Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-11-25

cept that We children taken, awe
struck, over TO the Hermitage, q
mile away, to see General Jackson
somehow associated the old man
with the great shock OF white haiI
With God. I was often about the
White house as grew up, One In
mate there-he, too, was an old man
Il remember almost wrin gtng his
hands with anxiety, 30 impatient, so
eager was he Co be done with It, &c
be out and gone. I have been read
ing latter1y a diary IN four massive
volumes kept by Mt. Polk, dating
from the early days Of August after
he became president in 1s45, 70 the
beginning OF the June days OF 1919,
within two weeks Of his death To
me this curious record has brought
the deepest interest-scarcely a
name within It Of which I have not
some familiar knowledge very
church yard filed with the graves of
long-forgo4ten people in their time
more or less weIl-known to me
1T rs my fixed belief that presidents
are born, not made; born 10 the presi-
dency as aurely as those little puppets
over yonder we call kings and en-
perors are born to the purple.
Since 1916 but two or three, Buchan-
an and Mckinley. maybe Taft. We're
seriously thought Of two years before
their nominations. You can figure 1t
out for yourselves. In 1874. Polk was
a weak aspirant for the vice presiden-
tial nomination. IN 1913, Franklin
Pierce quilted Washington, where he
was doing no good for himself, TO re-
turn as president IN $3.50 short
years Iater-nothing except his nomi-
nation in 1852 which took even the
convention that made It by surprise,
having happened in the meantime re-
motely to suggest him in that con-
nection Five or six years before he
took the oath OF chief magistrate.
Grover Cleveland, a sheriff IN western
New York. stood upon a scafold
and hanged two malefactors- Two
years before his nomination Lincoln
had not had the famous debate with
Douglas that brought him into the
running. Taylor and Grant and ROOse-
welt were the merest creations Of
war Tyler was christened His AcCi-
dency. Hayes. Garfield. Arthur and
the second Harrison, were to the last
moment unexpected and might have
been so called except that destiny
were yet a filter and more applicable
title
IF I have not quite put you to sleep
let me tell you a story. Just after the
Inauguration OF Garfield, he was i'm
portuned to make g place for a friend,
OF course from Ohio, by tUrnlng a GER
tain old gentleman out Of law Office
he had 1Or I long time held in the
treasury department. Garfield refused
and pe-sistently refused Why he
was asked. Because said he. Z can
not reconcile II TO my conscience
to turn a capable and meritorious old
man out Of a little pos Ike 'hat who
came within q single vote OF being
where I now am What on earth
can you mean. Mr.. PRESIDENT he was
asked. This said Garfield. During
the Wing convention OF 1S4S, just
after the nomination Of Zachary Tay-
Tor. the friends O. Willard Fillmore Of
New York and Kenneth Rayner oI
North Carolina-warm friends but
rival aspirauts for the vice presiden- |
,iai nomination. VINO had served to- .
gether as Wing members Of congress
held a conference. At last when
The talk was threshed out. it was
agreed that a ballot should be then
and there taken between the two. Fill .
more led Rayrcr one vote. Gentlemen. /
hat IS the reason why 1 viii not turn
Fsyuer out OF the treasury. .