Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-03-18

dent OF the United States by .
democrats, but defeated by .
Benjamin Harrison, republican. >
1s92-Again nominated for !"
president by democrats and ell ,
ected. defeating President Har-
rison. =
lS97-Retired from presi- =
dency and active political life,
and took up his residence at ,
Princeton, N. j.. Princeton Uni !"
versIty oonferrig upon him the "
degree of l.. l.. d. .
=
PRINCETON. N. j.. Mar. 49,
This is a great day in Princeton. 1t
is the birthday anniversary of Gro
yer Cleveland, the only living ex-
president Of the United States. who
for many years has been the most
distinguished citizen of this old coll
lege town. The famous statesman
today enters upon his seventy-second
year, having been born on March is,
1897, Scores of prominent people,
including many members OF the
Princeton faculty. today called at the
Cleveland family home, Westlands,
to pay their respects to the aged man
who has now come to be known as
the Sage of Princeton" A steady
procession OF messenger boys began
early this morning to deliver the
kilograms OF congratulation that are
pouring In from all over the land
and from foreign countries. Prince
ton students took an enthusiastic
part In the days observances.
There Is every prospect that the
number OF eongratulatory messages
received today will exceed in number
those arriving year ago. when Mr..
Cleveland reached the scriptural
limit OF three score years and ten.
proving concluaively that with the
passing years the popularity Of the
Sage OF Princeton" Is steadily grow
Ing. While he has not actively en-
gagged In politics for several years.
his opinion Is sought by democratic
politicians and statesmen all over
the country and by the newspapers.
For a time no was held responsible.
In many quarters. for the panic OF
1923, just as President Roosevelt
has been blamed for last years finan-
cial furry, but this feeling has now
apparently died out and there is
every probability that Mr.. Cleveland
will live many years to enjoy the jus
tlfieation of his course that Is now
being accorded him,
Mr. Cleveland has steadily turned
a deaf ear to all temptations OF re-
turn to public office, He has stead
lastly taken the position that any
American who has been called to the
presidency has received the highest
honor in the gift OF the American
people and that to accept any other
public Office would not only be sci,
fish. but Rnti-ollmax.
IL has now been twenty-three
years since Cleveland was first in-
aagurated, other presidents have
survived longer than that after taxi
ing the oath of ofilee. John Adams.
inAugurated In 1TT9. lived twenty.
nine years afterward. to die on the
same day as Thomas Jeiferson--in
fact. within one hour. and on a
Fourth OF July at that.
Jefferson survived twenty-five
years after the beginning OF his frst
term. Madison went him two years
better, and lived twenty-seven years,
John Quincy Adams made a record
OF twenty-nine years, Martin Van
Buren, twenty-five and Tyler twenty
one. Fillmore lasted twenty-foUr.
II Is a significant fact. and one
that proves how much greater Is the
strain Of the once now than since
the time OF Fillmore. Grover Cleve-
land Is the only man who has lived
a score OF years after becoming
president OF the United States. Pierce
lived sixteen. Buchanan eleven.
johnson ten. Grant sixteen, Hayes