The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-30
rnncEDENrs IN nx-rnnsrDnsrs.

louht OF inspiration again.
------------
fREcEDENTs IN Ex-PREsDENTs
What shall we do win that melan-
choiy product, an eN-President?"
! such was the question which George
Whitelock, a prominent member of
the Maryland Bar and secretary OF the
American Bar Association, wen known
to members of the Virginia Bar Asso-
citation, answered in his address on
Wednesday before the Nebraska Bar
Association. Here is the reply, based
on the experience Of the former chief
magistrates of the nation, which he
gave:
Let him, like every good American
citizen, be willing and prompt to bear
ms part in every useful work that Will
promote the happiness and progress OF
ms family, his town, his State, and his
country With this disposition he VIII
have work enough to do and that sort
of work which yields more Individual
contentment and qualification than be-
long to the more conspicuous employ
ments of the life he has left behind.
our national destiny does not DEPEND
upon the destiny of an individual. No
lover of true democracy would seek TO
render more difficult Presidents re-
turn to private life or less difficult a
Presidents return to executive power.
The day of tho ex-President is gone.
The moving finger writes, and bav.
Ing writ moves on"
An interesting review of the post
presidential activities of former Presl-
dents was an Illuminating part of the
address of Mr.. WhItelock Disregard
ing the facettous suggestions of Ben
jamin Harrison that the outgoing
President be beheaded in order to
enliven the dun ceremony of installing
his successor the speaker pointed out
as a model the life of Washington
who retired to Mount Vernon. serene
and dignified, willing to serve Virginia
as petit juror.
Participation In constitutional CON
ventions was the chief public post
presidential act of three Presidents.
John Adams, Madison and Monroe.
Madison and Monroe sat in the same
Virginia Constitutional Convention.
which Mr. Whitelock regards as hav-
ing contained more distinguished men
than any other assembly ever convok-
ed in America" All three of these ex-
Presidents We're aged when thew took
their seats as delegates, and were un-
able to figure prominently in the as
John Adams was in retirement long
er than any other ex-President, bury
ing himself in quaint old Quincy for a
quarter of century. He experiments
ed with agriculture and made his liv- /
ng off his farms. Finally he served as
presidential elector voting for Mon
roe, the beloved disciple of Jefferson.
Who never grew beyond the hate of
ADAMS.
Jefferson's ante-p presidential career
IS lawyer is treated interestingly in
he address, Mr.. Whitelock shows that
n seven years the future President
loubled his income and tried a multi
ude of causes. The record of his
arly cases in the Chief Provincial
'ourt shows the following results:
lrst year, GS; second year, us, third
ear l9S; fourth year, 12l; fifth year,
~ sixth year l54; seventh year, 127,
lie was reverting. therefore, to an old
ablt when he wrote with his own
and the deed of conveyance for the
tie of the University OF Virginia, to
,hich he, Madison and Monroe devoted
much of the last years of their
YES.
10 some extent the careers of An
rev Jackson ana Theodore Roosevelt
ere alike, although Nj. WhiteloclS
'lis to- make this comparison in his
ldress Both inquired very largely In
10 selection, of their successors,
Tough Mr. Whitelock says of the
age OF the Hermitage what cannot be
Nd of the Sagn student of oyster Bay.l y
i has been said that he terminated d
shi Years Of administering the Gov a
hlnent at Washington TO administer q
Z the Hermitage for another eight +.
ans as muchof heciorernment as the b
F'y could control Perhaps Mr.. h
p0seFelt mas tried to do this but he /,
' not succeeded. 1ackson's anndi- e
70 Tor the goYernorship or his own :.
ate failed Of election Just as Roose,
lEa did tRis fan Jackson. ike
'ossSelt took the stump ana made
ofEental speeches to which ths men