The Irish standard., 1908-02-01

1896, when Mckinley was nominated
the first time. Cleveland, who was one
of the best presidents which the
country has ever had, failed to hold to
the end Of his second term the grip
which he had on his party in his first
four years. The fact that he obtained
three nominations and two elections,
and that the defeat interviewed be-
tween these two SUGGESTIONS, gives him
a unique place among presidents. JEFF
ferson and jackson may be said to
have had three nominations, though
national delegate conventions had not
been invented until after jackson had
served his first term. Each of these
presidents had two terms, but the de-
feat in their case came the first time
their name was presented to the coun-
try. Cleveland, successful in his first
canvass and. unsuccessful in his sec
ond, was given a third trial. and won
at the polls by large majority. New
ertheless g. powerful element of his
party turned against him early in his
second term, and in the convention
near the end of that term his party
refused him the customary honor Of an
Endorsement for his administration.
Still, the fact that Ire has been the
only man in his party to be elected
president since Buchanan was chosen
more than half a century ago, added to
the fact that he made courageous
and intelligent official, will give him q
prominent place on the roll Of presi-
dents.
Arthur, a vice president who went
TO the higher office on the death Of
his chief, ultimately won the affections
of large majority Of his party, and
would have been nominated in 1884
to succeed himself were it not for the
circumstance that the most powerful
parsonage in his party, James G. Blaine,
sought the candidacy. It is altogether
probable that if Arthur had been NOM
mated in that year the Mugwump bolt,
which helped to defeat Blains, would
not have taken place, and he might
have carried New York, which, at the
polls, was the decisive state in 1884,
as it had been in 1880, and as it was in
1883. Hayes made good president.
but he declared in the canvass Of 1876
that he would accept only one nom-
tnation. He was never personally pop
ular, and through most of his term
Conkling and many other Republicans
gave him only a perfunctory support.
But his withdrawal of the troops from
South Carolina and Louisiana in 1877,
his veto of the Bland-Allison limited
silver coinage bill in 1873, which, how
ever, was enacted by two-thirds vote
against his II forbid" and several other
acts of his administration will give him
a claim on the regard of posterity.
In the latter part of Grants days in
the presidency the third term specter
]; was up in almost as portentous shape
as it recently assumed under Roosevelt.
Although Grant had repelled larger
element Of his party than ever turned
against the present executive, he re-
tanned a fair degree of popularity to
the end, and the Grant legend survived
to sufficient extent after he retired
from Office to win him powerful sup
port for a third term in the convention
which was compelled to take up a
man who had not been thought of for
the nomination-Garf1eld. To the close
Of his days, in the first term of Cleye-
land, Grant remained Americas first
citizen. The exercises at his funeral
! were as distinctive for the expressions
of good will which they called out from
all elements of the people as were those
of the three murdered presidents
Lincoln. Garfield and Mckinley. John
son never had the enthusiastic support
of the Republican party, which elected
lhim as a war Democrat on the Lin.