favored the proposition that colofed persons having a freehold qualifica- tion of S250 should be allowed to vote. He also opposed in 1S4S the annexation of Texas and was nom- mated for president by the free soil party. This was after he had served from 1897 to 1s41 as a president elected by the democratic party.
 The ninth and tenth occupants of the white house, William Henry Har- rison and John Tyler. were smooth ly shaven. James K. Folks face was beardless. The family name had been changed from Pollock to Polk, and his ancestors had come to Amer lea from the north of Ireland early in the eighteenth century. Zachary Taylor wore little tufts of whiskers at the side of his face, and Willard Fillmore. the vice-president who served out Taylor's term. was hand some man. smoothly shaveu. Frank lin Pierce and James Buchanan wore beardless.
 Up to this time no president of the United States had worn hair upon his upper lip. Nor had any one worn hair upon the chin. Abraham Lin- coin, in 1861. brought the first full beard, barring the mustache, that had ever sat in the White House. Andrew Johnson had a smooth face. Then Grant came with a mustache and full beard sacrificing all the presidential precedents in regard to facial hair.
 Hayes beard was of like compfe- EdNANAAH aH NaE dA1g Au0 beard of Garfield Then came Ches- ter Alan Arthur. the best dresser. following George Washington. that ever occupied the presidential seat and probably the handsomest. His chin was smooth. but his sidewhis- kers gracefully joined his mustache with no line of separation showing.
 The first. and ID 10 this time. the only president who ever wore mustaehe with no other facial sc- cessories in the way of beard vas Grover Cleveland. Benjamin Har- rison was full bearded Mckinley was beardless Roosevelt wears a mustaehe It now remains to be de- cided in November whether the next president of the United States shall bp Mir Taft with a mustache. or Mir Bryan. whose facial exposi- ton brings back the bezrdless fash Ion Of the early presidents. wheth- CT John ". Kern with his defiant full beard. or James Schoolcraft Sherman ~ith h.s toy pattern of ~sIde-burners. shall be vice prssi- dent. IL is up to the voters of the great republic to choose
 If the contest Is close the uues- tion may be decided nos by the colored vote. not hy the temperance vote. not hy the farmerr' vote. not by the labor vote. but the bravf hsrbsrs Of the United States. But even here a diHcaify arises Boft tickets are co evenly balanced b. tween the shzven and Enshorn tha the harbers will he al sea, ss one cznnos wote a splIs ticket fer ttf prssidszt and his un1srz,sdy-